POLITE FORMS IN ENGLISH
There are many ways of asking people to do things. You can order people: “Stand up!” “Go to bed!” These are all right in military situations, but orders or commands like these are not usually very polite in ordinary conversation.
In everyday conversation, you request people to do things, not “order” them: “Stand up, please”. “Sit down, please”. “Go to bed, please”. And to be more polite, you ask people if they will do things. “Will you bring me a cup of coffee, please?” “Would you sit down, please?”
In general, direct commands or requests are not as polite as less direct ones. A direct order or request is “harsh”, and you can “soften” it with “Please…. “Will you….?” Or “Would you….?” In other words, you can soften it by making it less direct. The more you soften a request, the more polite it becomes.
Compare “Be quiet!” and “Would you please be quiet for just a few minutes?” Actually, the expression “be quiet” is a little bit harsh in meaning, and you can soften it by using “quiet down,” “lower your voice,” or …. not talk for a few minutes.”
In learning a language, it is very important to find out how speakers of that language show politeness. In English, people show politeness (or rudeness) by the use of three important features:
1 – Sentence structure Will you...please? Would you mind?
2 – Choice of words be quiet or quiet down, instead of the rude form shut up
3 – Intonation of the voice in general, final rise for politeness, instead of final fall.
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