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MUSCOVITE Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

please

Hi,

Ex.: Could you please give me (smth)?

According to my Longman, please can be either a verb or an interjection.

What part of speech is please in my example sentence?

(I am having problems telling the verb please from the interjection please...)

mus-te
  

Top answer

Nowadays it is used mostly as an interjection. Originally it was used much more often as a verb, as in If it please you, hear my request. Sometimes it is still used as a verb today, as in I'm pleased to meet you.

— Elanguest

  • Nowadays it is used mostly as an interjection.
  • Originally it was used much more often as a verb, as in If it please you, hear my request.
  • Sometimes it is still used as a verb today, as in I'm pleased to meet you.
  • When we use it today as an interjection, it is technically short for if you please, but is considered an interjection because it can just be inserted into a sentence in various places to make a request more polite.
  • In your sentence, it is an interjection.
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10 Answers
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Nowadays it is used mostly as an interjection. Originally it was used much more often as a verb, as in

If it please you, hear my request.

Sometimes it is still used as a verb today, as in

I'm pleased to meet you.

When we use it today as an interjection, it is technically short for if you please, but is considered an interjection because it c
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ElanguestIf it please you, hear my request.
Would it be ok to use "if it pleases you" for "if it please you"?
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Not really anymore. Emotion: smile It would sound really archaic.
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I see. Emotion: shake hands We have to take if it please you "as is" (without trying to figure out why a verb in the third pers
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I still hear "if you please" occasionally.
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MUSCOVITEI see. We have to take if it please you "as is" (without trying to figure out why a verb in the third person singular does not end in -s/-es ).
I think if you break it down further, it's probably short for if it would please you.
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PhilipI still hear "if you please" occasionally.
So do I.

For the edification and amusement of the OP, note that this is an abbreviated inverted form from "if you it please" < "if it please you", complete with the centuries-dead subjunctive after "if"!

It seems to me I've come across at least one other instance of this old-fashioned gram
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CalifJimcenturies-dead subjunctive after "if"!
Oh, but so dear to the hearts of some of us.

Does so be it fit in your list?
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ElanguestI think if you break it down further, it's probably short for if it would please you.
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CalifJimFor the edification and amusement of the OP,
Emotion: shake hands
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