u3-2 Could You Please ...

Could You Please ...?：how to ask for help politely，Good speakers change the way they speak in different situations.

Could You Please ...?

• visiting a foreign country, it is important to know how to ask for help politely
  • you may ask “Where are the restrooms?” or “Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?”
  • These are similar requests for directions. Both are correct, but the first one sounds less polite.
  • That is because it is a very direct question. It is not enough to just ask a question correctly.
  • We also need to learn how to be polite when we ask for help.
• Good speakers change the way they speak in different situations.
  • The expressions they use might ________whom they are speaking to or how well you know ______. . .
  • It is all right to ask your classmates _________ questions because you know them well
  • However, if you say to your teacher, “When is the school trip?”, this might sound __________
  • But if you say, “Excuse me, Mr. West. Do you know the school trip is?”, this will sound much____________.
• Usually polite questions are longe
  • They include expressions _______ “Could you please ...?” or “Can I ask ...?” It sounds more________ to say, “Peter, could you please tell me your e-mail address?” _________“Peter, tell me your e-mail address.”
  • Sometimes we even need to spend time ________ into a request._________, we might first say to a stranger, “Excuse me, I wonder if you can help me” or “I’m sorry to __________ you, but ...” before___________
• It might seem more difficult to speak politely than directly
  • it is important to learn how to use the_______language in ________ situations
  • This will also help you communicate better with other people.