Expresiones Corteses para Pedir Favores en Inglés

Clase 6 de 21 • Curso de Inglés Intermedio Alto B2: Suposiciones e Instrucciones

Resumen

“Ayúdame” o “Me pregunto si puedes ayudarme”, ¿cuál expresión crees que es más educada? En entornos formales y profesionales es más conveniente expresarte de manera indirecta hacia otra persona para no sonar prepotente.

Preguntas educadas y formales en inglés

Utilizando palabras que ya conocemos como “Thought” o “Wondered”, puedes construir preguntas indirectas, hacer una cordial sugerencia o pedirle algo a alguien de la mejor manera.

Tabla con peticiones directas e indirectas en inglés

Forma directa	Forma indirecta y educada
Help me! please!	I thought you could give me a hand with this.
Give me the password, please!	I was wondering if you could give me the password.
Can you cook dinner tonight?	I thought you might cook dinner tonight.
Finish that design before you leave.	I was wondering if you could finish that design before you left.

Como verás, en determinadas situaciones sociales no es suficiente la palabra “please” para expresarte de forma cordial. Puedes mejorar tus expresiones amables o formales sin necesidad de utilizar preguntas; en su lugar, transmitiendo tus pensamientos de forma educada.

Contribución creada por: Kevin Fiorentino (Platzi Contributor).

Yatziri Anayetzin Reynoso Cuevas

student•

I thought you could pick up the kid today. I was wondering if you can pick up the kid of the school today.

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Great use of the structure! 😁👍

Andres Felipe Luna Rodriguez

student•

I thought you could check this rate and make sure it is the right one.
I was wondering if you might do the laundry this weekend since I'll be away for work.
I thought maybe you could help me with the presentation for chemistry class.

Nikoll Belen Bonilla Hancco

student•

I was wondering if you can wash the dishes after the dinner.
I thought you might help me with the project

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Great examples! Nobody is going to say no if you ask this politely. 😁👍👍

Johana Gordillo Hernandez

student•

I think you can use them at work,

I was wondering if you can finish the report at 9:00 am.

Andres Felipe Santana Pillimue

student•

These expressions may be used all time, at school, at work... Whatever we can request, we can do it more polite.

I was wondering if you could pick up my mom when you drive back home tonight.
I thought you might be quiet while I'm studing.

GISSELINE DARETTE CARRILLO AR .

student•

:()

Sofia Grandas Aguirre

student•

I thought you might send me the archives before 7 pm I was wondering if you could make the dinner tonight I thought you could explain this concept to me again

Brenda Rubidia Paz Alvarez

student•

helo

GISSELINE DARETTE CARRILLO AR .

student•

Gabriel Alfonso

student•

This class is very useful for those situations when you need to ask your teacher a favour.

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Hahahah yeah. Although sometimes, even when you are super polite, the answer is no. 😁✌️

Claudia Vanessa Fuentes De Reyes

student•

Hello everybody!!! I was wondering if someone else has had problems while trying to do the quiz at the end of this class. I've tried doing it many times but I couldn't.

Brenda Rubidia Paz Alvarez

student•

has had problems while trying to do the quiz at the end of this cl

Roberto Sánchez Oropeza

student•

I thought you could clean the kitchen before you go to sleep. I wonder if you might share with me your gym playlist.

Rubén Cuello

student•

I wonder if you guys could give me a hand with the project.

Luis Fernando Méndez González

student•

I thought you could prepare the deck for the presentation. I was wondering if you could pick me a sandwich on the road.

Martin Coutinho

student•

"I wonder" seems too polite for me, Is it really used in formal English? I would most likely use instead "Excuse me, do you know What time is it?"

Brian David Pajares Correa

student•

I prefer to use Excuse me... as well.

JOSE ANTONIO FERNANDEZ T

student•

I guess that wondering sounds more native speaker

Klever Dario Hidalgo Alban

student•

Why in the last excercise you use "left" and "leave" to express the same? Are both correct?

Bramucci Candela

student•

In the first sentence he used "could" and therefore he use "left", both in past tense (I'm not sure which tense exactly). Same with "can" in present and "leave". Hope this helps!

Luis Carlos Tornería Ramírez

student•

In the third exercise:

I wonder if you could mop the floor for me.
I thought you could mop the floor for me.

Can we replace "could" for "can"?

Dani Landa

student•

¡Hola! Con tu permiso explicaré en español para darme a entender mejor.

Cuando preguntamos could o can. En inglés se da a entender si tienes la habilidad para hacer algo.

I wonder if you could mop the floor for me.<- Esto suena a traducción literaria del español. Aquí, le preguntas a la persona si puede hacerte el favor de trapear por ti. Lo correcto sería: I wonder if you may mop the floor for me. .
En la pregunta: "I thought you could mop the floor for me." - según el contexto no es correcto, ya que estás hablando de una situación hipotética que no pasó, en ese caso diríamos: I thought you would mop the floor for me.

Al principio es un poco confuso pero con la práctica sabrás donde usar los modales. Si tienes dudas, házmelo saber. Te leo.

¡Saludos!

Pablo Alejandro Parra Gómez

student•

I have the same question. I thought the team could give us a hand with this

Andrea Gallegos

student•

I was wondering if you could prepare dinner tonight.

I thought maybe you could give me a hand getting ready for the exam

I wondering if you could explain it to me and help me correct the mistake in this task

Rocío María Ramírez

student•

I found this on the internet "Favor and favour are different spellings of the same word. Favor is the preferred spelling in American English. Favour is preferred in all other main varieties of English. These preferences extend to most derivatives, including favored/favoured, favoring/favouring, favorite/favourite, and favorable/favourable".

It is correct to say "I was wondering if you could mop the floor for me? "

Rene Francisco Lora Gonzalez

teacher•

Yeah, all of this looks right to me 👍

Santiago Amado

student•

hi, it´s possible to mix the expression "I was wondering" with a sentence that finish with a verb ins present for example "leave" instead "left" or its better to use the both verbs in past tense.thx

Dani Landa

student•

I found this nice article that explains the difference about 'leave' and ''left' https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leave#usage-1

I recommend that always search for the meaning of the word (I mean: google 'word' meaning) in that way you would know how to use the words. Instead of traducir porque cuando traduces, it's not the same as know how to use the worlds.

:P Never stop learning 💚 and practicing ✌️

Bramucci Candela

student•

"I thought" sounds a little passive aggressive for me, doesn't it for anybody else?

Adriana Guarisco Cervantes

student•

Completly. Sounds a little weird on any context.

Carol Lagos

student•

what is the difference between might and could?

Anthony Ismael Manotoa Moreno

student•

Hello :D

The difference between Could and Might is that could is used to say about something or some event or action that is possible or has a great possibility of happening, whereas ‘might’ is used when there are few possibilities of occurrence of an event. E.g. Shweta could visit us on Friday. (It is a possibility. Shweta may or may not visit the speaker on Friday.) Shweta might visit us on Friday. (It is a possibility that Shweta may or may not visit. However, here the speaker isn’t sure that she will be visiting on Friday.)

Roberto Carlos Palacio Henao

student•

What is the difference between I wonder and I was wondering?

Eloy Chávez Dev

student•

Holiiii 👋🏻

Grammatically speaking, as you probably know, “I wonder” is the present simple, “I'm wondering” is the present continuous 🤓