Which sentence may be used to express elocutionary force when making an indirect request?

• A. Don't you think it's rather cold here?
• B. Would you mind closing the window?
• C. Close the window, please.
• D. It's cold in here.

Answer: (A)

Elocutionary force is about how the speaker uses language to push for action while remaining indirect. A sentence that makes a request by inviting the listener to agree or see the point can carry that pressure more effectively than a straightforward command.

This sentence does exactly that: it’s a question that nudges the listener to agree that the room is cold and, as a result, that closing the window would be appropriate. By phrasing it as “Don’t you think…?” the speaker signals a shared judgment and uses the listener’s own stance to propel action, which gives the request more force without sounding like a direct order.

The other options don’t deliver the same effect. A direct imperative with a polite “please” states the action plainly. A simple factual statement about the cold doesn’t request anything. A politely worded indirect request like “Would you mind closing the window?” treats the action as a request but lacks the elicitation of agreement that makes the elocutionary push stronger in the chosen sentence.