Questions tagged [politeness]
This tag is for questions regarding the polite use of words or phrases.
291
questions
0
votes
1answer
40 views
an idiom about moving to somewhere
I want to ask someone why on earth he moved from A (a city with high standards of living) to B (a disastrous one), because it's unreasonable and I'm nosy, through a polite idiom. Is there anything for ...
48
votes
2answers
7k views
Is “cops” (= police) a slang/derogatory term?
So, I was with a friend getting Starbucks. While talking to him I used the term "cops" 💬. A customer waiting for their coffee said
"We don't say 'cops' honey, it's disrespectful."...
0
votes
2answers
57 views
Is 'boarding the plane' more formal than 'getting on the plane'?
When I go to an airport, the airport announcement announces 'boarding a plane' most of the time than 'getting on a plane'.
Because they say in public places all the time, I start to feel 'boarding' ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
When calling a company in the united states, how do you start a conversation?
How do you initiate the conversation? Should you use the phrase "How are you?" after or before introducing yourself? I assume it is after you introduce yourself?
"Hi, this is ... calling, how are you?...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
If I say “Well you have yourself a good bank Holiday” and they reply “Yeah” and don't turn round. Are they rude?
If I say "Well you have yourself a good bank Holiday" and they reply "Yeah" and don't turn round. Are they being rude?
A co-worker had their back to me. I said this as a way to say Bye. They ...
2
votes
2answers
34 views
Gentle synonym for stupid
How you can express that you felt stupid for a thing you told but without using the term "stupid", like in a nicer manner?
For example:
She felt "stupid" for the things she told to her friend.
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Does referring to a third person by their first name require you to be on a first name basis with that person?
Suppose you are talking to your friend about a third person called Mrs. Firstname Lastname. Suppose you are not on a first name basis with this third person; that is, if you spoke to this third person ...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
Is saying “is this (name)'s phone?” rude in business conversation?
Is the following sentence rude in business conversation?
Is this (name)'s phone?
I want to ask if the speaker is the person who I'm looking for.
-1
votes
1answer
42 views
Why do people call you a nickname when you introduce yourself with a proper name
As a rule, I always introduce myself using my proper first name, "Thomas". With this I expect people to refer to me and call me by that name. However, there are a significant number of people who go ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Asking for update
I want to get an update on COVID-19. So can I post in a group like" As a precautionary measure against COVID-19, the state government has declared one week shut down of offices and colleges. It would ...
0
votes
1answer
16 views
A request to the boss
When I have something I want to ask my boss, is it appropriate to say it like this?
• I have a request to you. Would you please ...?
Is there any more appropriate or polite way to say that?
0
votes
1answer
38 views
how to ask someone to deposit my money to my bank account
I gave a loan for one of my friends and i need that money back before month end. I want to ask from my friend to deposit loan amount obtained to my bank account
-1
votes
1answer
33 views
Is “if” with “will” possible in this case?
I would like to know if you will stock this record
I would like to know if you stock this record
I think the first one sounds better because the record I am talking too is not out yet but I also ...
1
vote
0answers
78 views
How to ask for apologies when you have already sent an email by not pressing the reply to all feature?
Three days ago I replied to an email that I was in BCC list by pressing only reply to feature.Now I realized that I haven't pressed the reply to all feature,that I was supposed to do so.
Now I ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Is this expression informal?
My boss asked me the send him some documents, I immediately attached the documents and send him an email with the following body:
Dear Thomas,
I hope all is well with you. Thank you very much for ...
0
votes
4answers
143 views
Should I apologize for addressing a female with Ms + her first name?
I'm not a native English speaker so I wasn't exactly aware of the Mr/Ms + last name rule. I addressed the HR Director of a potential employer with Ms + her first name. My native friend then told me ...
0
votes
1answer
135 views
Is “I'll be waiting for your call” polite in a professional setting?
Someone says: "I'll call you later." What is a polite way to say "I'll be by my phone when you call, so that I won't miss it." Some people suggests that "I'll be waiting for your call" sounds a bit ...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
I might want you to
Is this No.1 a valid sentence to make a request politely?
I might want you to include these items in the agenda.
Or is just saying like this a lot better?
I would like you to include ...
10
votes
7answers
6k views
What is the polite way to tell taxi driver that he can stop here?
My question is I want to primarily give the driver a choice. The secondary consideration is not being rude.
I take taxi to home. My home is in a community. I often tell taxi driver "You can stop ...
2
votes
1answer
74 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
254 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
54 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
179 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
40 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
31 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
40 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
100 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
64 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
4k 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
86 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
60 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
1k 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
4k 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
182 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
2k 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
65 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
5k 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
75 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
134 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
93 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
12k 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
254 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
45 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
206 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
1k 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
41 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
54 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
6k 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?
