0

For example, they ask:

Would you like to do x?

When actually they want you to do x.

Or ask you:

Do you agree with this?

and expect you to obey

Improve this question
9
  • So the question is about asking for something to be done rather than ordering something to be done?
    – KillingTime
    Jan 19 at 10:52
  • @KillingTime like pretending to ask for consent
    – Quartz2
    Jan 19 at 11:04
  • I think actual real-world examples would help here.
    – Andrew Leach
    Jan 19 at 11:36
  • 2
    People sometimes say "I was volunteered to do [this task]" (rather than "I volunteered to do it").
    – Kate Bunting
    Jan 19 at 13:00
  • 2
    It's called politeness. Technically speaking, maybe circumlocution.
    – FumbleFingers
    Jan 19 at 13:41

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
1

Asking someone to do something you could otherwise demand they do, is a standard way of telling someone to do something. As FumbleFingers suggests in his comment, we call this politeness. It's a cultural thing.

You can demand much more from a person when you state your demand as question. When stating a demand as a question you also leave the door open for a response of No I can't do that. I have an appointment tomorrow. So not only is it polite from a cultural standpoint, it is polite from a practical standpoint.

Improve this answer
0

You could express this using scare quotes (see Wikipedia). For instance:

My boss "asked" me if I "wanted" to do X.

Improve this answer
0

As Kate said, being volunteered works well here, although informally, some use being voluntold to emphasize the fact that it's mandatory.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.