American English - How To Ask For Things Politely

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• 00:00

  English learners often ask questions and request things in a way that's not very polite for Americans.

• 00:08

  In the US, we ask for things politely by using indirect questions.

• 00:14

  In this episode,

• 00:16

  I'm going to show you how to ask for things in a nice way and without sounding rude when you're speaking English to Americans.

• 00:25

  By the way, If you want my help to understand native speakers when they speak fast,

• 00:31

  click on the link in the description below this episode to sign up for my training.

• 00:37

  Okay,

• 00:38

  let me show you what types of requests and questions sound too direct or even a little rude to Americans.

• 00:49

  When you say something like, please send it to me,

• 00:53

  Native speakers might think that you're being too direct or bossy even

• 00:59

  though you said the word please.

• 01:02

  That's because native speakers, at least in the US, prefer questions rather than commands.

• 01:10

  You see, when you say please send it to me, you're not asking the person to send it.

• 01:17

  You're telling them to send it.

• 01:20

  You're not asking a question.

• 01:22

  And Americans prefer asking people to do things, not telling them to do things.

• 01:30

  You might think that the word please makes the request sound polite,

• 01:36

  but if it sounds like you're commanding someone to do something,

• 01:42

  the word please isn't enough to make it sound nice.

• 01:46

  So what should you say instead?

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