[General] I would like to apologise

[suniljain]

I would like to apologise to every single person.

I apologise to every sinlge person.

Can we use these sentences interchangeably?

 

[jutfrank]

You should assume that you can never use any two differing sentences interchangeably.

Tell us about the situation in which you want to say this.

 

[emsr2d2]

1. I would like to apologise to every single person.
2. I apologise to every single person.

Can we use these sentences interchangeably?

As jutfrank said, sentences (particularly those with different constructions) can rarely be used interchangeably. The obvious difference between these two is the use of "I would like to" in the first.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Sometimes they're interchangeable, but usually the choice of which to use just depends on the circumstance.

The phrase "I would like to" is an idiom that simply dresses up a statement. It is not usually meant literally. (Obviously, saying you want to do something is not the same as actually doing something.)

So although it does not add meaning to a statement (in fact, taken literally, it makes a statement ambiguous), it's an accepted way of making a simple statement seem more formal. It's often used when addressing a group.

It can seem verbose. But it's perfectly natural, and listeners understand the speaker's intent.

PS: Do you want to apologize to every married person, too?

 

[Yankee]

Is your apology intended for every individual person or to all unmarried persons?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is your apology intended for every individual person or to all unmarried persons?

Yup, that's my question exactly, in post 4.

Operators are standing by!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS -

Suni, we're really just having fun when we talk about single versus married people. We understood your examples perfectly.

 

[suniljain]

Is your apology intended for every individual person or to all unmarried persons?

It means for every individual person; married or unmarried.