Making Gentle Requests and Suggestions - Exercises

Practice making gentle recommendations

Lesson Transcript

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wondered

you could tell me where the copy machine is.

I wondered

you could tell me where the copy machine is.

I wondered if you could tell me where the copy machine is.

If introduces an indirect yes/no question. Using could makes the request gentler than can you tell me…?

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wanted

if you could tell me about the personal assistant position.

I wanted

if you could tell me about the personal assistant position.

to know

I wanted to know if you could tell me about the personal assistant position.

Wanted to know + if is another polite way to ask for information.

The infinitive to know is required after wanted.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wanted to know if you

the invitation for our annual shareholder’s meeting.

I wanted to know if you

the invitation for our annual shareholder’s meeting.

received

I wanted to know if you received the invitation for our annual shareholder’s meeting.

In most email or meeting contexts, “I wanted to know if you received…” is the default.

If you want to stress whether the invitation is currently in their possession, “have received” is also acceptable.

"Have receive" is grammatically incorrect.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

to know if the new accounts have been opened yet.

wanted

I wanted to know if the new accounts have been opened yet.

The pattern is either I wanted to know if… or I wondered if…

"I wondered to know" is incorrect.

Unscramble the words to make a sentence.

Ready?

I wanted

I wanted to

I wanted to know

I wanted to know if

I wanted to know if we

I wanted to know if we could

I wanted to know if we could go

I wanted to know if we could go jogging.

Unscramble the words to make a sentence.

I wondered

I wondered if

I wondered if you

I wondered if you were

I wondered if you were free

I wondered if you were free for

I wondered if you were free for lunch.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wondered if you (had or have) anyone to recommend.

had

I wondered if you had anyone to recommend.

After wondered if, we usually keep the verb in a past form (had) to maintain the polite, indirect style.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wondered if you'd (receive or received) the invoices for last month.

received

I wondered if you'd received the invoices for last month.

You’d received = you had received (past perfect).

Past perfect fits because the action (receiving) happened before the moment of wondering.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wanted to know if you (have or had) heard anything.

had

I wanted to know if you had heard anything.

Past perfect had heard shows the “hearing” was completed before the question was asked; it is the standard tense after wanted to know if.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

I wondered if you (could or can) update the process.

could

I wondered if you could update the process.

"Could" is preferred over "can" for a polite request in business English.

Here, it simply adds courtesy, not past time.

Listen to what I say. What verb is being put in the past tense?

I wanted to know if we could go jogging.

Listen one more time.

I wanted to know if we could go jogging.

Did you hear, "could"? "could" is the past tense of can.

How about...?

I wondered if you were free for lunch.

Let’s listen one more time.

I wondered if you were free for lunch.

Did you hear "were"? "were" is the past tense of be.

Next...

I wondered if you had anyone to recommend.

One more time.

I wondered if you had anyone to recommend.

Did you hear "had"? "had" is the past tense of have.

Next...

I wanted to know if you received the invitation for our annual shareholder’s meeting.

One more time.

I wanted to know if you received the invitation for our annual shareholder’s meeting.

Did you hear "received"? "received" is the past tense of receive.

And...

I wanted to know if the new accounts have been opened yet.

One more time.

I wanted to know if the new accounts have been opened yet.

Did you hear "opened"? "opened" is the past tense of open.

Thank you for watching.

Now you know how to make gentle requests and suggestions in English.

...and now you can move on to the next lesson in the pathway on EnglishClass101.com.

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