"it would be greatly appreciated" vs "I would be very grateful"

Question

"it would be greatly appreciated" vs "I would be very grateful"

"I would be very grateful" emphasizes your feelings of thankfulness.

"It would be greatly appreciated" is grammatically okay, but it's unnecessarily complicated.

Last Updated: March 20, 2019

Sometimes, English speakers will add "it would be greatly appreciated" to a request to try to make it sound polite. This makes the request sound long and complicated.

It's better to make a direct but polite request. "Could you please ________?" is one possible way to do this.

Explanation provided by a TextRanch English expert

Some alternatives from our editors:

Could you please _______?
Would you be able to ________?
Can you please help me with this?

Adding "I would be very grateful" to a request stresses how thankful you will feel if the request is granted.

"I would be grateful" is already a strong expression of thanks, so "very" is okay to use, but it isn't required.

Since this is a strong expression, it's typically only used when you're asking for a major favor. It would sound too intense when making an everyday request.

Explanation provided by a TextRanch English expert

Some examples from our editors:

I would be very grateful if you would give me feedback on my dissertation.
I told Judge Robinson that I would be very grateful if he would give me a second chance.
I would be very grateful if you would take care of my children while I am on my business trip.

Some alternatives from our editors:

I would be grateful
I would be very appreciative

Answer 1

it would be greatly appreciated

This is not correct. Don't use this phrase.

Answer 2

I would be very grateful

This is correct

"it would be greatly appreciated" vs "I would be very grateful"

it would be greatly appreciated

I would be very grateful

Related Comparisons