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\n<\/span><\/b>
\nSo which one is more polite?  You probably think that the first one is more polite, right? <\/span>But <\/span>why<\/span>? <\/span>What why<\/span>? <\/span>I mean, if you want to <\/span>improve<\/span>, <\/span>enhance<\/span>, <\/span>upgrade<\/span>, or<\/span> <\/span>boost<\/span> your Office (business) English, you have to know <\/span>why<\/span>, <\/span>the reasons behind<\/span>, right?<\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/span>_______________________________________________________  <\/span><\/b>
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\n<\/span>WHY’BE INFORMED’ IS MORE POLITE<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>
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\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>So here you are, <\/span>the reasons behind<\/span>. Sentence 1 is <\/span>in passive voice<\/span>, so it is more polite. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>That\u2019s it<\/span>? Well, it could be.  <\/span>But there is <\/span>something more<\/span>about the verb \u2018inform\u2019. \u2018Inform\u2019 is a <\/span>special<\/span>verb.  How special is it?<\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/span> <\/span>It is a <\/span>Friendly<\/span> Verb<\/span>.  <\/span>
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\nWhat<\/span>?  What do I mean? <\/span>I mean \u2018inform\u2019 is usually<\/span> followed by someone<\/span> (or <\/span>a friend<\/span>), for example, <\/span>I am writing to <\/span>inform you<\/span> that you have won a prize.   <\/span> <\/span>So the <\/span>friend<\/span> of \u2018inform\u2019 is \u2018you\u2019, and you <\/span>can\u2019t<\/span> leave out the word \u2018you\u2019, which is why \u2018inform\u2019 is a <\/span><\/span>Friendly Verb<\/span>.  <\/span><\/b>
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\n<\/span><\/b>(What is a Friendly Verb<\/span>? A verb that wants to be with a person, or a friend all the time. So you do not<\/span> write things like: I informed<\/span>. I told<\/span>.)<\/span><\/b>
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\n<\/span><\/b>With the idea of Friendly verbs, you can see that the <\/span><\/b>coming sentence is <\/span>ABSOLUTELY<\/span> <\/span>wrong<\/span>: <\/span><\/span>I am writing to <\/span>inform <\/span>that you have won a prize.   <\/span>
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\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>(Why: The you (the friend) is missing)<\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/span> <\/span>
\nIn other words, in the above sentence, \u2018inform\u2019 becomes a <\/span>Lonely Verb<\/span>, with no friends <\/span>around. <\/span><\/b>So the problem is solved? <\/span>Well, <\/span>not yet<\/span>. <\/span>
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\n_______________________________________________________ <\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>INFORM + YOU <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>There is a <\/span>problem<\/span> with \u2018<\/span>inform<\/span> <\/span>+<\/span> <\/span>you<\/span>\u2019.  <\/span>
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\n<\/span>What <\/span>problem<\/span> is it? <\/span>It implies something <\/span>bad<\/span>. <\/span>How bad<\/span> is it? <\/span>It implies <\/span>that \u2018you\u2019 is <\/span>inferior<\/span>, <\/span>that \u2018you\u2019 has <\/span>a lower status<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span><\/span>that the one <\/span>who writes the email<\/span> has <\/span>more \u2018power\u2019 <\/span>than \u2018you\u2019<\/span>.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>You <\/span>don\u2019t get<\/span> it. <\/span>Well, what about the following sentence?  <\/span>
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\n<\/span> I <\/span>told you<\/span> to finish it before 6pm.  <\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/span>That is, ‘t<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>old<\/span> + <\/span>you’ <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span><\/span>impolite<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>
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\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n