Word choice: suitable versus convenient

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

Could you advise me on which, if any, sentence sounds natural to your ear, please?

  1. Pray tell me, what time would be convenient for me to come visit with you?
  2. Pray tell me, what time would be suitable for me to come visit with you?

Also, if they all don’t pass muster, could you bring them up to code, please?

Thanks in advance!

2

I prefer “suitable” to “convenient”. Usually, I would say “It’s convenient…”.
By the way, your sentence should be
“Pray tell me, what time would be suitable for me to come to visit you?”
“visit” is a transtive verb.

3

‘Visit with’ = chat, converse at leisure’
‘Pray tell me’ is about 100 years old-fashioned.

4

Hello, MM

So, in your book I ought to change “Pray tell me” to “Please, tell me” and in that case both sentences will sound OK ?

That is, there’s no difference between these two, and they both are correct?

  1. Please, tell me, what time would be convenient for me to come visit with you?
  2. Please, tell me, what time would be suitable for me to come visit with you?

Thanks!

5

Yes, both seem fine and synonymous in intent; it seems to me merely a personal word choice (vis a vis convenient and suitable); however, I still disagree with ‘visit with’, which action does not fit well with the formality of the request (see the definition I gave above). Use ‘visit’ alone.

(No comma after ‘Please’, please.)

6

Thank you!

I see your point.
Do you think the following wording would do?

Can I come visit with you tomorrow?

7

Listen, OTS, I need you to make clear which meaning you intend. Are you asking someone whether you can have an idle chat?-- which is not the kind of thing we usually need even ask. Or are you asking for a sort of informal meeting to some purpose?-- which is usually why we contact someone first.

8

In my last sentence I implied an idle chat.
I see that it’s not prerequisite to ask permission for that, you can just drop by to visit with somebody, right?

9

Yes, I think that’s basically what bothers me about your trying to compose a sentence of request for this. If, for instance, I were to make such a phone call-- to someone who must by definition be a familiar acquaintance or friend-- I would drop the register 'way down to casual, to something like this:

‘Hey, Bill. You busy tomorrow? About noon?’

10

Thank you!
Point taken!

11

I still wonder whether “come visit with you” is acceptable. Is “visit” here a noun?

12

Takashiro, “visit” would be a verb in that sentence.

13

Hi, Mordant! Thanks for your reply!
I’m still a little confused. Is there no need to put “to” between the 2 verbs “come” and “visit”?
I can’t figure out the structure of the sentence very well.

14

“To” is not necessary.