In this lesson, you will learn how to ask people to do things politely and how to answer requests in a friendly way. This language is very useful in daily life, at work, and with friends.
🎯 What will you learn?
By the end of this lesson, you can:
- Ask for help politely 🙏
- Say yes or no in a polite way
- Choose the right phrase for the situation
- Sound more natural in English
How to Make Polite Requests
In English, we usually make requests using questions, not commands.
✅ Useful Request Phrases
| Polite request | Example |
|---|---|
| Could you…? | Could you help me with this? |
| Would you mind + -ing…? | Would you mind opening the window? |
| Do you think you could…? | Do you think you could help me later? |
| Would it be possible to…? | Would it be possible to send this email? |
| Just one more thing… | Just one more thing, if it’s not too much trouble? |
💡 Tip: These phrases sound friendly and polite 👍
How to Respond to Requests
You can accept, refuse, or delay a request.
👍 Positive Responses (Yes)
| Phrase | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Yes, sure. | Informal / friendly |
| Of course, happy to. | Very polite |
| No problem. | Casual situations |
🤔 Neutral Responses (Maybe)
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| It depends what it is. | You need more information |
| Possibly. When do you need it? | You are not sure yet |
🙅 Polite Refusals (No)
| Phrase | Why it’s polite |
|---|---|
| I’m really sorry, but I’m too busy right now. | Apology + reason |
| I’m afraid I can’t do that. | Soft and respectful |
💡 Tip: Always add sorry or I’m afraid to sound polite.
Be Careful! ⚠️
❌ Too direct:
- Help me.
- Do this for me.
✅ Better:
- Could you help me?
- Would you mind doing this for me?
Let’s Practice!
Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3