Which is more polite Can you or would you?
But I would suppose that “would” is more polite, because it expresses the idea of probability, and of willingness, and of the desire that something be done, whereas “could” is more in the realm of ability (yes I can). And according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “would” is used to make a polite request.
Used to politely accept what someone has offered to do.
may and can are used interchangeably when asking or giving permission. would (or will) and can (or could) are used interchangeably when making a request.
- Would it be possible to ...
- Please could you,
- Ideally, we'd like this by.
- If you could X, it would be very much appreciated.
would is the past tense form of will. Because it is a past tense, it is used: to talk about the past. to talk about hypotheses (when we imagine something)
We often use would to make requests. It is a more polite and indirect form of will.
So, generally, it's better to use would when you're asking people for favors. But if you do use will, you can always add the word “please” to make sure it sounds more polite. There are some structures that we use to make requests that we can only use with would.
When it comes to requests, we can use both could and would, but could is more formal and polite than would. While making polite requests, could is used with suggestions, as it indicates a possibility. On the contrary, would is used with offers or invites, because it is more usual.
- kind.
- compassionate.
- benevolent.
- gracious.
- sympathetic.
- gentle.
- thoughtful.
- nice.
- “Do you mind…?.”
- “Would you mind…?
- “Could I…?”
- “Would it be ok if…?”
- “Would it be possible…?”
- “Would you be willing to…?”
Is it correct to say could you please?
We also use 'could' to ask permission; it is more polite or formal than 'can'. Changing the word order to "could you please" is no more or less polite - it's a matter of style. whether requests starting with "Please can/could you..." render the same degree of politeness as those that start with "Could you please...".
Would you please stay there? "Mothers, would you please get out! Would you please repeat the question…? Now would you please buy our shares.

- Please advise is a phrase used in professional emails when someone is requesting guidance, answers, instructions, or additional information.
- A formal alternative you can use instead is may I get advice on the matter?
- A casual alternative you can use is keep me posted.
...
Consider these alternatives:
- As soon as possible, or _____. ...
- Promptly. ...
- At your earliest convenience. ...
- Whenever you're able.
- Use a clear, direct subject line. ...
- Greet your reader. ...
- Establish your credibility. ...
- Put the question in the first or second sentence. ...
- Use a call to action to clarify the next steps. ...
- Make your email easy to read. ...
- Give your reader a deadline. ...
- Close the email politely and thoughtfully.
Would is used to talk about a possible or imagined situation, and is often used when that possible situation is not going to happen. Should is used to say that something is the proper or best thing to do, or to say that someone ought to do something or must do something.
“Can you please” and “could you please” can only be used in the context of requesting something. This is because of the “please” directly after the “can you” and “could you” which suggests it is a polite request. There is no difference in meaning between “can you please” and “could you please”.
Would is an auxiliary verb - a modal auxiliary verb. We use would mainly to: talk about the past. talk about the future in the past.
Yes, would is used in the future subjunctive tense. In this situation, would can be used to describe a possible or unlikely action or scenario in the future. For example, “I would go to the store tomorrow, if I didn't have school.”
“Would like” is a polite way to say “I want” in English. For example: “I want to buy a ticket” is impolite because “I want” sounds selfish and arrogant. “I would like to buy a ticket please” is polite and friendly.
Is would it be possible polite?
Would it be possible? This is a polite way to ask something. But when we ask them, "Would it be possible to get more napkins at our table?" it introduces a hypothetical situation.
Another difference between 'will' and 'would' is that 'will' is used in statements that refer to the future while 'would' is used to refer to events of the future in past tense. However, 'would' is also used for expressing various kinds of sentence functions like polite offers, invitations, requests, etc.
Originally Answered: Can we use please and kindly in the same sentence together ? You can, but you need to use a comma in either case i.e. “Please, kindly remove your shoes.” However, although they each act within the adverb capacity, they are not universally interchangeable. Also, it will always sound condescending.
You can also use 'can' and 'will' to make polite requests but these can be used in more casual situations.
You wouldn't meet me at the office anniversary party. Would you meet me at the office anniversary party? He would like to study astrology and astronomy. He wouldn't like to study astrology and astronomy.
Using “would” to make requests
Unlike “will”, using “would” is a much more polite way to make your request to someone in English. Examples: Would you close the door, please? Would you help me cook dinner, please?
- Please.
- Thank You.
- You're Welcome.
- Pardon Me.
