I would say:
Could you please send me your mobile number.
I would regard could as more polite than can in this context. There is probably no proper way. All are grammatically correct.
Answer from Brian Tompsett - 汤莱恩 on Stack ExchangeI have puzzled over when should I adopt will/would or can/could.
Apart from conditional scenario, simply like:
Can? Could? I borrow a book from you
Or would you mind to borrow me a Hooke? / will you borrow me a book?
Please help me to solve this puzzle! Thanks
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I would say:
Could you please send me your mobile number.
I would regard could as more polite than can in this context. There is probably no proper way. All are grammatically correct.
Both are fine grammatically, but it appears that you are aiming for a relatively formal setting in which case "Could" is slightly more formal-sounding. Neither would be incorrect, however.
"Could" also implies more of a polite request which may be refused, rather than a polite order, although this is a soft implication and does not make "Can" rude.
I would generally suggest using "Could" although I'd perhaps change the word order as the following flows better and sounds most like a polite request.
Please could you send me your mobile number?
Often (in American English) both phrases are used interchangeably, but in some contexts the second sentence, "Can you..." is used to determine a person's capability, rather than their willingness to do something.
A person in a loud bar might shout, "Can you hear me?"
Additionally, in some contexts "Would you..." is used to determine a person's willingness to do something without any expectation that the person will view the inquiry as a request. "Would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses, or 1 horse sized duck?"
In both of my examples, substitution would sound odd to a native American English speaker. Saying "Would you hear me?" or "Can you rather...?" will likely result in a confused look from your conversation partner.
The first point to make is that it is the kind of question which cries out for the word 'please'. 'Please would you take the.....' can only be a polite request for someone to remove the bin. It would, in my view, not require a question mark, since it is not a question but a request. 'Can you take the....' could conceivably mean one of two things. It could be another way of saying the same thing as before. In which case adding a 'please', would be helpful. Or it could mean 'Are you capable of taking the......'. In that last case the sentence would require a question mark, as it is not a request but a question.
I have thought again about this. 'Would'is clearly the subjunctive and implies politeness. Therefore you can probably get away without using 'please' if you use 'would', though you might want to say 'Would you be so kind as to remove the waste bin'. It follows the French verb 'vouloir' from which it undoubtedly sprang. The French use the subjunctive - 'veuillez'- in the second-person plural if they want to ask someone politely. It can, though not necessarily, dispense with the need for 's'il vous plait'. I regard 'would' as being almost identical to 'veuillez'. In order to understand English, I often find it helps to refer to the French. The Normans really were influential. Thus, one important difference between 'would' and 'can' is that with the latter 'please' becomes 'de rigeur'.
Actually, sentences that begin with 'could', 'should', or 'would' are questions and should have a trailing question mark. Your original quote, "Could you please pass me the pepper shaker?", could be answered with a "yes" or "no." Although we usually use this syntax as a command it is not the same as the command "Pass me the pepper shaker," or "Please pass me the pepper shaker."
Etiquette tells us that it is more polite to ask for a response than it is to command a response.
According to "Basicwriting" course on Coursera: https://class.coursera.org/basicwriting-002/ there should be a period instead of question mark:
Use a period to end (1) declarative sentences, which state facts and opinions; (2) imperative sentences, which give commands and directions; (3) indirect questions; and (4) polite requests that are stated as questions.
... Requests that are stated as questions: Would you please point out Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on the map. Could you translate that sign over there for me, please.
“Could you” is more polite than “can you”. Regarding the rest of the wording, something about “tell me my next work” rings wrong to my ears. Probably, because you don't “tell a work”. So, maybe “tell me what my next work is?”. Finally, in most context, I'd use “job” instead of “work”, but that may be just me!
They have slightly different emphases.
"Can you tell me..." means do you have the capability to tell me, for example, do you know what I should do next? The emphasis is on the capability of the person being questioned.
"Could you tell me ..." expresses possibility, "is it possible for you to tell me..." The emphasis is on the likelihood or the information being revealed.
In both cases the answer is not a work assignment ("you should do such and such") but yes or no. "Yes I can tell you" or "Yes I could tell you."
Most likely if it is a polite question, "could" would probably be more appropriate, though they are used pretty much interchangeably in casual speech. To answer just "yes" or "no" would be strictly correct, but again, in casual speech, to do so would be considered rude and pedantic.
If you are asking what your next work assignment is, I'd suggest you say "Please tell me my next assignment." That would convey your question politely and clearly.
Note also that asking for "your next work" is likely not correct, unless you are using a special meaning of work. You would have to ask for your next work item, or next piece of work or something like that. The way you phrased it is probably not correct.
Hey folks! I was wondering if someone could explain the difference between "Can you" and "Could you" when you are making a request to someone?
Egs: "Could you pass the salt, please?" vs "Can you pass the salt, please?"
Are they both exactly the same, or is there a subtle difference? Or perhaps it's a regional difference?
Thanks!