| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| It would be great if you |
| those to me as soon as possible. |
| It would be great if you |
| those to me as soon as possible. |
| could send |
| could send |
| It would be great if you could send those to me as soon as possible. |
| It would be great if you could send those to me as soon as possible. |
| "Sending" is a gerund. After if you, we need a full verb phrase that can take a subject and tense, and also in the past tense. “If you sending” is ungrammatical. |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| I would |
| it if you forwarded those to me as well. |
| I would |
| it if you forwarded those to me as well. |
| appreciate |
| appreciate |
| I would appreciate it if you forwarded those to me as well. |
| I would appreciate it if you forwarded those to me as well. |
| After 'would', the verb stays in its base form—appreciate, not appreciated. |
| appreciated is the past tense and can’t follow would directly. |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| If you could get me a black coffee, that |
| wonderful. |
| If you could get me a black coffee, that |
| wonderful. |
| would be |
| would be |
| If you could get me a black coffee, that would be wonderful. |
| If you could get me a black coffee, that would be wonderful. |
| The clause starts with "If you could", in this type of polite conditional, we pair if you could with would in the result clause. |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| I would be |
| if they confirmed the schedule today. |
| I would be |
| if they confirmed the schedule today. |
| relieved |
| relieved |
| I would be relieved if they confirmed the schedule today. |
| I would be relieved if they confirmed the schedule today. |
| relieved is an adjective that describes how you would feel, relief is a noun. After “would be,” we need an adjective, so relieved is the right choice. |
| Unscramble the words to make a sentence. |
| Ready? |
| If |
| If I |
| If I could |
| If I could take |
| If I could take breaks |
| If I could take breaks, that |
| If I could take breaks, that would |
| If I could take breaks, that would be |
| If I could take breaks, that would be great. |
| If I could take breaks, that would be great. |
| Unscramble the words to make a sentence. |
| If |
| If you |
| If you could |
| If you could apply |
| If you could apply, it |
| If you could apply, it would |
| If you could apply, it would be |
| If you could apply, it would be great. |
| If you could apply, it would be great. |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| I would be grateful if you (gave or give) me this job. |
| I would be grateful if you (gave or give) me this job. |
| gave |
| gave |
| I would be grateful if you gave me this job. |
| give would make the sentence a real-time request rather than a softened, courteous one. Using the past tense keeps the tone polite and indirect. |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| It would be helpful if you (told or tell) me where the copy paper is kept. |
| It would be helpful if you (told or tell) me where the copy paper is kept. |
| told |
| told |
| It would be helpful if you told me where the copy paper is kept. |
| The present form 'tell' sounds more direct and clashes with the conditional tone created by would. |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| If she (reply or replied) sooner, it would be easier to plan the meeting. |
| If she (reply or replied) sooner, it would be easier to plan the meeting. |
| replied |
| replied |
| If she replied sooner, it would be easier to plan the meeting. |
| "reply" is wrong for two reasons: |
| One, with a third-person singular subject (she), the simple present form must be "replies". |
| Two, in a polite or hypothetical conditional paired with would, we normally shift the verb in the if-clause to the simple past (replied) or use the pattern were to + verb (If she were to reply sooner…). |
| Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? |
| I would like it if you could (move or moved) over. |
| I would like it if you could (move or moved) over. |
| move |
| move |
| I would like it if you could move over. |
| We use move because could is a modal verb, and every modal is followed by the base form of the main verb (the infinitive without to). |
| Listen to what I say. What is the past-tense verb that makes the request polite? |
| I would appreciate it if you forwarded those to me as well. |
| Listen one more time. |
| I would appreciate it if you forwarded those to me as well. |
| Did you hear, "forwarded"? "Forwarded" is the past tense of "forward" and shows a polite request. |
| How about...? |
| If you could get me a black coffee, that would be wonderful. |
| Let’s listen one more time. |
| If you could get me a black coffee, that would be wonderful. |
| Did you hear "could"? "Could" makes the request softer than "can". |
| Next... |
| I would be relieved if they confirmed the schedule today. |
| One more time. |
| I would be relieved if they confirmed the schedule today. |
| Did you hear "confirmed"? "Confirmed" is the past tense of "confirm" and shows a polite request. |
| Next... |
| It would be helpful if you told me where the copy paper is kept. |
| One more time. |
| It would be helpful if you told me where the copy paper is kept. |
| Did you hear "told"? "Told" is the past tense of "tell" and shows a polite request. |
| And... |
| If she replied sooner, it would be easier to plan the meeting. |
| One more time. |
| If she replied sooner, it would be easier to plan the meeting. |
| Did you hear "replied"? "replied" is the past tense of "reply" and shows a polite request. |
| Thank you for watching. |
| Now you know how to make polite requests in English. |
| ...and now you can move on to the next lesson in the pathway on EnglishClass101.com. |
Comments
Hide