Why is the phrase 'I wondered if...' used here?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
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Hello,
I have recently received an email written by a native English speaker. He wanted to arrange a museum tour with me. His sentence started with “I wondered if August would be a good time to visit the museum?” I noticed that he used the past tense instead of the present one i.e. “I wonder if…”.
Please could you explain why the past tense is used here?

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2

It’s just an idiomatic phrase meaning ‘I’d like to know/I’d be interested in learning if…’.

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Do ‘I wondered if’ and ‘l wonder if’ interchangeable?

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I don’t think so. ‘I wondered if’ or ‘I was wondering if’ are polite requests or polite questions whereas ‘I wonder if’ is a rather direct question.

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Thank you, Torsten, for your help.

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'I wonder if ’ is simply the speaker as Torsten has already saiid, expressing curiosity - I wonder if it wil rain tomorrow, what do you think?

‘I wondered if’ is usually the start of a request ( a tentative / polite one) when you are about to ask someone to do you a favour - As it will more than likely rain tomorrow, I wondered if you could give me a lift in your car.

I realise that I have virtually repeated what Torsten has said. I wonder if he minds.

Perhaps I should add that the use of the ‘past’ after ‘wonder//wondered’ is really as an unreal past or subjunctive because there is uncertainty about whether the action will happen.
Alan

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I just wondered if adding ‘just’ changed anything. What do you say @Alan?

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Hi Torsten

I think the addition of ’ just ’ in that context gives a suggestion of spontaneity as if the speaker has said something on the spur of the moment -

Alan

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I want to add another example, Torsten. In your last recorded comment about ‘Tick tock’ you said -

It just occurred to me - indicating that you said this on the spur of the moment.

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10

Is it acceptable to ask in email: ‘I wondered if tracking number will be available for this order’? Or it’s better to start with ‘Please could you tell me if…’?

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Both sentences are fine as long as you use the article ‘the’ before ‘tracking number’.

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Thank you very much, Torsten!

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Не за что, nie ma za co, gern geschehen…

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