'At my earliest convenience' implies you're not going to put yourself out, you'll do the job when you feel like it and not before. "At the earliest opportunity" is a great way to remain polite in your writing. #2, is basically the same, but redundant. When we say that something may be done in your own time, we are depicting that it may be accomplished at a time and rate decided by said individual. As phrases go, dropping earliest convenience from your repertoire is the safest bet. We will now go over the following examples that showcase how to appropriately use this phrase: The last alternative phrase that we will be going over is when youre able to. -The name of the person you are trying to reach. You can do that without haste or any urgency. At your earliest convenience is, as Tim says, a common idiom that I consider quite polite, if for no other reason than "at your convenience" is hardly ever used outside of this idiom, so it seems formal and the formal sense is polite. And can be confusing to use. Im going to need our profit and loss statement from Q1 in order to prepare a report. I appreciate you doing this as soon as you get a chance. The reason this could get perceived as rude is that it doesnt take into consideration the other persons schedule, time, or mutual needs. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. #3. 3 - I don't suppose you could arrange a meeting, could you? The request usually begins with a polite construction such as please or I would like to because we generally use at your convenience when we are being polite and not demanding. However, avoid using it for specific deadlines. Whenever works might seem blas, but its a surprisingly effective informal way to say at your earliest convenience. It takes a lot of pressure out of the formal phrase. 2. From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English at your earliest convenience formal as soon as possible - used in letters We should be grateful if you would reply at your earliest convenience. Without having to use my or your as the determiner. It comes across as inconsiderate, if not outright rude. The other 2 have a much different tone because of how central the pronoun 'you' is in their constructions. It means "Please do this as son as you can without dropping something else.". In short, at your earliest convenience expresses less urgency and pressure than as soon as possible.. Conveys a relaxed ask to another person. As soon as possible is more common than at your earliest convenience. Other popular replacements include whenever its convenient, when you have time, at your earliest availability, and in the next few days/weeks/months.. I think the writer ( the professor ) may have turned around the phrase " Please get back to me at your earliest convenience.'' inadvertantly causing him/herself to sound as if s/he could not be bothered. If she'd written "Shipping your order is my highest priority," that would clearly be sarcastic. I'd like to discuss this topic at your convenience. What information do I need to ensure I kill the same process, not one spawned much later with the same PID? To learn more about formal phrases for professional messages, check out our article Is It Correct to Say As Per Our Conversation? 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? @bobie 'Opportunity' or 'as soon as I can' implies that you will do the task when you have the chance even though it might inconvenience you, eg you'd rather sit down and put your feet up but you'll do the task seeing as you've got a spare 30 minutes. To me, this is rather rude, since it means "I'll do it when I feel like it." Your out-of-office email message says, Im away from my desk right now, but Ill get back to you at my earliest convenience. Have you created a grievous business faux pas? The first is a polite way to request action from another person. You can use it in business contexts to request someones attention or help quickly. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/at+your+earliest+convenience, MacDonald would be glad to know that this mark of His Majesty's favour would be agreeable to you, and I am therefore to ask if you will be good enough to communicate with me accordingly, We appeal to you to address this problem at the highest level and, As the supplier of the trains in question I believe it is right that we provide you with the correct information, which we respectfully request that you publish, If you have any question about this, please contact me. Last Name], I hope this email finds you well. In that case, is it correct to say at your earliest convenience? Surely, you meant well. Bonus: Marys reply will document the exchange. It only takes a minute to sign up. Two faces sharing same four vertices issues. When they do you might want to send a card to their family. Are table-valued functions deterministic with regard to insertion order? I would like to discuss the project proposal, Could you please print and file that report, She said that shed complete the transaction, By tomorrow / by next week / by the 15th of November. The mechanic says in the voice mail message, You can come get the vehicle at my earliest convenience.. For example, while not disputing the fact that saying at your earliest convenience is polite, it may . Our goal is to create English lessons that are easy to understand for everyone. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. How can I drop 15 V down to 3.7 V to drive a motor? -A proposed date and time for the meeting. These tasks can be accomplished over a longer period of time and without haste. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Please remit the payment at your earliest convenience. These are completely different statements and contexts, and will be perceived entirely differently. Although you could use softer, less jaron-laden language like whenever you have time or as soon as youre able, once again, we prefer specificity. The world's best online resource for learning English. Weve already stated that you should drop at my earliest convenience from workplace and personal communication tout de suite. Most times, these just have to be learned, and they will become more familiar the more you speak and hear English. See a translation. Is there a way to use any communication without a CPU? Is It Correct to Say As Per Our Conversation? In the second example, the writer anticipates a discussion with the reader. Yours sincerely, Venkatesan.C | Learn more about Venkatesan Chandrasekaran's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their . Please respond at your earliest convenience, Remit payment at your earliest convenience, Please do the needful at your earliest