Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

IF AND POLITENESS

459

If

-clauses do not always mark conditions; they can be used to issue polite

directives, especially in spoken contexts, where the if-clause often stands alone

and typically involves a modal verb:

[a headteacher speaking to a group of parents before a meeting begins]

If I could just have your attention for a moment please. Thank you.

[request to a friend to hold a computer cable which will be attached to a

printer]

If you’d just like to hold this for me.

[extract from a letter from an insurance company]

If you would like to return your insurance certificate to us, we will issue a new

certificate for your vehicle within three working days.

Other common expressions involving if include if I may say so, if it’ll help, if you

see what I mean

, if that’s all right with you, if I may put it like this, if it’s not rude

to ask

, if you don’t mind. These expressions add a tone of politeness, and function

to soften statements and questions:

You’ve still got an awful lot of work to do on this, 

if I may say so.

If it’s not rude to ask, how old are you?

Could you move to the other room, please, 

if you don’t mind.