Pressing offers and invitations often assume the form of negative questions. However, people mostly frame their questions in two very different ways, either incredibly polite and reverential or without any kind of introduction or request. e.g. 28-Day Planner: Writing Day 5. Give each student a copy of the worksheet. Subject + Helping verb + Objects + , + Opposite Helping Verb + Subject? I don't take sugar. Check out the best requesting game and activity ideas for English learners. There are a number of ways of asking someone to do something in a polite and indirect way. Making Requests & Asking for Help ESL Games & Activities. Type in the letter, do not type in the whole sentence. Cambridge University publishes English teaching materials with the phrase "Can you lend me," "Can I have," etc. Question tags turn statements into questions. Polite requests: Chu from Malaysia writes: I don't ... Might is more frequently used in indirect questions, as an indirect question softens the request. Here are examples of being too direct: “I want help.” “Pass me the salt.” “Can you carry my bag?” These questions are all correct English but they are too direct. And in result, sound more polite. In our first blog post on diplomatic / polite expressions in English – A Practical Guide to Diplomatic English in a Business Environment, we looked at several techniques for softening the message (I’m afraid, so sorry, to be honest, unfortunately, with all respect) or the tone of our language in English. 20 seconds . ... (Polite request) answer choices . Direct questions are either yes/no questions such as "Are you married?" "Would" can also be used to make questions more polite: Another way of making direct questions more polite is to add "please" at the end of the question. ... That’s out of the question. requests at the top of the worksheet and review the language with the class. Since we are asking someone for help, it is important to be polite. The word “please” makes the request more polite and less direct. or Would that be a problem? will you. If the voice goes up at the end of the sentence, the person is asking for more information. Enjoy :) Transcript . To make a polite request we make use of words shall and will. Learn how to be polite and learn how to ask questions in a polite manner. Could I/you…? Signup to our newsletter "English in your Inbox" to receive your monthly fix of English by email. The word “please” makes the request more polite and less direct. There are many different ways of making polite requests in English. Would you please ? This is a tow-away zone. What? Draw the students' attention to the ten polite phrases for making . These are not polite requests. Excuse me, do you know _____ the next show begins. Making Polite Requests in English with Examples (Formal) Let us proceed to see more formal ways of asking someone to do something… I Was Wondering If You Could/Would It Be Possible For You To . One of the most common letters in GT Writing is asking for help or information. For example: In informal situations, one could use the word "can" in a direct sentence. If or whether are used for closed questions. Make a request' and the phrase on the square was 'Do you mind...? This is used in case of a positive sentences. After this lesson, students will be able to: 1. Would you mind…? Polite requests, offers, complaints etc. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Basic Conversations for English Language Learners, English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert, Key Words That Make Direct Questions More Polite, Asking Indirect Questions to Be Especially Polite, Workplace Communication Skills for ESL Learners, Rhetorical Questions for English Learners, Ask Questions in English Class to Help You Learn, Phrases for Performing Well in Business Meetings, ESL: How to Ask for, Grant and Refuse Permission, Giving and Requesting Personal Information, Check Your Knowledge: Basic English Questions, Check Your Knowledge: Introductions and Greetings, Check Your Knowledge: "How Much" and "How Many", Check Your Knowledge: Eating at a Restaurant, Check Your Knowledge: Going to the Doctor, M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music, B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music. 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