Yes.
... just a little insight to some of my daily interactions with co-workers and superiors. Us native speakers have learned that OR questions will never get us anywhere, and are slowly mastering the art of carefully selective phrasing.
For example, we have a few days off from school in December when the kids will be at scout camp. We were all told they were happy to have us join them. That information could have led to a number of different outcomes, and we immediately knew we had to choose our words wisely. Instead of questioning the situation as we learned about it, I waited days and thought about the best approach. This is what I came up with:
Hi [English Department Head]. Are the days of the camp Dec 2-5? Okay great. I just wanted to confirm before purchasing my ticket. Thanks for clearing everything up.
This way I have ever so cleverly not left her with a choice. If I were to have said something along the lines of, Do you need our help with the scout camp? If not, would it be alright if I went out of town during that time? Her response would have been to wait and ponder the idea, only to decide it would be best to speak with our director, who would ultimately have us participate in some form or fashion. Luckily for me, past mistakes in this department have paid off and I am going to have an entire week free from school. Not too shabby...
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