Is "Please" a question?

1 Answer

Answer :

In our general way of using the language, the word “please” is usually part of a question, but it’s not a question by itself. “May I go outside, please?” is a simple enough question for a child to ask or to understand, but in the stylized language that some lawyers are wont to use in court, the phrase “may it please the court…” while generally involving a request of some sort, is not a question. By itself in an interrogative question (as you have presented it), it’s more of a child’s whine than a legitimate question. The simple question has already been asked: ”[May] I go out?” The added “Please?” is just a way to wheedle compliance from the gatekeeper – but it’s not a question.

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