demander in literary & formal French
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Administrative French has its own way of asking.
Formal requests
Formal correspondence prefers solliciter to demander: « je sollicite votre attention ». Using demander in a formal letter is not wrong, but solliciter signals that you know the register.
The fixed formula « je vous demanderais de bien vouloir… » — conditional, plus bien vouloir — is the standard polite instruction in French administrative writing. It is stiff by design.
💡 Focus at this level: Literary & formal
👨🏫 How to use « demander » at this level
1. « Solliciter » for formal letters. Cover letters and applications.
2. Learn the « bien vouloir » formula whole. It is the polite imperative of French bureaucracy.
3. Recognise « il demanda ». Past historic, narrative only.
🎮 Practise « demander »
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