CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 37: — English

Dialogue

I want two tickets or Could I have two tickets?

Emma Here's the ticket office. Do you know what to say?
Minsu Yes. I want two tickets. Give me two tickets to the city centre.
Emma That's too direct for a stranger. Make it a question with "could" and add "please": "Could I have two tickets, please?"
Minsu Could I have two tickets to the city centre, please?
Emma Perfect! It sounds much friendlier. And don't forget "thank you" at the end.
Minsu Could I have two tickets, please? … Thank you very much!

Dialogue

Asking the way

Jack Excuse me, could you help me? I'm looking for the station.
Emma Of course. Go straight down this street and turn left at the traffic lights.
Jack Left at the traffic lights. Is it far?
Emma No, it's near — about five minutes. The station is on the corner, next to a café.
Jack Thank you so much! You're very kind.

Vocabulary

汉字	POS	Meaning
city centre	n.	city centre
street	n.	street
corner	n.	corner
traffic lights	n.	traffic lights
crossing	n.	crossing
ticket	n.	ticket
platform	n.	platform
queue	n.	queue
menu	n.	menu
excuse me	phr.	excuse me

Grammar

Polite requests: "Could you…?" and "I'd like…" Polite requests: "Could you…?" and "I'd like…"

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?". Korean and 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?" ✓.

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

Getting around an English-speaking city Getting 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.

pronunciation