Speaking: Functional Language A2
Making Simple Offers & Requests
Listen to the examples here.
Conversation Scenarios 🤝
Offering and asking for help are key social functions. Using polite language makes these interactions friendly. Click 🔊 to hear the lines.
Scenario 1: Offering Help
You see a friend carrying many heavy books.
Scenario 2: Requesting Help
You are having dinner with your family.
Your Functional Toolkit 🛠️ (Click 🔊)
Here are the key phrases you need to offer, request, and respond politely.
Making an Offer
- Would you like...? (Very Polite)
- Can I help you? (Standard)
- Do you want...? (Informal)
Making a Request
- Could you..., please? (Very Polite)
- Can you..., please? (Standard)
Responding
- Accepting offer: Yes, please. That's very kind of you.
- Refusing offer: No, thank you. I'm okay.
- Agreeing to request: Sure. / Of course. / No problem.
Grammar Focus: Who is Doing the Action?
This small difference between "I" and "you" is very important.
"Can I...?" = I do the action.
You use this to offer help or ask for permission for yourself.
- Can I help you? (I help you)
- Can I have the bill, please? (I receive the bill)
"Can you...?" = You do the action.
You use this to request help from someone else.
- Can you help me? (You help me)
- Can you pass the salt, please? (You pass the salt)
Tips for Sounding Polite
🗣️ Polite Intonation
Offers and requests often use a polite, rising intonation (↗) at the end to sound friendly, especially when asking yes/no style questions or making softer requests.
- "Would you like some help? ↗" — Sounds like a genuine offer.
- "Could you pass me the water, please? ↗" — Makes it a soft request, not a demand.
Statements usually have falling intonation (↘).
- "Nice to meet you. ↘"
Practice Your Skills 🎯
Activity 1: Offer or Request? (Self-Check)
Read the sentence. Is the speaker making an offer or a request? Click "Show Answer" to check.
- "Would you like a coffee?"
Show Answer
Offer
- "Can you open the window, please?"
Show Answer
Request
- "Let me help you with your bag."
Show Answer
Offer
- "Could you speak more slowly, please?"
Show Answer
Request
Activity 2: Role-Play a Situation
Work with a partner or practice alone. Read the situation and have a short conversation using the phrases you learned.
Situation: Student A is trying to reach a book on a high shelf but is too short. Student B sees this.
(Student B should make an offer of help. Student A should accept politely.)
Example Dialogue:
Student B: Excuse me, can I help you?
Student A: Oh, yes please. Could you get that book for me?
Student B: Sure, no problem. Here you are.
Student A: Thank you very much!
Key Vocabulary
- Offer To ask if someone wants help or wants something. (e.g., "Would you like some help?")
- Request To politely ask someone to do something for you. (e.g., "Could you pass the water, please?")
- Polite Having good manners; respectful.
- Intonation The rise and fall of the voice when speaking (the 'music').
- Respond To say something in reply.
- Accept To agree to receive something offered.
- Refuse To say that you do not want something offered.
Your Functional Mission ⭐
This week, your mission is to perform one offer and one request in English.
- Offer: Find a situation where you can offer help to someone. Use a phrase like, "Can I help you?" or "Would you like...?"
- Request: Politely ask someone to do something small for you. Use a phrase like, "Could you..., please?" or "Can you..., please?"