3

As title says, I would like to write a sentence(peroration) to pleasure the potential answerer. Due to I am not English Speaker, I have wrote some sentence but each make me feel strange.

  1. I am not sure what is the proper personal pronouns use in the sentence, for example:

    A. I am very glad if you can give me an answer!

    Here, personal pronouns you make me feel weird/strange (I mean, there is someone would answer my question, I don't know who, so use you here make me feel weird/strange )

    B. I am very glad if someone can give me an answer!

    someone make me feel bad, this word is less respectful in Chinese.

  1. What is the proper emotional adjective? grateful, glad, happy?

    Isn't grateful is too heavy for a stranger who just answer a question ? But glad seems too common ...

    And is there any proper Emotional Adjective in this situation?

  1. What sentences native often use to express such sentence?

PS: I can just says Thanks in the end of this question, it is no problem. But my purpose is to fill a question with more respectful , so I think need more words here.

|improve this question
  • "Wired" means "intoxicated by stimulants." There are many other problems here. To get the answer you need, I hope you will rephrase your question to make it as brief and clear as possible. If you ask for one answer to one question, you are more likely to get a useful answer. – P. E. Dant Jul 27 '16 at 7:33
  • 2
    How about "Any help is much appreciated"? This avoids using a pronoun, so you may feel more comfortable to use it. – Damkerng T. Jul 27 '16 at 7:52
  • @P. E. Dant I have added some explanation to my wired and rephrase the question.But all mentions in my question are about the title, they are related, I feel hard to break them into pieces. – Mithril Jul 27 '16 at 7:53
  • 1
    @Mithril Please use your dictionary to learn what "wired" means. I am sure you want to write "weird" instead. You should learn about that word, too. Look closely at both words to see how they are different. Good luck with your study of English. – P. E. Dant Jul 27 '16 at 9:08
  • 2
    I would be much obliged if you/someone were to answer my question. – Alan Carmack Jul 28 '16 at 2:38
3

I understand and sympathize with your concern.

First, it is very important for you to understand that in English, unlike in Chinese and many other languages, we do not have different "ranks" or "grades" of personal pronouns. Ours is a very "egalitarian" or "democratic" language where pronouns are concerned! The second person pronoun "You" is neither respectful or disrespectful, and no-one will think of you as impolite if you address him or her as "you" in English.

Here at the English Language Learners site, you do not need to express your thanks before you receive an answer. The people who answer questions here do so because they enjoy it, so you do not need to thank them before you have an answer.

If you ask a question and you do receive a helpful answer, the best way to express your thanks is to click the "Accept Answer" link. This will raise the reputation of the person who helped you, and they will appreciate your response.

In answer to your specific questions:

#1A. See above!

#1B. In English, the word "someone" is not at all disrespectful. If you write: Can someone answer my question?, that will be perfectly polite and sufficient.

#2. "Grateful" is a very good word to use when you are expressing thanks. You could also say "Thankful."

#3. See James K's answer, and my third paragraph above. Your gratitude is welcome and appreciated, but you don't need to express it before you have an answer!

|improve this answer
  • 1
    "If you ask a question and you do receive a helpful answer, the best way to express your thanks is to click the "Accept Answer" link." Provided that the voter is always anonymous, what is the other way to show your appreciation of the help other than expressing your gratitude verbally? To me personally, not doing so is a faux pas. – Rompey Jul 27 '16 at 11:46
  • 1
    @Rompey If you feel that you must express thanks, a comment with a simple "Thank you, your answer was very helpful!" is more than enough. I understand your feeling here, but remember that the people who answer questions here are doing so because they enjoy helping others. When learners join the community and eventually answer questions themselves, they are expressing their gratitude by giving back. I think that is the most sincere form of gratitude: giving back to the community. – P. E. Dant Jul 27 '16 at 18:11
  • @Rompey - I overlooked this before: what a questioner clicks "Accept Answer," that action is not anonymous. Only the questioner can accept an answer! So this is a direct acknowledgement and and expression of thanks. – P. E. Dant Jul 28 '16 at 0:09
  • I said "the voter", not "the questioner". Thanks again. – Rompey Jul 28 '16 at 8:00
2

Choose between you and someone on the basis of how you address the letter.

Dear Dr. Smith, I would be grateful if you have the time to answer a question concerning your recent publication. ... question ...

Here we ask the question of one person, so we use you. If instead we write to, say, a committee or other group where one person, but we do not know which person, may reply then someone.

Concerning grateful v glad v happy. In a formal context grateful is usual. We are expressing gratitude, thanks. Glad or happy are personal feelings, more appropriate to informal correspondence

I am so happy that you are able to come to our concert next week

|improve this answer
1

On a stack exchange site, say nothing! This is probably good advice in other forums.

This is, of course, cultural. There are some who strongly object to salutations ("Hello!") and valedictions ("Thanks in advance") in questions. It may be hard to understand why. Some think these are "distractions" from the question. Other people feel that the questioner is expected to be grateful, and saying so explicitly is self serving. Whatever the reason is, it annoys some people.

Out of stack exchange, if you really think a valediction is appropriate, it should be short: "Thank you for your attention." is simple.

The suggestions you make (with "you", or "someone") are both correct grammar, and there is nothing disrespectful or particularly strange about either. Both "grateful" and "glad" are quite acceptable. But note the general advice: any sentence like this is going to sound heavy to some English speakers, and may annoy others.

|improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.