hello everyone how are you today this is Marc I'm doing just great thanks for
asking I have three questions can I ask a question - could we just concentrate on
this lesson - and may I open the window it's really hot in here in this lesson we're
going to delve into making requests so stay tuned - so I need to start this
lesson by describing a modal verb well a modal verb is like an auxiliary verb if
you don't know what an auxiliary verb is there is a lesson on my playlist you can
click here to watch that lesson but a modal verb is like an
auxiliary verb that helps other verbs with their meanings we have can could
may might and so on you won't find a modal verb without a main verb we always
need a verb another verb with a modal verb to make a positive sentence we need
the subject plus the modal verb plus the base of the verb without to plus the
object so for example I can read a book so for a negative sentence we make the
same sentence the same example sentence but in the negative we need the subject
plus the modal verb plus not plus the base of the verb plus the object I can't
read a book in Russian for example I can't read a book in Russian for an
interrogative sentence we need the wh question word if there is who where how
etc plus the modal verb plus the subject plus the base of the verb and then
whatever is next can I help you can I help you
so for informal requests or to ask for permission we use can I or can we just
like my example can I ask a question can I ask a question this is a permission
I'm asking for a permission can we go out tonight this is informal obviously we're talking
about informal language so you can say this to a friend no can we go out
tonight you're asking for permission if you're asking something on behalf of
somebody else you can use he/she they of course so can she came
over can she come over or can they borrow your books can they borrow your
books now there is one thing that I want to tell you about can CAN is pronounced
in American English KAN in British English it's pronounced KAN for the
negative it can be confusing so for American English we prefer to say CANNOT
because CAN'T the T would be missing sometimes you know when you speak very
fast instead in British English is CAN'T so it's easily recognizable now let's
take a look at the second point that I wrote here and we use to sound more
polite obviously the modal verb changes here and it is COULD
could we concentrate on these lesson please I would always add please maybe
please sometimes it's not needed but mostly we use please
so to sound more formal could we concentrate on this lesson please
I would say these to my students for example or at a meeting at a business
meeting some people need to go out of a meeting and they say could we interrupt
for a second could we interrupt for it for a second
now the third point if you want to sound more persuasive you can use can't or
cannot in American English can't in British English and or couldn't so can't
we listen to some music or can't we listen to some music or with couldn't
couldn't we stay here for a bit couldn't we stay here for a bit
for example at a library you want to stay longer and people need to close it
for the day and you ask couldn't we stay here for a bit so the fourth point is
when to use may and might may and might are very very formal I gave you the
example may I open the window may I open the window this is the correct form but
now since language has changed we can say can I open the window with might
instead might is very very formal very very formal and you rarely find it in
questions but I gave you a question anyway and an example question it will
be might I speak to the manager please might I speak to the manager please now
I'm going to erase this and I'm going to look at two other points on making
requests yes we're back with the other two points and the fifth point that I
want to talk about it's that another way to make that request more
polite is to add perhaps or possibly after the subject just like my examples
could we possibly watch TV now could we possibly watch TV now and so possibly
makes the question or the request more polite so the other example may I perhaps
speak to you a minute please may I perhaps and here perhaps makes the requests
more polite speak to you a minute please so for the last point is that to make a
request indirectly so without making a direct question we can use would like or
should like in affirmative sentences just like my two examples I would like
to ask you a question I would like to ask you a question if
you wish to watch a lesson on WOULD you may click here or we can say we should
like the roast beef for our main dish we are at a restaurant and so we ask for
the roast beef right and so we can say we should like the roast beef for our
main dish this is very formal ok - so it depends when and how you want to use it
so if you like to watch a lesson on should you may click here so if you have
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