Which of “Will you just go?” or “Can you just go?” works better?
One of my students barged into my classroom one day and was
getting on my nerves because I needed to clean up the mess he had
himself made earlier, so I wanted to ask him to leave me alone
and go away.
Which of these two possible ways of asking him to leave would
be more natural for me to use in this situation? Do they mean
the same thing? Is one better?
Will you just go?
Can you just go?
If both are grammatical constructions that a native speaker would
routinely use, then which if either is preferred for this
particular circumstance and why? Is this the normal way to
express what I want to say, and if not, then what would be better?
word-choice modal-verbs politeness register
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
migrated from english.stackexchange.com yesterday
This question came from our site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.
add a comment |
One of my students barged into my classroom one day and was
getting on my nerves because I needed to clean up the mess he had
himself made earlier, so I wanted to ask him to leave me alone
and go away.
Which of these two possible ways of asking him to leave would
be more natural for me to use in this situation? Do they mean
the same thing? Is one better?
Will you just go?
Can you just go?
If both are grammatical constructions that a native speaker would
routinely use, then which if either is preferred for this
particular circumstance and why? Is this the normal way to
express what I want to say, and if not, then what would be better?
word-choice modal-verbs politeness register
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
migrated from english.stackexchange.com yesterday
This question came from our site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.
2
Both are grammatical, it's a matter of personal taste which one you prefer to use. I might tell someone "get outta here" if I was feeling particularly annoyed and wasn't afraid of the possible consequences that my rudeness might incur.
– Mari-Lou A
yesterday
1
An interesting aspect about this question is that both modals are being used in a special way: this is ɴᴏᴛ the will used to describe future events. Instead, here it’s actually the will that means “wants to” or “would like to”. In the Greek technobabble of formal linguistics, this is thus the so-called deontic mode, a more piquant flavor of portraying the world as we would ʜᴀᴠᴇ it be, not the simpler “expected” one. It covers “permissions and volitions”—so things like commands, wants, wishes, desires, promises, or even threats.
– tchrist
yesterday
add a comment |
One of my students barged into my classroom one day and was
getting on my nerves because I needed to clean up the mess he had
himself made earlier, so I wanted to ask him to leave me alone
and go away.
Which of these two possible ways of asking him to leave would
be more natural for me to use in this situation? Do they mean
the same thing? Is one better?
Will you just go?
Can you just go?
If both are grammatical constructions that a native speaker would
routinely use, then which if either is preferred for this
particular circumstance and why? Is this the normal way to
express what I want to say, and if not, then what would be better?
word-choice modal-verbs politeness register
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
One of my students barged into my classroom one day and was
getting on my nerves because I needed to clean up the mess he had
himself made earlier, so I wanted to ask him to leave me alone
and go away.
Which of these two possible ways of asking him to leave would
be more natural for me to use in this situation? Do they mean
the same thing? Is one better?
Will you just go?
Can you just go?
If both are grammatical constructions that a native speaker would
routinely use, then which if either is preferred for this
particular circumstance and why? Is this the normal way to
express what I want to say, and if not, then what would be better?
word-choice modal-verbs politeness register
word-choice modal-verbs politeness register
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
edited yesterday
tchrist
5,96412237
5,96412237
asked yesterday
Jina Chae
migrated from english.stackexchange.com yesterday
This question came from our site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.
migrated from english.stackexchange.com yesterday
This question came from our site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.
2
Both are grammatical, it's a matter of personal taste which one you prefer to use. I might tell someone "get outta here" if I was feeling particularly annoyed and wasn't afraid of the possible consequences that my rudeness might incur.
– Mari-Lou A
yesterday
1
An interesting aspect about this question is that both modals are being used in a special way: this is ɴᴏᴛ the will used to describe future events. Instead, here it’s actually the will that means “wants to” or “would like to”. In the Greek technobabble of formal linguistics, this is thus the so-called deontic mode, a more piquant flavor of portraying the world as we would ʜᴀᴠᴇ it be, not the simpler “expected” one. It covers “permissions and volitions”—so things like commands, wants, wishes, desires, promises, or even threats.
– tchrist
yesterday
add a comment |
2
Both are grammatical, it's a matter of personal taste which one you prefer to use. I might tell someone "get outta here" if I was feeling particularly annoyed and wasn't afraid of the possible consequences that my rudeness might incur.
– Mari-Lou A
yesterday
1
An interesting aspect about this question is that both modals are being used in a special way: this is ɴᴏᴛ the will used to describe future events. Instead, here it’s actually the will that means “wants to” or “would like to”. In the Greek technobabble of formal linguistics, this is thus the so-called deontic mode, a more piquant flavor of portraying the world as we would ʜᴀᴠᴇ it be, not the simpler “expected” one. It covers “permissions and volitions”—so things like commands, wants, wishes, desires, promises, or even threats.
