Using an indirect question is one great way to do this. Asking to do things – asking for permission. I use this expression all the time.Can you give me a hand for a minute? Using questionsmakes you sound nicer and more considerate (thoughtful and nice). Depending on the intonation of the voice, they are used to verify information that we think is correct or to ask for more information. We must avoid being too direct. They won't attend this class, _____ they? Otherwise, use a question word "where, when, why, or how" to connect the two phrases. Not to worry, I have addressed this in a post titled, How to Answer Tag Questions. Usually it’s used when what you’re asking doesn’t require a huge amount of effort from the person that you’re asking for help. This may sound awkward but it is true. Introductory phrase + question word (or "if") + positive sentence. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Instead of telling people to help you with tasks, you can turn your statement into a question. One form to avoid when asking for things is the imperative form. I promise to keep it brief. Are you working this weekend? When you ask a direct question, you ask directly, or simply, for exactly what you need. I’m a longtime admirer of your work and have the greatest respect for your filmmaking expertise. Get our special offer before it runs out! Subject + Helping verb + Objects + , + Opposite Helping Verb + Subject? Your email address will not be published. This is another really common way to ask for help in English. Direct questions are either yes/no questions such as "Are you married?" Can I use your phone? One form to avoid when asking for things is the imperative form. Indirect questions always begin with an introductory phrase and unlike direct questions, they do not invert the subject. Don’t make the mistake of saying “I want” when you ask people for things in English. Each of these three question types can be used politely, but certain indirect forms are more formal and polite than other types of questions. Asking questions in English – indirect questions Indirect questions are also used to try to get information. Here are some more examples in different contexts with different tenses.Can you give me a hand with these … Direct and indirect questions are used to ask for information you do not know, while question tags are generally used to clarify or confirm the information you think you know. Sign up to join this community. It only takes a minute to sign up. Jane opened the door.Who opened the door? To learn more about how to ask polite questions, and use each form … ______ me, what time does the train leave? I wonder ______ you like chocolate or not. Could you lend me a hand?It’s a casual, relaxed way to ask for help. Introductory Phrase + Question Word/"If"/"Whether" + Subject + Helping Verb + Main Verb? Where is the bus stop? I would love to ask you a few questions about how you financed your first film. Asking for information can be as simple as asking for the time, or as complicated as asking for details about a complicated process.In both cases, it's important to use the appropriate form for the situation. They greet their teacher.Who do they greet? Which would be a direct way of asking a question and can be interpreted as being rude or arrogant. It only takes a minute to sign up. The questions ‘do you mind’ or ‘do you care’ usually cause a lot of confusion for many English as a Second language users. Direct questions are fine when you are talking to your friends or family. There are many different ways of making polite requests in English. Do well to check it out and share. Especially since English doesn’t have a formal “you” form like many other languages. Are you looking for a professional, native English teacher online? Even if you need something done right away, making it a question will make the other person more willing to help. Do you mind repeating that? Asking a Quick Question . Paul Randal August 11, 2014 This post is a much-expanded version of the editorial in my last bi-weekly SQLskills Insider newsletter, including a bunch of the feedback I got. But in order to make questions more polite, change “can” to “could” and you sound like a “native”! How to ask questions politely using could, would and may. If you haven’t expected this, you can “play for time” – say something to give you time to think. etc.] Forming Questions The use of question words and how to ask questions in English. Pardon? What you can do is, simply say: Simply say: Could you please spell your name? Remember, complete silence makes the other person feel uneasy! “Can you show me,” “Can I have,” “Can I sit”, etc. In the United Kingdom, the word is not frowned upon. Anybody can ask a question Anybody can answer The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Home Questions Tags Users Unanswered Politely ask someone not to do something. Write down five open and five closed direct questions. The first part uses the subject followed by a helping verb as used in direct questions ("Has she"). Connect the two phrases with the question word or 'if' in the case the question is a yes/no question. Question tags turn statements into questions. - English Only forum had politely done - English Only forum He was not speaking politely so I have just hung up the phone on him - English Only forum how can I express my meaning politely and correctly? JamesESL English Lessons ... Business English - Complaining & Disagreeing Politely and Effectively - Duration: 7:22. Sorry. Start studying How to Politely Ask a Favor in English. Excuse me? However, we use indirect questions if we want to ask a more personal or formal question. … It’s also possible to use ‘can’ in informal situations. When we want to be more polite we often use indirect question forms. The second part uses the opposite form of the helping verb followed by the same subject ("Hasn't she"). Have you ever wondered how you can politely ask a question in English? If you don't want to sound rude when speaking English, then you need to know how to make a request in a polite way.Requests in English are usually made in the form of questions So you might wonder, how should you ask your boss for a day off? In both countries, questions with "can" are made more polite by using "could:". . They are in fact quite rude. This makes you look rude, and they will be less likely to want to help you! Indirect questions are more polite than direct questions. "Would" can also be used to make questions more polite: Another way of making direct questions more polite is to add "please" at the end of the question. To learn more about how to ask polite questions, and use each form correctly, check out the overview below. What time is it? My schedule is wide open all day Thursday and Friday if you have availability then. Daily grammar lesson with Elo Kasia. Ask a question or clarify something; Join a conversation or express your opinion on the topic; The key is knowing how to interrupt someone politely. Where are you? Say something like “Oh”, “Ah”, “Um”, or “Er” to give you a second or two to formulate an answer. Choose from more than 400 teachers to work on your business English or to pass your next big exam. Instead of saying to someone: Can you spell your name? How to Politely Ask Someone to Repeat Something in english; Would you mind repeating that? Basic Conversations for English Language Learners, English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert, Key Words That Make Direct Questions More Polite, Asking Indirect Questions to Be Especially Polite, Workplace Communication Skills for ESL Learners, Rhetorical Questions for English Learners, Ask Questions in English Class to Help You Learn, Phrases for Performing Well in Business Meetings, ESL: How to Ask for, Grant and Refuse Permission, Giving and Requesting Personal Information, Check Your Knowledge: Basic English Questions, Check Your Knowledge: Introductions and Greetings, Check Your Knowledge: "How Much" and "How Many", Check Your Knowledge: Eating at a Restaurant, Check Your Knowledge: Going to the Doctor, M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music, B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music. Saying "Give me that" (imperative) instead of "Could you give me that" (indirect) puts you at risk of sounding rude. Asking for directions is the first thing we do when we arrive to a different country, or even when we are just trying to find a place. For example, if you come up to someone and ask: There is nothing wrong with asking questions in this manner, but to sound more polite, it's very common to add "excuse me" or "pardon me" at the beginning of a question. or information questions such as "Where do you live?" Are we done? How should you ask a stranger where the nearest bus stop is? For example, when asking for information from a friend, use a more informal or colloquial form. Especially since English doesn’t have a formal “you” form like many other languages. And they are also … Excuse me, _____ you help me with my homework? Here are examples of being too direct: “I want help.” “Pass me the salt.” “Can you carry my bag?” These questions are all correct English but they are too direct. Excuse me, do you know _____ the next show begins. Luckily, Canadians are … Continue reading "10 Tips on How to Ask for Directions in English" All we do is replace CAN with COULD. There are several reasons your recipient might delay in replying your email or neglect your email totally, forcing you to deliberately ask for a reply in a formal email. Your Relationship with the Recipient . (Also see my corollary post How to answer questions politely and correctly.) The difference between practice and practise, “a little” and “a few ” to describe quantity, Difference between “finally”, “at last”, “lastly” and “in the end”, Maths symbols and operations – English vocabulary, BACK as a noun, verb, adjective and adverb, IELTS complete guide (WITH EXAMPLE QUESTIONS). Expression for asking personal question politely [Excuse my asking, but.. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. How to Ask Politely. English Grammar - How to ask questions - Duration: 19:03. . There are three types of questions in English: direct, indirect, and question tags. Each of these three question types can be used politely, but certain indirect forms are more formal and polite than other types of questions. How to ask questions politely using could, would and may How to ask questions politely using could, would and may? Direct questions place the helping verb before the subject of the question: (Question word) + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Objects ? Privacy Policy. Using an indirect question is one great way to do this. How should you ask a stranger where the nearest bus stop is? To help you do that, I want to share essential tips and common phrases we use in English. If the voice goes up at the end of the sentence, the person is asking for more information. Get a native English teacher online in seconds at italki. Each of these three question types can be used politely, but certain indirect forms are more formal and polite than other types of questions. If the voice drops, someone is confirming information that is known. Saying "Give me that" (imperative) instead of "Could you give me that" (indirect) puts you at risk of sounding rude. - English Only forum How to ask someone politely to send me something a.s.a.p. No matter what the situation, these short phrases allow for brief questions during a conversation. Expression for asking personal question politely [Excuse my asking, but.. Requests - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Saying "Give me that" (imperative) instead of "Could you give me that" (indirect) puts you at risk of sounding rude. Consider the following important points carefully. Who - asking for a person and animal: object: do, does, did. Would you be game for a 15–20 minute phone call next week? How to ask questions politely and correctly. One form to avoid when asking for things is the imperative form. Tom helped in the garden.Who helped in the garden? Sometimes it is necessary to pause a conversation to ask a clarifying question. - English Only forum How to ask someone politely to send me something a.s.a.p. People will be offended because they will … So, even if your English is at a beginner’s level, using these simple words can help you sound more polite. Direct questions ask for information immediately without including extra language such as "I wonder" or "Can you tell me.". Can you spell your name? It is usually used with "I," and sometimes "we.". Asking Questions in Different Ways. Being polite is an important part of learning how to speak English naturally and there are many ways of making our questions more polite. There are even times when you might need to stop a speaker to ask a question that is not related to the topic of conversation. Next, provide a missing word to fill in the gap to complete the question. Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. These are not polite requests. When you ask somebody like that in a direct manner. Indirect questions can start with introductory phrases such as these: Can you tell me . For example: In informal situations, one could use the word "can" in a direct sentence. They are examples of formal English. Knowing how to ask for them can make our life so much easier! direct, indirect, or question tag). So you might wonder, how should you ask your boss for a day off? We can understand question tags as having two parts separated by a comma. Where’s the bathroom? Direct questions can seem abrupt or even impolite at times, especially when asked by a stranger. Have you ever wondered how you can politely ask a question in English? How much does that book cost? Reasons To Politely Ask for a Reply in a Formal Email. In the United States, "can" is considered to be incorrect for written English in particular because, in the past, it was not a word used when asking for something. Do you know how long Mark _____ been working for that company? Sign up to join this community. Ask Question … Anybody can ask a question Anybody can answer The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Home ; Questions ; Tags ; Users ; Unanswered ; How do I ask a question politely? etc.] The way we ask for directions may affect the answer we get. To form an indirect question, use an introductory phrase followed by question words for information questions, and "if" or "whether" for yes/no questions. Lindsay and Michelle recommend italki as our #1 English-learning solution online. Could You Possibly/Is There Any Way You Could Using indirect question forms is especially polite. You ask for something, then the person you have asked needs more information. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. Please should not appear at the beginning of the question: "May" is used as a formal means to ask for permission and is very polite. First, identify which type of question is asked (i.e. Instead, here are some better, more polite ways to ask for things. They ask the same as direct questions but are considered more formal. A request is when we ask someone for something. In this spoken English lesson, you will learn several methods to make polite requests and ask questions. In the video below, you can also check out ways to reply when people ask you what you want. Say: Can you finish the presentation? Instead of: Finish the presentation. NOTE: If you are asking a "yes-no" question, use "if" to connect the introductory phrase with the actual question statement. Indirect questions request the same information as direct questions, but they are considered more formal. - English Only forum had politely done - English Only forum He was not speaking politely so I have just hung up the phone on him - English Only forum how can I express my meaning politely and correctly? Notice that indirect questions begin with a phrase ("I wonder," "Do you think," "Would you mind," etc.). He or she asks you a question. Who - asking for a person and animal: subject: no do, does, did. Cambridge University publishes English teaching materials with the phrase "Can you lend me," "Can I have," etc. Saying "May I have" instead of "Can I have" is preferred in the U.S. Since we are asking someone for help, it is important to be polite. Use the three part formula to change them into indirect questions When you finish, check that the final part … Make sure that you’re giving the other person the chance to say no. When using an indirect question, use an introductory phrase followed by the question itself in positive sentence structure.