you are requested (please)

"You are requested" is grammatically correct but often reads as formal, impersonal, or bossy. Use it for formal notices; use softer, active phrasing for everyday requests.

Below: when the phrase fits, why it feels awkward in most settings, and copy-ready rewrites for formal, neutral, and casual tones.

Quick answer

"You are requested" works in legal or institutional notices but is too stiff for most emails, chats, and signs. Prefer Please + verb, Could you + verb, or Would you mind + -ing, depending on tone.

Work/school default: Could you + verb? or Please + verb.
Casual: Can you + verb? or Would you mind + -ing?
Make the request active and, when needed, add a deadline or reason.

Core explanation (tone, not grammar)

The issue is pragmatic: the passive, impersonal "you are requested" removes the speaker and signals authority. That register suits official notices but undermines rapport in everyday communication.

Passive + no speaker = distant or commanding tone.
Modern politeness relies on softening language (please, could you, would you mind), not on distancing the speaker.
Active verbs with a polite softener get faster, friendlier responses.

Grammar note

Grammatically, "you are requested to" is a correct passive construction: subject + be + past participle + infinitive. The phrase is fine structurally; the choice is about register and audience.

Active alternative: "Please submit the report" (imperative).
Polite question: "Could you submit the report?" (invites cooperation).

When it's acceptable (real usage)

Keep "you are requested" for legal, archival, or institutional texts where neutrality and formality are required. Avoid it with teammates, students, customers, or friends.

Acceptable: court summons, government forms, formal regulations, archival records.
Not ideal: workplace emails, classroom announcements, texts, customer-facing messages.

Acceptable example: "You are requested to present identification upon entry."
Not ideal (work): "You are requested to review the minutes." → Better: "Could you review the minutes, please?"

How to rewrite: templates you can copy

Choose the tone, then pick a structure. Add a deadline or reason when urgency matters.

Formal (signs, official letters): "Please [verb]." or "You are asked to [verb]."
Neutral (work/school): "Could you [verb]...?" or "Please [verb] by [time]."
Casual (text, spoken): "Can you [verb]?" or "Would you mind [verb]-ing?"

Rewrite 1: Original: "You are requested to complete the training module." →
Formal: "Please complete the training module." Neutral: "Could you complete the training module by Friday?"
Casual: "Can you finish the training module this week?"
Rewrite 2: Original: "You are requested to avoid using your phone." → "Please avoid using your phone in the library." / "Would you mind turning off your phone?"
Rewrite 3: Original: "You are requested to confirm your attendance." → "Please confirm your attendance." / "Can you let me know if you'll attend?"

Examples bank - wrong/right pairs (work, school, casual)

Choose the alternative that matches your audience and desired tone.

Work - Wrong: You are requested to submit the report by Friday.
Work - Right: Please submit the report by Friday.
Work - Wrong: You are requested to attend the mandatory meeting.
Work - Right: Please attend the mandatory meeting.
Work - Wrong: You are requested to fill out the expense form immediately.
Work - Right: Could you fill out the expense form as soon as possible?
School - Wrong: You are requested to hand in your essays tomorrow.
School - Right: Please hand in your essays by tomorrow.
School - Wrong: You are requested to remain seated during the exam.
School - Right: Please remain seated during the exam.
School - Wrong: You are requested to review chapter five before class.
School - Right: Could you review chapter five before class?
Casual - Wrong: You are requested to bring snacks to the party.
Casual - Right: Can you bring some snacks to the party?
Casual - Wrong: You are requested to call when you arrive.
Casual - Right: Please call me when you arrive.
Casual - Wrong: You are requested to wait outside.
Casual - Right: Could you wait outside for a minute?
Wrong: You are hereby requested to refrain from using mobile phones.
Right: Please refrain from using mobile phones.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence in context. Small changes to tone and structure often fix the problem immediately.

Fix your sentence in 60 seconds (quick checklist)

Spot the phrase, then run these steps.

1) Audience: Who receives this? (boss / peer / student / friend / public)
2) Tone: Choose Formal / Neutral / Casual.
3) Structure: Pick a softener (Please / Could you / Would you mind / Can you) and use active voice.
4) Specify: Add a deadline, reason, or next step if helpful.

Example: Original: "You are requested to respond to this email." → Audience: colleague, Tone: neutral → "Could you please respond to this email by tomorrow?"

Memory trick: which softener to choose

Match the softener to the relationship: Please = neutral/formal, Could you = professional/polite, Would you mind = very polite/favor.

"Please" - quick and direct; good for signs and short requests.
"Could you" - safe default for emails and meetings.
"Would you mind" - best for favors or behavior changes.

Usage: "Could you send the slides?" is a reliable default in work email.

Similar mistakes and quick fixes

Watch for phrases that create the same distant tone: "You are advised to...", "You are hereby requested...", heavy passive constructions, or long sentences that bury the ask.

"You are advised to" → "Please" or "We recommend that you".
"You are hereby requested" → remove "hereby" and use "Please" or keep for legal copy only.
Wordy requests → break into short sentences; put the ask first.

Wrong: You are advised to submit the form without delay.
Right: Please submit the form as soon as you can.

Micro-style: hyphenation, spacing, and formatting notes

No special hyphenation rules apply here. In emails, put the request on its own line and use the subject to flag urgency.

Subject lines: be direct and time-specific: "Please approve budget by Fri".
List items: start with an imperative: "Please sign", "Please submit".
Avoid excess commas or parenthetical formalities that interrupt the ask.

Usage: Email subject: "Request: Approval needed by Friday" → better: "Please approve the budget by Friday".

FAQ

Is "you are requested to" grammatically incorrect?

No. It's grammatically correct. The issue is tone: it sounds formal and impersonal. Reserve it for legal, archival, or very formal notices.

When should I keep the phrase instead of rewriting?

Keep it for court or government communications, formal regulations, archival records, and similar institutional contexts where neutrality is required.

What's the safest alternative for workplace emails?

"Could you..." or "Please..." are reliable. They are polite, direct, and invite cooperation without sounding officious.

How can I express urgency politely?

Combine a softener with a clear deadline and a brief reason: "Could you please send the updated file by 3 PM? We need it for the 4 PM meeting."

Will changing to "please" make me sound weak?

No. "Please" with a clear verb and deadline is both polite and authoritative. It usually prompts cooperation faster than a distant passive construction.

Try a quick rewrite

Pick the audience, choose Formal / Neutral / Casual, and apply one template (Please / Could you / Can you). Use the examples above as copy-paste templates to save time and avoid unintended tone.