CHAPTER 5

REQUESTING AND RESPONDING

Elicitation
Look at the illustration before studying the dialogues below. Try to guess what and how the
man is requesting.

Well, in this chapter, you will study how to make requests and its responses. You will practice
how to use the expressions for requesting service, action, something and information in
dialogues

General instructional objective

After completing this lesson, the students should be able to use the language expressions for
requesting and responding fluently and accurately both in spoken and written communication

Specific instructional objective

 use expressions for requesting actions
 use expressions for requesting services
 use expressions for requesting objects
  respond the requests

Dialogue 1.
(A lady wants to cash the travellers’ cheques)

Clerk : Good morning. Can I help you, madam?

Lady : Good morning. I want to cash these travellers’ cheques, please.

Clerk : Certainly madam… Could I have your passport, please?

Lady : Yes, here you are

Clerk : Thank you…Would you sign each of them, please?

Lady : Could I have new notes?

Clerk : Yes, madam

Questions.

1. What does the lady want?

2. Does the clerk accept the lady’s request?
3. What does the clerk want to have from the lady?
4. What does the clerk want the lady to do?

Dialogue 2.
(A man wants to know the balance of his account).

Man : Excuse, me.

Clerk : Yes, please. May I help you?

Man : I’d like to know the balance of my account, please

Clerk : Certainly sir… May I have your cheque book, please?

Man : Yes, of course.

Clerk : Thank you… Would you wait just for a moment, sir?

There you are.

Man : Thank you

Questions
 1. What does the man want to know?
2. Does the clerk accept or refuse the man’s request?
3. What does the clerk want to have from the man?

Dialogue 3.
(A lady would like to deposit some money)

Lady : I’d like to deposit some money in my deposit account.

Clerk : Could you complete a paying-in slip please madam?

Lady : Oh yes… There you are

Clerk : Could I have your pass book please?

Lady : Yes of course. Here you are

Questions.

1. What does the lady want to do?

2. What does the clerk want the lady to do?
3. What does the clerk want to have from the lady?

In dialogue 1, you can find three kinds of request such as requesting service (I want to cash
these travellers’ cheques please), requesting object (Could I have your passport please?), and
requesting action (Would you sign each of them please?). In this dialogue, a lady wants to get a
service from a clerk. She wants the clerk to cash the travellers’ cheques and the clerk accepts
the request. However, the clerk would like to have her passport and ask her to sign each of the
travellers’ cheques as it is a requirement for cashing a cheque.

In dialogue 2, you also find three kinds of request: requesting service (I’d like to know the
balance of my account please), requesting object (My I have your cheque book please) and
requesting action (Would you wait just a moment please?). In this dialogue, a man wants to get
a service from a clerk. He wants to know the balance of his account and the clerk accepts his
request. To know the balance of an account, the clerk should have the cheque book for the
process. It does not take for long so the clerk wants him to wait just for a moment.
It is not so different from dialogue 1 and 2, in dialogue 3, you also find three types of request;
requesting service (I’d like to deposit some money in my deposit account), action (Could you
complete a paying-in slip please madam?) and object (Could I have your pass book too?). A lady
wants to deposit some money in her deposit account. To do that, the clerk would like her to
complete a paying-in slip and to give her pass book to the clerk as well.

To know how to make requests in detail, you can learn the following language expressions.

Requesting service

 I’d like to ………………………………………………………….

 I want to ………………………………………………………….
 Can I ……………………………………………………………….. please?
 Could I …………………………………………………………… please?

Requesting action

 Can you ………………………………………………………… please?

 Could you …………………………………………………….. please?
 Would you …………………………………………………… please?

Requesting object

 Can I have ……………………………………………………. Please?

 Could I have …………………………………………………. please?
 May I have …………………………………………………... please?

Responding positively

 Yes, I can
 Yes, I would
 Yes of course
 Yes sure
 Yes certainly
Responding negatively

 Sorry, I can’t
 No, I wouldn’t
 No, I can’t. Sorry

Practice 1 (individual work)

Fill in the blanks with the correct word!

Would sorry take yes please

Mind certainly taking no can’t

1. Can you help me lift up the table? Sorry, I …….. my arm is broken.
2. I am ……….. I can’t do what you wanted me to do
3. ………….. you correct my home work please?
4. Can you lend me your motor bike please? …….. I can’t. Sorry
5. ………… I don’t mind having dinner with you.
6. Would you ……… this to the director?
7. Can you ……..type this proposal?
8. Would you mind ……… me around the city?
9. Do you mind accompanying me to the movie? ….. I do. My girl will be jealous.
10. I don’t ………. Helping people as long as they help me too.

Practice 2. (Individual work)

Complete the following dialogue!

