word choice - How do I ask for advice politely?


I came across the following phrase:



I was wondering if you might be able to give me some advice.



Is it a natural construction for a conversational context?


Can I use the following instead in order to sound less formal:



I was wondering if you could give me some advice.



Or is it less polite?


Or which phrase would be better to use instead?



Answer



In practice, they're usually the same.


The "might be able to" is a bit more formal -- perhaps because it implies more hesitation on the part of the asker if this is an appropriate time and place and topic for the question. The "if you could" might be read to imply that you doubt the ability of the person being questioned to help you.


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