Lesson
Polite requests (basic)
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Remi
Essential request chunks for asking a colleague for help, requesting a file, checking availability, and expressing gratitude to lighten their load.
→ / ←
Could you help me with this?
Could you help me with this?
Can you send me the file?
Could you send me the file?
Do you have a minute?
Do you have a moment?
Thanks for your help.
Thank you for your help.
No rush.
It's not urgent. (You can take your time)
Adding 'No rush' after a request makes it sound much more polite and relieves the other person's burden.
When you get a chance, could you review it?
Could you review this when you have time?
Today's rule
- 1
Politeness in requests is adjusted with modals.
- 2
Can you < Could you < Would you.
- 3
Changing a command (Send me...
- 4
) to a question like 'Could you ~?
- 5
' makes it much more polite.
Key words
- minute — (A moment of) time, 1 minute
- file — File
- review — Review
- rush — Haste, urgency