English UsageGrammar guide

Polite To: Standard Pattern

Polite To: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.

Quick answer

Use “polite to” before the person or group toward whom socially considerate behavior is directed.

Key details

Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyadjective or complement construction
Termspolite to

Further guidance

Construction

Use “polite to” before the person or group toward whom socially considerate behavior is directed.

Style Boundary

Cambridge directly illustrates “polite to” with a person complement; keep the guidance to that recipient pattern rather than making a universal rule for every use of “polite.”

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. POLITE | English meaning — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct Cambridge dictionary evidence for polite to before the person receiving polite behavior.

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