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Making Polite Requests in Email, Part 2

时间:2022-08-18 01:39:37

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(单词翻译)

Making Polite Requests in Email, Part 2

In this week's Everyday Grammar report, we will continue telling about how to communicate politely in emails.

Murat, a reader of our website, asked if we could talk about how to open and close our emails when making a polite request.

Thank you, Murat, for this idea.

Today, we will talk about greetings, how we can close our emails and finish our discussion1 about polite requests.

Openings and closings

To set a good tone2 for your request, consider the subject heading, the opening and the closing of your email.

Some greetings include:

Dear (name of receiver),

"Dear" is considered very formal.

Hello (name of receiver),

"Hello" is an acceptable3 greeting, but it is less formal.

If the person answers with a less formal greeting, like "hi" or "hey," then this is a signal that they prefer a less formal tone. You may want to change how you answer them.

For closings, express your appreciation4 and remind the receiver that you expect an answer.

You could say something like this:

I really appreciate your help. I look forward to your reply.

Thank you for taking your time to read this email. I hope to hear from you soon!

Some simple ways to end the message include:

Sincerely, (followed by your name)

Similar endings are:

All the best,

Best wishes,

Thanks,

Or

Thank you,

These are all common, formal expressions to politely close your emails.

Know your situation

When making a request by email, we want to show awareness5 of the receiver's situation. To do this, we use hedging expressions to soften6 what we want to say. Hedging expressions let the writer of the email say what they want to say but in a less direct way and more politely. For example, one could say:

I'm sorry to bother you, but would you have time to review this report?

I know you're busy, but if you get some free time later, would you like to meet up for coffee?

This is a lot to ask, but do you mind waiting for me? I'm almost finished.

The hedging expressions come before the word "but" in the questions. The request comes after.

These expressions show the receiver of the email that we understand their situation.

We can also use the words "possible" and "possibly," when hedging a request. These words express the probability7 or chance of the request being fulfilled8. Let us look at these examples:

Could you possibly drive me to the train station later?

Is there any possible way for you to meet me downtown?

When using "possibly" with a modal verb like "could," it shows the receiver that you are even more aware that the request might not be fulfilled. Giving the receiver the chance to say "no," makes the request more polite.

Offering appreciation

When making polite requests, we can offer a good thought or action to balance the request.

For example, you can show your appreciation or thankfulness.

I would really appreciate the favor.

The verb "appreciate" is a transitive verb, which means it takes a direct object.

You can add the adverb "really" to strengthen the expression.

You can also offer something in exchange for the request. For example, you could say:

I owe you a favor.

Or

I can cover for you next time.

"To owe someone a favor" means that you will return a kindness or service to someone because they have done something for you.

"To cover for someone" means that you will take their place for a task next time.

Give a reason

You can include a reason for the request. This could be an explanation or an excuse.

For example you could say:

Would you mind reading my essay? I'd like really like your feedback9.

Or

Would it be okay if we reschedule our lunch for next week? I'm not feeling well today.

In these examples, the reason is a separate statement that comes after the request. We do not always need a reason for the request, but giving a reason makes the request more polite, and the receiver may be more willing to help you.

Closing thoughts

In today's Everyday Grammar, we looked at additional10 ways to express a request politely in an email. We can use hedging expressions and "possibly" to show awareness of the receiver's situation. We can offer a good thought or action to balance a request. We can include a reason to support the request. And be aware of your openings and closings in emails. A formal and thoughtful11 greeting can make your request more likely to receive the answer you hoped for.

Words in This Story

politely – adv. to do something showing good behavior and respect for other people

greeting – n. something that is said or done to show people that you are happy to meet or see them

tone – n. a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing

formal – adj. following or according with established form, custom, or rule

prefer – v. to like better or best; to favor

appreciation – n. a feeling of being grateful or thankful for something

awareness - n. the idea of knowing that something (such as a situation, condition or problem) exists.

hedging expressions – n. (grammar) words or phrases used to soften what we say, making it more indirect12 to protect the receiver of the message

modal verbs – n. (grammar) verbs that are used to express possibility, ability, or necessity13.

favor – n. a kind or helpful act that you do for someone

feedback – n. helpful information or criticism that is give to someone for the purpose of improving performance or a product


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1 discussion 2PBzj     
n.讨论,谈论;论述
参考例句:
  • It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
  • After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨,和平协议渐渐有了眉目。
2 tone bqFyP     
n.语气,音调,气度,色调;vt.(up)增强
参考例句:
  • There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
  • Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。
3 acceptable NIByZ     
adj.可接受的,合意的,受欢迎的
参考例句:
  • The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
  • Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。
4 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨
参考例句:
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
5 awareness 4yWzdW     
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
参考例句:
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
6 soften 6w0wk     
v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和
参考例句:
  • Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
  • This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。
7 probability QQuxE     
n.可能性,可能发生的事,概率
参考例句:
  • The probability that it will rain today is high.今天下雨的可能性很大。
  • He must calculate the probability of failure.他必须计算一下失败的概率。
8 fulfilled 8c45e5e35cbc7441a970964edc5752b9     
adj.满足的,个人志向得以实现的v.满足( fulfil的过去式和过去分词 );执行;尽到;应验
参考例句:
  • He doesn't feel fulfilled in his present job. 目前的工作未能让他感到满足。
  • I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后,我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 feedback Wk7xk     
n.回授,反馈,反应
参考例句:
  • I was getting great feedback from my boss.老板对我的评价很高。
  • You need feedback to monitor progress.你需要利用反馈信息来监控进展。
10 additional rJTyM     
adj.添加的,额外的,另外的
参考例句:
  • It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
  • I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。
11 thoughtful Wo4wg     
adj.思考的,沉思的,体贴的,关心的
参考例句:
  • She is thoughtful for her friends.她很体贴她的朋友们。
  • This is a thoughtful essay.这是一篇具有思想性的随笔。
12 indirect V88xQ     
adj.间接的,转弯抹角的,非直接的
参考例句:
  • What he said was very indirect.他的话很婉转。
  • He gave only an indirect answer.他只作了间接的回答。
13 necessity wGLxm     
n.必要性,需要;必需品
参考例句:
  • I look upon this as an absolute necessity.我认为这是绝对必要的。
  • You must understand the necessity of education.你必须懂得教育的必要性。

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