OT – commands prepended with “please”

[Hatfield]

Some foreign language guide that I had suggested starting questions with “please.” The logic being: even though you have limited facility with the language and you’re probably mangling the grammar, “Please, where is the bus station?” is going to sound better than “Where is the bus station?”

[DWCAP]

To me, saying ‘please fill this out and mail it back to me’ is a command. Regardless of the ‘please’ infront, you are telling someone else what to do. Now it is a nice way of doing it, and may in all reality be totally appropriate for the situtation. But it is still a command. (And, as always, tone can make that polite ‘please’ into a sarcastic point and not nice at all, but it is still a command)

A non-commmand way of saying it would be something more like ‘Would you please fill out this form and mail it back to me’. Two more words, but now it is a question and the person being asked has a choice.

ie, “No, ill just drop it off tomorow.” This is an answer to the question, but not following the command.

[DWCAP]

To me, saying ‘please fill this out and mail it back to me’ is a command. Regardless of the ‘please’ infront, you are telling someone else what to do. Now it is a nice way of doing it, and may in all reality be totally appropriate for the situtation. But it is still a command. (And, as always, tone can make that polite ‘please’ into a sarcastic point and not nice at all, but it is still a command)

A non-commmand way of saying it would be something more like ‘Would you please fill out this form and mail it back to me’. Two more words, but now it is a question and the person being asked has a choice.

ie, “No, ill just drop it off tomorow.” This is an answer to the question, but not following the command.

[DWCAP]

To me, saying ‘please fill this out and mail it back to me’ is a command. Regardless of the ‘please’ infront, you are telling someone else what to do. Now it is a nice way of doing it, and may in all reality be totally appropriate for the situtation. But it is still a command. (And, as always, tone can make that polite ‘please’ into a sarcastic point and not nice at all, but it is still a command)

A non-commmand way of saying it would be something more like ‘Would you please fill out this form and mail it back to me’. Two more words, but now it is a question and the person being asked has a choice.

ie, “No, ill just drop it off tomorow.” This is an answer to the question, but not following the command.

[DWCAP]

To me, saying ‘please fill this out and mail it back to me’ is a command. Regardless of the ‘please’ infront, you are telling someone else what to do. Now it is a nice way of doing it, and may in all reality be totally appropriate for the situtation. But it is still a command. (And, as always, tone can make that polite ‘please’ into a sarcastic point and not nice at all, but it is still a command)

A non-commmand way of saying it would be something more like ‘Would you please fill out this form and mail it back to me’. Two more words, but now it is a question and the person being asked has a choice.

ie, “No, ill just drop it off tomorow.” This is an answer to the question, but not following the command.

[DWCAP]

To me, saying ‘please fill this out and mail it back to me’ is a command. Regardless of the ‘please’ infront, you are telling someone else what to do. Now it is a nice way of doing it, and may in all reality be totally appropriate for the situtation. But it is still a command. (And, as always, tone can make that polite ‘please’ into a sarcastic point and not nice at all, but it is still a command)

A non-commmand way of saying it would be something more like ‘Would you please fill out this form and mail it back to me’. Two more words, but now it is a question and the person being asked has a choice.

ie, “No, ill just drop it off tomorow.” This is an answer to the question, but not following the command.

[Oxford]

Rich,

Please do not use Red Bull in your bong. It makes you over-think stuff.

That is for chicks to do.

OX
…clear thinker.

[Oxford]

Rich,

Please do not use Red Bull in your bong. It makes you over-think stuff.

That is for chicks to do.

OX
…clear thinker.

[Oxford]

Rich,

Please do not use Red Bull in your bong. It makes you over-think stuff.

That is for chicks to do.

OX
…clear thinker.

[Oxford]

Rich,

Please do not use Red Bull in your bong. It makes you over-think stuff.

That is for chicks to do.

OX
…clear thinker.

[Oxford]

Rich,

Please do not use Red Bull in your bong. It makes you over-think stuff.

That is for chicks to do.

OX
…clear thinker.

[Cube]

I think “please” could be construed as shorthand for “if you please”, as in “Sign this form and mail it back to me if you please.” It gives the person receiving the request the illusion of some sort of option to decline, which perhaps makes it more polite.

At work, I regularly issue requests to people who do not report to me and whose relationship to me in the management hierarchy is unclear (contractors who work for a firm for whom I also do contract work). I regularly issue “please” commands hoping that they will comply, and hoping that I don’t sound to presumptive in issuing the command.

When issued between distinctly unequal parties (i.e., my bank to me, or me to my daughter), it may have become a form of wrote courtesy which has lost all sincere meaning.

P.S. “To complete this form, please complete the word verification below.” [emphasis added] Rich, if you have a minute, can you “please” put me on the capcha-free list? Come to think of it, I think I’m going to make scare quotes a regular part of my “pleases”.

[Cube]

I think “please” could be construed as shorthand for “if you please”, as in “Sign this form and mail it back to me if you please.” It gives the person receiving the request the illusion of some sort of option to decline, which perhaps makes it more polite.

At work, I regularly issue requests to people who do not report to me and whose relationship to me in the management hierarchy is unclear (contractors who work for a firm for whom I also do contract work). I regularly issue “please” commands hoping that they will comply, and hoping that I don’t sound to presumptive in issuing the command.

When issued between distinctly unequal parties (i.e., my bank to me, or me to my daughter), it may have become a form of wrote courtesy which has lost all sincere meaning.

P.S. “To complete this form, please complete the word verification below.” [emphasis added] Rich, if you have a minute, can you “please” put me on the capcha-free list? Come to think of it, I think I’m going to make scare quotes a regular part of my “pleases”.

[Cube]

I think “please” could be construed as shorthand for “if you please”, as in “Sign this form and mail it back to me if you please.” It gives the person receiving the request the illusion of some sort of option to decline, which perhaps makes it more polite.

At work, I regularly issue requests to people who do not report to me and whose relationship to me in the management hierarchy is unclear (contractors who work for a firm for whom I also do contract work). I regularly issue “please” commands hoping that they will comply, and hoping that I don’t sound to presumptive in issuing the command.

When issued between distinctly unequal parties (i.e., my bank to me, or me to my daughter), it may have become a form of wrote courtesy which has lost all sincere meaning.

P.S. “To complete this form, please complete the word verification below.” [emphasis added] Rich, if you have a minute, can you “please” put me on the capcha-free list? Come to think of it, I think I’m going to make scare quotes a regular part of my “pleases”.

[Cube]

I think “please” could be construed as shorthand for “if you please”, as in “Sign this form and mail it back to me if you please.” It gives the person receiving the request the illusion of some sort of option to decline, which perhaps makes it more polite.

At work, I regularly issue requests to people who do not report to me and whose relationship to me in the management hierarchy is unclear (contractors who work for a firm for whom I also do contract work). I regularly issue “please” commands hoping that they will comply, and hoping that I don’t sound to presumptive in issuing the command.

When issued between distinctly unequal parties (i.e., my bank to me, or me to my daughter), it may have become a form of wrote courtesy which has lost all sincere meaning.

P.S. “To complete this form, please complete the word verification below.” [emphasis added] Rich, if you have a minute, can you “please” put me on the capcha-free list? Come to think of it, I think I’m going to make scare quotes a regular part of my “pleases”.

[Author]

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