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What is the difference between "if I can be of any help" and "if I am of any help"? For example:
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
or
Please let me know if I am of any help.
This really beats me. All I can say is both seem to offer help.
EngFan
Posted 2016-12-03T09:30:21.703
Reputation: 552
16
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
This is an offer of help before you have done anything - a future possibility.
Please let me know if I am of any help.
This is asked after you have started helping, to check whether what you are doing is currently useful.
Here is a further possibility:
Please let me know if I have been of any help.
This is asked after you have finished helping, to check whether what you have done was useful.
JavaLatte
Posted 2016-12-03T09:30:21.703
Reputation: 43 538
5
The first one is a polite, idiomatic way to offer help. It basically means "please, let me know if there's anything I can help you with".
The other one seems to be asking for feedback - "please, let me know if I am (currently) helpful". I personally wouldn't use it to offer help, even if it can be parsed this way if you stretch your interpretation a bit.
Maciej Stachowski
Posted 2016-12-03T09:30:21.703
Reputation: 6 370