English For Today chapter 11: Making Requests

Making Requests

1.1 Look at the picture. Ask and answer the questions in pairs.

Figure

Description: Two students in a classroom. A boy in a blue shirt stands on the left, looking toward the girl. A girl in a white headscarf and blue dress stands beside a wooden desk on the right, holding up a coloured picture book toward the boy. On the desk are a small eraser and a coloured pencil.

a) What do you see in the picture?

b) What do you think they are talking about?

c) How do you request someone to get something?

1.2 Read the following conversation and act it out.

Salma : Excuse me. Do you have an extra pencil?

Mamun: Sure, Salma. Here you are.

Salma : Thanks. Can I also use your sharpener, please? I forgot to bring mine.

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Mamun: I'm sorry. I don't have a sharpener.

Salma : That's okay.

Mamun: May I see the pictures you have coloured?

Salma : Why not? Here is my drawing book.

Mamun: Nice drawings, Salma. But you have only two pages left.

Salma : Oh, really? Then, I need to buy a new one. Can you suggest me any store?

Mamun: Sure. You can find your necessary items at the City Library.

Salma: Could you tell me how to get there?

Mamun: Yes, it is on the College Road, next to the government college. Go straight and then turn left on the College Road. The library will be on your right.

Salma: Thanks for your help, Mamun.

Mamun: You are welcome. Thank you.

2.1 Salma politely asked Mamun for something. Read the conversation and list the sentences. One is done for you.

• Can I use your sharpener?

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2.2 Discuss in groups. List more sentences about how you ask someone for something.

2.3 Mamun gave directions to Salma to get to the library. Read the conversation again and list the phrases/sentences. One is done for you.

• Go straight

2.4 Discuss in groups. List more phrases/sentences about how you give directions to someone.

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3.1 Language Focus: Making and Responding to Request.

In the conversation, we find the phrase–

• Excuse me.

We use the phrase ‘Excuse me.’ to draw someone's attention.

In the conversation, we find the sentences–

• Can I use your sharpener?
• May I see the pictures you have coloured?
• Could you tell me how to get there?

We make requests politely to someone using the words Can I/ Could I/ May I/Can you/ Could you …?

In the conversation, we also find the sentences in which Mamun responded to requests politely–

• Sure, Salma. Here you go.
• I'm sorry. I don't have a sharpener.

We respond to any request using Sure/Of course…or, Sorry, I don't/ I can't… If we say ‘no’ to a request, it is polite to give a reason.

Examples:

Figure

Labels: A; B; Can I use your pen?; Sure; Can you open the door?; Of course.; Could you lend me your Maths book?; Sorry, I can't. It's at home; Could I have your exercise book?; Sorry, I don't have it now Description: Two columns of speech bubbles between circles marked A (left) and B (right). Requests are on the left (A) and responses on the right (B), read row by row: "Can I use your pen?" with "Sure"; "Can you open the door?" with "Of course."; "Could you lend me your Maths book?" with "Sorry, I can't. It's at home"; "Could I have your exercise book?" with "Sorry, I don't have it now".

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3.1.1 Work in pairs. Make requests and then respond to them with appropriate gestures using the following cues.

Example: A: Could you lend me your bicycle, please?] Request B: Sure. Or, Sorry, I can't. It's broken.] Response

a) You want a glass of water from someone. b) You want someone to open the door. c) You want someone to close the window. d) You want a toy from your friend to play. e) You want someone to give you her/his phone number.

3.2 Language Focus: Giving Directions

In the conversation, Mamun used the following phrases to give directions–

• Go straight
• Turn left

We use some particular expressions while giving directions to someone. For example:

• Turn left.
• Turn right.
• Go to the left.
• Go to the right.
• Go straight.

In the conversation, Mamun also used the preposition 'next to' to give direction to the library's location. We use prepositions to give dirction to any locations. For example:

opposite to, next to, near, behind, in front of, outside etc.

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3.3 Look at the pictures. Complete the sentences with the correct preposition from the box below.

Figure

Labels: Park Description: Five pictures, arranged in two rows: a jeep parked in front of a house; a road with a school building and a park sign beside it; a cow beside a cow-shed; a butterfly inside a window; a girl standing beside a tree.

behind, in front of, next to, opposite to, outside

a) The jeep is _________ the house. b) The school is _________ the park. c) The cow is _________ the cow-shed. d) The girl is _________ the tree. e) The butterflies are _________ the window.

4.2 Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions to make the conversation meaningful.

A: How do I get ………… the public library? B: Go ………… the end ………… this road and turn right. This will bring you ………… the main road and you'll find the library ………… your left.

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4.1 In pairs, read the following situations and make requests with gestures. Use the expressions you have learnt in activity 3.1.

a) Your watch has stopped working. You ask a stranger on the street for time. You: Excuse me. Could you _________________________? b) You've come to the pharmacy with a prescription to buy some medicines. Ask for these politely. c) You're having lunch. You want your brother to pass the jug to you. d) You’ve missed your train to Sylhet. You want to know from the station master when the next train is. e) It is raining outside. You want your friend to lend you an umbrella.

4.3 Jenny wants to go to the English Language Club. Tell her how to get there. Jenny is now at the spot shown with ‘Start journey’.

Figure

Labels: Train station, Bank, Masjid, Library, English language club, Post Office, Post Office, School, Start journey Description: A street map. A vertical road runs from the bottom 'Start journey' arrow (marked with an upward arrow) up past the train station on its left. A horizontal road crosses it near the middle. Bank and Masjid are in the upper-left block; Library and English language club are in the upper-right block; a Post Office is in the lower-left block; School is in the lower-right block.