Examples: Can I use your book, please? It's already polite enough! Thanx in advance:-D. Could vs. Should | Grammar Quizzes Can, could or may ? Example: Could you pass me the salt? After that, students fill in missing letters in phrases that accept and decline requests. ( give permission ) Could is also used to ask or give permission for something. Don't say: Tell me when you're available. May and might can be used interchangeably in this context. Isabella asked why ESL speakers think 'may' is more polite than 'could.' Brian responded that they may have been told it's correct or more formal rather than being polite, and Isabella asked who would have told them that. - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Modal Verbs for Requests - learnEnglish-online please can/could you VS could you please | English ... Now you can go see your boss and say "Excuse me, I was wondering if I could ask you about taking a day off.". (informal) - Could I ask you another question? 2. It is often used for small things. I hope the answer will be, "Yes!". To practice using would for polite requests, set up a role play for groups of four to six students. This is another expression that can be used to make a request or order more polite. (they are very polite) Except for this use, couldn't expresses negative deduction, not possibility: For instance, to suggest a strong possibility of something, we might use the word 'can': Vitamin C can boost your immune system. Most people I know do too :) I suppose it just depends on whereabouts in the UK you're from. There is probably no proper way. Editor Kory Stamper gives an explanation of how they are used.. Could, would, and can are all modal verbs (for more on some modal verbs, click here), and they can be difficult to master.Let's look at each one separately, and then compare some of their more confusing uses. Excuse me, I wonder whether you could direct me to the station. Modal Verbs Use #1: How to Make a Polite Request in English. She said I could come as often as I liked. Could, can, and would can be confusing in English. Could you please send me your mobile number. To express ability. 1. Here is a free making polite requests worksheet to help students practice the language for making, accepting and declining polite requests. Although some people are more direct than others as a matter of personality (and there is a gender stereotype than women are less direct than men), most people do use at least a little indirectness in most situations to minimize perceived social threats (or "face threats," as discussed in the power & solidarity module . 'Where is John?' Could is the past tense of can. Could you please . 1. permission: can / could more common Can and could are more common than may and might, which May and Might are consider to be more polite than Can and Could. The negative form is can't in spoken English and cannot in written English.. We sometimes say cannot, but it is very emphatic.. In English we always use can or could to make requests with friends and colleagues. Could is more . Informal Requests Use can and will for less formal requests. Yes, of course. @piyawachk 'politer' & 'politest' exist in the language, however 'more polite / most polite' are preferred & the most commonly used here in England|Curveball, I'm from England and tend to use politer a lot more often than 'more polite'. No other types of requests are of interest. We see or hear may, not can, in official announcements, and on signs: Hotel guests may use the gym from 6 a.m. ⏺️could - formal. Could I try this coat on? Do you think you could help me for a few minutes? Canadians use "please" often and visitors are expected to ask for help politely, using "please.". 2. Can you do me a favour? There are a few things I'm not 100% sure of." Notice that we use could and not can in these requests. I'll leave the final word to Roy T. Bennett, motivational author of The Light in the Heart: Treat everyone with politeness and kindness, not because they are nice, but because you are. In the United States, "can" is considered to be incorrect for written English in particular because, in the past, it was not a word used when asking for something. Speaking tip: Could is more polite that can. Yes, of course. In informal situations, one could use the word "can" in a direct sentence. station. Can means to be (physically) able to do something OR to know how to do something.. your eraser? When being polite, or wanting to show respect, 'could' is a better choice than can as it is a more polite form than 'can.' Could I ask you a question, please? 3. It can be used when the other person is [1] a peer (same status, rank, age), [2] is an acquaintance, [3] is greater in status (different rank, social level). Can you pass the juice? Using 'can' in this sentence suggests not just a possibility, but a likelihood. Note: In making a request, 'would' is slightly more polite than 'could', but this is really just a small distinctions. Offering to do something for another person Could you help me, please? In requests, orders and suggestions, could is more polite than can: Examples: Can I use your phone? The negative form couldn't is often used with comparative adjectives: The food is delicious, and the staff couldn't be more polite. Could you PLEASE turn off the lights in your room? may is a more formal and polite . Questions are obviously more polite than other requests. My question is specifically about "please can/could you" as opposed to "could you please" - whether one is more polite and/or common than the other. Modal verbs, such as would, could, will, can, should, must, might and shall are often used in formal speech. 