REAL LIFE ENGLISH | English Phrases for Polite Conversations | Speak English Like A Native

Hi there, This is Harry, and welcome back  to Advanced English Lessons with Harry,  

where we tried to help you to get a better  understanding of the English language,  

to help you with your grammar, vocabulary,

Use of expressions, phrasal verbs, idiomatic  expressions, whatever it is, or if it's just

simply to improve your conversation  English or business English. You  

know where to come. We know where we  are. And if you have any questions,  

any issues, then you can contact  me. www.englishlessonviaskype com.

So in this particular lesson, this advanced  lesson, we're looking at ways to say things  

politely, how to ask for something politely  in English, so advanced ways in which you can  

ask for something politely in English.  So I'll give you the particular way in  

which you can ask politely and I'll  give you an example of how to use it.

So let's get started.

First, can you? So we can use  this way for lots of ways.

Can you get me a new plates or a sitting in  

a restaurant? And the plates  in front of you is dirty. So

rather than just, sticking  your hand up and waving to the

waiter or the waitress,

when they come past you, you might say, Sorry, can  you please get me a clean plate or can you please

get me a knife and fork or a spoon.  So can you. And you can use that in  

a polite way. And a lot of it  has to do with the intonation  

also in your voice. Can you please  I'm sorry to ask. Can you please.

Would you kindly pass me the salt? Would you  kindly bring me a glass of water? So would you.  

Would you kindly. Would you kindly pass me the  salt? Would you kindly bring me a bottle of water?

Would you mind telling me  where the nearest bank is?

Would you mind if I asked  you a question? So again,  

we're being very, very polite in the  way we can bring these situations up.

Number three. Do you think you could.

Do you think you could make the meeting a little  

earlier? Because I have to leave  to pick my children up from school.

Do you think you could copy those slides  to me later? I would really appreciate it.

Do you think you could drop me to  the train station on your way home?  

My car's in the garage and I need to get that that  

train at 6:00. Otherwise I'm going  to be late. Do you think you could.

Number four, would you consider  cancelling or postponing the  

launch for another few days until  I'm able to finish that research?

Would you consider would you consider inviting

spouses to the party as well. I think that  people would really appreciate it if that  

partners were invited to the party also. Would  you consider. So not I want or I need or you  

should. So we're just trying to be a little  bit more polite. So. Would you consider.

Number five. I wonder or I was wondering, you  can use either way a wonder. I was wondering if  

you could cancel the meeting on Friday or bring  it forward to Thursday because I've got a day  

off on Friday or I'm hoping to have a day off  on Friday. So I was wondering if we could. Or

I wonder if we could postpone  the meeting until next week.

I'll be away for the weekend and  I don't really want to miss the  

meeting and I don't think I'd have the  time to prepare everything in advance.  

So if we could postpone the meeting  until next week, it would really,  

really help me. So I was wondering if or I  wonder if so both of them are useful. Okay,

Number six, we can say you couldn't do something,  could you? So you couldn't. And then let me give  

you that in between. That's the beginning  of it is you couldn't. And the ending is,  

could you? You couldn't pass me the salt, could  you? You couldn't get me a seat at the window,  

could you? You couldn't drop into my  office on your way to lunch, could you?

So the beginning, nice and polite. You  couldn't. And the ending just as polite,  

could you? You couldn't drop into  my office on your way to lunch,  

could you? I have a few things  I'd like to discuss with you.

And if you do like this particular lesson,  

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Number seven. Now, here, we just have to be  careful that we're how we use the verb after  

this. Do you mind sending me a message when you  get there? So you might say that to your children,  

or you might say to your spouse. Do you  mind sending me a message when you get  

there? Do you mind calling me later  to re to remind me about the meeting?

Do you mind sending me a

message by WhatsApp so that I don't  forget? So do you mind sending? Do  

you mind calling? So it's always do  you mind? Plus the verb using the -ing

Or would you mind dropping me off  at the railway station on your way  

home? Would you mind calling down  to my office on your way to lunch?

Would you mind cancelling the meeting?

Would you mind arranging that

dental appointment for tomorrow,  not for today. So all of those.  

Would you mind? And it's followed  by the verb, but using -ing. So

would you mind cancelling? Would you mind  calling? Would you mind removing? Would  

you mind changing all of that? Would you  mind followed by a verb but with that -ing.

Number nine. Could you could you please  tell me the time? Could you please direct  

me to the nearest police station? Could  you please show me where the hotel is?

