4. I can ask for things.


Requests and responses

Requests (in the classroom)

Responses

Can you bring the dictionaries

here, please?

Positive answers :

Sure.

OK.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah, no

problem.

Yes,, of course



Negative answers

(No). I’m afraid

I can't.

Could you finish this exercise

for homework, please?

Yuri, could you possibly take

these books to the staffroom?

Elena, can you change places

with Gabi?

Could you lend me a pen, Boris?

Dimitri, could you possibly wait

here a few minutes?


Being polite

Can and could have the same meaning in the table.

Could you possibly ...? is more polite, for a bigger request.

Please is very common, and makes a request more polite.

I'm afraid ... is used to say politely that you are sorry about something.


finish something do or complete the last part of something

change places e.g. Elena sits in Gabi's place and Gabi sits in Elena's place

lend give something to someone to use for a short time

wait stay in one place for a short lime until something happens

I'm afraid I can't = I'm sorry, but I can't


  • Exercise 7