Recherche parmi différents professeurs en Anglais…
Mayumi
Which is better for business 'Can I ask your name please?' or ' Could I ask your name?'
19 juin 2014 02:52
Réponses · 7
1
"What's your name?" <- most common
"Can I ask your name please?" <-uncommon/polite
"Could I ask your name?" <-common/polite
19 juin 2014
'Could' as opposed to 'can' - like 'would' as opposed to 'will' - has the effect of 'distancing' the speaker from the situation. It makes you appear more tentative, and therefore more polite. 'Will' and 'can' are quite direct, whereas 'would' and 'could' suggest a more hypothetical possibility.
So, yes, in most business situations it would be better to use 'could' and 'would'. English doesn't have anything the same systems of formality and hierarchy that Japanese does, but this use of conditional-style modal verbs is certainly one way of appearing more polite and respectful to someone.
19 juin 2014
Thank you!
19 juin 2014
Could I ask your name?- is really polite
19 juin 2014
Vous n'avez pas encore trouvé vos réponses ?
Écrivez vos questions et profitez de l'aide des locuteurs natifs !
Mayumi
Compétences linguistiques
Anglais, Japonais
Langue étudiée
Anglais
Articles qui pourraient te plaire

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
24 j'aime · 17 Commentaires

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
19 j'aime · 13 Commentaires

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
16 j'aime · 6 Commentaires
Plus d'articles
