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How to be Polite in English – | Top Tips for Language Learners!

BBC Learning English

51K views 5 years ago

Warm-up Questions

In what situations do you need to be polite in English?
What words or phrases do you already know for making a polite request?
What do you think “Top Tips for Language Learners” might include about politeness?

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Start With: Word Definition

Order: Alphabetical Random

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How to be Polite in English – | Top Tips for Language Learners!

Direct vs. polite requests (imperatives, please, questions) (00:00 – 01:22)

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1. Which example is described as “quite direct” and like an order?

Open the window!
Open the window, please!
Can you open the window, please?
Could you open the window, please?

2. Why is “Can you open the window, please?” more polite than “Open the window!”?

Because it is longer, so it is always polite
Because it is a question and feels more like a request
Because it uses the past tense
Because it avoids the word “window”

3. According to the speaker, which is more polite: “could” or “can”?

They are equally polite
Could is more polite than can
Can is more polite than could
Neither is used for politeness

How to be Polite in English – | Top Tips for Language Learners!

Why “could” sounds more polite: distance and remoteness (01:22 – 02:59)

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1. How does the speaker describe the relationship between “can” and “could”?

Could is only used for the future
Could is the negative form of can
Could is the remote form of can
Can is the past form of could

2. What type of “distance” can “could” express besides time?

Distance between countries
Only physical distance between people
Distance between numbers in maths
Distance between real and imagined situations

3. Why does “could” make a request more polite in a relationship sense?

It puts more social distance, making it less uncomfortable to say no
It removes the need to say “please”
It makes the request shorter
It sounds more confident and demanding

How to be Polite in English – | Top Tips for Language Learners!

Even more polite forms and the importance of tone (02:59 – 04:04)

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1. Which longer request does the speaker give as an example of making the distance even further?

Could you open the window, please?
Open the window!
Can you open the window?
I was wondering if you wouldn't mind opening the window if it's not too much trouble.

2. For a simple request like opening a window, how does the speaker describe the very long polite request?

Perfect and always necessary
Not grammatical
Too direct
A bit over the top

3. What does the speaker say is essential for something to be polite?

Using formal vocabulary only
Speaking quickly
Never asking questions
Having a polite tone of voice

How to be Polite in English – | Top Tips for Language Learners!

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1. What is the main idea of the video?

How to open windows safely
How to make requests more polite in English using grammar and tone
How to use English to give strong orders
How to talk about swimming ability in the past

2. Which change generally makes a request sound more polite according to the speaker?

Using fewer words
Speaking more loudly
Changing an order into a question
Removing “please” from the sentence

3. What does “distance/remoteness” help do in polite requests?

It makes the request more physical
It makes the request more confusing
It makes it easier and less uncomfortable for someone to say no
It makes the listener feel forced to agree

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

How to be Polite in English – | Top Tips for Language Learners!

In your language, how do you make a request more polite: different words, different grammar, or tone of voice?
Which sounds most natural for you in daily life: “Can you…?”, “Could you…?”, or a longer phrase? Why?
Think of a situation at work/school: what polite request would you use, and what tone would you use?
Can you remember a time when polite words sounded rude because of stress or tone? What happened?