insistent but polite request

[kvvic]

Dear all,

I'm trying to make a polite formal request for the permission to send my paper later. I wrote it like this:

Would you not mind my sending the paper later?

Does it make any difference if I write:

Would you mind my sending the paper later?

Maybe there is another, more insistent but at the same time polite, way of saying it?

[beascarpetta]

It would help to know more about who you are planning to ask

What about

Could I possibly let you have my paper at a later date /after the official deadline
Would it be possible at all to hand in my paper...
Would you mind if I handed in/sent on..


Would you not mind my sending the paper later?
will probably earn you a "Well, dear,as a matter of fact,I would."

Would you mind my [sending the paper] handing in my paper later?
is definitely much better.

Let me know if you need help with this.
beascarpetta

[kvvic]

I'm addressing an organizer of a scientific meeting.

Originally Posted by beascarpetta

Could I possibly let you have my paper at a later date /after the official deadline

I like this phrase very much, but it seems to be a little bit more colloquial than "would you mind" and "would it be possible", does it? Then I will probably pick "would you mind" because the style of my letter is quite formal.

Originally Posted by beascarpetta

Would you not mind my sending the paper later?
will probably earn you a "Well, dear,as a matter of fact,I would."
Would you mind my [sending the paper] handing in my paper later?
is definitely much better.

Interesting, in our language we say just the opposite. In response to "Would you not mind ...?" we expect "No, I don't ..." and "Would you mind ...?" may earn both yes and no.

[beascarpetta]

Originally Posted by kvvic

I like this phrase very much, but isn't it a little bit colloquial?

What about

Would it be at all possible to let you have my paper ...+
(go for a date such as : around December 24
the second week of September )

Originally Posted by kvvic

Interesting, in our language we say just the opposite. In response to "Would you not mind ...?" we expect "No, I don't ..." and "Would you mind ...?" may earn both yes and no.

Well, to mind (when used in questions and negatives) means to be annoyed or worried by something

So this would then translate as

"Would you not be annoyed...?" , which would , at least to my mind, be quite a provocative question.

bea

[kvvic]

Thanks again. Now I understand the meaning of "would you mind".

Would it be at all possible to let you have my paper

I think it suits quite well.

[beascarpetta]

You are most welcome. Good luck!