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I want to tell someone that I am busy but will try to {help them / take some time off for them / do something that they would like me to do} in a polite manner without using the word "busy". Also, is "I will try to take some time off and do __" a correct option here? |
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Not sure what you are trying to pull off with this, but to put my two cents in, I'd use something like this:
I don't see anything impolite with the word busy, unless you have a special context in mind that we are not aware of. |
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All your suggested responses to that plaintive someone sound mealymouthed to me. "I'll try to..." predicts failure from the outset. I'd avoid these alternatives to promising to help, simply because they tell the petitioner that you either don't want to or can't because you're too busy. I think you'd be better off saying something like this:
The word "busy" doesn't appear in that sentence. |
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A favorite of mine for such situations is "I can't make you any promises." - it implies a certain willingness to try, but also that the person you're talking to shouldn't be surprised if you're unable to deliver on what you've said. |
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"I can [spare/squeeze in] a few moments" carries (to my ears) a positive tone, but doesn't imply that you're made of time. Depending on the context, the message is clearer with an appropriate appendix: Running an errand:
Meeting up with someone:
Helping someone:
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