Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
please can/could you VS could you please
English answer:
degrees of politeness - see Q./answers
Added to glossary by
Rachel Fell
Apr 9, 2006 21:39
18 yrs ago
21 viewers *
English term
Israel
Medicine & Clinical Studies - MSc, MA
Native in: Russian 
, Ukrainian
Works in: English to Russian, English to Ukrainian, Russian to English, and 3 more.
please can/could you VS could you please
English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
I wonder if someone could enlighten me as to whether requests starting with "Please can/could you..." render the same degree of politeness as those that start with "Could you please...". If no, which one is more polite and/or more common these days in the US? Does the question mark provide any added value in terms of either politeness or usage?
Many thanks in advance :-)
Many thanks in advance :-)
Responses
Responses
+10
9 mins
Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Thorough, knowledgeable and resourceful
Native in: English (Variant: UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Italian to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
degrees of politeness
1) Please could you...? most polite - conditional tense
2) Please can you...? also polite but less concessive
3) Could you please...? this depends on what follows, as it could be either a polite request as 1) or a more bossy (imperative) but polite- sounding order
I think there should be a question mark, as a question is being asked and it's a bit "sloppy" to omit it - but it also depends how the rest of the sentence goes, but it indicates some extra care probably if you put one in!
(I am from UK though!)
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Note added at 18 mins (2006-04-09 21:57:45 GMT)
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re 3) it really depends on the rest of the sentence: it can sound equal to 1)
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Note added at 11 hrs (2006-04-10 09:19:01 GMT)
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agree with PeterE above about the question mark too - it depends, as I said!
2) Please can you...? also polite but less concessive
3) Could you please...? this depends on what follows, as it could be either a polite request as 1) or a more bossy (imperative) but polite- sounding order
I think there should be a question mark, as a question is being asked and it's a bit "sloppy" to omit it - but it also depends how the rest of the sentence goes, but it indicates some extra care probably if you put one in!
(I am from UK though!)
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Note added at 18 mins (2006-04-09 21:57:45 GMT)
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re 3) it really depends on the rest of the sentence: it can sound equal to 1)
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Note added at 11 hrs (2006-04-10 09:19:01 GMT)
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agree with PeterE above about the question mark too - it depends, as I said!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: There's no difference between UK and US usage in this case.
3 mins
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Thank you Kim - not always the way (that there's no difference)!
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| agree |
Ghyslaine LE NAGARD
: Absolutely
29 mins
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Thank you, NewCal!
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| agree |
conejo
: I agree, although in the US, we don't really say "please can you.." (sounds odd to me grammatically). For US usage, people normally say "could you please do X?" Or if it is less formal, you would say "Can you please do X (when you get some time, etc.)?"
56 mins
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Thank you + for your comments:)
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| agree |
Dave Calderhead
2 hrs
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Thank you Dave:)
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| agree |
Ala Rabie
: i totally agree with conejo.
2 hrs
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Thank you enshrine:)
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| agree |
Alison Jenner
10 hrs
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Thank you Alison:)
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| agree |
MikeGarcia
11 hrs
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Thank you Miguel:)
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| agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
19 hrs
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Thank you Marju:)
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| agree |
Isodynamia
22 hrs
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Thank you Constantina:)
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| agree |
Anna Riley
: We don't have 'polite language' in English. It's a fallacy people have been brainwashed into believing. How polite something seems comes from the tone you set and there are infinite ways to create an impression through language.
4718 days
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Thank you Anna :-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks a lot for your great help Rachel, and to everyone who contributed."
4 mins
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
370
No difference (not in UK anyway)
Low confidence because you specifically ask about the USA and I am not sure about that.
+1
10 mins
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Mexico
Native in English
&
English
Mexico
Committed to Quality and Service
Native in: English (Variant: US)
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
80
could is more polite
"Please could you" is more polite than "please can you"
Michael Swan, Practical English Usage:
Can and could - interpersonal uses (permission, requests)
We 'can' ask for and give permission: "Can I ask you for something"?
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...". If no, which one is more polite and/or more common these days in the US? Does the question mark provide any added value in terms of either politeness or usage?
Michael Swan, Practical English Usage:
Can and could - interpersonal uses (permission, requests)
We 'can' ask for and give permission: "Can I ask you for something"?
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...". If no, which one is more polite and/or more common these days in the US? Does the question mark provide any added value in terms of either politeness or usage?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Peter Enright
: I suppose the qn mark is a matter of choice. I usually avoid it b/c the construction is halfway betw a question/request and an order.
5 hrs
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10 hrs
"Could" implies one is able to,
"Can" questions this.
One supplicates (Could) the other questions ability (Can).
If you could, would you?
If you can, will you?
You can get away with asking "Could I come over later?" (Of course, or I'm busy)
but not: "Can I come over later?"
(I don't know, can you?)
I don't "Can" belongs here at all.
One supplicates (Could) the other questions ability (Can).
If you could, would you?
If you can, will you?
You can get away with asking "Could I come over later?" (Of course, or I'm busy)
but not: "Can I come over later?"
(I don't know, can you?)
I don't "Can" belongs here at all.
+3
10 hrs
"may" and "would" seem to have been forgotten
Your question begs other issues: first of all there is the difference between "may" and "can"
Can I have a piece of cake please? (Is it within the realms of possibility)
May I have a piece of cake please? (Am I allowed to)
People make the distinction less and less these days but grammatically you should say "May I ask you for something?"
The classic tale was the child that asked its father: Can I go out? and the father that replied: you can but you may not..... (nuance) - in the sense that the child was physically capable of going out but the father would not allow.
Also when asking for something, it is even more polite to say: Would you please (do this or that)
So don't forget these aspects, will you?
Can I have a piece of cake please? (Is it within the realms of possibility)
May I have a piece of cake please? (Am I allowed to)
People make the distinction less and less these days but grammatically you should say "May I ask you for something?"
The classic tale was the child that asked its father: Can I go out? and the father that replied: you can but you may not..... (nuance) - in the sense that the child was physically capable of going out but the father would not allow.
Also when asking for something, it is even more polite to say: Would you please (do this or that)
So don't forget these aspects, will you?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Rachel Fell
: good points
43 mins
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| agree |
MikeGarcia
1 hr
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| agree |
Raging Dreamer
: My thoughts exactly.
2 hrs
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Discussion
In addition, my comments were not intended as "mission creep" (whatever that is) but as a valid point of English grammar (UK) - you were getting more than asked so don't complain!