Questions tagged [politeness]
This tag is for questions regarding the polite use of words or phrases.
270
questions
2
votes
1answer
50 views
Does the question sound rude? how to ask in English?
How to form a question without sounding rude. If I see someone coughing, should I say:
Is it rude to wear a mask?
or
Is it rude if I wear a mask?
And is it rude in the American culture?
1
vote
1answer
65 views
How to reply a “Happy New Year” email?
This is the quote from the email I receive after New Year.
"I would like to wish you a good 2020. I hope you had a good Christmas
and New Year’s eve."
What is the best and formal way to reply to ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
How would you ask opinions for differences between two things?
I want to ask politely for an in-depth explanation of how these two apparently similar things A and B are different when closely looked at.
Eg: "In which way A and B are different from each other?"
2
votes
2answers
162 views
Is the sentence “I want a [insert noun] now” rude?
On two separate incidents, I have been told that the sentence below (without any context) is rude.
I want a chocolate now.
Question:
Is this an absolute interpretation? Where is the argument ...
1
vote
2answers
32 views
Is it correct saying “buy something hand-to-hand”?
In trades I really need to know if is correct the use of this idiom. If its ok or not, would you tell me what are the common ways to express when we need to buy or sell some goods when the buyer and ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Proper way for asking to leave
I am about to take an assesment for responsible service of alcohol licence. There is a video question and I need to tell someone to leave in that video.
Once I saw a scene in The Simpsons and there ...
2
votes
1answer
36 views
How to ask for a sequence of detailed steps guidance clearly and politely?
I asked a question just now.
Please give a specific setting path, from which menu command to submenu command.
I am worried about if I say it clearly and politely.
I meant to express that ...
2
votes
0answers
98 views
Get well wishes [closed]
My boss had informed that her son was admitted to the ER. I want to email her to find out how he is doing. It should sound professional but not too formal. How should I enquirer?
2
votes
1answer
60 views
“Dear {Ms, Mr, Mrs,Dr, Prof etc} Psmith,” - what do you call the part in braces?
Dear {Ms, Mr, Mrs, Dr, Prof etc} Psmith,
In the example above, how do you name the particle in curly brackets?
I'm writing a questionnaire asking, also, how a person would like to be addressed in ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
How to say just want to let you know politely
I am not a native speaker, is it not polite if I say” just want to let you know?”
I am not sure if I told my friend before so I want to make sure she know where will the lesson take place.
Will it be ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
How to politely (and correctly) apologize for not speaking English?
Suppose you are giving a talk and in your audience there is a person who does not speak your mother tongue. Let's call them John.
Neither your mother tongue nor John's mother tongue is English. ...
-1
votes
2answers
47 views
A sort of formal way for saying “that sounds like a new work”
Suppose, you submit your report to a boss and he asks you to add more chapters or sections to the report. However, you don't want to do that because you believe the new content would be too much and ...
0
votes
2answers
56 views
“Please, tell me” vs. “Could you tell me”
I am not a native English speaker. Last week, I sent Email to my manager saying "Please, tell me the meeting date".
My manager replied: You meant "Can you tell me the meeting date"
So, I am not sure ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
Is it alright to say good afternoon Sirs and Madams in a panel interview?
I will be attending a panel interview (with two men and two women). I don't know their names. I want to be more polite, but I am not sure whether it is alright to say
Good afternoon, sirs and ...
-1
votes
1answer
51 views
What to say if someone is blocking your way
If you want to go into a subway entrance, but someone is blocking your way, what should you say?
0
votes
2answers
750 views
take so long vs taking so long
I've worked in a market. Suddenly they stopped my work for verification purpose. They requested me to provide a student ID card. I've sent a scanned copy of my Student ID card for verification. One ...
-1
votes
1answer
35 views
Is “I want you to…” more offensive than “I need you to…”?
