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So yesterday I was talking to my senior who happens to be a facilitator of a committee in our college. I was asking her about the reports of my work till date, so I wrote her this message:

I would be grateful if you could send me the reports at the latest, that is, if you have them.

Do native English speakers write it in this format, that is using a comma before if you have them? I know some people will be say that punctuation is a matter of style and varies from different to different style guides. I do not usually follow any style guide at all, hence I am asking whether this looks correct while writing, or should I write in this way?

I would be grateful if you could send me the reports at the latest, that is if you have them.

It wouldn't matter much while speaking when a little pause or not won't affect the saying or the meaning I am trying to convey.

Also, I would like to know about the following case which is like an alternative statement for the above ones.

I would be grateful if you could send me the reports at the latest, provided, you have it.

Or

I would be grateful if you could send me the reports at the latest, provided you have it.

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    'That is' acts as a parenthesis and needs a comma at either side.
    – Kate Bunting
    Nov 9, 2020 at 17:16
  • Re at the latest, which is definitely "non-idiomatic" in the cited context... It looks to me like a "mangled" version of at your earliest convenience (= as soon as possible). Changing if to near-synonymous provided is nothing to do with whether or not to include optional / parenthetical that is. It's quite okay to say/write Please send them to me. Provided, that is, you actually have them.
    – FumbleFingers
    Nov 9, 2020 at 17:39

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None of your suggestions works.

The phrase at the latest doesn't fit here. It is not clear whether you mean the latest reports or, more likely, as soon as is convenient / possible.

We use at the latest in sentences with deadlines, such as: Your work needs to be completed by Friday, at the latest.

Other minor points:

Reports is plural, so you would need to write provided you have them (rather than it)

Also, while the clause provided you have them is grammatical, it's unnecessary, especially if you have already discussed them with her, as you indicate.

And the expression is to date, not till date.

My suggestion would be a request written as:

I should be grateful if you would send me any reports of my work to date.
or, more simply:
I should be grateful to receive any reports/assessment of my work (to date).

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  • Thank you for pointing that out. I had actually written "them" in the message to her. I by mistakenly wrote "it" here. The reason I included the phrase "provided you have them" is because she said she has updates of the reports or stats of some sort, but I am uncertain whether she has it is with her or not (like she has to get it from a third person, and then provide it to us). Thanks for the other minor suggestions.
    – Dhanishtha Ghosh
    Nov 9, 2020 at 17:07

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