TESOL/Requests

English provides many ways of making requests with differing levels of politeness appropriate for different situations. Making requests differs from offering suggestions and giving commands.

Form

Yes/no questions

Direct yes/no questions

Requests are usually made using yes/no questions. Roughly in order of politeness, they include:

1. can you - ?
2. could you - ?
3. would you - ?
4. would you be able to - ?
5. could you possibly - ?
6. would you possibly - ?
7. might you possibly - ?
8. would it be (at all) possible for you to - ?
9. might it be (at all) possible for you to - ?

Question tags

Negative statements with question tags are also used to make informal requests.

• You couldn't lend me your pen, could you?

Indirect yes/no questions

If a yes/no question is asked indirectly, it can make an even more polite request.

• I wonder if you could help me carry this.
• I don't suppose you have some spare change.

If a question tag is added to this type of request, it is still very polite.

• I don't suppose I would be able to use your computer, would I?
• I don't suppose you could lend me your phone, could you?

Mechanics

Requests made using yes/no questions are polite only if the question is positive. If the question is negative, the question sounds more like a complaint than a request.

• Can you leave me alone for a few minutes? Can't you leave me alone for a few minutes?
• Could you get me some tea? Couldn't you get me some tea?

Quiz

Change the following commands to polite requests.

1 Come here!

you come here?

2 Bring me a towel!

you could bring me a towel.