Everyday phrases for communication — Post 7
Read post 6 here
#everydayphrases — Lesson 7
Today’s mini-dialogue:
— Can I help you with that suitcase?
— Thank you. I can manage.
What you need to remember:
- If you want to offer help to someone, use the following phrases (pay attention to grammar of each phrase):
Can I help you with*…?
Do you need help with…? — Do you need help with that suitcase?
Shall I …? (formal) — Shall I carry that suitcase for you?
Do you want me to…? — Do you want me to carry that suitcase for you?
Would you like me to…? — Would you like me to carry that suitcase for you?
I could…for you. — I could carry that suitcase for you.
— -
*if you use a verb after the preposition, use it in the ING form: Can I help you with carrying this suitcase?
2. The verb MANAGE means ‘to rule, to organise’, but also — ‘to be able to do something successfully’.
It is often used in the past. If you say that you succeeded in doing something, use I managed to… or I was able to…, but not could.
For example:
- I managed to meet the deadline. = I was able to meet the deadline. (NOT I could meet the deadline)
- Did you manage to get through (to her)? (= Were you able to reach her on the phone?)
In negative structures you can use any structure: didn’t manage to or couldn’t or wasn’t able to.
— I couldn’t get through. = I didn’t manage to get through. = I wasn’t able to get through. (= I wan’t able to reach them on the phone.)
Today we have learnt how to offer help to someone and also say that you can do something yourself, without help.
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 with helpful phrases and spoken expressions.
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