In formal exchanges, we tend to avoid sounding assumptive for the sake of politeness. The expression “I would be grateful” is one great example showing this idea.
While it is generally harmless to repeat the same expression in any relevant context, we want to avoid doing so to show some creativity.
So, our article today focuses on providing alternative expressions to “I would be grateful.”
Examples also follow to make these phrases more understandable.
Let us begin by discussing the (grammatical) background and exact meaning and semantics of “I would be grateful.”
“I would be grateful” Synonyms & Alternatives
- I would be delighted
- I would be pleased
- I would be most happy
- I would appreciate
- I would be glad
- I would be honored
- I would be (highly) obliged
- I would be thankful
- I would be gratified
- I would be indebted
Meaning and (grammatical) background of “I would be grateful”
“I would be grateful” is a polite expression used for conveying requests. This expression is mainly observed in email exchanges.
Choosing a function word that goes after “grateful” in real writing situations can be tricky. So, it would be helpful to know the difference between “grateful to” and “grateful for” as described in our other article.
Email exchanges generally use a consultative tone to make the message more formal. We do so to avoid offending the message receiver.
To show politeness in English, we normally make use of modal verbs like “may,” “could,” “should,” and “would.”
Among these modal verbs, “would” seems to be one of the most commonly used. We can observe this in the use of “I would like to” and, of course, “I would be grateful.”
While most if not all native English speakers understand the pragmatic nuances of using modal verbs, non-natives may don’t.
This is because the nuances are too subtle to be immediately understood.
There are some common ways in which we can use “I would be grateful,” in a sentence. These patterns are as follows:
- I would be grateful if you could…
- I would be grateful if you would…
- I would be grateful if you did…
- I would be grateful for your…
- I would be grateful to have…
To better grasp the full meaning of the set phrase “I would be grateful” in the context of email writing, here’s a full example as it could appear in an email conversation.
Example:
Dear Carrie,
Thank you for your email. I understand the complexity of the task assigned to you as well as the time you need to complete it. However, as the other departments also depend on our results, I would be grateful if you could finish it by Thursday morning instead of Friday. That is the best we could do, and I hope that works for you.
Sincerely,
Martin
Now that we know how “I would be grateful” works in context as well as the usual sentence patterns in which it can be used, let us now proceed with its alternatives.
Formal alternatives to “I would be grateful”
As highlighted earlier, using the formal language register is important in business contexts because it keeps professional relationships afloat.
So, here are some easy-to-remember ways of expressing “I would be grateful” that you can conveniently choose from:
1.I would be delighted
“Delighted” simply means “glad” or “happy,” but it has a stronger emotional effect on the reader or hearer.
Hence, “I would be delighted” is a great expression to use in emails containing event invitation requests, such as the following:
Example:
Dear George,
This is to formally invite you to the welcome dinner party this Friday night. Since our company values all newly-onboarded employees, it has become our practice to hold such events. The dinner will be held at The Beefy Bistro at 6:30 pm. I would be delighted if you could make it.
Warm regards,
Felicia
2. I would be pleased
Lighter than “I would be delighted,” “I would be pleased” is meanwhile something we can use for things that require action from the other party.
As an example, “I would be pleased” is a great opener when one wishes to encourage the recipient to submit something at a given time.
Example:
Dear Kathryn,
I hope all is well with you today. Thank you for your question. I would be pleased to have the task completed by 3:00 pm (15:00) tomorrow, as I still need to review your work before submitting it to Mr. Delfin.
Kind regards,
Gregory
3. I would be most happy
Meanwhile, the expression “I would be most happy” is something that used to be so much more popular in the early 1800s.
This one follows quite an obsolete structure that could invite criticism from grammar purists This is because of the use of “most happy” when the superlative form “happiest” exists.
As this one is quite literary-sounding, too, apart from being a bit old, it can be used to politely offer help to the other party instead.
Example:
Dear Raven,
I hope this email finds you well in all regards. Your reported user account issue has already been fixed. You should now be able to use your account with ease. Please let me know if you would need any further assistance. I would be most happy to help.
Kindest regards,
Ally
4. I would appreciate
“I would appreciate” is probably the most popular alternative for “I would be grateful” in the world of email correspondence.
This phrase, too, is great for deadline-setting scenarios like in the following example:
Example:
Dear Andrew,
Please see attached for the details of your new assignment. This should take more or less three days to get completed. This means I would appreciate it if you could have it done by the end of the week. In case you might need more time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me until then.
Best regards,
Clarisse
5. I would be glad
Easy to write and understand, “I would be glad” is something we could use across all contexts in place of “I would be grateful.”
