Learn English – “I would be very happy if I could have…” Is this natural sentence with manners

emailexpressionsformalitygrammar

I would be very happy if I could have such an opportunity to see you in person, so please let me know whenever (if?) you will have a chance to visit this area.

Is this natural sentence with manners?

Someone who referred me to a new job said she would like to visit my place to make sure the job will start smoothly. I would like to show my appreciation in reply, but I do not force her to come here because it is really far, and would like to keep it as optional.

Best Answer

I presume the reply has been sent/ visit has happened now, but I will answer anyway as it has been bumped by something.

This is a very clunky sentence. Lets start with the first half

I would be very happy if I could have such an opportunity to see you in person

the "If I could have" is fine at the very start of a clause for example

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have a moment of your time".

It is not okay in the middle, it stops the flow, I am going to get all poetic a sentence is a river it should flow smoothly downstream. That phrase is a huge bolder stopping the river flowing smoothly, it makes the talker/ reader have to manoeuvre around it.

How would i word this? I would replace that whole boulder with the simple phrase "for the"

I would be very happy for the opportunity to see you in person

So onto the second part

so please let me know whenever (if?) you will have a chance to visit this area.

once again "you will have a chance" doesn't flow but this is ok in the current construct as the brackets are read as commas making it the start of a new clause. Take the If out and try to read this clause out loud using a natural pace, "whenever you will have a chance" is quite a tongue twister.

So what would I say

so please let me know whenever you will be visiting the area

the word whenever implies it maybe not happening.

whenever

CONJUNCTION

1 At whatever time; on whatever occasion (emphasizing a lack of restriction)

‘you can ask for help whenever you need it’

Hopefully somebody will be along to correct/ explain the grammar of it all.

Related Topic