Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Skaborough]

When I worked in fundraising this issue came up. The phrase, "Thank you for your continued support..." is often used as it's seen as being more polite. The use of "continuing" can be seen as presumptive that one is going to give more money (though that is always the point), whereas "continued" has more of a, "hey, thanks for that cash" ring to it, and allows you to go for new cash with a sense that you are asking them without presuming they will indeed give more money.

You'd be surprised how seriously arguements like this can be. While at the Humane Society we (4 of us) spent an entire day going through the language of a 'thank you/give us cash' letter. In retrospect I should have saved the e-mail correspondence. One of the guys actually yelled at the intern we had when the kid screwed up a tense.

Payce

[Woland]

Out of Context and Skaborough, thanks for your additions to this. I hadn't considered that the -ing form might be seen as presumptious (or maybe wheedling). I don't feel that, but I can see what you mean that others might. Other linguists have pointed out an association between -ing and greater emotional intensity, which may contribute to this feeling.

Skaborough, the fighting you talk about over the form of these letters just reinforces the point of my earlier rant, that these are matters of choice and that the differences are subtle and complex. If it were a grammar issue, someone would be right and there'd be no fight. It's because it's not grammar that there can be a fight.