No disrespect to you PDX, but if you consistently make only statements, you sound bogus.
I've been trying this out in real life as much as I can, but it just can't work all the time.
Let's say that you want to know if someone knows something.
Take for example, "Tell me where the restroom is."
What if that person DOESN'T know where the restroom is? That's why you preface such a request with "Do you know where the restroom is?"
By making the question a statement, you're conveying that you assume that they know what you are asking, making the person feel dumb if they don't know.
Also--courtesy. Let's say I'm a guest at somebody's house and I want an apple. The courteous thing to say would be, "May I have an apple?"
Not "Let me have an apple."
Or even everyday things like "How are you doing?"
"Tell me how you're doing" comes across as suspiciously nosey. It might work for a psychiatrist, but not regular folks.
I'm sorry dude, but statements just aren't practical to use all the time.
