ADVANCED ENGLISH: HOW TO MAKE POLITE REQUESTS

Requests:

We use could you … and would you … as polite ways of telling or asking someone to do something:

- Could you take a message, please?

- Would you carry this for me, please?

can and will are less polite:

- Can you take a message, please?

- Will you carry this for me, please?

Offers and invitations:

We use can I … to make offers:

- Can I help you?

- Can I do that for you?

We can also use shall I …:

- Shall I help you with that?

- Shall I call you on your mobile?

We sometimes say I can ... or I could ... or I'll (I will) ... to make an offer:

- I can do that for you if you like.

- I could give you a lift to the station.

- I'll do that for you if you like.

- I'll give you a lift to the station.

We use would you like (to) ... for invitations:

- Would you like to come round tomorrow?

- Would you like another drink?

We can use you must … or we must … for a very polite invitation:

- You must come round and see us.

- We must meet again soon.

Revision activities

https://usefulenglish.ru/grammar/modal-verbs-exercise-four

ADVANCED ENGLISH