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Will you stop here, please.

Does the sentence express a command or exhortation?

Is it equivalent to say, "Stop here!" or does it have an additional/different meaning?

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2 Answers 2

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Will you stop here, please.

is a command - but is more polite than simply using the imperative "stop here".

The use of "will" is what makes it sound more like a command than a request, compared to:

Polite but firm: Would you stop here, please.

Polite: Could you stop here, please.

More polite: Would you mind stopping here, please.

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These are not equivalent sentences because of the "here." "Stop here, please," would be a request of a taxi driver, possibly, while "Stop it!" means stop whatever you're doing right now, with no reference to location. As Steve notes, there's a whole spectrum of politeness to these requests. Rule of thumb: the more syllables in the statement, the more polite.

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I corrected the second example: it was not supposed to be Stop it! –  kiamlaluno Aug 24 '10 at 5:48

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