Making and Responding to a Request
Making and Responding to a Request
Making a Request
When asking for something, it's important to be polite. Use these expressions:
- Can you ...?
- Could you ...?
- Will you ...?
- Would you mind ...?
Examples:
- Can you open the door for me, please?
- Will you lend me your book, please?
- Could you possibly show me the way to the post office, please?
- Would you help me with this exercise, please?
- Would you mind lending me your pen, please?
Responding to a Request
When responding to a request, you can reply with:
Acceptance:
- Sure, here you are.
- Okay.
Declining:
- No, I'm sorry, I need it.
- I'm afraid I can't.
Things to Remember about Making a Request
"Would you mind..." is followed by a gerund (verb+ing).
- Example: "Would you mind lending me your book?"
Responses to "Would you mind...":
- Positive response: "No, I don't mind." (This means I accept the request.)
- Negative response: "Yes." (This means I do mind and decline the request.)
"Could" is more polite than "can" when making a request.