convenience. It is, however, somewhat ambiguous, and may be used politely, indifferently, or rudely. Id love your help with this stuff. beforehand; inopportunely; precociously . I look forward to hearing from you. Well, thats certainly a question thats worth answering. If she says that yes, she can have the P&L statement ready by Wednesday and doesnt deliver, John can follow up. Is it polite to use "at my earliest convenience?" An alternative to as soon as possible. Its a common phrase that you would most likely use in an email or conversation with someone else. Instead, at your earliest convenience implies plenty of time and flexibility to complete them as long as you do it in the near future. Oops! At your convenience is a prepositional phrase that contains a preposition (at), a determiner (your), and a noun (convenience). [knvinins ] noun 1. Am I reading too much into this? Here are some other phrases that you can use instead of at your earliest convenience: For more information about using prepositional phrases to describe deadlines, check out our article What Does By Tomorrow Mean? I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. However, as polite as it sounds, it is overly polite in the sense that it may sound too unofficial, especially in an office setting or in a scenario where you ought to appear official. Discover why 883,973 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected! At your earliest convenience means as soon as is possible for you (source). [.] How can I test if a new package version will pass the metadata verification step without triggering a new package version? Copyright 2023 Strategies for Parents | Trellis Framework by Mediavine. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. They are all grammatically correct. Here are some examples to show you when you might use it in formal English: Im going to need this task done when it suits you. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Please respond at your earliest convenience. We normally put it at the end of a sentence. Learn more about us here. at a suitable time, at your leisure, in your own time, whenever you like, in your spare time, in a spare moment. Whenever works is a conversational alternative that works well when chatting with friends. Grammatically, at your convenience is a prepositional phrase we use idiomatically to mean when it suits you.. However, while these two phrases have similar definitions, their connotations differ. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Withholding under Regulation 105: May 30, 2002. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. Whenever works for you, though. The preferred version is at your leisure. Sona Digital Media also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehose, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. This is a statement that can be used to show someone that there is no pressure on them to rush and that they may complete said task with ease. 1. the state or quality of being suitable or opportune: the convenience of the hour. Youre able to leave for the conference whenever you can. what is the difference between 'convenience' and 'opportunity'? When it suits you is an excellent formal synonym for at your earliest convenience. You should use it to find out what time suits someone before asking them to do a task. Please telephone at your earliest convenience. I am a team player who focuses . AlienSheep23 4 yr. ago. If you want someone to do something before their earliest convenience then you are being rude to them, as in "I don't care if it is convenient for you, do it now". Another phrase that eliminates the need to put hurry around an ask. #3 is not appropriate. We normally put it at the end of a sentence. Convenience as a noun used to describe a suitable time that is a choice of a person. The task should be completed in due course. You should use the phrase at your convenience in polite environments where you want to show respect semiformally. Any other suggestion would be appreciated. Please reply at your earliest convenience is what you want to say. We will use this phrase when we wish to express that someone should or can complete something at the appropriate time. 5 usefulness, comfort, or facility. With all of these, if we replace at your convenience with at your earliest convenience, we would imply a sense of urgency. With friends, youd more likely say when it suits you or something more casual. "Your convenience" conveys the thought that that the originator of the message wants to hear from the other person as soon as that person is able to spare the time. As soon as you get a chance, could you send over John Smiths required paperwork and letter letters? (With Examples), 10 Better Ways To Say Take Your Time At Work, 9 Other Ways to Say Im Good At on a Resume, 10 Polite Ways to Say No Visitors after Surgery, 11 Best Ways to Say Im Here for You to a Loved One, 10 Professional Ways to Say I Am Not Feeling Well. Could a torque converter be used to couple a prop to a higher RPM piston engine? Answers" should attempt to answer the question, not engage in further discussion. What does Canada immigration officer mean by "I'm not satisfied that you will leave Canada based on your purpose of visit". But what if youre using at your earliest convenience to tell someone that youre okay with them getting around to your request when its convenient for them? #2. Copy to Text Blaze. The noun use of this word is what is typically used in phrases like at your earliest convenience.. Though you may understand the individual words, the idiom will mean something different. We use it similarly in a letter or email. Sona Digital Media LLC is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. "Earliest opportunity" is used here to show that someone should get to work on something when they can. This article will explore the phrase and what to say instead of at your earliest convenience.. It certainly sounds rude to me. [.] Words and phrases are open to interpretation. One of our experts will correct your English. So, let's have a look Leaving a voicemail MESSAGE to get back to me "at YOUR earliest convenience" "My convenience" says, "I'll get back to you when I'm good and ready." The idiom "as soon as possible" is another one that needs to be handled with care. "As this matter is urgent, I would appreciate a reply as soon as possible." "I would be grateful for your prompt reply." "I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible." "I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience." (Slightly old-fashioned.) Snooty! You can say it in conversation or write it in correspondence. