Pragmatics

Question

SITUATIONPlease take a look at this dialogue between one of my co-workers ( an english learner) and a supervisor. Supervisor: Did you straighten the room I told you? Employee: I certainly did.  The supervisor and his assistant had a reaction of surprise (wow!) when my co-worker replied in such manner. Later, somebody told my co-worker that saying certainly is very condescending and not appropriate in the context in which it took place.  CLARIFYING QUESTION:What exactly certainly means when used in the above example? Is it true that it is not appropriate to use because one sounds condescending?  I heard the same thing about "of course." Please enlighten me.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

apatzinguense Supervisor: Did you straighten the room I told you?

That is a bit off. It should be "like I told you to" or "I told you to".

apatzinguenseThe supervisor and his assistant had a reaction of surprise (wow!) when my co-worker replied in such manner. Later, somebody told my co-worker that saying certainly is very condescending and not appropriate in the context in which it took place.

This sounds like a cultural issue. I can see how "certainly" might strike a supervisor as impertinent, but that supervisor should have his head examined if he reacts to it. It would be inappropriate for a slave to say anything but "Yes, master." A worker might have meant nothing more than a perky "I sure did!"

apatzinguense I heard the same thing about "of course."

OK, that's different. That clearly implies that the supervisor has no right to check up on him, unless their relationship is intimate enough to allow such informality. Still, the supervisor would have to be awfully touchy to react to it.

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