- Excuse Me.
- I'm Sorry.
- May I Help You?
- I Would Like... / May I Please Have...?
Please: Used in polite questions and requests (adverb). Please close the door. Kindly: To express your feelings or requests in a kind and warm-hearted manner. Kindly fill out this form.
The word nevertheless is a great alternative to but and however.
“Would you” and “Could you” are equally polite and valid ways to make a request. “Could you” sounds more polite than “Would you.” “Would you” sounds more insistent and is more often used in angry requests, such as “Would you please hurry up!”
How do you ask someone smartly?
...
Review these six steps to help you create your own smart questions:
- Think about what you already know. ...
- Confirm what you want to learn. ...
- Create a draft of your questions. ...
- Refine your questions. ...
- Ensure simplicity. ...
- Ask your questions confidently and politely.
Making Polite Requests in English with Examples (Formal) I Was Wondering If You Could/Would It Be Possible For You To. I Would Be Grateful If You Could/I Would Appreciate It If You Could. Would You Be So Kind As To. We Request That/You Are Requested Not to Do Something.
To be formal, though, you should use “may” instead of “could” or “can.”
They are both correct the only difference is that saying could is more polite to say than can when asking for a favour.
Please advise or please advice? Please advise is commonly used as the closing to an email, as a general request for a response to a question or problem. “Please advice” is incorrect—you need the verb here, not the noun. “Please advise” can also be used in a sentence to make a more specific request.
“Please let me know if you have any questions.” “If you have any other problems, just let me know.” “If there is anything else you need, please let me know.”
[Name], I hope your day is going great! Forgive me for emailing you again, but I just wanted to follow up on the email below and see if you might have any thoughts. Consider this no more than a friendly nudge!
Some common synonyms of ask are inquire, interrogate, query, and question.
- “Do you mind…?.”
- “Would you mind…?
- “Could I…?”
- “Would it be ok if…?”
- “Would it be possible…?”
- “Would you be willing to…?”
Could is used to say that an action or event is possible. Would is used to talk about a possible or imagined situation, and is often used when that possible situation is not going to happen.
Could you or can you formal?
We also use 'could' to ask permission; it is more polite or formal than 'can'.
When making polite requests, the modals 'could' and 'would' are very useful. Starting your request with these two modals immediately makes your request a lot more polite. Another word that's often used when making a polite request is 'please'.
“Would you” and “Could you” are equally polite and valid ways to make a request. “Could you” sounds more polite than “Would you.” “Would you” sounds more insistent and is more often used in angry requests, such as “Would you please hurry up!”
- Can you pass me…? vs Give me… ...
- Could you give me five minutes? vs Go away. ...
- Excuse me. vs Move. ...
- I'm afraid I can't. vs No. ...
- I would like… vs I want… ...
- Would you mind…? vs Stop it! ...
- Can you hold, please? vs Wait.
- Lead with the ask. ...
- Establish your credibility. ...
- Make the way forward clear. ...
- If you're asking a question, propose a solution. ...
- Be scannable. ...
- Give them a deadline. ...
- Write your subject lines like headlines. ...
- Edit your messages ruthlessly.
When it comes to requests, we can use both could and would, but could is more formal and polite than would. While making polite requests, could is used with suggestions, as it indicates a possibility. On the contrary, would is used with offers or invites, because it is more usual.
We also use would have in conditionals to talk about something that did not happen in the past: If it had been a little warmer, we would have gone for a swim. (but it was cold so we didn't go for a swim) He would have been very angry if he had seen you.
Discussing a Possibility: “Can” suggests a strong possibility or a general truth. “May” and “could” suggest we are less certain about something. Asking for Permission: You can use all three words to ask for permission. To be formal, though, you should use “may” instead of “could” or “can.”
In formal communication, this is a polite way to ask for someone's opinion about some matter. If you don't feel comfortable using the phrase but still want to sound formal, you could say, “I'd appreciate your input on this,” or “Would you please share your opinion on this matter?”
"Can I" is best for semi-formal situations. "Could I" is best for semi-formal situations. "May I" is best for semi-formal situations.
How do you politely ask someone to check?
I would like to kindly ask you to check ... Would you be so kind as to check ... If, on the other hand, you want to ask whether somebody has already checked your file, you should go with: Would you be so kind as to tell me if/whether you have checked …
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Examples:
- Would you close the door, please?
- Would you help me cook dinner, please?
- Would he do his homework before we go out, please?