The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

October 2017

POSITIVE POLITENESS IN COMMISSIVE SPEECH ACT OF

OFFERING IN PILKADA DEBATE OF DKI JAKARTA 2017
Aldila Arin Aini, Sumarlam, Dwi Purnanto
Post Graduate Program of Linguistics
Sebelas Maret University
Surakarta, Indonesia
arinaini92@gmail.com

Abstract
This research aims to describe how positive politeness strategy of offer and promise is used in
commissive sppech act of offering at first session pilkada debate of DKI Jakarta 2017. Politeness
strategy which is used in this research is based on Brown and Levinson‘s theory (1987) and the
commissive speech act is based on Searle‘s theory (1985). Free considerably technique and note
taking technique by Sudaryanto (2015) are used to collecting data. Meanwhile, pragmatics based
approach (metode padan pragmatis) by Sudaryanto (1993) and Means-add and heuristics
technique by Leech (1993) are used to analyze the data. The result shows that there are 43 data
about positive politeness strategy of offer and promise which are used in commissive speech act of
offering during first session pilkada debate of DKI Jakarta 2017. From the result, it can be
concluded that commissive speech act of offering can help speakers to deliver their utterances
politely and pragamtically. It can also help to save speakers‘ face positively or to keep positive
image for speakers in society.

Keywords : positive politeness strategy, offer and promise, commissive speech act, offering, first
debate, pilkada DKI Jakarta 2017

Introduction bald-on record politeness, off-record politeness,

The most polite utterance is the one which is said
indirectly such as by using contradiction,
metaphors, rethorical questions, understating,
over-generalized, giving hints, etc (Jauhari 2017
and Brown & Levinson 1987). Djatmika (2016)
also add that there are sub strategies in negative
politeness and anyone who apply those sub
strategies can be seen as a polite human being.
Pranowo (2005) stated that politeness happens
when the words did not hurt others. Nurdin
(2004) said that smiling was also one example for
being polite when speakers and hearers were
having conversation.
Offering is one of the kind of commissive speech
act as mentioned by Searle (1985). He stated that
there are promise, swear, offer, threaten, refuse,
guarantee, assure, accept, bet, and agree. Offering
is about suffering for hearers‘ want. The speaker
has to commit to fulfil what the hearers‘ want
after they deal each other. To practice using some
politeness strategy, Brown & Levinson (1987)
mentioned five kinds of the politeness strategies.
There are positive politeness, negative politeness,
and do not do the FTA (Face Threatening Acts).
There are fifteen kinds of sub positive politeness
strategies. There are be optimistics, offer and
promise, notice, seek agreement, joke,
exaggerate, avoid disagreement, pressupose,
intensify interest to the hearers, in group identity
markers, assert, include both the speaker(s) and
the hear(ers) in the activity, give or ask for
reasons, assume and give gifts to the hearers. In
negative politeness strategy, it has ten kinds of
sub negative politeness strategies. There are be
pesimistics, state the FTA as a general rule,
nominalize, go on record as incuring debt,
impersonalize, give deferences, minimize the
imposition, hedging, do not presume and be
conventionally indirect. In off-record strategy, it
has fifteen kinds of sub politeness strategies.
There are give hints, association clues, use
metaphors, rethorical questions, tautology,
ambiguity, contradiction, ironic, elipsis, over-
generalize, be vague, and displace hearers. Bald-
on record strategy means to say something

