Polite & Formal
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Could you possibly…?
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Would you mind (doing)…?
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I was wondering if you could…
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I’d really appreciate it if you could…
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Would it be too much trouble to…?
Friendly & Neutral
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Can you do me a favour?
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Can I ask you a favour?
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Could you help me with…?
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Would you be able to…?
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Do you think you could…?
Casual
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Hey, can you give me a hand?
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Any chance you could…?
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Mind helping me out?
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Could you lend me a hand?
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Can you help me out with…?
Noelia: Paul, ____ _____ _____ ____ ______? I need a favour.
Paul: I'm ___ ____ ______, but sure, what ___ I help
you _____?
Noelia: So, you know the branding job for Active
Arctic?
Paul: Of course. It was so good to finally finish
that project. It went on and on and on …
Noelia: Yeah, so … look, I'm _____ ______ _____ _____,
but they want some more changes made.
Paul: Seriously? I've already rewritten that copy, I
don't know, like, 20 times?
Noelia: I know. I'm ____ _____. ____ you ____ _____
to work on it this afternoon?
Paul: Well, ____ _____ _____ _____ ____ _____ _____,
Noelia. I'm finishing the Moosh Monkey social media campaign and they're
expecting it by the end of the day.
Noelia: I'd forgotten about that. ___ _____ _____
_____ you could work late tonight?
Paul: Sorry, Noelia. I ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ ____
_____.
Noelia: ______?
Paul: I'm taking my niece to the cinema for her
birthday. It's been planned for ages.
Noelia: OK. Well, then ____ _____ _____ _____ _____
tomorrow? I'll make it up to you!
Paul: OK. How?
Noelia: _____ your _____.
Paul: An extra day's holiday?
Noelia: Can you get in for 5 a.m.?
Paul: 7 a.m.
Noelia: 6 a.m.
Paul: _____.
Role play
Role-Play: Asking for a Favour
Instructions
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Work in pairs – Student A and Student B.
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One person asks for a favour, the other responds.
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Use at least two different phrases from the “Useful Phrases” box.
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Swap roles after each scenario.
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Add polite thanks and responses.
Useful Phrases – Asking
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Could you possibly…?
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Would you mind…?
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I was wondering if you could…
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I’d really appreciate it if you could…
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Would it be too much trouble to…?
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Can you do me a favour?
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Can I ask you a favour?
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Could you help me with…?
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Any chance you could…?
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Could you lend me a hand?
Useful Phrases – Responding
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Sure, no problem.
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Of course.
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I’d be happy to.
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Sorry, I can’t right now.
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I’m afraid I’m busy, but maybe later.
Scenarios
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Moving furniture – You need help lifting a table into another room.
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Borrowing something – You want to borrow your friend’s laptop for a few hours.
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Giving a ride – You need a lift to the train station.
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Covering a shift – You ask your colleague to work for you on Friday.
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Helping with homework – You ask a classmate to explain a difficult exercise.
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Taking care of a pet – You need someone to feed your cat while you’re away.
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Shopping help – You ask a friend to go to the supermarket with you.
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Technology help – You want someone to help you set up your new phone.
Example
A: Can I ask you a favour?
B: Sure, what is it?
A: Would you mind helping me carry this box upstairs?
B: No problem. Where to?
Noelia: Hey, Paul, ____ ____ ____ a minute?
Paul: ____ on, _____.
Noelia: I've got a _____ _____ ____ ask you.
Paul: Right.
Noelia: So … _____ would you _____ about DJ___ at the office party next week?
Paul: Office party? I _____ usually ____ work parties.
Noelia: Oh, right. So where do you usually DJ ____?
Paul: No, I _____ I don't usually go to work parties, ____ ____ DJ at them.
Noelia: ____ on, I think you'd ____ brilliant ____ it!
Paul: Oh, I don't know …
Noelia: _____, I _______ usually ask, _____ you are the only DJ I know.
Paul: I'm not a very good one ______. My music taste is … quite strange. Everyone will probably hate it.
Noelia: Come on! These guys will dance to anything when they are at a party! Why don't you ____ ___ __ ___? You'll be great!
Paul: Urgh … I think I'm _______ busy that day anyway.
Noelia: Come on! There's ______ to ____!
Paul: _______ my reputation and credibility …
Noelia: Paul, you'd really ____ _____ me ____.
Paul: OK, I'll ____ _____ it.
Noelia: Great! Thanks, Paul!
Match the three stages of asking
for a favour with the phrases.
1. Set the Stage
2. Give a Reason
3. Provide an Escape Clause
A) “If you can’t help out, I
completely understand, but I thought I’d ask.”
B) “something really unexpected
has happened”
C) “I have a favour to ask you”
Consider the following:
A) Anthony, can you please cover
for me at the client dinner tonight, I’m not going to be able to break away
from the office?
B) Anthony, I have a favor to ask
you… by any chance could you cover for me at the client dinner tonight? I’m not
going to be able to break away from the office.
Quickly after making your request,
be sure to add the following:
I completely _________ if you
can’t make it; I _____ it’s a busy week for everyone.
I’d love an introduction to
Katherine, but if you don’t feel ________ passing along her information for any
reason that’s _____. I don’t _____ to create an uncomfortable situation for
you.
