RQ1 asked the question of whether the relationship between indirectness and politeness can be considered linear, as Brown & Levinson claim, or whether it is non-linear, like Blum-Kulka’s results suggest. In terms of directness, the results follow Brown & Levinson’s and Blum-Kulka’s ranking of MD being most and the Hints least polite. However, this linearity is not upheld in the politeness ranking, which instead can be described more like an arrow-shaped pattern where the moderately indirect MIND/WEO and WOND/WDV are the pinnacle of politeness while the Hints and MD/PREP are seen as more impolite by all speaker groups alike.