Communicative refusal strategies: the role of positive evaluation and regret in the business discourse of Russia and the USA

The article is devoted to the analysis of communicative refusal strategies in the business discourse of Russia and the USA, with a focus on positive evaluation and expressions of regret. The study shows that although both cultures employ these pragmatic moves to mitigate the negative impact of refusals, there are significant quantitative and semantic differences in their usage. Positive evaluation is more characteristic of Americans, as they aim to maintain a positive tone in their correspondence. Expressions of regret are used in both corpora; however, in Russian discourse, regret is more often conveyed through the phrase "к сожалению" ("unfortunately"), which lacks strong emotional force, whereas in American English it is expressed using verbs such as "regret" and "to be sorry". The article emphasizes the importance of taking these nuances into account in international business communication to maintain positive relationships and effectively manage refusals.

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