English Speaking Lesson (Making Requests In English!)

Summary

In this engaging lesson from POC English, Maddie teaches viewers how to make requests and respond to them in English, covering a range of politeness levels. The video is divided into two parts: the first focuses on various ways to make requests, starting with imperative sentences and moving towards more formal and polite structures, such as using 'can you,' 'could you,' 'will you,' and 'would you.' Additionally, Maddie introduces the phrase 'would you mind' for a very polite request. The second part of the lesson explores different ways to accept or reject requests, with examples for informal, semi-formal, and formal contexts. Acceptance can be expressed through phrases like 'sure,' 'no problem,' and 'consider it done,' while rejection can be conveyed informally with 'no way' or more formally with 'I'm afraid not' or 'I'm sorry but.' The lesson concludes with an invitation to subscribe to Maddie's mailing list for a summary of the lesson and future content.

Takeaways

• 📝 Use imperative sentences to make direct requests in English, starting with a verb (e.g., 'Bring me a glass of water').
• 📝 Add 'please' to imperative sentences to make requests more polite (e.g., 'Close the door, please').
• 📝 Start with 'can you' to make a more formal request (e.g., 'Can you answer the phone, please?').
• 📝 Replace 'can' with 'could' to increase politeness and formality (e.g., 'Could you please get me a cup of coffee?').
• 📝 Utilize 'will you' or 'will you please' for even more formality (e.g., 'Will you please turn down the volume?').
• 📝 Introduce 'would you' to make requests sound more polite (e.g., 'Would you please water the plants?').
• 📝 Use 'would you mind' followed by a verb in the -ing form for a very polite request (e.g., 'Would you mind opening the windows?').
• 📝 Pronounce 'would you' as 'would you' when 'd' precedes 'y' (e.g., 'Would you mind closing the window?').
• 📝 To accept a request, use phrases like 'sure', 'no problem', 'of course', or 'consider it done'.
• 📝 Reject requests informally with 'no way', 'not gonna happen', or 'in your dreams'.
• 📝 For semi-formal rejections, use 'no but', 'it's just that', or 'the thing is' followed by a reason.
• 📝 Formally reject a request by saying 'I'm afraid not' or 'I'm sorry but' with an explanation.

Q & A

What is an imperative sentence used for?

An imperative sentence is used to command or make a request. It typically begins with a verb and can be the easiest but also the rudest way to make requests.

How can you make a request more polite and formal?

To make a request more polite and formal, you can start the sentence with 'can you' or 'could you' followed by the base form of the verb. Adding 'please' makes it even more polite.

What is the difference between 'can' and 'could' when making a request?

'Could' is the past tense of 'can', but when used for requests, it does not make the sentence past tense. Instead, it makes the request sound more polite and formal than using 'can'.

How do you use 'will you' to make a request?

To use 'will you' for a request, start the sentence with 'will you' or 'will you please' followed by the base form of the verb. It is a very polite and formal way to make a request.

What is another formal way to make a request using 'would'?

Another formal way to make a request using 'would' is by saying 'would you mind' followed by the verb in the -ing form, such as 'would you mind opening the window'.

How do you pronounce 'would you' when 'd' reaches 'y'?

When 'd' reaches 'y' in 'would you', it is usually pronounced as 'j', so instead of 'would you', it sounds like 'would you' with a soft 'j' sound.

How can you accept a request in English?

To accept a request, you can say 'sure', 'sure thing', 'no problem', 'of course', or 'consider it done'.

What are some informal ways to reject a request?

Some informal ways to reject a request include saying 'no way', 'that's not gonna happen', and 'in your dreams'.

How can you reject a request in a semi-formal manner?

In a semi-formal manner, you can reject a request by saying 'no but' followed by a reason, or 'no, the thing is' and then providing an explanation.

What is a formal way to reject a request?

A formal way to reject a request is to say 'I'm afraid not', 'I'm afraid I can't', or 'I'm sorry but' followed by an explanation.

What is the importance of providing a reason when rejecting a request?

Providing a reason when rejecting a request helps to soften the refusal and gives the person making the request an understanding of why you are unable to fulfill their request.