Everyday phrases for communication — Post 5
Read post 4 here
#everydayphrases — Lesson 5 🔥 Working on your vocabulary and speaking skills.
Today’s mini-dialogue:
- Can I borrow your pen?
- Be my guest.
What you need to remember:
1. We use 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜… and 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗜… for polite requests — when you need something from a person or want to do something.
Can I… is used more often because it’s more informal but May I… is a formal and extremely polite request.
Don’t use imperatives like 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦, 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 to ask for something. Even with Please they are not polite enough and sound like an order.
Examples:
- Can I have some water?
- Can I use your phone?
- Can I sit here?
2. If you want to ask for something which you will use for some time and will give back to the owner, don’t use TAKE or GIVE. They mean that you won’t give this thing back.
Use LEND (to give something to use for some time) and BORROW (to take something to use for some time) instead. They can be used not only for money, but for things and even for people.
For instance:
- Can I borrow Jake for a minute? (=Can I talk to Jake for some time?)
- Can I borrow your phone? (=Can I use your phone?)
- Can you lend me this book?
3. If you are replying to a request and allow a person to do something, don’t say Please. PLEASE is used for ASKING things, not giving permission.
We normally respond to requests using some of the phrases from the previous lesson.
𝗕𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁.
𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲.
𝗡𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.
𝗕𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀.
𝗚𝗼 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱. (if a person wanted to do something and asked for your permission).
So, today we have learnt how to ask for things, ask to use them for some time, and reply to requests.
If you speak Russian, you can read these lessons in Russian (and practise) in my Telegram channel. Join us!
My name is Daria Storozhilova and this is a series of mini-lessons teaching you how to communicate in English: helpful phrases and spoken expressions.
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