ECSTRA/Requests

Typical forms and situations to be focussed on:

Situations:

A. asking the host to close the window

B. asking a friend to lend you his book

C. asking a professor you know only superficially to lend you his book

D. asking a friend to give you back your book

E. asking a friend to lend you a sum of 100 euros

F. asking a friend to give you back the 100 euros you've lent him

Frequent structures that are possible or impossible [which is more easily noted down] in a given situation:

1. pure imperative like "do X"

2. use of 'please'

3. expressions that mean "could you do me a favor? ..."

4. descriptions of a want or its cause like "I'd like to have X", "I forgot X...", "I missed X..."

5. very direct phrases like "I am asking you to do X"

6. relatively direct phrases like "I would like to ask you to do X"

7. slightly direct phrases like "I would like to get the favor of you doing X"

8. stating the obligation of the hearer like "You will have to do X"

9. direct want statements like "I really wish you would do X"

10. suggestions like "How about doing X?"

11. strong 'positive' queries like "Can you do X?", "Will you do X?"

12. mild 'positive' queries like "Could you do X?", "Would you do X?"

13. strong 'negative' queries like "Can't you do X?", "Won't you do X?"

14. mild 'negative' queries like "Couldn't you do X?", "Wouldn't you do X?"

15. strong hints like "You have forgotten x"

16. mild hints that do not contain any direct reference to the requested thing (e.g. I can't see X, i.e. 'you have forgotten X, bring X here!')

17. Other forms

(Please remember our guidelines.)

AT: Austria

Vienna (ECSTRA-Q):

• A: 2, 3, 4
• B: 2, 3, 12, 14
• C: 2, 3, 4
• D: 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13
• E: 2, 3, 4, 13
• F: 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14

BE: Belgium

French-speaking area (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 12
• B: "Do you think I could borrow your book?"
• C: 12
• D: 12
• E: 3
• F: 12

CH: Switzerland

French-speaking area (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 3, 7
• B: 2, 7
• C: 2, 3, 4
• D: 2, 6
• E: 2, 10
• F: 2, 16

CZ: Czech Republic

...

DE: Germany

(ECSTRA-Q, PO)

• A: 2, 3, 11, 12
• B: 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12
• C: 2, 3, 12
• D: 2, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13
• E: 2, 3, 11, 12, 14
• F: 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15

DK: Denmark

...

EE: Estonia

...

ES: Spain

Castilia y León (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 11
• B: 4, 6, 11
• C: 6, 9, 11
• D: 11, 12
• E: 3, 7, 11, 12
• F: 7, 11, 12

Andalusia (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 3
• B: 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14
• C: 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14
• D: 1, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 16
• E: 10, 11, 12, 14
• F: 1, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 16

FI: Finland

Swedish-speaking area (ECSTRA-Q):

• A: 2, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16
• B: 4, 11, 12
• C: 4, 12, 16
• D: 4, 10, 11, 15
• E: 6, 11, 12
• F: 6, 11, 15

FR: France

Paris (ECSTRA-Q):

• A: 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 + "It wouldn't bother you to ..., please?"
• B: 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 + "It wouldn't bother you to..., please?"
• C:
• D:
• E:
• F:

HR: Croatia

...

HU: Hungary

(ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 3, 12
• B: 12, 13, 14
• C: 2, 3, 12, 13
• D: 5, 6, 12, 15
• E: 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 15
• F: 5, 6, 12, 15

IE: Ireland

(ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 3 + "Would you mind..." + "Is there any chance you could..."
• B: 3, 4, 11, 12 + "Would you mind..." + "Is there any chance you could..."
• C: 4 + "Would you mind..." + "Is there any chance you could..."
• D: 11, 12 + "Would you mind..." + "Is there any chance you could..."
• E: 11, 12 + "Would you mind..." + "Is there any chance you could..."
• F: 10, 12 + "Would you mind..." + "Is there any chance you could..."

IT: Italy

Lombardy (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 11, 12
• B: 1, 2, 3, 6, 14 + "Would you be so kind...?"
• C: 3, 6, 7, 14 + "Would you be so kind...?"
• D: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
• E: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 + "Would you be so kind...?"
• F: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

LT: Lithuania

(ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2
• B: 2, 3, 10, 12, 13
• C: 2
• D: 2, 4
• E: 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 13
• F: 2, 4

LU: Luxemburg

...

LV: Latvia

...

MT: Malta

(ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2
• B: 12
• C: 3
• D: 3
• E: 9
• F: 10

NL: Netherlands

...

NO: Norway

...

PL: Poland

(ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 5, 6
• B: 3, 11, 12
• C: 2, 3, 4, 11
• D: 5
• E: 3, 4, 11, 12
• F: 2, 6, 10

PT: Portugal

(ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2
• B: 3, 11
• C: 2, 6, 11, 12
• D: 3, 9
• E: 3
• F: 2, 3, 5

SE: Sweden

• A: 2
• B: 4
• C: 4
• D: 4
• E: 3
• F: 5

SI: Slovenia

...

SK: Slovakia

...

UK: United Kingdom

England

• A: 3
• B: 3
• C: 2
• D: 2
• E: 3
• F: 6

Scotland (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12
• B: 2, 3, 6, 7, 12
• C: 2, 3, 6, 7, 12
• D: 2, 4, 6, 11, 15, 16
• E: 2, 4, 7, 10, 12
• F: 2, 5, 9, 11, 15

Non-European Nations

Australia (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 1, 6, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16
• B: 3, 7
• C: 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16
• D: 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16

Greece (ECSTRA-Q)

• A: 2, 3, 9, 12
• B: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14
• C: 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16
• D: 1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16
• E: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
• F: 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16