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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
October 2017
directly and do not do the FTA is not saying
anything.
Methodology
This research is qualitative descriptive.. This
research was taken from www.youtube.com. This
research used purposive sampling technique
because this research is based on specific
purpose.
Note taking technique and free considerably
technique are used as the analysis technique.
Those two analysis techniques are used by the
researcher because the data are taken by watching
the video of pilkada debat at the first session, and
then the researcher took note to identify which
utterances belong to commissive speech act of
offering and what kinds of politeness strategies
used in the utterances. For the analysis method,
the researcher uses pragmatics based apporach
(metode padan pragmatis) by Sudaryanto (2015).
To support the discussion and conclussion,
means-add technique and heuristics technique
are used as analysis technique by Leech (1993).
Finding and Discussion
This results show that there are 45 utterances
which are indicated as offering speech act and
use positive politeness. Those positive politeness
used in those offering speech act are offer and
promise, offer and promise and state the FTA
(face threatening acts) as a general rule, offer and
promise and nominalize, include both speaker
and hearer in the activity, offer and promise and
give association clue, offer and promise and be
vague.
These utterances below show how positive
politeness strategies in offering give contribution
for those three candidates.
Context (1) : explanation of main vision
and mission based on debate theme, it is
―Development Economy and social aspect for
Jakarta if one of the candidates are chosen as
governer and vice governor of Jakarta 2017.
Utterances: (a) Dengan cara, pertama,
meningkatkan ekonomi daerah, meningkatkan
daya beli masyarakat, dan menciptakan lapangan
kerja baru.
(b) Kedua, meningkatkan kualitas pendidikan,
pelayanan kesehatan, dan juga transportasi umum
(c) Ketiga, tentunya meningkatkan kualitas
lingkungan hidup dengan cara solusi yang efektif
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untuk mengatasi problem yang akut seperti
banjir, sampah, dan polusi.
(d) Kami hadir di Jakarta membawa pengalaman
pengetahuan dan akumulasi jaringan
(e) Berikutnya, akses pada pendidikan berkualitas
dan tuntas. Kita ingin para orangtua bisa
mengantarkan anaknya ke sekolah, bisa
mengantarkan anaknya ke madrasah, dengan
perasaan tenang, dengan perasaan yakin, dengan
penuh cinta kasih lalu kita didik anak-anak itu
sehingga mereka menjadi anak-anak yang
berakhlak, anak yang berkarakter, anak yang
berkompeten.
(f) Kami akan hadirkan kota yang maju, bahagia,
aman, damai, dan bebas dari segala macam
kriminalitas.
(g) Inilah gunanya pemerintah hadir di tengah-
tengah masyarakat.
(h) Kita akan beri pendampingan melalui
mentorship.
(i) Di bidang pendidikan, kami juga akan
menghadirkan KJP+ di mana ini adalah jawaban
yang ditunggu para keluarga yang kurang
mampu.
(j) Terakhir untuk biaya hidup, program kami
adalah harga OK.
Context (2): Explanation of main
programs and assure to Jakarta citizens why they
have to choose one of the three candidates.
Utterances (a): Kami punya 10 program
unggulan. Yang pertama adalah memberikan
bantuan langsung sementara kepada keluarga
miskin dan kurang mampu, 5 juta Rupiah per
keluarga miskin per tahun. Ini untuk membantu
kehidupan kelaurga sehari-hari.
(b) Yang kedua adalah pemberdayaan komunitas
RT/RW, 1 RW 1 Miliar Rupiah per tahun untuk
memberdayakan komunitas yang ada di
masyarakat kita.
(c) Yang ketiga adalah mengurangi
pengangguran dan menciptakan lapangan
pekerjaan dengan bantuan langsung dana
bergulir, bantuan modal usaha. 50 juta rupiah per
satu unit usaha untuk mengurangi pengangguran.
(d) Kami ingin juga meningkatkan pendidikan
dan kesejahteraan guru.
(e) Yang keempat adalah meningkatkan
pelayanan kesehatan masyarakat
(f) Yang kelima adalah meningkatkan
pertumbuhan ekonomi, investasi, dan stabilisasi
harga.
(g) Yang keenam adalah kita ingin membangun
tanpa menggusur.
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(h) Meningkatkan program-program perumahan
rakyat dan infrastruktur di Jakarta.
(i) Ketujuh, menjadikan Jakarta sebagai ―smart,
creative and green city‖. Pintar, kreatif dan juga
ramah lingkungan
(j) Yang kedelapan kita ingin meningkatkan rasa
aman, kerukunan antarwarga Jakarta.
Context (3) : Giving explanation about
resolution when their programs meet their
personal life which can be bothering the progress.
Utterancess (3) : (a) Tapi yang paling penting