I wrote an email to request somebody to do something for me. In the email I said "I want you to ...". Somebody told me that instead, I should say "I need you to..." or "Please help me", so that the ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
Getting to your seat on airplanes (or elsewhere)
On airplanes, there are seats A(window)-B(middle)-C(isle) on one of the sides. Suppose someone is sitting on seat C and I need to get to seat B. What are the most natural ways to ask the person from ...
9
votes
11answers
4k views
Is there a polite way to ask about one's ethnicity? [closed]
Suppose I'm talking to a person who is an American citizen but obviously has some "Asian roots" (either they immigrated to the US at early age or their parents were immigrants). Is there a polite way ...
0
votes
2answers
51 views
How do I complete the sentence “If it's no trouble, ____”?
I'm trying to learn the sentence structure and I had a few thoughts about the possible structural continuations of the sentence. I was wondering if you could introduce any new possible continuations ...
0
votes
2answers
37 views
Is it OK or proper to ask someone “how late are you going to be open”?
Suppose you enter an office that you don't know of their working hours.
Then, you turn and ask,
Excuse me, how late are you going to be open?
To ask the working hour. I haven't said this myself ...
0
votes
4answers
80 views
How do we call women not related to us, of different ages? The usage of mother, aunt and grandma
Do I call my friend's mother aunt Mai or mother Mai? She is a compassionate woman of no relation. And if the woman is very old and of no relation may I call her grandma Marla or what?
0
votes
0answers
48 views
What does “abuse” and “gnashing teeth” mean in Charles Darwin's letter?
In a letter by Charles Darwin to his friend, J.D. Hooker, he said the following at the end of the letter:
In a year or two's time, when I shall be at my species book (if I do
not break down), I ...
26
votes
16answers
9k views
What's the polite way to say “I need to urinate”?
What's the polite way in the UK to say "I need to urinate" (both for men and for women)? Or maybe there's no problem with that sentence?
N.b. I'm asking about situations in which I know where it's ...
1
vote
1answer
154 views
How do I politely ask people to go away so that I can have a private conversation with someone?
Today I was walking with my colleagues to a restaurant, but on the way I met a friend, whom I wanted to have a small chat with. I wanted to ask my colleagues to go away and then I would catch up with ...
0
votes
2answers
41 views
Anything wrong with “Let me come up with a more interesting exercise”?
In the previous year I did a coding test problem when applying for a job; one of the problem requirements were of little sense to me, so I decided to replace it with a slightly different thing which I ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
Is the word “crud” considered a euphemism for sh*t?
Some people have been saying the word "crud" since it has a same meaning for shit or sometimes crap (depending on if it's a swear word or not). So, I'm wondering if the word "crud" is considered a ...
1
vote
2answers
516 views
The proper way of asking this “would you mind…” question
I know this is not properly written:
“Would you please mind a minute to answer my messages?”
Is this the correct way?
“Would you mind taking a minute to answer my messages please?”
Or where ...
4
votes
1answer
28 views
Do you say Industrialist Henry Ford or the industrialist Henry Ford?
Do you say Industrialist Henry Ford or the industrialist Henry Ford?
I have been speaking English in the US for 8 years now. The pattern I am seeing is that when you call someone by placing their ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
Which of “Will you just go?” or “Can you just go?” works better?
One of my students barged into my classroom one day and was
getting on my nerves because I needed to clean up the mess he had
himself made earlier, so I wanted to ask him to leave me alone
and ...
0
votes
0answers
3k views
“Noted. Thank you” as an answer to a letter informing about task completion? I mean office correspondence
Is it correct and polite to end business letter with "Noted. Thank you" as an answer to a letter informing about task completion?
1
vote
2answers
349 views
Is it rude to say “Excuse me, Ms.”?
I was wondering that above sentence on title,
“Excuse me, Ms.” is rude or not. I’ve watched a video on youtube about English titles, but “Excuse me lady.” is very rude to get attention from women, ...
2
votes
2answers
144 views
Meaning of “greet people to the table”
How do you say greet people and invite them to the table?
