[General] How to refuse others in a very graceful and polite way?

[angelajeff]

I want to email the apartment office of our school to tell them that I don't want to change my apartment. How should I refuse them in a graceful way? Can I say :"Sorry. I might not be willing to change my apartment? "
Can I use the word "might"? I knew "might" often used to express gentle refusal. Can I use it in this situation? Is this sentense expressed correctly?

Thank you!

 

[5jj]

Be positive. "Thank you for your offer of a new apartment, but I am very happy in my present one."

 

[magdalena]

Might be willing - very polite but only when you talk about willingness of others - when you use this form to talk about yourself it may sound ironic and have the opposite effect.

Might you be willing to wash these dishes?
Yes I might, when the match is over.

Generally, the expression is a bit dated and so polite that you need to be careful with it as it may sound unnatural.

 

[BobK]

Also, there's the risk - when you say 'I might not be able to...' that people will understand you to mean there are some circumstances in which you might! A groundsman could say 'If the weather stays like this, the pitch might not be ready for the match on Saturday'; hearing that, the manager might reasonably hope that - if the weather stays fine - it will. If you're staying, use the indicative.

b

 

[angelajeff]

Thank you all so much! I have changed my email as "I am not very willing to change my apartment. So please....." Will this be better?

Thank you again!!