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Paco2004 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Politeness
Hello guys
I should like to know how you feel what expression is more polite and what is less.
Are there any established general rules that determine degrees of politeness in English?
What I vaguely feel to be as the tools/factors to increase the politeness are;
(1) subjunctive mood/if clause
(2) progressive tense
(3) past tense
(EX)
I wonder if I could use the telephone.
I am wondering if I could use the telephone.
I wondered if I could use the telephone.
I was wondering if I could use the telephone.
But still I didn't get;
(1) why is the subjunctive mood more polite than the indicative mood?
(2) why is the progressive tense more polite than the simple tense?
(3) why is the past tense more polite than the present tense?
Could someone explain the reasons?
paco
I should like to know how you feel what expression is more polite and what is less.
Are there any established general rules that determine degrees of politeness in English?
What I vaguely feel to be as the tools/factors to increase the politeness are;
(1) subjunctive mood/if clause
(2) progressive tense
(3) past tense
(EX)
I wonder if I could use the telephone.
I am wondering if I could use the telephone.
I wondered if I could use the telephone.
I was wondering if I could use the telephone.
But still I didn't get;
(1) why is the subjunctive mood more polite than the indicative mood?
(2) why is the progressive tense more polite than the simple tense?
(3) why is the past tense more polite than the present tense?
Could someone explain the reasons?
paco
Top answer
Hi, This is a very interesting and complex topic. Here are a few initial, simple thoughts. The general idea is to add distance and weakness to what you say.
- Hi, This is a very interesting and complex topic.
- Here are a few initial, simple thoughts.
- The general idea is to add distance and weakness to what you say.
- If it's a request, this makes it easier for the other person to refuse.
- Thus: (1) the subjunctive mood adds more uncertainty to the request eg I may not have a real need for this (2) the progressive tense adds a temporary feeling to the request eg I want this at the moment, but maybe soon I won't (3) the past tense reduces the strength of the request eg I wanted it before, but maybe now I don't These are comments from a person of British background.
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2 Answers
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Hi,
This is a very interesting and complex topic. Here are a few initial, simple thoughts.
The general idea is to add distance and weakness to what you say. If it's a request, this makes it easier for the other person to refuse.
Thus:
(1) the subjunctive mood adds more uncertainty to the request
eg I may not have a real need for this
This is a very interesting and complex topic. Here are a few initial, simple thoughts.
The general idea is to add distance and weakness to what you say. If it's a request, this makes it easier for the other person to refuse.
Thus:
(1) the subjunctive mood adds more uncertainty to the request
eg I may not have a real need for this
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Hello Clive
Thank you so much for the quick reply. So you mean the ponit is how much easier the collocutor could feel when he/she is requested something by the expression. This reasoning is quite persuasive as far as 'subjunctive' and 'progressive' are concerned. But as for 'past', I feel another reason might exist, though I myself don't know what it is. OK I'll wait opinions from othe
Thank you so much for the quick reply. So you mean the ponit is how much easier the collocutor could feel when he/she is requested something by the expression. This reasoning is quite persuasive as far as 'subjunctive' and 'progressive' are concerned. But as for 'past', I feel another reason might exist, though I myself don't know what it is. OK I'll wait opinions from othe
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