How to Make Requests in English

How to Make Requests in English

When we make requests, we ask someone for something, or we ask someone to do something. There are different ways of asking for something. We usually ask for something in a polite and indirect way

Grammar Structures to Make Requests 

Expressions with Could

1. Could you give me a hand?
2. Could you help me with this problem?
3. Could I Borrow your phone for a minute?
4. Could you carry this for me please?
5. Could you call a taxi for me please?
6. Could they wait for me here?
7. Could you drive me home?
8. Could you please take me to the dentist?

Expressions with Can

1. Mom, can you wake me at seven o’clock?
2. Can I have the menu?
3. Can you pass me the newspaper?
4. Can you buy the ticket for me?
5. Can I borrow some money for the tickets?
6. Can you help me with these reports?
7. Can we have the day off tomorrow?
8. Can you stop by my house?

Expressions with Will

1. Will you carry this for me?
2. Will you drive me to the airport?
3. Will you  take my daughter home?
4. Will you buy me a couple of drink if I give you the money?
5. Will you send me that important document?
6. Will you send me an email with files we prepared?

Very Direct Requests

1. I need some help
2. I need you to go to my office
3. She needs you to run a few errands
4. We need to email the contract to Peter immediately.
5. I want to go to the hospital
6. She wants you to work overtime
7. I want to go running

How to Make Polite Requests

Expressions with Would

1. Would you like to go to the club?
2. Would you like to help me please?
3. Would you like to buy some groceries for me?
4. Would you be kind enough to repair my computer?
5. Would you be willing to help us fix our car tomorrow morning?

Expressions with Would you Mind

1. Would you mind closing the door?
2. Would you mind paying for my lunch?
3. Would you mind driving me home?
4. Would you mind helping me with my math homework?
5. Would you mind carrying this suitcase?
6. Would you mind turning off the TV?
7. Would you mind turning off the radio?
8. Would you mind collecting my suit from the dry cleaner’s, please?

Do you Mind

Do you mind if I close the window?

Do you mind if I use your phone for a quick call?

Do you mind if we stop by the supermarket? I need to buy some groceries

Do you mind if we get back home now?

Do yoi mind if we stop by my mother’s house?

Request and Offer Help Exchanges

1. I need to buy a product on amazon
2. Sure,  Can I have your credit card number?

1. Would you mind helping me with the suitcases?
2. Yes, of course

1. My computer is not working, Could you help me?
2. Sure

1. I need a new laptop, could you help me ?
2. Yes, come over here 

1. Could you lend me a few dollars?
2. sure, no problem

Making a Request Conversation

Conversation A

John:  Hi, Do you need any help?

Luis: Thanks for asking, can you help me with this homework?

John: Sure, no problem but I don’t know much about math

Luis: Would you mind asking Dereck if he could help us?

John:  Yeah, sure, can you send me his phone number?

Luis: Alrighty, check your whatsapp

Task-Based Lesson – How to Make Requests

Schema Activation

Task

1. Students make groups of 4 
2. They are given strips of paper with some phrases
3. They have to put them in order

Pre-Task Activities

Task#1

1. Students are given one scrambled request or answers in a strip of paper
2. They have to unscrambld the request or answer .
3. When they are all ready, they move around the classroom asking the question and listening the answer from their classmates until they found the answer.

Task #2

1. Students are sent a wordle with key vocabulary.
2. They can make  questions or answers using the word included in it.

Task #3

1. Students are sent three different collages
2. Students make pairs
3. They choose one of the collages and make questions with them

Main-Task 

1. Student make groups of 3 and they prepare a dialogue
2. The dialogue must include greetings, introduction, request and a farewell

Post-Task

1. Students answer this online quiz

How to Request and Offer Help Lesson Plan

Schema Activation (10 Mins)

Students are given pieces of paper with the following exchange, they have to talk to their classmates and reorder the words to make it identical to this.

1. I need to buy a product on amazon
2. Sure,  Can I have your credit card number?

Pre-Task (80 Mins)

Task #1

1. Students are shown some example of polite request: Infographic
2. Students make groups of 3 and 4
3. Teacher sends students a wordle.
4. Students write as many polite requests as they can.
5.  When students finish writing the polite requests, teacher checks how many of the sentences created are identical to these ones

Task #2

• Teacher gives a quizlet set of expressions  and students classify those expressions into expressions to give and ask for help.
  • Could you help me please?
  • Do you need my help?
  • I was wondering if you needed any help
  • Can I ask you a favor?
  • How may I help you?
  • Can you do me a favor?
  • Could you do that for me?
  • Would you mind giving me some help?
  • Would you do that for me?
  • What can I do for you sir?
  • How can I help you?
  • Could I use your phone?
  • Do you want me to help you?
  • Can I give you a hand?

Task#3

1. Students are given a sheet with unscrambled sentences. Students unscamble the sentences to make polite requests.
2. Once students have finished unscrambling the sentences, they record themselves asking and answering the questions.
3. Once they do that, they share their recording with another group.

Main-Task

Students are going to create a dialogue about asking for help in these particular situations

1. Department Store
2. Buying a ticket

They can use this video as reference

Post-Task

Students are given a set of questionsand statements that they have to correct.

Related Information

If you are a student looking for information about how to Make Requests  in English, make sure to visit this How to Make Request post.