request to inform someone something

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello,

Is it acceptable to use ‘to inform somebody something’?

For example, ‘Unfortunately, the information details given by you are not enough to identify the work. Please could you possibly inform us the exact name of the book.’

Or is it better: ‘Please could you possibly tell us the exact name of the book.’

2

A couple of points -

The construction with ‘inform’ is as follows - inform someone of something.

I would suggest - the precise name.

3

Alan, I have a couple of points, too.

  1. Isn’t ‘information details’ redundant?
  2. Doesn’t ‘Please could you’ become excessively polite?
  3. Shouldn’t it be ‘Could you please’ as we sometimes hear?
4

  1. I think you’re right here - probably ‘details’ alone would do.

  2. Yes, this is very polite - not a cardinal sin!

  3. ‘Please’ at the beginning is all right and perhaps is more of a plea than a request.

5

Thanks, Alan. ‘Not a cardinal sin’ - what a good phrase!

6

Thank you! What is the difference between ‘exact’ and ‘precise’? Cambridge Dictionary says that they are synonyms but there is a slight difference, however.

7

They both refer to ‘fine detail’. Perhaps ‘exact’ has a flavour of the right measurement, the most fitting, the most appropriate and so on. ‘Precise’ as I suggested above indicates ‘word for word’ when talking about the name of the book. Of course this is all open to debate. Here is an attempt at dialogue -

A. Tell me what he said.

B. I have already told you the exact words.

A. That’s not good enough. I want to know the precise emphasis he put on the words he used.

Any use? I hope I haven’t confused you further!

8

Thanks, Alan! You explained it well.

9

‘Precise’ is more exact than ‘exact’, to be precise!

10

Thanks, Anglophile!