adalah good will. Memberikan dan menjadi
contoh bagi yang lainnya.
(b) Itu menjadi sangat penting barulah kita bisa
mengajak birokrasi kita, mengajak masyarakat
kita dan seluruh stakeholders di Jakarta untuk
benar-benar menjaga integritasnya, memajukan
Jakarta, mensejahterakan rakyat dan semuanya
kembali untuk rakyat Jakarta.
Context (4) : Giving explanation about
the resolution of economics imbalanced between
the poor one and the rich one.
Utteranceses (a) : Ada 360 ribu atau 128 ribu
keluarga yang tergolong miskin dan kurang
mampu. Disitu lah mengapa Agus-Sylvi
menawarkan program bantuan langsung
sementara.
(b) Ini adalah artinya memberikan bantuan
meyakinkan keluarga miskin dapat makan.
(c) Di samping itu juga, kita memiliki bantuan
atau skema bantuan dana bergulir
(d) Dari program yang kami tawarkan tersebut,
paling tidak ada 114 items unit usaha yang
bergulir.
(e) Yang keenam kami menawarkan modal usaha
dengan pola bagi hasil.
(f) Bila tadi kita dengar, pasangan calon pertama
memberikan ikannya. Pasangan kedua
memberikan kailnya. Ikan dan kail baik
diberikan. Tapi jika kolamnya masih ada, bagian
kami menyiapkan, memastikan kolamnya masih
tersedia.
(g) Optimisme pesan positif, dan disini yang
kami hadirkan, 44 pusat pertumbuhan ekonomi di
Jakarta yang akan menumbuhkan lapangan
pekerjaan.
(h) Kita gerakan sektor swasta, bekerja tidak
hanya yang besar-besar saja. Sebagai contoh,
Anda penjahit di kampung, maka umumnya
melayani tetangganya. Kami siapkan
programnya, agar Anda menjahit di kampung,
tetapi order yang Anda terima, tersambung
dengan perusahaan-perusahaan besar. Dengan
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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
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begitu ada sambungan antara home industry
dengan large industry. Lakukan itu di seluruh
Jakarta. Maka yang terjadi bukan sekedar
mengentaskan kemiskinan. Bukan sekedar
mengentaskan ketimpangan, yang terjadi adalah
maju bersama. Kesejahteraan bergerak.
(i) Kita menyediakan dana 1 triliun.
(j) Dan menurut saya program kami Oke Oce
bisa menciptakan dua ratus ribu lapangan
pekerjaan baru.
(k) Sehingga saya ingin menanggapi apa yang
tadi sudah di sampaikan oleh paslon dua dan tiga.
(l) Dan disini lah keterpanggilan kami untuk
membantu mereka.
Context (5) : Ahok criticize Sylvi‘s
stetement about the victory of a leader must obey
the rules.
Utteranceses (a) : Kita mau bikin rumahnya
terapung
Context (6) : Sandi answered Ahok‘s
question about transportation infrastructure.
Utterances (a) : Bisa juga mulai dilakukan oleh
orang-orang yang punya banyak banget duit
Context (7) : Anies responded Djarot‘s
statement about the better transportation system
to change youth generations‘ mind to use public
transportation than their own cars or motorcycles.
Utterances (a) : Bayangkan seperti pembuluh
darah, bayangkan sebagai pembuluh darah di
badan kita dimana angkutan massal menjangkau
ke semua titik dari mulai Trans Jakarta, MRT,
muncul yang lebih kecil bus, minibus, sampai
mikrolet sampai angkot, tergantung wilayahnya.
Apa yang terjadi, kita mengintegrasi sistem
transportasi.
Context (8) : Anies asked to Sylvi how to
manage timpora (tim pengawasan orang asing) in
Jakarta.
Utterances (a) : Lapangan pekerjaan kita siapkan.
Context (9) : Anies disagreed Sylvi‘s
statement about optimalization of timpora in
Jakarta.
Utterances : (a) Satu, RT/RW akan kita
kembalikan perannya
Context (10) : Sylvi argued Ahok‘s
statement about the launching of Kartu Satu
Jakarta because Ahok thought that he had done
the similiar program.
Utterances (a) : Bicara di sini, ini kartu Jakarta
pintar, di sini ada education report.
(b) Di sinilah yang saya ingin kenapa kita
sepakat, Mas Agus dengan saya Mpok Sylvi
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The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
October 2017
ingin mengeluarkan Kartu Jakarta yang akan
terealisasi dengan nyata
Context (11) : Anies criticized Sylvi‘s
statement about the steps to prohibit criminal
crimes in Jakarta.
Utterances (a) : Pertama, kita mari sadari,
hadirnya pemimpin adalah untuk bisa membuat
suasana bersama bagi semua, persatuan. Karena
itu pemimpin justru harus bisa, berdialog dengan
semua. Berbicara dengan semua.
(b) Karena itu yang dimunculkan nomer satu.
Lapangan pekerjaan bagi semua, lapangan
pekerjaan membuat orang memiliki karya.
Memiliki harga diri.
Context (12) : Anies disagreed to Ahok‘s
statement about the way to be a governor of
Jakarta.
Utterances (a) : Kami tidak punya kaitan dengan
persoalan masa lalu di kota ini, justru kebaruan