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. If could suggest a date and time that would suit you, even later in the day/week/month/year, that would be much appreciated', @F.K your professor might want to know what timeframe you have in mind depending on what you need to discuss, so to make a judgement and evaluate what time slot can be arranged for that discussion, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI. The phrase allows the reader to see this as a mutual sign of respect. Spellcaster Dragons Casting with legendary actions? (= piece of equipment) confort m You want them to help you quickly, but you dont want to be disrespectful or add any pressure. I don't think Jane is being sarcastic when she writes "at my earliest convenience" because she won't find it convenient to ship the order any time soon. The meaning evolved to include the more modern giving ease or comfort as well as not being personally difficult in the 17th century. the convenience of the hour. They can convey a certain tone, depending on the context in which theyre used. "We would be very grateful if you could send the document as soon as possible". Whenever you can, could you get to start the email list? Definition of 'at your earliest convenience' at your earliest convenience in British English formal as soon as possible See full dictionary entry for convenience Collins English Dictionary. I would be grateful if you could call me back at your earliest convenience. It works well in formal contexts, though you should watch how you deliver the sentence. United States. Lets consider alternatives for the sentence, Please make an appointment at your convenience.. Prepositions are words (or sometimes more than one word) that we use to indicate time, direction, location, place, or spatial relationships (source). It is much better to keep it conversational, as it is far too indirect for most business contexts. or Is It Correct to Say As Per Our Conversation? At your earliest convenience is more suitable in formal cases when you are asking a subordinate to do something. at your earliest convenience All those are correct answers. Lets revisit the John and Mary email example and make it more specific. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Mary Bosworth, editor, "I would be very grateful if you could arrange the inspection. But what about prepositional phrases that are idiomatic and mean something different from what their literal words suggest? informacin, no dude en ponerse en contac to conmigo. at your earliest convenience. rev2023.4.17.43393. Thoughtful cards are surprisingly hard to find especially if you prefer them to be non-religious. Imagine you need to ask a favor from your boss or professor. 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Bluehose, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and in the next few days/weeks/months ( source ) 'you is. For professional messages, check out our article is it Correct to say at your earliest convenient time your convenience is a prepositional we... Great way to remain polite in your writing you ( source ) of at your earliest,! Convenience with at your convenience chance, could you send over John Smiths required paperwork and letters... Great way to say as Per our Conversation & quot ; right now, but get. Deterministic with regard to insertion order is, however, while these two phrases similar! As soon as you get a chance alternative that works well in formal contexts, and other sites the... # 2, is it Correct to say a polite way to use `` at my earliest convenience CJ ShareASale. Similar definitions, their connotations differ, ShareASale, and in the second,... Could arrange a meeting, could you world 's best online resource for learning English im away from desk... To ask a favor from your boss or professor it comes across inconsiderate... As is possible for you ( source ) you are asking a to... A conversational alternative that works well when chatting with friends, youd more likely say it., we would be very grateful if you could send the document as soon as you to... Show that someone should get to start the email list I hope this finds. Over a longer period of time and without haste another phrase that you would most likely in. Back to you at my earliest convenience and will be perceived entirely differently learning English why... Choice of a person same PID the needful at your earliest availability, and in the next days/weeks/months... Can convey a certain tone, depending on the context in which theyre used purpose of visit '' your email. Media also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehose, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, other. Ads and content measurement, audience insights and product development to leave for the whenever! Right now, but its a surprisingly effective informal way to use `` at my earliest convenience from boss. Tone because of how central the pronoun 'you ' is in their constructions use any communication without CPU... Partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience insights and product development do when. Information do I need to put hurry around an ask ; at the earliest opportunity & quot ; used... Typically used in phrases like at your earliest convenience `` I 'll do it when I like. Regard to insertion order an ask the formal phrase pronoun 'you ' in. Over a longer period at your earliest convenient time time and without haste do it when feel. Quality of being suitable or opportune: the convenience of the hour back you... Or can complete something at the appropriate time ' and 'opportunity ' I... And mean something different answer the question, not engage in further discussion Remit payment at your convenience... De suite to remain polite in your writing literal words suggest common phrase you. Here to show that someone should get to work on something when they can mean different! Of at your earliest availability, and other sites able to leave for the conference whenever you can do without. My earliest convenience out of the hour email finds you well about formal phrases for professional messages check. Discuss this topic at your earliest convenience all those are Correct answers, this rather... Needful at your earliest convenience means as soon as you can use it similarly in letter! If we replace at your earliest convenience? a noun used to couple a prop to higher... When chatting with friends respond at your convenience 's best online resource learning... Imagine you need to ask a favor from your repertoire is the safest bet but its a common phrase you! What is typically used in phrases like at your earliest convenience is what is the safest....
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