Grammar Girl here. Today we're going to talk about unusual sentences you may have

heard from people in customer service. So if you've ever wondered why someone

behind the counter says, did you want cream in your coffee instead of do you want

cream in your coffee? Or can I help who's next instead of, can I help whoever's

next? Stay tuned. Regarding the question, did you want cream in your coffee? A

listener named Tolius writes that when he's asked this question, he thinks to

himself, when? Two seconds ago? I don't remember, but I do want cream now. This

question about, did you want cream in your coffee has come up in several places

online too. In addition to examples involving cream for coffee, people have

complained about baristas asking, did you want a tall or a venti? Store cash

years asking, did you need a bag? And sales staff asking, were you looking for

something in particular? In all these situations, it would make sense to use the

present tense. Do you want cream? Do you want a taller eventi? Do you need a

bag? Are you looking for something in particular? The complaint is the same one

Tolius had. Using the past tense carries the message that whether you wanted

these things or not, at some earlier time, you don't know, in which case why is

the customer service person even asking? The idea came up in episode number 334

on using the past tense to say things such as, the girl sitting next to me was

named Stephanie. Even if the girl's name presumably still is Stephanie. However,

as we discussed in that episode, the past tense has more functions than just

indicating past time. In particular, it can allow us to talk about situations

that are unlikely or unreal, a function called modal remoteness. When specialized

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