0

Rhythm will be closing permanently from 5pm on 21st December. Many thanks to all our customers for your support over the years, for our market stall, monthly mail-order catalogue, and online. If you have any final orders, please send them as soon as possible, and we'll do our best to get them to you before we close.

Why will be closing why no will be closed and there is a date.Can we have a progressive tense with a precise date

Improve this question
5
  • Sorry but you are thanking your clients for your stuff?? Yes, the progressive is fine but you can also use just "will close". We thank our customers* for their support. Many thanks to all of you for your support.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 16, 2018 at 22:12
  • 1
    It should also be at 5pm, not from 5pm.
    – Jason Bassford
    Commented Nov 16, 2018 at 22:46
  • It's incorrect, that's why. There are various other ways to say it, just not this one. Even native speakers sometimes say strange things.
    – Andrew
    Commented Nov 16, 2018 at 22:48
  • @Lambie: I parse this as "for your support ... for our market stall etc."
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 12:39
  • @ColinFine The pronouns must be: you/your or our/their. But not: our/your. We thank our allies for your support? it's wrong.
    – Lambie
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 13:37

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Unlike Andrew, I find "will be closing at ..." completely normal.

Using a progressive form with will makes it a bit tentative. There probably isn't anything tentative about it in reality, but using the form makes it seem gentler, less abrupt.

It's possible that this is a regional difference: I speak British English.

Improve this answer
7
  • I'll admit my comment was lazy and imprecise. There's nothing wrong with "will be closing" as I hear it all the time, e.g. "The store will be closing in 15 minutes, please make your final purchases." However, this context is for a temporary closure, not a permanent closure. To say a business will be permanently closing, especially combined with from some specified time, feels odd, as if the writer wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Perhaps it reflects his own mixed feelings on the closure.
    – Andrew
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 3:33
  • no Rhythm has been a mail orderd situated in Cambridge England where people are supposed to speak a very good english
    – Yves Lefol
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 12:03
  • @Andrew, I still don't find it odd. As I say, I think it is meant (not necessarily consciously) to soften the blow.
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 12:34
  • @user5577: I'm not sure who is doing the supposing, but there is no reason why people in Cambridge should speak "a very good English" (whatever that might mean) compared to anywhere else.
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 12:37
  • because of the Cambridge university which is very famous
    – Yves Lefol
    Commented Nov 17, 2018 at 13:12

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .