OFFERS & REQUESTS

MODULE-4
I.S. Jayarathne
Former Senior Consultant/Head of English Division,
SLIDA
Programme Specialist, Miloda Academy of Financial
Studies
OUTLINE

• Question Types
• What Makes a Question Polite?
• Questions vs. Requests
• Requests & Strategies
QUESTION TYPES

• Open Ended Questions

• Require responses that are often complex in
nature.
• Use key words like “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,”
“why,” and “how.”

• Closed Ended Questions

• Require simple answers like “yes” or “no”.
• Use key words like “be,” “do,” “have,” “will,” “can,”
“shall,” “must,” and “might.”
QUESTION TYPES

• Direct
• Ex. What time is it?

• Indirect
• Ex. I wonder if you know what time it is.

• Question Tags
• Ex. You are wearing a watch, aren’t you?
QUESTION TYPES

• Direct and indirect questions:

• Discover information you do not know.

• Question tags :
• Check information you think you know.
WHAT MAKES A DIRECT QUESTION
POLITE?
• Adding “Excuse me” or “Pardon me” to a
direct question:

• Direct Question:
• Can you move your car? (potentially rude)

• Revised Direct Question:

• “Excuse me, can you move your car?” (more
polite)
WHAT MAKES A DIRECT QUESTION
POLITE?
• Changing “can” to “could” in direct questions:

• Example with “can”:

• “Can you open the door?” (slightly rude)

• Example with “could”:

• “Could you open the door?” (more polite)
WHAT MAKES A DIRECT QUESTION
POLITE?
• Adding “please” to the end of a direct question in
combination with other strategies:

• Example “please”:
• “Can you direct me to the park?” (less polite)

• Example “please”:
• “Could you direct me to the park, please?” (more
polite)
Self Assessment-1
• Make these direct questions more polite.
1. Are your hands clean?
2. Why did you do that?
3. Where are you?
4. Who is this?
5. How did you do that?
6. What happened here?
 WHAT MAKES AN INDIRECT
QUESTION POLITE?
• Introductory phrase + question word (or if) +
positive sentence.
• Example:
I was wondering + if + you know where Jack
is?
vs.
Where Jack is?

* “If” is used for closed ended questions.

WHAT MAKES AN INDIRECT
QUESTION POLITE?
• Some Common Introductory Phrases:
• Do you know … ?
• I wonder / was wondering ….
• Can you tell me … ?
• Do you happen to know ...?
• I have no idea .......?
• I'm not sure ........?
• I'd like to know ........?
• Have you any idea ........?
Self Assessment - 2
• Create a polite indirect question with these direct questions.

1. When does the next bus leave?

2. Are you leaving now?
3. Why are you sitting over there?
4. Where have you been?
5. Did you bring my book?
6. Can your roommate come with us?
QUESTIONS VS. REQUESTS
• Both questions and requests have direct and
indirect types.
• Polite questions and polite requests use very
similar language but have different goals.
• Difference:
• Requests usually involve an action in response (they
ask for something).
• Questions usually elicit information.
REQUESTS

• When making a request, a speaker asks

someone to do something, often with a question.
• Lend something
• Can I borrow 1,000 rupees?
• Do or help with a household work
• Would you clean up your room?
• Do something for someone
• Could you drive me to the station?
KINDS OF REQUESTS
• Hearer-oriented
• Could you clean up the kitchen, please?
• Speaker-oriented
• Can I borrow your notes from yesterday’s class?
• Speaker- and Hearer-oriented
• Could we tidy up the kitchen soon?
• Impersonal
• It might be a good idea to get it cleaned up.
PARTS OF A REQUEST
Example:
Disa, can you remind me to bring the book for
you on Monday? Otherwise I might forget.

