Can you not touch it?

[Yourjones]

Hello,

If I don't want someone to touch my book, shall I say "Can you please not touch it"? I just am not sure if I have put the "not" at the right place.

Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

You will hear your version but "Please don't touch it" is much more natural.

 

[Yourjones]

Thanks a lot! So instead of saying "Can you please not sit on the floor", we should say "Please don't sit on the floor".

 

[emsr2d2]

"Can you please (not)" is a fairly recent and, in my opinion, needlessly wordy way of say ing "Please ..." and "Please don't ...".

 

[Raymott]

On the other hand, "Can you please not do that?", referring to some repetitive annoyance, sounds more polite to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree to a certain extent but if someone was being repetitively annoying, I wouldn't be inclined to be polite.

 

[Raymott]

But surely that would depend on who it was. The point of being polite is that it is often more efficacious.

 

[bhaisahab]

On the other hand, "Can you please not do that?", referring to some repetitive annoyance, sounds more polite to me.

I'd use "Could" rather than "Can".

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Yourjones:

Sometimes your version is used when one is annoyed (a little angry):

Woman looks at the flowers in front of Mrs. Smith's house: Oh, what beautiful flowers! (Woman touches the flowers.)

Mrs. Smith: Would you please not touch the flowers? They are very delicate. I have worked very hard to cultivate them.

Woman: Oh, I am so sorry, dear.

Mrs. Smith: No problem! I'm glad that you like them. Let me give you a red one.

Woman: I would really prefer a blue one.