Re:A theory of the modern exclamation point!
by Detrytus on Wednesday January 10, 2024 @05:07PM
(#38944024)
But in sentences like: “Could you hand me that, please?” The word “please” seems redundant, “could you” already does the job of asking nicely. That is, from my perspective as someone speaking English as a second language.
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Re:A theory of the modern exclamation point!
by tnecniv on Wednesday January 10, 2024 @05:51PM
(#38944593)
In that case, it does not materially change the content but it does change the tone to indicate you would appreciate them responding in the affirmative . Adding a “please” to a request also doesn’t make it harder to understand.
You do have a point, though. Passive voice can be a lot more wordy / harder to parse, but people often use it to be more polite sounding.