• Attention getter
• Disa
• Head act – the request
• Can you remind me to bring the book for you on
Monday?
• Supportive move(s)
• Otherwise I might forget.
REQUEST STRATEGIES
• Direct strategies
• Usually the second most common (10% in
English)
• Conventionally indirect strategies
• Most common in all languages (82%)
• Non-conventionally indirect strategies
• Least common (8%)
DIRECT STRATEGIES
• Explicit requests
• I’m asking you to clean up the kitchen.
• You’ll have to clean up the kitchen.
• I really wish you’d clean up the kitchen.
• Imperatives (commands)
• Clean up the kitchen.
• Do your homework!
• Sit down.
CONVENTIONALLY INDIRECT
STRATEGIES
• Use frequently expressions to downgrade the
request.
Ex. Suggestions:
• How about cleaning up?
• Why don’t you help with the cleaning up?
CONVENTIONALLY INDIRECT
STRATEGIES
• Grammatical downgrades
• Could you…?
• I wonder if you would mind…?
• Do you think I could…?
• It would really help if you…?
• Would you mind if I…?
• Would you be kind enough to…?
Self Assessment-3
• Use downgrades to request that someone does
the following action.
1. Help you carry a heavy item.
2. Remind you to bring your homework to class.
3. Go to the movies with a group.
4. Visit grandparents with you.
5. Allow you to go in front of them.
6. Give you something to drink.
CONVENTIONALLY INDIRECT
STRATEGIES
• Supportive moves
• Do me a favour
• Can you do me a favour? Would you lend
me 1,000 rupees?
• Explain
• I missed my bus. Could you give me a lift
home?
CONVENTIONALLY INDIRECT
STRATEGIES
• Supportive moves
• Check possibility
• Are you going towards the station? If
so, could I have a ride?
• Compliment
• You have beautiful handwriting. Could I borrow
your notes?
Self Assessment-4
• Use supportive moves to indirectly request that
someone do the following:
1. Lend you a pen.
2. Invite you to their house for dinner.
3. Play music for you.
4. Help you study for a test.
5. Help you decide what to wear to an event.
6. Accompany you to an event.
Requests
NON-CONVENTIONALLY INDIRECT
STRATEGIES
• Non-conventionally indirect strategies = Hints

• This is when there is a gap between the

speaker’s intended meaning and the literal
meaning.
NON-CONVENTIONALLY INDIRECT
STRATEGIES
• It’s cold in here.
• Meaning: Close the window
• Do you have any money with you?
• Meaning: Can I borrow some money?
• Do you know where the newspaper is?
• Meaning: Would you get the newspaper?
FACTORS AFFECTING REQUESTS
• Social and situational factors affecting how
requests are made:
• Social status
• Social distance
• Hearer’s obligation to carry out the request
• Right of the speaker to make the request
• Difficulty of completing the request
Self Assessment-5
• Use hints to request that someone do the
following:
1. Turn on the air conditioner.
2. Leave you alone.
3. Give you a ride.
4. Stay with you.
5. Write something for you.
6. Go to temple.
Self Assement-6 (Social factors)
How would you make the following requests politely to different audiences
in different situations?

Request: “Let me leave.”

• Situation 1: You are in a meeting with the CEO of
your company and you have to leave
(emergency).
• Situation 2: You are on a call with your best
friend, but suddenly remember an appointment
you have in 30 min.
• Situation 3: You are playing a game with friends
but it is getting late and you have a test in the
morning.
Self Assessment-5 (Social Factors)
• Request: “Come with me”
• Situation 1: You are taking care of a child and
need to take him with you on an outing.

• Situation 2: You are talking with your

mother/father and want them to join you on a
vacation.

• Situation 3: You are a department manager in

your company and need a co-worker to
accompany you to an important meeting.
OFFERS
• We use the following words to make offers.

Shall……..
Would…….
How about…….
 Look at the following Offers…..

 Shall I get you a cup of tea?

 Would you like to have a cup of tea?
 How about having a cup of tea?
 May I get you a cup of tea?
 Why don’t you have a cup of tea?
 How about a cup of tea?
 You drink Tea?
Study the Reply forms

A: Shall I get you a cup of tea?

B: Yes, please.

A: Would you like some more tea?

B: No, thanks.
 No, thanks. I’m
Yes, sure. full.

Would you
like to have a
cup of coffee?

No, I’d like to

have a cup of tea.
Self Assessment-6
Make offers
Some sugar
More milk
Coffee
A sandwich
A banana
Offers
Thank You