MEETING 3

MAKING REQUESTS AND COMMANDS

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this chapter, the students will learn about making requests and
commands. By the end of the chapter, the students are expected to be able to:
1.1. Understand how to make requests.
1.2. Understand how to make commands.

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
1.1. Making request
Making a request can be defined as the polite way of asking someone
to do something or asking permission. As cultured people, we should
learn how to make proper requests.
a. Making requests to ask someone to do something
The modals “could” and “would” are often found in request
sentences. Please remember that although both of them are past
forms of “can” and “will”, they do not indicate the past time or the
events when they are used as request sentences. The structure of
the request can be regarded as in following patterns.
Could you please + Verb _____________ ?
Would you mind + Verb + ing ___________?
Would you be so kind as to + Verb ________?
I was wondering if you could + Verb _________ ?

Responses of requests can be either consenting (yes) or refusing

(no). Look at the examples below and notice how the requests are
made with proper responses.
Requests with Consenting Responses

• Could you please type this letter for me? Of course.

• Would you mind typing this letter for me? Of course not.
 • Would you be so kind as to type this letter for me? Certainly.
I’d be glad to.
• I was wondering if you could type this letter for me?
Certainly.

Requests with Refusing Responses

• Could you please type this letter for me? I am afraid not.
• Would you mind typing this letter for me? I am afraid I do.
• Would you be so kind as to type this letter for me? I’d love
to, but I’m terribly busy.
• I was wondering if you could type this letter for me?
Certainly.

In daily conversation, various expressions have been found and all

of them are considered as various forms of requests. Here are some
examples:
• Please get this finished for me?
• Would you please get this finished for me?
• Get this finished for me, will you?
• Will you get this finished for me, please?

b. Making requests to ask permission

May I and Could I are used to request permission. They are equally
polite. You have to remember that COULD in a polite request has a
present or future meaning, not a past meaning.
Examples:
• May I (please) borrow your pen? (Using ‘please” is optional)
• Could I borrow your pen (please)?
• Might I borrow your pen?
Might I is also possible but might I is quite formal and polite. It is
used much less frequently than may I or could I.
Can I is used informally to request permission, especially if the
speaker is talking to someone s/he knows fairly well. Can I is usually
considered as little less polite than may I or could I.
Example:
Can I borrow your pen?

TYPICAL RESPONSES
The following are typical responses to a polite request:
• Certainly. Yes, certainly.
• Of course. Yes, of course.
• Sure. (informal)

Examples:
A: May I borrow your pen?
B: Yes, certainly.

A: Could I borrow your pen?

B: Of course.

A: Can I borrow your pen?

B: Sure.

Often the response to a polite request is an action, such as a nod or

shake of the head, or a simple “uh-huh.”

Would you mind if I is followed by the simple past. It is used to ask

permission. The simple past does not refer to past time after would
you mind if I; it refers to present or future time.
Examples:
• Would you mind if I closed the window?
• Would you mind if I used the phone?
Sometimes, in formal spoken English, the simple present is used.
Example:
 • Would you mind if I close the door?

TYPICAL RESPONSES
• No, not at all/ Of course not
• No, that would be fine.

1.2. Making commands

Making a command is a way of telling someone to do something or to
behave the way you expect. The person who makes the command must
have authority over the hearer. Moreover, the “commander” is likely to
expect the hearer to behave as he/she orders. On the contrary to
requests, the hearer has an alternative either to accept or refuse the
requests.
There are two types of command: positive and negative. Command
sentences begins with an infinitive without “TO”. The subject of the
command sentence is being understood as the pronoun “YOU”. For
negative commands, the command sentence begins with “DON’T” and
must be preceded the infinitive without “TO”. Look at the following
examples:
a. Tom commands Bob to shut the door.
Tom: Shut the door.
Mike: Yes, certainly.
b. The mother commands the girl to follow her.
Mother: Follow me.
Girl: Yes, of course.
c. Bob commands Mike to be quiet.
Bob: Be quiet. I want to listen to the radio.
Mike: Why should I?
d. Nancy commands Judy to stop making noises.
Nancy: Stop making noises. I need to concentrate.
Judy: I don’t know how to.
e. The nurse commands the boy to keep quiet.
Nurse: Keep quiet when you are in the hospital premises.
 Boy: I’d love to, but I’ve lost my father.
f. The husband commands his wife not to worry about him.
Husband: Don’t worry about me.
Wife: I’m afraid I can’t.
g. The wife commands her husband not to forget his wallet.
Wife: Don’t forget your wallet.
Husband: Yes, of course.

C. EXERCISE
1.1. Exercise 1:
Instructions: Complete the conversations below by making polite
requests.
Example:
A: I am going to supermarket:
B: Could you please buy some milk?

a. A: I’m going to coffee shop.

B: ________________________________________
b. A: I’m going to the library.
B: ________________________________________
c. A: I’m going to our English class.
B: ________________________________________
d. A: I’m going to the kitchen.
B: ________________________________________
e. A: I’m going to London.
B: ________________________________________
f. A: I’m going to the vegetable market.
B: ________________________________________
g. A: I’m going to McDonald’s.
B: ________________________________________
h. A: I’m going to McDonald’s.
B: ________________________________________
i. A: I’m going to a pet shop.
 B: ________________________________________
j. A: I’m going home.
B: ________________________________________

1.2. Exercise 2:
Instructions: Use polite phrases to ask permission from the situations
(a-j) below.
Example:
Ask your friend for permission to close the window.
Would you mind if I closed the window?

a. Ask your teacher for permission to leave the room.

________________________________________
b. Ask your mother for permission to go to the party tonight.
________________________________________
c. Ask your employer for permission not to come to the office tomorrow.
________________________________________
d. You are visiting your friend. Ask your friend for permission to smoke.
________________________________________
e. Ask your lecturer for permission to finish the essay next week.
________________________________________
f. Ask your friend for permission to not attend the meeting.
________________________________________
g. Ask your friend for permission to borrow something.
________________________________________
h. Ask your friend for permission to not work on the project.
________________________________________
i. Ask your employer to leave the office early.
________________________________________
j. Ask your sister for permission to borrow her car.
________________________________________
1.3. Exercise 3:
Instructions: Make commands from the following situation.
a. Mom warns me not to spend too much money on clothes.
Mom : ________________________________
Me : ________________________________
b. The teacher orders the students not to leave the room.
The teacher : ________________________________
The students : ________________________________
c. Jim tells Tina to speak more slowly.
Jim : ________________________________
Tina : ________________________________
d. The doctor forbids me to eat any sweets.
The doctor : ________________________________
Me : ________________________________
e. The students beg the teacher not to give them any homework.
The students : ________________________________
The teacher : ________________________________
f. Jack reminds Rose to buy some food on my way back.
Jack : ________________________________
Rose : ________________________________
g. The guide tells the tourists to stay away from the edge of the cliff.
The guide : ________________________________
The tourists : ________________________________
h. My mother orders me to get out of bed at once.
Mother : ________________________________
Me : ________________________________
i. I remind Jane not to lose the book I gave her.
Me : ________________________________
Jane : ________________________________
j. I threaten Ted not to punish George if he behaves well.
Me : ________________________________
Ted : ________________________________