Many students have a question, with what words should a request be allowed to be allowed on. What is the correct way to use "Can I", "Could I" and "May I"?
We will try to answer this question in this article. Having so many options can be confusing for anyone, so let's break down each of them one by one.
Can I….?
“Can I…?” is the most casual way to ask for permission to do something. It is common in conversations with friends, colleagues, and family members:
Can I see it? (Can I see?)
Can I get something to drink? (Can I have something to drink?)
In the traditional "Can I...?" not used for permission requests. Everything has changed in the last 50 years. This is by far the most common expression of the three.
May I…?
May I...? is a more formal way to ask for permission in English. Formal language is used when talking to strangers, or when there is a big gap between you and your interlocutor.
You can ask a stranger for a small favor like this:
May I borrow your pen for a second? (Can I borrow your pen for a second?)
Some elementary, middle, and high school teachers require students to ask for permission using "May I...?"
student: Can I go to the bathroom?
teacher: May I…?
student: May I go to the bathroom?
teacher: Yes, you may.
"Can I go to the toilet?" one of the most popular questions in class
Could I…?
“Could I…?” is a good way to ask for something really substantial. In other words, you don't feel comfortable asking for it. For example, you can ask your sister:
Could I borrow your other car when I'm in town? (Can I borrow your second car when I'm in town?)
“Could I…?” not as formal as "May I...?", but for large requests it's better to use it.
In fact, the difference between “Can I…”, “Could I…” and “May I…” is very small. It's okay if you confuse where which expression should be used. Remember the difference if you can, but when you need to ask permission, just choose the design you want and ask with confidence!
English is a very polite language. What is at least the fact that everyone refers to each other as "you". When communicating, it is important to choose the correct forms, because, although many forms have the same translation into Russian, they are perceived in English with varying degrees of politeness and formality. The expression of permission in English is a prime example of this.
There are several ways to express permission in English:
In this article, we will talk about modal verbs. In colloquial speech, we can ask permission, give permission or forbid. Let's look at which modal verbs express each of these functions and what are the features of their use.
Asking for permission: can, could, may, might
To ask for permission in English, we have a large selection of means: modal verbs can, may, could, might.
Might- the most formal option, the rest differ in the level of politeness. could and may- more polite forms than can. Although questions with these verbs will be translated into Russian in the same way ( May I...? , May I...?), in English, the choice of the correct form, depending on the situation of communication, plays a big role. If you don't know the person very well, then to ask for permission, use may or might. If you want to politely ask a friend, then use could . Can I...? - less formal and polite, but universal option.
Mum, can I go for a walk? - Mom, can I go for a walk?
Jane, could I take a look at your report? - Jane, can I take a look at your report?
Excuse me, may I use your pen? - Excuse me, can I use your pen?
Might I ask you a question, Mister Jones? - Can I ask you a question, Mr. Jones?
Note that questions like this are usually not answered simply "yes" or "no", since these are not just general questions, they convey a specific modal function. To answer briefly, they usually say "Sure", "Of course", "Certainly", "Why not?" or "I'm afraid not" .
While we're on the subject of asking for permission, let's take a break from modal verbs for a moment and look at a few more expressions:
Is it OK if I ...?- May I...? ()
Is it all right if I…?- Can I...?/ Nothing if I...?
Do you mind if I…?- Do you mind if I...?
If you need to ask a polite question, use would to build it. Do not forget that after would should verb in the second form (V2):
Would you mind if I V2…? - Do you mind if I...?
Would it be OK/all right if I V2…? - Do you mind if I...?
Giving permission: can, may.
To give permission not used modal verbs could and might. They can only be found in questions, but to answer, that is, to give permission is permissible only with the help modal verbs can and may. They are very easy to use, since they do not change by gender and number and are translated as "can":
You may smoke in this room. - You can smoke in this room.
Now when you have finished doing your hometask you can go for a walk. - Now that you've finished doing your homework, you can go for a walk.
The main difference between can and may- that can is used primarily in informal communication, and may - more formal and polite:
You can borrow my pencil if yours is broken. - You can take my pencil if yours is broken.
You may ask the questions at the end of my presentation. - You can ask your questions at the end of my presentation.
