Hi girls.
Remember you have an exam about CAN, COULD, MAY AND WOULD: requests, permission, offers and invitations, for next class. Study hard.
You have to print the following text for
next class. This is the grammar topic and the exercises.
CAN, COULD, MAY AND WOULD: requests,
permission, offers and invitations
a) Asking people to do
things (requests)
We often use can or would
when we ask someone to do something:
-Can you wait a moment,
please?
-Ann, can you do me a
favour?
-Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get
to the station?
To ask for something you can say Can I
have…?/ Could I have…?May I have…?
-(in a shop) Can I have these postcards,
please?
-(at table) Could I have the salt,
please?
b) Asking for and
giving permission
-We often use CAN,COULD or MAY to ask
permission to do something:
-(on the telephone) Hello, Can I speak to
Tom, please?
-Could I use your telephone? Yes, of
course.
-Do you think I could borrow your bicycle?
Yes, help yourself.
-May I come in? Yes, please
do.
To give permission, we use CAN or MAY (but
not COULD)
-You can (or may) smoke if you
like.
Use CAN/CANT to talk about what is already
allowed or not allowed:
-You can drive for a year in Britian with
an international licence.
- If you are under 17, you cant drive a
car in Britian.
c) We sometimes use CAN
when we offer to do things:
-Can I get you a cup of
coffee? That is very nice of you
-(in a shop) Can I help
you, madam?. No thanks.
d) For offering and
inviting we use WOULD YOU LIKE…?(not do you like)
-Would you like a cup of
coffee? (not do you like)
-Would you like to come
to the cinema?
EXERCISES
1
Read the situation and write what you would say. Use the words given in
brackets.
Example: you’ve got a pound note but you
need some change. You ask somebody to help you. (Can you…?) …can you change a
pound?
1. The teacher is talking at low
tone and you can’t listen to him . How do you ask him politely to speak louder?
(Do you think you…?)……………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………...
2. You are telephoning the owner of
a Motor-cycle which was advertised in a newspaper. You are interested in
it and you want to come and see it today. (Do you thing
I…?)……………………………………………………………………
3.You have a book and you want to lend
it to a friend. What do you say? (Can I…?)
…………………………………………………………………………………
- You
have to go to the Coltejer building but you don’t know how to get there. You
ask a passer-by. (Can you…?) ….……….………………………………………………………………………
2.
This time you have to decide how to say what you want to
say.
Example: you have to carry some heavy
boxes upstairs. Ask someone to help you.
DOU
YOU THINK YOU COULD GIVE ME A HAND WITH THESE BOXES?
- A
friend has just come to see you in you flat. Offer him something to
drink-……………………………………………………………………………..
- You
want your friend to show you how to change the film in your camera. What do you
say to him/her.? ………………………………………………………………………………
- You’re on a train. The woman next to you
has finished reading her newspaper. No you want have a look at it. What do you
say? ……………………………………………………………………………….
- You
need a match to light your cigarette. You haven’t got any but the man sitting
next to you has some. What do you ask him?
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