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5.making Requests

The document provides guidance on making polite requests and offers of help. It includes: 1) Examples of expressions to use when making requests with increasing politeness, from "Take me to the hospital" to "Could you please take me to the hospital?". 2) Suggestions for offering help, such as "May I be of any assistance?" and "What can I do for you?". 3) Activities where students practice making requests and offers in different situations with a partner to improve their communication skills.

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Srínívas Srínu
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383 views5 pages

5.making Requests

The document provides guidance on making polite requests and offers of help. It includes: 1) Examples of expressions to use when making requests with increasing politeness, from "Take me to the hospital" to "Could you please take me to the hospital?". 2) Suggestions for offering help, such as "May I be of any assistance?" and "What can I do for you?". 3) Activities where students practice making requests and offers in different situations with a partner to improve their communication skills.

Uploaded by

Srínívas Srínu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5 Making Requests

Objectives
On completion of this lesson you will be able to
 learn some ways of making requests
 learn some ways of offering help
Pre Activity
1. You want to borrow a pen from your friend. How do you ask politely?
2. You want your friend to shut the window. How do you ask in a polite
manner?

Activity-1

Read the following conversation and identify the sentences containing a request.
Ravi: I am going to Hyderabad tomorrow.
Ramesh: Why?
Ravi: I have some important work at the Secretariat.
Ramesh: I have a friend of mine working there. Will you please give him
this bag?
Ravi: That’s not a problem. Could you please tell him about my work?
Ramesh: I will talk to him today. He will definitely help you. He is Das,
Section Officer in the Department of Technical Education.
Ravi: Thank you.
Ramesh: Welcome.

Activity 2 Pair

Practice the following with your partner

lend me some money


Could accompany me to hospital?
Would switch on the television?
Can you give me the menu?
Will please speak slowly?
repeat the lesson?
help me to reach railway station?
Additional Information
The following are the expressions used to request someone to take you to hospital.
Starting from ‘less polite’ to ‘more polite’
 Take me to hospital.
 Please take me to hospital.
 Will you please take me to hospital?
 Can you please take me to hospital?
 Could you please take me to hospital?
 Do you think it would be possible for you to take me to hospital?
 Do you think you could please take me to hospital?

Please note that in addition to the words and sentences the way you request and your
tone determines the degree of politeness

Activity 3 Pair 15 min.


 Work with your partner
 Make requests in the following situations with one of you speaking on
situations 2, 4and 6 while the other on 3, 5, and 7.
 Note them later
 The first one has been done for you

Example:

1. You are staying in a hostel. The tap in your bathroom is leaking. Request
the plumber to repair it.
The tap in my bathroom is leaking, could you please repair it today?
2. Request the traffic constable to show you the way to the railway station.
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3. You can’t go shopping as you are busy. Request your roommate to do it for
you.
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4. Request the librarian to help you find the Thesaurus.


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5. Request the counter clerk to cancel your railway ticket.
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6. Request the teacher to repeat the previous exercise.
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7. Request your classmate to lend you the Physics lab record.
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Offerings
The second part of the lesson deals with ‘offering’. You will now learn the
expressions used to offer help or suggest something for others. These requests and
offers usually refer to near future.

Activity 4 Pair
 Make as many meaningful sentences as possible using the words and
phrases from the Table

help you?
May I get you glass of water?
Shall us complete the task together?
Let me do it for you?
Woul you like to have a cup of tea?
d
Could

Additional Information
Offering help is quite common in a conversation. It includes the meaning of suggestion.
We offer help in a polite manner, when we find someone in trouble or in need. The
following are some ways of offering help to others.
May I be of any assistance?
Is there anything I can do…?
I’ll do it for you.
What can I do for you?
Do you think I can help you?
It’s my pleasure to help you. Shall I?
Activity 5 Pair

 Work with your partner


 Write in the space provided what you will say to offer help in the following
situations
 One of you speaks on1 and 2 while the other on 3 and 4

1. A woman who is travelling by a train wants to buy a water bottle at a station


where the train doesn’t stop for more than a couple of minutes. You observe
it.
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2. You are going by car. Your neighbour is waiting for an auto to go to his
office.
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3. You see an old man who is trying to board a bus with a lot of luggage.
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4. You find that your friend has difficulty in changing the wheel of his motor
cycle.
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Common Errors
Incorrect Correct
Please kindly help me. Please help me.
Or
Kindly help me.
Can you be able to take me to Could you take me to
hospital? hospital?
Or
Are you able to take me to
hospital?
Tips

 Use please and thanks while making requests


 Begin your requests with could in formal situations

Assignment 1
 Match the following
A B
1. Can you pass the salt box, a. No, thanks. I am suffering from
please? cold.
2. Can you give me the menu? b. I prefer coffee.
3. Would you like to have some c. Yes, it is 5 minutes past 10.
ice cream? d. Certainly, but there is no salt in it.
4. Would you like to have tea or e. Yes, today’s special is Kashmiri
coffee? biryani.
5. May I know the time please?

Assignment 2
 Fill the blanks with the appropriate words given in brackets
a. __________ (Shall / Will) I bring vegetables?
b. __________ (Shall / Will) you turn off the fan when you leave the hall?
c. __________ (Shall / Will) you show me how to download a picture?
d. __________ (Shall / Will) you get me a tablet when you go out?
e. __________ (Shall / Will) I press the clothes for you?
f. __________ (Shall / Will) you make a cup of tea for me?

A clever, imagination, humorous request can open


closed doors and closed minds.

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