How to ask someone to do something

1. It would be great if you could... + infinitive (without to)

clean your desk
do your work
try my idea
2. I'd really appreciate it if... + you could/would + infinitive (without to)
you could keep your desk tidy
you would not eat at your desk
you could be quiet
3. Would you mind... + verb+ing?
helping me
clearing up
answering the phone
How to ask someone to stop doing something
1. It would be great if you could stop... + verb+ing
eating at your desk
dropping food on the floor
talking so loudly
2. I'd really appreciate it if you would stop... + verb+ing
smoking in the toilets
using Facebook at work
answering your phone in meetings

Session Vocabulary

hot desking
working at any available desk in the office

a trial period
an amount of time to try out an idea

to lead by example
to behave in a way that you would expect others to
ground rules
the basic rules that everyone needs to follow
unstuck
doesn't work/fails

Session Vocabulary

open-plan offices
offices that have large rooms with few or no dividing walls to make smaller
rooms

collaborate
work together
downside
disadvantage
disruptive
causing trouble so that others cannot continue what they are doing
abused
treated badly
draw
attraction that lots of people are interested in
get away with
escape punishment for
for the time being
now; at the moment
gripes
complaints
personal hygiene
keeping your body clean

etiquette
a set of rules that control behaviour in certain situations and by certain groups
air your grievances
tell people about your complaints
inane
stupid and boring
irrelevant
not important
maintain
keep
dignity
state of keeping your respect
influence
affect
alternative
other option
Summary meaning and use
Might, may and could used for what we think was possible in the present or
past.

There might / may/ could be life forms on Mars.

NASA says it may / might / could have been suitable for life in the past.

Might not (mightnt) and may not - used for talking about negative possibility in
the present or past.

Their information might not/may not be correct.

They mightnt have got correct data.

Couldnt used for something that is completely impossible.

Other scientists say that there couldnt be life on Mars.

The gas couldnt be coming from living organisms.

Must and can't used for strong beliefs.

Oh, it cant be true! (I believe strongly that it isnt true)

There must be another explanation. (I believe theres another explanation)

They must have made a mistake! (I believe they have made a mistake)

Form
Present positive
The present positive is might / may / could / must + the infinitive of the verb be or
another verb. Or the continuous be + verb-ing.

The information might be correct.

They must know that it isnt possible.

Bacteria-like organisms could be producing the gas.

Present negative
The present negative is might not / mightnt / may not / cant / couldnt + the
infinitive of the verb be or another verb. Or the continuous be + verb-ing.

Their information may not be correct.

They cant have got the correct data.

The gas couldnt be coming from living organisms.

Past positive
The past positive is might / may / could / must + have + been or the past
participle of another verb. Or the continuous been + verb-ing.

There must have been water on Mars in the past.

Something might have existed there.

Who knows what could have been living in that lake?

Past negative
The past negative is might not / mightnt / may not / cant /
couldnt + have + been or the past participle of another verb. Or the
continuous been + verb-ing.

There may not have been anything in the lake.

Scientists cant have found anything definite.

They mightnt have been looking in the right area.

Session Vocabulary

species
a group of animals or plants that are similar to each other

spotted
saw after looking hard
dating
finding out the age of
volcanic ash
the powder left after rock and gasses are forced out of a mountain
estimated
guessed; calculated
monumental
(here) very large amount of time
fossils
bones preserved in rock for a long time
smart
(here) intelligent
game-changing
having a big effect

crumbs
very small pieces of food from bread or biscuits
insulting
rude
suspicious
makes you think something bad or wrong is happening
delicious
very tasty

Could not have - Couldn't've

Might not have - Mightn't've (Mightentov
Must not have - Mustn't've
Cannot have - Can't've (cantiv)
I would have - I'd've
You would have - You'd've
He would have - He'd've
She would have - She'd've
We would have - We'd've
They would have - They'd've

confession
admitting you have done something wrong
lure
to tempt someone to go to a place they may not wish to go
wreck
a ship that is destroyed at sea
tobacco
substance smoked in cigarettes or pipes
guineas
money used in Britain in the past. A guinea was a pound and five pence

soaked
very wet
foolish
not sensible
carriage
a vehicle used to carry people in the past with four wheels and pulled by horses
wrecker
person who makes a ship crash onto rocks in order to steal the goods it's carrying
cargo
goods
inform
to give information about a person who has done something wrong