0
Inchoateknowledge Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
distancing with progressive
Hi
Distancing with progressive -- we do this to sound more polite and more casual. What does casual mean here; could you, please, give me a synonym.
What time are you planning to arrive? (more casual-sounding than simple present)
To me, to be more causal means to be more informal, therefore, less polite. And this is where my confusion resides. What does more casual in the following pair of sentences mean?
I look forward to doing sg.
I am looking forward to doing sg.
thanks
Distancing with progressive -- we do this to sound more polite and more casual. What does casual mean here; could you, please, give me a synonym.
What time are you planning to arrive? (more casual-sounding than simple present)
To me, to be more causal means to be more informal, therefore, less polite. And this is where my confusion resides. What does more casual in the following pair of sentences mean?
I look forward to doing sg.
I am looking forward to doing sg.
thanks
Top answer
Inchoateknowledge I look forward to doing sg. I am looking forward to doing sg. Hi Inch I think "more casual" could also be called "friendlier" in the example above.
- Inchoateknowledge I look forward to doing sg.
- I am looking forward to doing sg.
- Hi Inch I think "more casual" could also be called "friendlier" in the example above.
- There is no loss of or change in politeness, simply a change in the feeling of formality.
- The first is "colder", the second is "warmer".
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
InchoateknowledgeI look forward to doing sg.
I am looking forward to doing sg.
Hi Inch
I think "more casual" could also be called "friendlier" in the example above. There is no loss of or change in politeness, simply a change in the feeling of formality. The first is "colder", the second is "warmer". If you used a very formal sentence constr
00
Hi
"In a nutshell, formal language is no guarantee that what you say is also polite"
This fact is reminiscent of a South-African friend of mine, who is a lawyer, and has the abililty to send people to **** in a way that they are eagerly waiting for the ride.
Thanks for the answer, Yankee.
"In a nutshell, formal language is no guarantee that what you say is also polite"
This fact is reminiscent of a South-African friend of mine, who is a lawyer, and has the abililty to send people to **** in a way that they are eagerly waiting for the ride.
Thanks for the answer, Yankee.
00
I'm not sure it applies as much to "I" phrases as it does to "You" questions.
If I say "What time do you plan to arrive?" it could be heard like an interrogation. But "What time are you planning to arrive" is less harsh. (And lets you change your mind, as well. It's what you're planning NOW, but it's not etched in stone.)
I'm glad Yankee said what she said - casual is not the sa
If I say "What time do you plan to arrive?" it could be heard like an interrogation. But "What time are you planning to arrive" is less harsh. (And lets you change your mind, as well. It's what you're planning NOW, but it's not etched in stone.)
I'm glad Yankee said what she said - casual is not the sa
00
When I go into "edit mode" at work, I fixate on making text more "active" (e.g., turning sentences like "I am looking forward to doing sg." to "I look forward to doing sg."). But when speaking, I'm okay with being more casual -- "I am looking..." or "I'm looking
0
Related Questions