1. They are equally polite. These two modal verbs sound informal compared to "would" and "could.". It just means Can I help you?. "COULD" is used as a more formal and polite form of "CAN". 400. Read on to find out how you can be more polite to others and why it is important to be so for success at work and in life. Do you think you could … (+ infinitive without to) . Students can travel free. @piyawachk 'politer' & 'politest' exist in the language, however 'more polite / most polite' are preferred & the most commonly used here in England|Curveball, I'm from England and tend to use politer a lot more often than 'more polite'. ( Polite Permission ) With suggestions, we often use the past progressive and simple past. We see the following examples: Can I have a biscuit? My question is specifically about "please can/could you" as opposed to "could you please" - whether one is more polite and/or common than the other. May is more formal than can when asking for and giving permission: May I speak to Mr Jones, please? 'Can', on the other hand, assumes that the person is willing to do it, which is not always the case. Of course. Canadians use "please" often and visitors are expected to ask for help politely, using "please.". Each person should have a unique goal for the group's project . The three main uses of Can are: 1) ability 2) possibility and 3) permission. Can is less polite than Could. COULD is used in a question, which is not a real question, to ask somebody to do something in a polite way. I was hoping you could lend me some money. Being married to a British person I would also avoid the use of please in the middle of the sentence because it sounds too impatient (I think it's possibly because you tend to stress it more in that position than you would at the end of the sentence). When you're using these two sentences, don't use please. 'Could' is used to make polite requests. • Could suggests a polite manner when making a request and it suggests a level of doubt or certainty. 'May' and 'Might' can also be used when asking permission but are much more formal. May and might are considered to be more polite, more formal or more tentative . Possible positive answers to the questions above: Yes. Examples: Can you pass the salt please? (more informal) Could you say thanks to your mum for me? September 11, 2019 by admin. This softens the request and makes it sound less like an order. Could you bring your book tomorrow? I think the confusion is that there is more than one use for 'may.' For modals of possibility, students in North America are . • Can is used to state a fact, ability, potential, and possibility. Can/Could + Subject + Verb. Of course. Can / Could To make polite requests. Could. He could borrow my car, if she asked. Here are some examples of different ways you can use these modal verbs in English to make your question, request or suggestion sound softer. COULD is used in a question, which is not a real question, to ask somebody to do something in a polite way. False. A company working to create a chatbot - a computer program that . Could and would soften requests and make them more polite. Can you send me or could you send me? When in doubt, use a modal verb to make any question or statement sound more polite. And don't forget, you can also add "excuse me" to be even more polite. Using 'can' in this sentence suggests not just a possibility, but a likelihood. ⏺️could - formal. "I was wondering if we could do a brief review before we take the test today. Excuse me, I was wondering whether you could direct me to the. (more polite) I've finished my homework. gives slightly more room for refusal than Can you please . No other types of requests are of interest. Politeness - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary As such, using would is more polite. You can . ( ask for permission ) If you want, you can go to the park. Some of the most popular modal verbs you can use to sound more polite in English include: Can. I was hoping… This is another expression we can use to make a polite request. If you need to use indirect questions in formal . Featured answer. Most people I know do too :) I suppose it just depends on whereabouts in the UK you're from. Use past tenses. Could I bother you for a moment? "COULD" is used as a more formal and polite form of "CAN". Are these statements true? It is equally polite to say . In requests, orders and suggestions, could is more polite than can: Examples: Can I use your phone? The method, aimed at applications such as chatbots, emails and blogs, involves what is known as politeness transfer. Could you please do me a favour? The super shorter summary of the difference between 'could' and 'would' is this: 8. base form Could you work on Exercise 4? Keep in mind that Would you mind is a bit more polite than Can/could you…? We can use modal verbs ' can ' and ' may ' (but NOT ' could ') to express permission or say that someone has permission. (more informal) Could I speak to Amy, please?
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