Common English Phrases in English - Common Phrases to Ask for Information

Hello students. Welcome back. Today’s lesson  is common English phrases. Today’s video is  

common English phrases to ask for information  and Common phrases to say I don’t know. 

Let’s start with phrases to ask for information.: Do you have any idea______? Do you happen to  

know _______? These phrases are similar and are  used if it’s possible the person you are asking  

doesn’t know the answer. For example, “do you have  any idea why the grocery store is closed today?”  

“Do you happen to know why the grocery  store is closed today?” Remember,  

these phrases are used when it’s possible the  person you’re asking doesn’t know the answer. 

Another common English phrase to ask for  information is: “Can you tell me____?”  

or “Could you tell me_____?” Here, “can  you tell me?” is a bit more informal  

than, “could you tell me?” For example, “Can  you tell me how to get to the bus station?”  

“Could you tell me how to get to the bus station?” 

The next phrase to ask for information  is “would you happen to know  

____?” The word happen in this question implies  there’s chance involved. Chance is a possibility.  

So, you are asking about the possibility of  the person knowing the answer. For example,  

“Would you happen to know where my keys are?” Now, let’s look at some common English  

phrases to say, “I don’t know with examples.” “I have no idea.” “I don’t have a clue.” A clue  

is a piece of information that can help lead to a  solution. These two phrases have the same meaning.  

Here’s an example. Do you happen to know why  

the grocery store is closed today? B: I have no idea why it’s closed. 

B: I don’t have a clue. The next phrase to say,  

“I don’t know” is “I can’t help you there.”  Or “I’m not really sure.” Here’s an example: 

A: Could you tell me how  to get to the bus station? 

B: I can’t help you there B: I’m not really sure. 

Let’s look at some other examples: A: Would you happen to know where my keys are? 

B: I have no idea where your keys are. A: Would you happen to know where my keys are? 

B: I don’t have a clue. 

Now you know a few common English  phrases to ask for information and  

common phrases to say I don’t know. I’ll see you in the next video