kindly or please

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ju

Key Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
An Englist teacher said that, we only use either kindly or please in once sentence.

eg.

1) Would you kindly advise me the best way to deal with this problem.

2) Would you please advise me the best way to deal with this problem.



Do you agree that I cannnot say :

Would you kindly advise me the best way to deal with this problem, please.


Thanks.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
1. Do not use 'kindly' and 'please' in the same sentence.
2. Do not use 'kindly' as a synonym for 'please' - ever. 'Kindly' can give an impression of annoyance or impatience.
 

Ju

Key Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
1. Do not use 'kindly' and 'please' in the same sentence.
2. Do not use 'kindly' as a synonym for 'please' - ever. 'Kindly' can give an impression of annoyance or impatience.

But I always see kindly in commercial correspondence.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
But I always see kindly in commercial correspondence.
Lots of people do.

That doesn't make it sound any better.
 

birdeen's call

VIP Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
But I always see kindly in commercial correspondence.
I have noticed that it's often used by Asian users of English, especially those from India and Pakistan. You won't often see it in other English-speaking countries. (Which doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's simply rare in the non-ironic sense.)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic

Verona_82

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2010
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Ukraine
Oh my... Thanks for the thread, Ju, and for the link, 5jj! I used to write 'kindly' in faxes and emails... I hope our company's foreign partners did't think me condescending and annoyed. I guess 'Will you be so kind to send us...." has the same connotations, doesn't it?
 

birdeen's call

VIP Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
Oh my... Thanks for the thread, Ju, and for the link, 5jj! I used to write 'kindly' in faxes and emails... I hope our company's foreign partners did't think me condescending and annoyed. I guess 'Will you be so kind to send us...." has the same connotations, doesn't it?
Not necessarily. This one is often used without irony. I would only change "to send" to "and send" or "as to send".
 

Khosro

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
But I always see kindly in commercial correspondence.

Okay, so when you tell your friend some word which is always seen in commercial correspondence, How is she supposed to feel about it? That you treat her cold.

Macmillan dictionary also says that we say "kindly" when we want to hide that we are annoyed". people in commerce hide things.
 

Bamako7

Banned
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Bengali; Bangla
Home Country
Argentina
Current Location
Anguilla
An Englist teacher said that, we only use either kindly or please in once sentence.

eg.

1) Would you kindly advise me the best way to deal with this problem.

2) Would you please advise me the best way to deal with this problem.



Do you agree that I cannnot say :

Would you kindly advise me the best way to deal with this problem, please.


Thanks.

According to the Quirkian taxonomic system of adverbials, "please" and "kindly" belong to the adverbial subclass of courtesy subjuncts.

Courtesy subjuncts are chiefly realized by a small group of adverbs used in rather formulaic expressions of politeness and propriety. The most common are exemplified below :
He kindly offered me a ride.
We cordially invite you to our party.
She announced that she will graciously consent to our request.
Take a seat please.
Will you kindly address a few words to the new students?
Note how the position of "kindly" affects meaning here:
He kindly offered me a ride. -- courtesy subjunct (he graciously consented to my request)
He offered me a ride kindly. -- manner adjunct (he offered me a ride in a polite manner)

Here, either subjunct conveys a formulaic tone of politeness:
Take a seat please.
Will you kindly take a seat.

Passengers are kindly requested to refrain from smoking.
Dear passengers, please refrain from smoking.

1. Do not use 'kindly' and 'please' in the same sentence.
:up:

Do not use 'kindly' as a synonym for 'please' - ever.
:-o

'Kindly' can give an impression of annoyance or impatience.
:-o
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
A.
Khosro: Okay, so when you tell your friend some word which is always seen in commercial correspondence, How is she supposed to feel about it?
Verona: I hope our company's foreign partners didn't think me condescending and annoyed.

5jj: Native speakers of BrE do not use ‘kindly’ as a synonym for ‘please’. However, as BC pointed out, it is commonly used by English speakers from Asian countries. Nobody takes offence at it.

B.
Verona
: I guess 'Will you be so kind to send us...." has the same connotations, doesn't it?


5jj: I agree with BC – ‘I would only change "to send" to "as to send"’. Even simpler, though: “Please send us…”

C.
Bamako:
He kindly offered me a ride. -- courtesy subjunct (he graciously consented to my request)


5jj: I think it’s simpler just to consider ‘kindly’ here as the adverb form of ‘kind’

D.

Bamako: Here, either subjunct conveys a formulaic tone of politeness:

Take a seat please.
Will you kindly take a seat.



5jj: These two sentences do not convey exactly the same message. As I noted before, ‘kindly’ in utterances such as this can convey an idea of impatience/annoyance.

E.

Bamako: Passengers are kindly requested to refrain from smoking.
Dear passengers, please refrain from smoking.


5jj: The first of these has a rather more official, authoritarian tone than the second.

F.
5jj: Do not use 'kindly' as a synonym for 'please' - ever.
Bamako: :-o
5jj: I assume that Bamoko’s smiley indicates pleased surprise at my advice to students. It is safe advice.


F.

5jj: 'Kindly' can give an impression of annoyance or impatience.
Bamoko::-o
5jj: I assume that Bamoko’s smiley indicates pleased surprise at learning something he did not know before.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top