In the context of modality and adverbs, the construction “could + subject + possibly” is used to make requests more polite. By adding “possibly” to the sentence, it softens the request and adds a sense of politeness or tentativeness. This structure is often used to make requests in a more considerate or deferential manner.
Here’s an example to illustrate this usage:
- Direct Request: “Tell me how to fix this.”
- Polite Request: “Could you possibly tell me how to fix this?”
In the direct request, the speaker simply states the command, while in the polite request, the speaker uses “could” to express the possibility and adds “possibly” to make the request more courteous. The addition of “possibly” acknowledges that the person being asked may have other commitments or may not be able to fulfill the request.
By using this construction, the speaker shows respect and acknowledges the potential inconvenience the request might cause. It is a way of making the request more polite and allowing the person being asked to have the option to decline or fulfill the request based on their own circumstances.
Overall, the use of “could + subject + possibly” in making requests more polite is a way to express a sense of consideration and deference while seeking assistance or information.
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 101 in MODALITY/adverbs is defined:
‘could’ + subject + ‘possibly’ to make requests more polite
*This is a very rare structure across corpora for a B1 structure. This point overlaps the more common and general: B1 questions with adverbs:
Could you possibly tell me how to fix this?
An iWeb search for:
. Could I|you possibly *
1 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY TELL 34
2 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY GIVE 26
Could you possibly give me a ride to Las Vegas?
3 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY HELP 24
4 . COULD I POSSIBLY BE 20
5 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY MAKE 20
6 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY DO 16
7 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY EXPLAIN 15
8 . COULD I POSSIBLY HAVE 14
9 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY POST 13
10 . COULD YOU POSSIBLY SEND 13
‘Could’ to express possibility is also B1.
Note that this form is not most common with requests:
* Could _P possibly *
1 . COULD IT POSSIBLY BE 192
2 HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY BE 153
How could it possibly be bad for football
to have the world‘s best teams come here,
and for so many people to be interested?
3 HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW 133
(what) 4 MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT 121
5 ? COULD IT POSSIBLY BE 85
6 WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE 80
7 COULD IT POSSIBLY BE 79
8 HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BE 68
9 , COULD IT POSSIBLY BE 63
10 MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY ASK 61
We had AI give some possible completions for the unfinished corpus results:
- “Could it possibly be that we’ve been wrong all along?”
- “How could it possibly be that we missed such an obvious clue?”
- “How could you possibly know what I’ve been through?”
- “What more could you possibly want from this situation?”
- “Could it possibly be that he’s telling the truth?”
- “What could it possibly be that’s causing this reaction?”
- “Could it possibly be a coincidence, or is there more to it?”
- “How could I possibly be expected to handle this on my own?”
- “Could it possibly be that there’s another explanation?”
- “What more could you possibly ask for in a vacation spot?”
There is not one example of this grammar in the PELIC or TLC.