1. A : ……………………. open a current account please.

B : Yes certainly madam.
2. A : ……………………. transfer $ 100 to my brother’s account please?
B : Yes of course.
3. A : …………………….. sign your name here please?
B : Yes, I would.
 4. A : …………………….. complete this form please?
B : Yes, I can.
5. A : ……………………… holding it for a moment lease?
B : No, I wouldn’t mind
6. A : …………………….. wait just for a moment please?
B : Sorry, I can’t. I have to go now.
7. A : …………………….. a small change please?
B : Yes certainly sir.
8. A : ……………………… one more tea please?
B : I am sorry madam. It was sold out

Practice 3 (pair work)

Study the dialogues below and then hold a similar dialogue with your partner by using the
following clues! Take your turn to be a clerk and a customer.

a) Customer : Excuse me. I’d like to cash this cheque please.

Clerk : Yes certainly madam/No, you can’t. Sorry
- Open a current account
- Order some travellers’ cheques
- Change some francs
- See the manager
- Make an appointment
- Transfer $100 to my sister’s account
b) Clerk : Excuse me. Would you repeat your order please?
Customer : Yes sure/No, I can’t. Sorry.
- Sign your name here
- Wait just for a moment
- Sign the back of the cheque
- Fill in the form
- Complete this form
 - Follow me to the office
c) Customer : Excuse me. Could I have an extra chair please?
Clerk : Yes, of course sir/ Sorry, you can’t sir.
- Your pass book
- Your passport
- Cheque book
- New cheque book
- a small change
- some new notes

Summary

Based on its functions, the English request can be grouped into three; requesting service, action
and object.

Requesting services:

- I’d like to open a current account please

- I want to change some American dollars please
- Could I transfer $50 to my brother’s account please?

Requesting actions:

- Would you sign your name here please?

- Could you complete this form please?
- Can you wait just for a moment please?

Requesting object:

- Can I have your card please?

- Could I have a small change please?
- May I have your passport please?
The response of a request could be either positive or negative. It depends on the reality.

Positive responds:

- Yes, I can
- Yes, I would
- Yes, certainly
- Yes, of course
- Yes, sure

Negative response:

- Sorry, I can’t
- No, I can’t. Sorry
- No, I wouldn’t

Formative test

Complete the following dialogues by crossing the best option A, B, C, or D!

1. X : …………………………………………… order one portion of Balinese food please.

Y : Of course madam
A. Can I have
B. Would you mind
C. I’d like to
D. Do you have
2. X : ………………………………….buy some dollars please.
Y : Sorry, I can’t. I don’t have any stock
A. I want to
B. Would you
C. Do you mind
D. Could I have
3. X : ………………………………. spell your name please?
 Y : Yes, of course.
A. Could I have
B. Do you mind
C. Would you
D. Do you have
4. X : I would like to ………… an appointment please
Y : Certainly madam
A. Making
B. Taking
C. Make
D. Open
5. X : I want to ………………. dinner now please
Y : Certainly sir.
A. Taking
B. Having
C. Makes
D. Have
6. X : Would you be so kind as to ……………… this form please?
Y : yes, I would
A. Complete
B. Completes
C. Completing
D. Completed
7. X : Could I have one extra bed in room please?
Y : …………………………………………
A. Sorry, I can madam
B. No, it’s ok sir
C. Yes, of course sir
D. Yes, you can’t
 8. X : Would you escort me to the office now please?
Y : ………………………………………
A. Yes certainly not madam
B. No, please don’t madam
C. No, I would madam
D. Yes, I would madam
9. X : I would like to open a current account please
Y : ………………………………………..
A. Certainly madam
B. Certainly not madam
C. Of course not madam
D. No, I am not sure madam
10. X : ………………………………………………………
Y : Yes, I can
A. Can you help me fill in the form please?
B. Would you completing this form please?
C. I want to complete this form please
D. Can I complete this form please?

Use the key to formative test 4 given at the end of this book to check your answer. Calculate
your correct answers and then use the formula below to see the degree of your comprehension
to the material of chapter 4.

The total of correct answers

The degree of comprehension = ------------------------------------------- X 100 %
The total of items

Note: 90 – 100 % = very good

80 – 89 % = good

70 -79 % = Ok

< 70 % = bad
If your comprehension is ≥ 80 %, you can continue to chapter 5. It is good. However, if it is < 80
%, you have to read chapter 4 again especially the materials that you do not understand well
yet

Glossary

Wait call

Sit read

Write come

Take sign

Fill in open

Close have

Order change

See transfer

Complete connect

Lend know

Repeat tell

Withdraw deposit

Take a seat check

Decide meet

Name address

Number nationality

Telephone number account number

Pass book passport

Cheque book change

Notes money