I confirm having sent a letter =? I confirm sending a letter

[JACEK1]

Hello,

I would like to ask your opinion about "confirm + doing something/having done something".

If I say "I confirm having sent a letter", I understand that it means "I confirm sending a letter" or "I confirm that I (have) sent a letter".

Do you agree?

I take it that there is always the same subject "I" in the above examples.

 

[tzfujimino]

I would like to ask your opinion about "confirm + doing something/having done something".

I've never read/heard 'confirm' used that way.

 

[SoothingDave]

Yes, you understand.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Confirming the sending of a letter is pretty useless. The addressee can always deny that they ever saw it if that is to their advantage. It is much more important to confirm the receipt of a letter.

 

[Raymott]

Confirming the sending of a letter is pretty useless. The addressee can always deny that they ever saw it if that is to their advantage. It is much more important to confirm the receipt of a letter.

But JACEK didn't receive the letter; he sent it. Wouldn't it be even more useless to confirm the receipt of a letter if you're the one who sent it?

Client: I don't seem to have received your letter of the 25th of last month.
Jacek (checking his notes): Yes, I can confirm that I sent that letter. It was sent by registered post to your office.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Raymott- You left out the most critical part of that exchange!

Client: I don't seem to have received your letter of the 25th of last month.
Jacek (checking his notes): Yes, I can confirm that I sent that letter. It was sent by registered post to your office and someone named James signed for it. Please check on your end. or perhaps and here's the tracking number. Looks like the letter is in your city, scheduled for delivery today.

The whole purpose of registered post is to confirm receipt of communication/packages/whatever. I can send things any way I want- carrier pigeon, bicycle messenger, FedEx, log fume, etc. Only when things are received are they truly useful. I don't care who used to have it and then handed it on to someone else. I want to know who has possession right now.

Simply saying "I sent that letter" isn't proof (confirmation) of anything. It's only when some other party assigns a tracking number or signs a receipt that the sending is truly 'confirmed'.
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[jutfrank]

Here's some simple and practical advice:

Use: confirm + that + clause

Don't use: confirm + doing something


I confirm that I sent the letter. :tick:

I confirm sending the letter. :cross: