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1.- What to say. Giving and asking for permission.

Fachada de un quiosco de prensa y sellos.

Giving and asking for permission is always useful and necessary in any situation. Look at the examples:

  • Can you get me some stamps from the newsagent's, please?
  • Could you pass me that book, please?
  • Can I use your pen?
  • Could we smoke here?
  • May I come in?
  • Might we join the group?
  • I wonder if I can be a part of the team.
  • Do you think we could talk about it later?

As we have seen, we can use modal verbs to ask for permission, but we can also use other expressions:

  • Can I / we ....? In informal situations.

The rest of expressions are for more formal situations.

  • Could I /we ...?
  • May I / we ...?
  • Might I / we...?
  • I wonder if I can / could....
  • Do you mind if I / we ...
  • Do you think I /we could....?

Possible answers are:

  • Of course, you can.
  • Sure.
  • Absolutely.
  • Go ahead.

Think about it

Ask for permission in these situations.

  • You and a classmate are in a classroom and want to go to the toilet.
  • You want to use your friend Anna's sellotape.
  • You need to borrow your brother Carlos's car.