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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Regarding polite questions, help!
Hello.
Well I've got a question and I hope you can help me.
Now when you normally ask people about their plans, they say there are three ways to say it.
(cf. Practical English Usage by Michael Swan)
1. Are you doing...?
2. Will you be doing...?
3. Are you going to...?
What makes No.3 rather different from the others, I guess, is that it's a bit more pressing for decision.
Then, how about this? Do you think you might ...? Now what I'm thinking is that since 'might' is often used to talk about 'chances', it might be used in a way that the speaker wants to sound like he's just asking about possibilities.(out of politeness) I mean, both when you want to ask about the possibilities and when perhaps, asking about the listener's intention in which case the speaker might be hiding what he really wants to know. ----------->Am I right?
And do navtive speakers of English say it? In the way that I mentioned?
Also, as far as I know some progressive forms can be used out of politeness. So it makes me wonder...
Do you think you will be doing...?
Does this sentence sound too formal or simply just too much?
I tried to sort my thoughts out but I failed...
I'm sill in chaos..HELP ME
Well I've got a question and I hope you can help me.
Now when you normally ask people about their plans, they say there are three ways to say it.
(cf. Practical English Usage by Michael Swan)
1. Are you doing...?
2. Will you be doing...?
3. Are you going to...?
What makes No.3 rather different from the others, I guess, is that it's a bit more pressing for decision.
Then, how about this? Do you think you might ...? Now what I'm thinking is that since 'might' is often used to talk about 'chances', it might be used in a way that the speaker wants to sound like he's just asking about possibilities.(out of politeness) I mean, both when you want to ask about the possibilities and when perhaps, asking about the listener's intention in which case the speaker might be hiding what he really wants to know. ----------->Am I right?
And do navtive speakers of English say it? In the way that I mentioned?
Also, as far as I know some progressive forms can be used out of politeness. So it makes me wonder...
Do you think you will be doing...?
Does this sentence sound too formal or simply just too much?
I tried to sort my thoughts out but I failed...
I'm sill in chaos..HELP ME
Top answer
The problem is not worth the pain it seems to be causing you. You can say all those things without fear of offense or laughter. Do you think you will be doing?
- The problem is not worth the pain it seems to be causing you.
- You can say all those things without fear of offense or laughter.
- Do you think you will be doing?
- and Do you think you might?
- are simply (as you suggest) more tentative.
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1 Answers
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The problem is not worth the pain it seems to be causing you. You can say all those things without fear of offense or laughter.
Do you think you will be doing? and Do you think you might? are simply (as you suggest) more tentative.
Do you think you will be doing? and Do you think you might? are simply (as you suggest) more tentative.
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