Language Functions

Making requests

Saying you know

Saying you do not know

Formal

Would/could you ..., please? Could I ask you to ...? Would it be possible for you. Would you be so kind as ... Do you happen to know ...?

In fact, I know about ... I’m quite/fully aware of… Let me see. Oh, yes it’s. I have it on good authority.

I’m sorry, I really don’t know. I’m afraid, I haven’t got that information. I know very little about.

Neutral

Can you ...? May I ...? Have you got ...? I’d like to ..., could I? Sorry to bother/trouble you, but ... Do me a favour and ...?

Yes I know, thank you. Sure, I can... My information is ... As far as I know ... It appears ... I’ve heard that /about...

I don’t know anything about ... I’m afraid I have no idea. I can’t help you with your request. I don’t feel confident about ...

Informal

What about ...? How can I ...? Hey, I need ...

They say ... So Mary was saying. I know ...

No idea, indeed. I wish I knew. Ask somebody else.

It's important to make requests in the right way. If you go into the newsagents shop to buy The Times, and say “Give me The Times”, it will seem very rude. On the other hand if you go into the Bar and say “Do you think it would be possible for you to let me have a hamburger, if it's no trouble?” then people will think you are crazy because you are too polite!

There are different levels of politeness which you must use when talking to different people in different situations. For example, if you want to ask somebody what time it is, you can say:

1. What time is it? 3. Could you tell me what time it is, please?

2. What time is it, please? 4. Excuse me, could you tell me the time?

Number 1 is very direct and not very polite, 2 and 3 are more polite, and 4 is most polite.

When abroad you may need to make some requests such as:

asking someone the way asking someone to help you asking someone to do smth asking someone to serve you

asking for permission asking for information asking for advice asking for opinion

asking about problems asking about health asking about the time asking about plans

Remember: the most important thing about asking favours is how you ask (your disposition), rather than the actual words you use. When it seems likely that the other person will refuse, the question can be phrased so that refusal doesn’t cause embarrassment.

Ex. Practise using the polite forms of making requests. You want to do/have the following:

Model: Can I ask you a question?

I’d like to have my passport back, could I?

Could you bring me some chewing gum, please?

open the bag smoke on board the plain take photos on board the plain go through green channel leave some minutes earlier change seats with N. meet Mr. Brown at the airport fix the date of the meeting

fish and chips a newspaper an extra sheet a book on British customs another copy something for air-sickness something to declare something to worry about

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