To present a more specific example, however, “I would be glad” can be used when we want to set schedules of tasks or events with the other party involved.
Example:
Dear Julia,
Thank you for reaching out to me regarding the project. I would be glad to check your proposed design as well as the cost estimate by the end of the month. Should you think this amount of time may not be enough, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Regards,
Martha
6. I would be honored
Having more or less the same emotional effect as “I would be most happy,” “I would be honored” is something that we should reserve for special cases.
These special cases should also be highly formalistic in nature such as those involving work-related promotions.
Example:
Dear Mr. Corneli,
This is to formally thank you for recommending me for the Operations Manager position. I would be honored to accept this new role in the company. This is such a great opportunity for me, and I will do my best not to let you down.
Respectfully,
Gregory Cowell
7. I would be (highly) obliged
Another expression with a more respectful and formal tone than “I would be grateful” is “I would be (highly) obliged.
The adverb of degree “highly” can be added or omitted depending on how formal we would like to convey our message.
“I would be (highly) obliged works well, too, in situations that require tact and civility due to a relationship gap between the sender and recipient.
Example:
Dear Mr. Adams,
Thank you for the update on the job offer. Feel free to spend some time thinking about it, but I would be highly obliged if you would let me know your decision, say, by Monday or Tuesday the following week. Should you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.
Kind regards,
Alison Wilde
8. I would be thankful
Plain and simple, the phrase “I would be thankful” is a quite safe one to use across all contexts, just like “I would be glad” and “I would appreciate.”
Given the infectious spread of the English language, nobody should misinterpret the meaning of “I would be thankful” in modern times.
Example:
Dear Ms. Pamela,
I just wanted to follow up on my last email. Could you please advise the payment status for the last invoice I sent? I am not sure whether you have successfully received the file, so I have attached a copy of it below:
[attachment]
I would be thankful if you could give me an update regarding this concern within the day or tomorrow. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Henry
9. I would be gratified
If you’re looking for something less common yet more creative than “I would be grateful,” “I would be gratified” could be a good choice.
This expression bodes well in special, non-mandatory events like personal gatherings like engagements, birthdays, and weddings for those people with whom we are not close enough just yet.
Example:
Dear Beth and Woody,
I am writing to formally invite both of you to my engagement party next month. The tentative date is either the eighth or the ninth, which I will just confirm before this month ends. Your presence should make this day extra special, so I would be gratified if the two of you would be able to make it.
Hope to see you!
Warm regards,
Sam and Vic
10. I would be indebted
Like “I would be gratified,” “I would be indebted” also bears a highly formalistic connotation. This is particularly because “indebted” is mostly used in formal contexts.
With this in mind, we can make use of “I would be indebted” in negotiation-related discussions, such as deadline concessions.
Example:
Dear Frances,
I hope you had a nice weekend. As much as I don’t want to ruin your Monday, I’m afraid there is something important I need to tell you today. Because of marketing-related goals, the board has decided to make the book launch three days earlier than the initially agreed target date. So, kindly let me know how this would affect your work as well as some of the things I can do to help. I would be indebted to you if you could complete the project sooner than expected.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Daphne
More alternatives and set phrases for “I would be grateful” in business correspondence
If you haven’t found what you really needed in our list above, a few more related expressions are included in this section as a bonus.
All the patterns below are also used to express the same intent as “I want you to do something, but I understand if you won’t be able to.”
Examples:
- It would be a big help if you…
- It would be nice if you could…(more on the informal side)
- If it’s okay, would you…(more on the informal side)
- Would you be so kind as to…
- Would you mind doing…
Conclusion
If you ever get lost in terms of deciding which tonality to use in business correspondence, remember that the default rule is to choose the formal register over the casual one.
And, if you don’t like to use anything too fancy or too simple in your email exchanges, don’t forget that sticking with the basics like “I would be grateful” should also be fine but it certainly can’t hurt to have a few good “I would be grateful” synonyms in your arsenal!
Frequently Asked Questions on “Other Ways to Say ‘I would be Grateful’”
What is the difference between “I would be grateful” and “I will be grateful”?
The use of “will” may convey the intent of assumptive compliance or necessity to the reader. Whereas, the use of “would” makes the request more polite and less obligatory. In other words, using “I would be grateful” is more polite than “I will be grateful.”
How can we use “I would be grateful” in a sentence?
“I would be grateful” is normally followed by an if-clause indicating the request condition of the writer such as the following: “I would be grateful if you could make it on or before Thursday.”
What does “I would be grateful to you” mean?
“I would be grateful to you” is a commonly used request opener phrase in business correspondence. It conveys the same meaning as “I would appreciate it if you could do something for me.”
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