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Polite invitations
Are all these equally polite or gracious forms of invitation?
You must come to dinner this Sunday - I insist. Would you come to dinner this Sunday? Do come to dinner this Sunday - I insist. You shall come to dinner this Sunday - I insist.
Hmm. To my American ear:
1. This one depends. If it's something the listener doesn't really want to do, it will sound a bit "pushy", due to the speaker's insistence. But it can also seem very polite/gracious. Other factors like tone of voice can also come into play. Context is everything. 2. I think I'd normally choose this one, or perhaps "Would you like to...?". It's not likely at all to cause offense in any way, unless of course the request as a whole is absurd. 3. This sounds extremely formal to me -- a bit too much, in fact. 4. I don't think "shall" (or "will", for that matter) is likely to be used that way in American English, even in formal situations, so I have no comment. - Kef
Pos, do you live in Gosford Park?. Why don't you just ask one of your man servants to attend to the invitations?.
They always come by text don't they? hi din sat 8o/c ok? brng a m8 & bots club l8r mayb cu d
<3. This sounds extremely formal to me -- a bit too much, in fact. >
Too much in an extremely formal situation?
<Pos, do you live in Gosford Park?. Why don't you just ask one of your man servants to attend to the invitations?. >
You may need a manservant to attend to your punctuation.
Is "You shall come to dinner, shan't you?" pòssible? I know "you will come to dinner, won't you?" is.
1. "You must come to dinner this Sunday - I insist" (This is rather normal and should be used with close friends, not with acquaintances, for your audience may feel pressured to come).
2. "Would you come to dinner this Sunday - I insist" (I'm not liking this one at all, as it sounds like something you would tell a girl if you are in the 6th grade). 3. "Do come to dinner this Sunday - I insist" (Obviously in this case plans have already been made, and you are quite familiar w/ this person, thus saying something like this is okay and sounds good to me.) 4. "You shall come to dinner this Sunday - I insist (Please reserve this for your children as it can be used in one case and one case only - you are a movie star, w/ smashingly good lucks and are accustomed to getting everything you want, including a new diamond studded toliet seat for every hour of the day.) Hope this helps.
Pos, do you live in Gosford Park?. Why don't you just ask one of your man servants to attend to the invitations?.
Too funny.
"Do come to dinner this Sunday - I insist" sounds like British English to me. It would sound almost comical if an American said it.
<< Too much in an extremely formal situation? >>
It's more of a matter that it's something that Americans generally don't say anymore... it would be like greeting one another with "How do you do?" It may have been common mere decades ago, but I rarely hear it except as a deliberate affectation. - Kef
Really? I say "How do you do?" when I meet someone for the first time. Of course, ONLY the first time.
"Do come to dinner this Sunday - I insist" sounds like British English to me. It would sound almost comical if an American said it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Among people my age, yes. However, if an elegant senior citizen said it to me, I wouldn't blink. |