Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:04
Emily: It looks a bit complex,
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you could take some out
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Claire: "You could..."
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that sounds like a suggestion.
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Well, let's see if that's what Emily meant.
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00:18
Emily: Have you finished that app design?
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00:21
Mark: I've just been putting some more features in it
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It's got 200 now.
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00:25
Emily: Hmmm. It looks a bit complex.
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You could take some out.
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00:31
Mark: I suppose but...
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00:33
I quite like it like this.
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00:36
Emily: If you'd like to ask the team
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they might be able to help..
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00:40
Mark: I'm not really sure I would like to
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ask them to be honest.
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Emily: You might want to look at it again
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before we show the director.
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00:51
Emily: Ok, are you ready
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to show it to the director?
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Did you take out some of the features like I asked?
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00:57
Mark: No actually. I've put a few more in there.
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It's got 250 now.
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01:01
Emily: Weren't you listening?
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01:03
Didn't I tell you to make it simpler?
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01:07
Mark: You said I could. But I didn't want to,
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so I didn't.
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Emily: The director's just going to laugh at this.
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01:12
I know this business.
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01:14
You really need to listen to me.
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01:16
Mark: But...
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01:22
Claire: Ouch, you don't look happy.
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01:25
Mark: I just don't get it.
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01:27
Emily made some suggestions,
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and fine, I didn't agree with them,
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but now she's acting as though they were orders.
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01:34
Claire: Ah, well you see...
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01:36
Sometimes we word things as suggestions,
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when we mean them as instructions.
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It's a way of being polite.
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It can be tricky to spot these instructions.
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The expressions that Emily used all had modal verbs
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that we usually use for suggestions.
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We had could, if you'd like to,
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and you might want to.
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What you have to do is think about the context.
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02:03
If it's someone who often gives you instructions
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like your manager,
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then you might want to double check
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whether they are just making suggestions
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or actually telling you what they want you to do.
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They are quite common in a lot of work situations
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and you'll see some more
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at the end of the programme.
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02:23
Mark: Thanks, I feel as though I want to go back
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and try that again with Emily.
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02:29
Mark: I've just been putting some more features
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on that app.
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02:32
It's got 200 now.
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02:35
Emily: Hmmm. It looks a bit complex
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02:38
you could take some out.
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02:41
Mark: Now, you said could.
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Do I have a choice or do you need me to do that?
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02:46
Emily: Good questions
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02:48
I need you to do that.
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02:50
If you'd like you could ask the team,
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they can help you.
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02:53
Mark: If I'd like to?
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Emily: I did it again didn't I?
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Yes, I need you to do that as well.
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