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

INDIRECTNESS AND POLITENESS 

341

The present progressive is often used to make a request, enquiry or statement of

opinion more indirect, often out of politeness:

[a muffin is a kind of cake]

Are you wanting a muffin, Peter? 

(less direct than ‘Do you want …?’)

I

’m wondering when I could come and pick up the calendars that I ordered

from you at the beginning of October. 

(less direct than ‘I wonder when I could …’)

We

’re hoping that it will have some practical benefits. 

(less direct than ‘We hope that it …’)

In these cases, the past simple, and even more politely, the past progressive, may

also be used with present time reference:

Did you want/were you wanting a muffin, Peter? 

I 

wondered/was wondering when I could come and pick up the calendars that I

ordered from you at the beginning of October. 

We 

hoped/were hoping that it would have some practical benefits.