I thought "greet people to the table" meant that, but my English teacher told me, I can't and I can only say "greet people at a table", so ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Is “I was wanting to know” grammatically correct? [duplicate]
Is the following sentence grammatically correct:
I was wanting to know if I could sent you a link.
It does not sound correct to me.
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Is this retirement wish appropriate to a senior lady?
A retirement wish on retirement card from an new employee to a senior lady that does not have a lot of connection at work. Does it look appropriate?
All the best for your amazing retirement! Enjoy ...
1
vote
2answers
310 views
is he's / she's + name a correct sentence?
Is it correct to include a name right after a he's or she's?
It would define fully written in: ''He is John'' or ''She is Maria'' but it somehow just sounds wrong or impolite to me.
0
votes
1answer
71 views
Is there a more well-fit work than “wide” and “concrete” in this context?
When I receive a call from a recruiter or such (e.g. a seller etc.) they usually start by presenting themselves and thereafter glide into asking me questions. I've concluded that those can be split up ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
Who is this vs who is calling-telephone
What is the difference between "who is this?" and "who is calling?" when we answer to the telephone?
Is the second one more polite than the first one?
Lastly, is there any difference between AmE and ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
Whether “illiteracy” is rude or impoliteness internet user name?
I want the "illiteracy" name say I'm an English illiteracy in other words Maybe I'm lack English skills to accurate express and understand, but some people say:
And... please, change your name... ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
'What are you?' vs. 'What do you do?'
What is the difference between 'What are you?' and 'What do you do?' in the job meaning?
How to sense this difference if I need to ask about profession?
1
vote
1answer
301 views
What's the most polite and native way to say “no” in this scenario? [closed]
A customer pays a monthly bill for a specific service. The company wasn't able to provide this service for three days. The customer calls me since I work as a customer service representative and he ...
2
votes
1answer
365 views
Is it OK to use “heck” in public occasions?
The dictionary gives the following definitions:
fuck:
to have sex with someone.
used when expressing extreme anger, or to add force to what is being said.
heck:
an expression of usually slight ...
0
votes
2answers
149 views
Using “help” instead of “please"
Some speakers use “help” instead of “please”:
Can you help (to) confirm this?
Can you help (to) send meeting notes?
To mean the same thing as:
Can you please confirm this?
Can you please send ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Polite alternative for “Is there any reason why we still haven’t done this yet.?”
Is there any reason why we still haven’t done this yet.?
I feel it's not very polite to ask like this. I am not sure. Is there a more polite way of aking this?
0
votes
2answers
111 views
Is it inherently rude to say “I don't see how that's X”?
When someone in semi-formal conversation says to me "It is X" and I disagree, would it be too rude to reply "I don't see how that's X?"
1
vote
1answer
58 views
Is 'You can do…' enough polite to provide options?
Suppose that I send invoices to my clients recurrently. Sometimes the amount is too small to pay alone. In that case, I don't mind they pay with next invoice.
You can pay it together with next one....
2
votes
2answers
133k views
Let me know when you are free to discuss VS Let me know your convenient time to discuss which is right and polite
When writing an email to a person to get a time to discuss some thing, what would the correct and polite way of writing among the below two. If both are wrong then what would be the right thing to say....
1
vote
1answer
4k views
Is it rude to ask “What have you been doing since you have been here?”
If I say to my English friends
What have you been doing since you have been here?
(in fact I want to know how they have been occupied) is it impolite? Why? (tense or verb)
How can I say this ...
37
votes
6answers
40k views
What's a polite way of asking “who are you?” on the phone?
Say, you're working in a company. The phone rings and you pick it up. On the other line, someone wants to speak to one of your co-workers. You want to tell your co-worker who this person is.
I think ...
1
vote
1answer
3k views
Can the phrase “kind enough” be misunderstood?
I was thinking of writing in an email that
Joe was kind enough to do XYZ for me
but when I read it, it stroke bad to me in terms that it sounded like implying that "usually Joe is not enough kind ...
