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Willowdeng Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
A question from an Email a friend sent to me
She wrote" I just wanted to bring your attention to...' My question is (or was?) why using past tense of "wanted" here instead of using"want". Is it because using past tense is more polite?
Thank you guys~
Thank you guys~
Top answer
Yes. The past tense can distance in directness as well as in vividness/time.
- Yes.
- The past tense can distance in directness as well as in vividness/time.
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3 Answers
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Yes. The past tense can distance in directness as well as in vividness/time.
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Thank you. Also, should I say" my question was" 'cause it sounds more polite?
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She wanted to bring your attention to something and that is why she wrote the e-mail. In other words, because of a want or desire she had.
To say "I want to tell you. . . " is how children speak. It is not wrong at all, but it states something that need not be stated. It is stating the obvious. In other words, the fact that she is bringing your attention to something by itself lets you
To say "I want to tell you. . . " is how children speak. It is not wrong at all, but it states something that need not be stated. It is stating the obvious. In other words, the fact that she is bringing your attention to something by itself lets you
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