English · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 37
Could you help me?
Dialogue
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I want two tickets or Could I have two tickets?
- EmmaHere's the ticket office. Do you know what to say?
- AlexYes. I want two tickets. Give me two tickets to the city centre.
- EmmaThat's too direct for a stranger. Make it a question with "could" and add "please": "Could I have two tickets, please?"
- AlexCould I have two tickets to the city centre, please?
- EmmaPerfect! It sounds much friendlier. And don't forget "thank you" at the end.
- AlexCould I have two tickets, please? … Thank you very much!
Dialogue
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Asking the way
- JackExcuse me, could you help me? I'm looking for the station.
- EmmaOf course. Go straight down this street and turn left at the traffic lights.
- JackLeft at the traffic lights. Is it far?
- EmmaNo, it's near — about five minutes. The station is on the corner, next to a café.
- JackThank you so much! You're very kind.
Vocabulary
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- city centre
nouncity centre
- street
nounstreet
- corner
nouncorner
- traffic lights
nountraffic lights
- crossing
nouncrossing
- ticket
nounticket
- platform
nounplatform
- queue
nounqueue
- menu
nounmenu
- excuse me
phr.excuse me
Grammar
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Polite requests: "Could you…?" and "I'd like…"
Explanation
In English, a bare command like "Give me a coffee" or a blunt "I want a coffee" is fine with close friends but sounds rude to a stranger, a waiter, or a shop assistant. To be polite, turn the request into a QUESTION with a modal verb and add "please": "Could you help me?", "Can you tell me the way?", "Could I have a ticket, please?", "Can I have the menu, please?". "Could" is a little more polite than "can". For things you want, use "I'd like" (= I would like): "I'd like a coffee", "I'd like two tickets, please", and "I'd like to" + verb: "I'd like to order". These are the polite version of "I want". "Would you like…?" offers something to someone else: "Would you like some tea?". Many languages can sound direct with a plain statement, so learners forget the softeners: "I want two tickets" ✗, "Tell me the way" ✗ → "Could I have two tickets, please?", "Could you tell me the way?" ✓.
Examples
- Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the city centre?Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the city centre?
- Can I have two tickets, please?Can I have two tickets, please?
- I'd like a coffee, please. And I'd like to see the menu.I'd like a coffee, please. And I'd like to see the menu.
- Would you like some tea? — Yes, please. Thank you.Would you like some tea? — Yes, please. Thank you.
Culture
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Getting around an English-speaking cityGetting around an English-speaking city
In cities like London, New York or Sydney, a few small habits make everyday life run smoothly. People wait their turn in a line, they soften requests with "please" and "could you", and they say "excuse me", "sorry" and "thank you" many times a day. These little words are not empty — they are the oil that keeps a busy, crowded city polite.
The queue: wait your turn
In Britain especially, the queue is almost sacred. At a bus stop, a shop, a ticket office or a coffee bar, people form a neat line and everyone is served in order. Pushing in — going to the front instead of the back — is one of the rudest things you can do. If you are not sure where the line ends, just ask "Are you in the queue?" or "Is this the end of the line?". Then wait. When it is your turn, make your polite request: "Could I have…, please?".
The magic words
"Please", "thank you", "excuse me" and "sorry" appear constantly. Use "excuse me" to get someone's attention or to pass by, and "sorry" if you bump into someone — even lightly. Add "please" to every request and "thank you" to every answer, even a small one. Speakers of more direct languages sometimes sound cold in English simply because they leave these words out. Say them a little more than feels natural, and you will sound warm and polite.
On the bus and the train
Public transport has its own quiet rules. Let people off before you get on. Keep a little space around others, and keep your voice low — long, loud phone calls are frowned upon. Offer your seat to someone who needs it more. In London you will hear "Mind the gap" between the train and the platform. A card like an Oyster or a contactless tap pays for most journeys. And if you need to reach the door, a simple "Excuse me, this is my stop" is all it takes.
In short: in an English-speaking city, join the queue, keep your voice down, and wrap every request in "could you", "please" and "thank you". The grammar of this chapter — polite questions — is really the grammar of getting along with strangers. Say the magic words, and a whole city becomes friendlier.
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