yang kami tawarkan adalah kebaruan yang
sanggup berhadapan dengan siapa saja tanpa
kompromi dengan keyakinan transparansi
kebenaran di pihak kami.
Context (13) : Ahok stated the real
contribution on succesfull indicators and
character buildings to improve youth generation‘s
quality in Jakarta.
Utterances (a) Terus sertifikasi nah bagi kami
sebagai penutup kami memiliki visi misi program
semua terukur dengan angka.
(b) Kami mengharapkan ada masukan-masukan
yang baru, yang baik untuk kami memperbaiki
jika kami diberikan kepercayaan kembali.
(c) Karena itu perjuangan kami ini belum selesai.
Kami ikut ini untuk apa, untuk minta ijin kepada
warga DKI supaya kami menyelesaikan
perjuangan kami yang belum selesai ini.
Context (14): Anies stated another
opinion which was similair with Ahok‘s
statement before.
Utterances (a) Karena itu yang akan kita lakukan
di sekolah akan ada program penumbuhan
karakter.
Context (15): Agus assured the audiences
of pilkada debate that he would not join pilpres
2019 after he‘s chosen as a governor of DKI
Jakarta.
Utterances (a) Kami ada di sini untuk
berkompetisi, mendapatkan kesempatan.
Those utterances in context above with the italics
words in each context and numbers show that
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positive politeness strategy in offering speech act
contributes in candidates‘ utterances.
Positive politeness of offer and promise
are found in (1a), (1b), (1c), (1f), (1d), (1h), (1i),
(1j), (2a), (2b), (2c), (2d), (2e), (2f), (2g), (2h),
(2i), (3a), (4a), (4b), (4c), (4d), (4e), (4i), (4j),
(4k), (5a), (8a), (9a), (10a), (10b), (12a), (13a),
(13b), (14a), and (15a). All those utterances are
positive politeness of offer and promise because
there are some clauses or phrases indicated as
positive politeness of offer and promise. Positive
politeness of offer and promise and negative
politeness of state the FTA as a general rule are
found in (2j), (6a), (13c). It because the speaker
must show their commitment in front of public
but they also want to save face some instantions
or persons they meant to.
Positive polieness of offer promise and negative
politeness of nominalize is found in (4g). If the
utterance does not use negative politeness of
nominalize, so it should be ―menumbuhkan‖
because ―pertumbuhan‖ is nominal, meanwhile
―menumbuhkan‖ is a verb. ―Kami hadirkan‖ is
also a prove that this utterance uses positive
politeness of offer and promise.
Positive politeness of include the speaker and the
hearer are found in (3b). It means that the speaker
wants to the heares or other speakers join into the
conversation. This is one way to become polite
when suddenly there is someone new in the
middle of happening conversation.
Positive politeness of offer and promise and off
record politeness of give association clue is found
in (4h). He gave clue about how the tailors in
Jakarta reach their successfull by giving his own
explanation.
Positive politeness of offer promise and off
record politeness of be vague is found in (11b).
The utterance is used off reocrd strategy of be
vague because here the clause ―karena itu yang
dimunculkan nomer satu‖ is not clear because the
speaker does not tell further more about the
clause, what is the meaning of itu, nomer satu, it
is very confusing although there is a relevant
context in this case. But, it can help the speaker
to deliver their speech and to avoid for
threatening the hearers‘ faces.
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Conclusions
Positive politeness strategy used in
offering speech act here has functions. It is to
maintaince their faces positively. It also means
that each speakers wants to set a good image for
theirselves. Here, positive politeness also
combined with another politeness, like in the
finding and discussion. The use of more than one
politeness strategy aims to save face positively
and negatively at the same time. Saving face
positively means that the speaker needs to accept
appraisal from the hearers that speaker is a good
person. Meanwhile, saving face negatively means
that the hearers also wants to get their freedom
and need approval from the speakers. That is why
the speaker needs to give understanding to the
hearers. In addition, it can help the speakers who
are in under pressure when they are not be able to
deliver their speeches. Moreover, politeness
strategy used in the pilkada debate can also help
the candidates receive positive appreciation from
the audiences.
ISSN 2580-1937 (Print); 2580-7528 (Online)
The 6th ELTLT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
October 2017
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