English Speaking Lesson (Making Requests In English!)

POC English

7 Nov 202210:08

Summary

TLDRIn 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.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ English Request Making Techniques

This paragraph introduces the topic of making requests in English, with a focus on politeness levels and formality. Maddie from POC English explains that imperative sentences are a common way to make requests, starting with a verb, such as 'bring me a glass of water.' However, they can be perceived as rude. To make requests more polite, one can start with 'can you,' followed by the base form of the verb, like 'can you please answer the phone.' For added politeness, 'can you please' is used. Maddie also covers the use of 'could' and 'would' to make requests even more formal and polite, with examples like 'could you please turn the volume up' and 'would you please get me a cup of coffee.' The paragraph concludes with the use of 'would you mind' followed by a verb in the -ing form for a highly polite request, such as 'would you mind opening the windows.'

05:00

🙏 Accepting and Rejecting Requests in English

The second paragraph delves into how to accept and reject requests in English. Accepting requests can be done informally with phrases like 'sure,' 'no problem,' 'of course,' or 'consider it done.' For example, if asked to answer the phone, one could respond with 'sure thing.' Rejecting requests is more nuanced and can range from informal to formal. Informally, one might say 'no way' or 'in your dreams.' Semi-formally, explanations can be given after 'no,' using structures like 'no but' or 'no the thing is,' followed by a reason. Formally, phrases such as 'I'm afraid not' or 'I'm sorry but' are used, with an explanation, like 'I'm afraid I can't close the windows because it's too hot in here.' The paragraph also encourages viewers to practice these phrases to improve their English speaking skills and ends with a call to subscribe to Maddie's mailing list for lesson summaries.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences are used to express commands, requests, or instructions. They start with the base form of a verb and are often used to make direct requests in English. In the video, imperative sentences are described as the most straightforward but potentially impolite way to make a request, such as 'Bring me a glass of water' or 'Subscribe to my channel'.

💡Polite Requests

Polite requests are a way to ask for something in a respectful and considerate manner. The video discusses various methods to make requests more polite, such as starting a sentence with 'can you' or 'could you', and adding 'please' to the request. Politeness is crucial when making requests to maintain good social relations and show respect to others.

💡Formal Requests

Formal requests are used in situations where a higher level of politeness and etiquette is required. The video explains that using 'could' instead of 'can' makes a request sound more formal. Additionally, starting a request with 'will you' or 'would you' followed by 'please' further enhances the formality of the request, as shown in examples like 'Would you please answer the phone?'.

💡Mini Dialogues

Mini dialogues are short, illustrative conversations used to demonstrate the use of language in context. In the video, mini dialogues are used to show how different structures for making requests and responding to them can be applied in everyday communication, helping learners to understand the practical use of these language structures.

💡Accepting Requests

Accepting requests involves agreeing to fulfill the request made by someone else. The video provides several affirmative responses such as 'sure', 'no problem', 'of course', and 'consider it done', which are used to indicate a willingness to comply with a request, for instance, 'Could you please answer the phone? Sure thing.'

💡Rejecting Requests

Rejecting requests is the act of declining or refusing a request made by someone. The video outlines various ways to politely decline requests, from informal phrases like 'no way' to semi-formal structures such as 'no but...' and formal phrases like 'I'm afraid not'. Each method is suited to different levels of social setting and the speaker's relationship with the person making the request.

💡Would You Mind

'Would you mind' is a polite way to request someone to do something or to ask for a favor. It is followed by the '-ing' form of a verb, making the request sound very polite and formal. The video emphasizes the structure 'would you mind verbing' as a way to ask for actions such as 'Would you mind opening the windows?'.

💡Pronunciation Point

A pronunciation point is a specific aspect of pronunciation that is highlighted for learners to pay attention to. In the context of the video, the pronunciation point discussed is the软化 of the 'g' sound to a 'j' sound when 'would you' is spoken quickly, as in 'would you' becoming 'would you' (pronounced as 'wudjya').

💡Subscribe to My Channel

This phrase is used in the video as an example of an imperative sentence and also as a call to action for viewers. It is a common phrase used by content creators on platforms like YouTube to encourage viewers to follow their channel for regular updates. In the script, it is used as a sample request: 'Subscribe to my channel'.

💡Maddie from POC English

Maddie is the presenter of the video and represents POC English, which is likely an educational platform or organization focused on teaching English as a second language. Maddie introduces the lesson and guides viewers through the different ways to make and respond to requests in English.

💡Mailing List

A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used for sending material to multiple recipients. In the video, Maddie invites viewers to subscribe to her mailing list to receive a summary of the lesson and other lessons in a PDF format. This is a common practice for content creators to engage their audience and provide additional value.

Highlights

Introduction to the lesson on making requests and accepting or rejecting them in English.

Imperative sentences are used to make requests and start with a verb.

Examples of imperative sentences: 'Bring me a glass of water', 'Give me a pan', 'Subscribe to my channel'.

Imperative sentences can be the easiest but also the rudest way to make requests.

Making requests more polite by starting with 'Can you' followed by the base form of the verb.

Adding 'please' after 'Can you' for increased politeness.

Using 'Could' instead of 'Can' for a more formal and polite request.

Examples of using 'Could you please' for formal requests.

Using 'Will you' for an even more formal request structure.

The phrase 'Would you please' for a highly polite and formal request.

Using 'Would you mind' followed by a verb in the -ing form for a very polite request.

Pronunciation tip: 'Would you' is pronounced as 'Would you' when 'D' precedes 'Y'.

Moving on to the second part of the lesson about accepting and rejecting requests.

Accepting a request with phrases like 'Sure', 'No problem', 'Of course', and 'Consider it done'.

Rejecting a request informally with phrases like 'No way', 'That's not gonna happen', and 'In your dreams'.

Semi-formal ways to reject a request using 'No but' or 'No the thing is' followed by a reason.

Formal rejection of a request using 'I'm afraid not' or 'I'm sorry but' with an explanation.

Encouragement to practice speaking English after the lesson.