Role plays:
1. Your child refuses to tidy up
their room.
2. You need someone to give you a
ride to the airport at 4a.m.
3. You've got a heavy couch that
you need to move from one house to another. Your friend has a van.
4. You're going away for a week
and need someone to feed your cat.
5. You have a great neighbour and
you're good friends, but lately he's been using his barbeque every night and
the smoke comes into your house if you have the windows open.
6. Someone you know is starting a
new job at a company you want to work for. You've sent them your CV twice, but
they've never replied. You want to ask them to recommend you for an interview.
Here are ten ways of persuading (or forcing) someone to do you a special favour. Rank them from the most acceptable to the least acceptable method.
Flattery
Bribery
Threatening
Flirtation
Charm
Pleading
Begging
Demanding
Blackmail
A polite request
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Role plays:
Your child refuses to tidy up their room.
You need someone to give you a ride to the airport at 4a.m.
You've got a heavy couch that you need to move from one house to another. Your friend has a van.
You're going away for a week and need someone to feed your cat.
You have a great neighbour and you're good friends, but lately he's been using his barbeque every night and the smoke comes into your house if you have the windows open.
Someone you know is starting a new job at a company you want to work for. You've sent them your CV twice but they've never replied. You want to ask them to recommend you for an interview.
Asking for a favour which is granted
Peter: Hi Anna. I've got a f___ to ask. Would you m____ cooking dinner tonight? I'm kind of busy.
Anna: Sure, Peter. What w____ you like for dinner?
Peter: Could I tr____ you to make some pasta?
Anna: That s_____s good. Let's have pasta. Which type of sauce should I make?
Peter: W____ it be too m___ trouble to make a four cheese sauce?
Anna: No, that's easy. Yum. Good idea.
Peter: Thanks Anna. That really h__ps me out.
Anna: No pr_____.
Mark: Hey, could you please help me w____ the homework?
Susan: I'd be gl___ to help out. What s___s to be the problem?
Mark:: I don't get this equation. Would you ___d explaining it to me?
Susan: No pr____. It's difficult!
Mark: Yeah, I know. Thanks a lot.
Susan: Don't w____ about it.
Asking for a favour which is refused
Employee: Hello, Mr. Smith. C____ I ask you a question?
Boss: S__, w___ do you need?
Employee: Would it be t__ much trouble f__ you to l__ me come in at 10 tomorrow morning?
Boss: Oh, that's a little d_____.
Employee: Yes, I know it's last moment, b__ I have to go to the dentist.
Boss: I'm afraid I can't let you come in late tomorrow. We r____ need you at the meeting.
Employee: OK, I just th____ I'd ask. I'll get a different appointment.
Boss: Thanks, I appr____ it.
Brother: Hey. W____ you mind letting me watch my show?
Sister: Sorry, but I c___ do that.
Brother: Why n__?
Sister: I'm watching my favorite show now.
Brother: B___ I'm going to miss my favorite game show!
Sister: Watch it online. Don't bo___ me.
Brother: Could you pl____ watch your show online, it's a rerun!
Sister: Sorry, but I'm un____ to do that. You'll j___ have to watch it later.
Part 2 - Use your "Pākehā" Voice
Language:
to mute (turn the sound off)
you owe me (I'm doing you a favour)
Lickity-split (very quickly, very soon)
Pakeha (Non-Maori, usually English speaking, NZer)
all good (it's alright)
Watch and answer these questions:
1. What problem are the flatmates having?
2. What excuse does the person on the phone give for failing to activate the broadband?
3. What does Paul do for a living?
4. What is a Pakeha voice and why do you need to use it?
5. How does Joan manage to get Caleb to send someone over immediately?
6. What do Caleb and his friend say after the call is over?
Watch:
Get you a pakeha voice
Discuss:Why do we need to use different 'voices' for different situations?
Language focus: kiwi English / politeness and assertiveness / formal and casual1. Come on ____! This is the fourth time I've called and it's ____ _______ stupid!"
2. ___ ______ we failed to connect you ____, but _________ no one was home when we came to the _______.
3. Hi ______ Caleb ___ _____ _____? We're just having a little bit of a _____________ about our connection and I'm hoping that you could _____ us ____.
4. Yes, it ____ no one was home when we came to the address.
5. ____ and ____ both know that that's not true, and we ____ call on Wednesday, _____. So if we don't _____ this out now, I think you and I going to have a _____ ____ of a problem.
6. Well, ___ don't want that. So ____ about I put you on our priority list for an appointment.
7. Will tomorrow at 10am _____ for you?
8. No it ______ actually. I'm ______ that's not good enough.
9. How about I _____ ____ ________ with a technician and ____ someone out to your place, lickety-split - in the next, ___, 60 minutes?
10. That _____ be wonderful.
11. Once _____, thank you ___ much for your help, Caleb.
12. Hey ___ a problem. Sorry for ____ ______________.
Part 3 Advertising
We all know smoking harms us and others, but many do it anyway. There are lots of examples of this in a consumer society. List some others....
1. Who will notice this ad? What's their life situation?
2. What other things might be influencing their life choices?
3. What feelings are evoked through the ad? How does the ad try to speak to group of people it is targeting?
