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 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Modal Summary
• Will / Might
• Will / Would
• Would
• Should
• Could / Should
• Should / Must
• Must have
• Can / Could
• May / Can
• Modal Agreement
• Future Perfect
• Modal Review
• Modal Practice
• Modal Quiz

May / Can

Requesting Permission & Offering Suggestions

 

Giving permission, making requests and offering suggestions require the speaker to be aware of levels of formality.

Some expressions are used with persons of authority and with people whom we are unfamiliar while others are used with peers and people with whom we are familiar.

 

 

Permission

MORE FORMAL	LESS FORMAL
May I smoke here? You may use your cellphone in the restaurant patio.	Can I smoke here? You can use your cellphone in the restaurant patio. (less formal; an option)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Request

MORE FORMAL	LESS FORMAL
Would you please smoke outside? Would you mind smoking outside please?	Will you smoke outside please? Can you smoke outside please? Could you smoke outside please? Do you think you could smoke outside? I'd like you to smoke outside please.   (would like)

 

 

Suggestion / Invitation

MORE FORMAL	LESS FORMAL
Shall we go outside? Would you mind smoking outside please?	Let's go outside? Why don't we go outside? How about going outside?

 

 

 

 

 

Practice

Restating a Request

 

 

 

What is the level of formality?

#	YOUR RESPONSE	CHECK ANSWER
1.	Mail these letters.     none informal formal very formal
2.	Would you please mail these letters for me?   none informal formal very formal
3.	Could you mail these letters?   none informal formal very formal
4.	Can you mail these letters?   none informal formal very formal
5.	Do you think you could mail these letters?   none informal formal very formal
6.	Would you be so kind as to mail these letters?   none informal formal very formal

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

Requests, Suggestions and Advice

 

 

 

1. Decide on the best modal phrase to complete the sentence. 
2. An asterisk (*) indicates an incorrect answer.   

#	SENTENCE	YOUR RESPONSE	HINT
7.	There's a good movie on TV tonight.      watch it.	May we Let's Do you mind	Hint 7
8.	watching it at your place?	May we Why don't we Do you mind	Hint 8
9.	hand me the remote control?	Might you Can you I'd like you to	Hint 9
10.	call some friends to join us?	Could you Shall we Let's	Hint 10
11.	"I can't find which channel it is on." checking the newspaper for the TV listings.	Do you mind   How about Why don't we	Hint 11
12.	turn the TV a little louder, I can't hear too well.	Will you Can you Shall we	Hint 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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