Could you please tell me what time dinner is  served? So very, very simple. Very simple way,  

but very polite way of asking somebody  in English for something very polite and  

it almost guarantee that somebody  will help you and will assist you.

And number ten, Would it be okay  

if. So, would it be okay if I left the office a  little earlier? Would it be okay if I asked you  

to complete that report by lunchtime tomorrow?  Would it be okay if you could drop the kids  

off to school on your way to work? I'm busy.  Would it be okay if we got a takeaway tonight?

I'm absolutely exhausted, and I don't  have time to go to the supermarket,  

so lots of ways in which we can  be very friendly, very polite,  

and almost certain guaranteed that we  get a nice, polite, friendly response.

Now, there are lots of answers that  people can give when you're being

friendly and polite. So, for example,

when we want to say a yes answer. So  somebody if you ask for something,  

you know, could you drop me off at the railway  station? Not at all. So that means. Yes,  

not at all. So be careful here. It sounds  negative, but it's actually a positive.

Would you mind cancelling the meeting?

Not at all. Don't worry. It's not so  important. We don't have to have it  

on Friday. We can have it on Monday or  even Tuesday, if you prefer. So not at  

all. Or simply which people use a lot these  days. No problem. Now, can we postpone the  

meeting until the afternoon? No problem.  Can you call up the dentist and put my.

appointment back for a couple of days?

No problem.

Or a little bit more former.  I'd be glad to. I'd be happy to.  

Okay, so no problem. Not at all. I'd  be glad to. I'd be happy to. Or really  

formal. My pleasure. Yeah. So when somebody  says, you're really, really great. Thanks for

putting the meeting back. My pleasure. I'm  happy to help. My pleasure. So nice positive

‘yes’ responses to people's polite  requests for something. So. Not at  

all. No problem. I'd be glad to. I'd be happy to.  My pleasure. So some former. Some less former.

And then possible no

Answers and these might be given with a reason.

So, for example, if you are asking  the boss, could you please postpone  

that meeting until Monday? Look, I'm  sorry, I would really like to help you,  

but, you know, my boss coming as well.  And, you know, he's a really busy guy,  

and this is the only time that suits him. So  I'll get somebody to copy you with the minutes.

So I'm sorry, but.

Or I would love to drop you to the station, but  I'm actually not going home tonight. I've got  

a meeting in town, so I won't be going home to  too much later. But Mike, he's going that way.  

I know he goes that way every evening, so why  don't you ask him? I would love to, but. Yeah.

I'm sorry

I can't because. So, you know, you  your partner asked you to drop the  

kids off at school on your way  to work. You said, I'm sorry,  

but I can't because I have to go in really  early this morning. The boss is call called  

an emergency meeting to do with that new  marketing plan. And I really have to be there.

Yeah, so. And I can do it tomorrow,  but not today. So I'm sorry,  

but I can't because. So you're all the  time giving a negative answer. A no,  

but you're giving a reason why.  So it’s not just simply no.

Okay. So it's equally as polite  and equally as important to be  

polite with the answer as it is with the question.

So if you have to say no, give a reason why  you have to say no. And if you are saying yes,  

well, of course that is in itself  much better because people like to  

get a yes response. But you can  say it in different ways, like,  

No, not at all. And that's that is  positive. Not add up? No, not at all.

No problem. I'd be glad to obey. Happy to.  My pleasure. But if you do have to say no,  

then please try to give a reason why. I'm sorry,  

but I can't postpone the meeting because  my boss is coming as well. I would love to

drop you off at the station, but I'm not going  

that way this evening. I've actually  got a meeting in the city centre. Or

I'm sorry I can't drop the kids  to school this morning because  

the boss has called a really early  meeting. But I can do it tomorrow. No,  

no problems. Okay, So all ways  in which you can be polite to

ask somebody for something and then you can be a  bit polite in the way you answer either yes or no.

Okay. So try to practice those. Try  to use them in your speech is not so  

difficult. Indirect and direct questions are  a tricky area, but particularly in British,  

English. British native people are usually  a little bit more reserved and therefore  

less direct and less indirect. So if you ask  indirect questions, they will come across much,  

much more polite and much more likely to get the  sort of answer and the help that you want to get.

Okay, So that's the end of this particular  lesson. I hope you've enjoyed it. If you  

need to contact me, then you can do so  on www.englishlessonviaskype.com. Make  

sure you watch out for the next lesson. Thanks  for listening to this one. Join me again soon.