– tchrist
yesterday
2
2
Both are grammatical, it's a matter of personal taste which one you prefer to use. I might tell someone "get outta here" if I was feeling particularly annoyed and wasn't afraid of the possible consequences that my rudeness might incur.
– Mari-Lou A
yesterday
Both are grammatical, it's a matter of personal taste which one you prefer to use. I might tell someone "get outta here" if I was feeling particularly annoyed and wasn't afraid of the possible consequences that my rudeness might incur.
– Mari-Lou A
yesterday
1
1
An interesting aspect about this question is that both modals are being used in a special way: this is ɴᴏᴛ the will used to describe future events. Instead, here it’s actually the will that means “wants to” or “would like to”. In the Greek technobabble of formal linguistics, this is thus the so-called deontic mode, a more piquant flavor of portraying the world as we would ʜᴀᴠᴇ it be, not the simpler “expected” one. It covers “permissions and volitions”—so things like commands, wants, wishes, desires, promises, or even threats.
– tchrist
yesterday
An interesting aspect about this question is that both modals are being used in a special way: this is ɴᴏᴛ the will used to describe future events. Instead, here it’s actually the will that means “wants to” or “would like to”. In the Greek technobabble of formal linguistics, this is thus the so-called deontic mode, a more piquant flavor of portraying the world as we would ʜᴀᴠᴇ it be, not the simpler “expected” one. It covers “permissions and volitions”—so things like commands, wants, wishes, desires, promises, or even threats.
– tchrist
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
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"Will you leave?" leaves the choice of leaving to the student, as it is asking if student would leave.
"Can you leave?" is asking if the student has the ability to leave.
In terms of actual meaning, there is a slight difference between the two phrases, but there isn't one that is really better than the other. In both of the phrases, the context and tone matter more than the words being used. So, both will get your message across.
Another way of conveying your message could also be "Please leave."
Instead of asking the student, you could just tell the student what you want him to do. Though, this may come off harsher than either of the questions you listed above.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
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"Will you leave?" leaves the choice of leaving to the student, as it is asking if student would leave.
"Can you leave?" is asking if the student has the ability to leave.
In terms of actual meaning, there is a slight difference between the two phrases, but there isn't one that is really better than the other. In both of the phrases, the context and tone matter more than the words being used. So, both will get your message across.
Another way of conveying your message could also be "Please leave."
Instead of asking the student, you could just tell the student what you want him to do. Though, this may come off harsher than either of the questions you listed above.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
"Will you leave?" leaves the choice of leaving to the student, as it is asking if student would leave.
"Can you leave?" is asking if the student has the ability to leave.
In terms of actual meaning, there is a slight difference between the two phrases, but there isn't one that is really better than the other. In both of the phrases, the context and tone matter more than the words being used. So, both will get your message across.
Another way of conveying your message could also be "Please leave."
Instead of asking the student, you could just tell the student what you want him to do. Though, this may come off harsher than either of the questions you listed above.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
"Will you leave?" leaves the choice of leaving to the student, as it is asking if student would leave.
"Can you leave?" is asking if the student has the ability to leave.
In terms of actual meaning, there is a slight difference between the two phrases, but there isn't one that is really better than the other. In both of the phrases, the context and tone matter more than the words being used. So, both will get your message across.
Another way of conveying your message could also be "Please leave."
Instead of asking the student, you could just tell the student what you want him to do. Though, this may come off harsher than either of the questions you listed above.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
"Will you leave?" leaves the choice of leaving to the student, as it is asking if student would leave.
"Can you leave?" is asking if the student has the ability to leave.
In terms of actual meaning, there is a slight difference between the two phrases, but there isn't one that is really better than the other. In both of the phrases, the context and tone matter more than the words being used. So, both will get your message across.
Another way of conveying your message could also be "Please leave."
Instead of asking the student, you could just tell the student what you want him to do. Though, this may come off harsher than either of the questions you listed above.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
answered 18 hours ago
Eliza XieEliza Xie
111
111
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Eliza Xie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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2
Both are grammatical, it's a matter of personal taste which one you prefer to use. I might tell someone "get outta here" if I was feeling particularly annoyed and wasn't afraid of the possible consequences that my rudeness might incur.
– Mari-Lou A
yesterday
1
An interesting aspect about this question is that both modals are being used in a special way: this is ɴᴏᴛ the will used to describe future events. Instead, here it’s actually the will that means “wants to” or “would like to”. In the Greek technobabble of formal linguistics, this is thus the so-called deontic mode, a more piquant flavor of portraying the world as we would ʜᴀᴠᴇ it be, not the simpler “expected” one. It covers “permissions and volitions”—so things like commands, wants, wishes, desires, promises, or even threats.
– tchrist
yesterday