House and Kasper (1981) also include a section

examining the use of hedges of various kinds,

which they called Modality Markers.

House and Kasper (1981:16670) further identify

two types of modality markers, which they call
Downgraders and Upgraders.
 4.2 COMPLAINTS
Complaints typically occur when the addressee has done an action (P) which the
Speaker interprets as bad for him or her, and House and Kasper suggest that a
complaint may include the following components:

The action is referred to explicitly

The speakers negative evaluation of the action is expressed
explicitly
The addressees agentive involvement is implicitly or explicitly
expressed
the negative evaluation of both the addressees action and of the
addressee himself/herself are implicitly or explicitly stated.
House and Kasper (1981:15962) characterise eight levels of directness by using a
single situational context in which the addressee (Y), who is well known to the
speaker (X) and often borrows Xs things, has stained Xs new blouse.

1. By performing the utterance in the presence of Y, X implies that

he knows that the P has happened and he implies that Y did P.
Odd, my blouse was perfectly clean last night.
Seltsam, gestern war meine Bluse doch noch ganz sauber.

2. By explicitly asserting that P, X implies that Y did P.

Theres a stain on my blouse.
Das ist ein Fleck auf meiner Bluse.

3. By explicitly asserting that P is bad for him, X implies that Y did P.

Terrible, this stain wont come off.
Schrecklich, dieser Fleck wird wohl nie wieder rausgehn.
4. By explicitly asking Y about conditions for the execution of P, or stating that Y was
in some way connected with the conditions for the doing of P, X implies that Y did P.
Did you wear my blouse by any chance?
Hast du etwa meine Bluse angehabt?

5. X explicitly asserts that Y did P.

Youve stained my blouse.
Du hast den Fleck draufgemacht.

6. By explicitly stating that the action P for which Y is agentively responsible is bad,
or explicitly stating a preference for an alternative action not chosen by Y, X implies
that Y is bad/or X asserts explicitly that Y did P and that P is bad for X, thus also
implying that Y is bad.

You shouldnt have taken my blouse without asking my permission/You have ruined
my blouse.
Du hattest die Bluse nicht ohne meine Erlaubnis nehmen sollen/Du hast meine
ganze Bluse ruiniert.
7. X asserts explicitly that Ys doing of P is bad.
I think its mean that you just take my things.
Ich finde es gemein von dir, dass du einfach mein Sachen nimmst.

8. X asserts explicitly that Y is bad.

You are really mean.
Du bist wirklich unverschamt.