Refusing permission: can "t, may not, mustn" t
To deny, deny, or prohibit something, there are three options: can't, may not and mustn "t . could not used in this function.
The most "strong" refusal, when not just denied, but rather prohibited:
You musn "t eat ice-cream, you have sore throat. - You can't eat ice cream, you have a sore throat.
Students mustn "t cheat at the exam. - Students are not allowed to cheat on the exam.
And, of course, can , which is used in everyday communication in most situations:
Could I pay in cash? - I "m sorry, but you can" t pay in cash.
- Can I pay in cash? - Unfortunately, you cannot pay in cash.
Can I drive? - You can "t, I" ll drive myself.
- May I drive the car? No, you can't, I'll take it myself.
When talking about permission, they also use verbs. We will talk about their use in the next article.
Good day! Politeness is one of the linguistic means that is used to express the social relationship between the speaker, the listener and the people being talked about. Therefore, we will devote one more lesson to the practice of politely asking the interlocutor, and once again repeat the phrases with which you can give permission, and also learn new expressions for allowing or approving an action.
How to request and give permission in English?The modifiers of a polite request and permission in Russian and English speech are somewhat different. If Russian communication is characterized by request identifiers (I beg you, please), then American speech more often uses modifiers with the meaning of doubt (could you help me, I can help). The same applies to permission: in Russian, these are combinations like “can”, “allow”; in English - more often "do you mind if ...", "can I ...". Remember these features of American communication.
Set your brain to work and remember the vocabulary of one of the lessons Talking about the weather in English
And now let's remember the vocabulary of the last lesson, and learn new expressions for asking for permission in English. To do this, let's read a fragment of Martin Lerner's conversation with the crew members of the same American aircraft carrier. This time the reporter is talking to a lieutenant named Lucas:
Martin:May I ask some questions, Lieutenant Lucas? "May I ask you a few questions, Lieutenant Lucas?"
Lucas:Ofcourse. - Of course
Martin:May I ask some questions about the ship? - Can I ask questions about the vessel (ship)?
Lucas:sure. take your time. - Confident. Take your time (take as much time as you need)
Martin:The man who was playing that game was very young. The man who played that game was very young
Lucas: Most of the men are very young. Most of the men here are very young
Martin: What does he do? What is he (here) doing? (what does it do, what function does it perform)
Lucas:He's the one who sends messages. - He is the one who sends messages (radio operator)
Using the example of this short dialogue, you could see not only how phrases expressing a request, asking permission, giving approval are used in live English speech, but you remembered how in English you need to ask questions that require a specific answer, and how to answer them correctly.
Now, with the help of an audio lesson, you will practice listening to English-American speech. Use the audio recording to learn the correct pronunciation of all the words and expressions that are used in today's lesson:
/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/russian_english_068.mp3Listen carefully to the audio lesson to remember how to properly ask questions in English about permission, how to give permission, or how to correctly express your request / politely refuse a request for permission to someone.
Ask permission in English
A convenient table with the text of questions, answers and other expressions of polite appeal to the interlocutor with a request, as well as phrases with which you can give permission, in Russian and English will help you learn new vocabulary faster, as well as check the spelling and translation of some English words and expressions.
| request and permission | |
| Phrases | |
| I don't mind | I don't mind |
| He runs (manages) this store | He runs the store (1) |
| He is the manager in this store | He runs the store (2) |
| Nouns | |
| cabin, accommodation | quarters |
| bunk | bunk |
| ship | ship |
| deck | deck |
| emergency | emergency |
| aircraft carrier | aircraft carrier |
| accident | accident |
| cafeteria, canteen | cafeteria |
| elevator | elevator |
| the game | game |
| car | machine |
| message, report, communication | message |
| nuclear reactor | (nuclear) reactor |
| floor | story (floor) |
| baker | baker |
| Adverbs | |
| in the hold below deck | Bell deck |
| Adjectives | |
| electric | electrical |
| nuclear | nuclear |
| Verbs | |
| to put into action, to manage | to operate |
| work on the elevator | to operate the elevator |
| rest | to relax |
| manage, lead, lead | to run (manage, supervise) |
Also, using this table, you can find out which ones are found on military aircraft carriers.
Grammar help:
If you are talking about the same person or object, then for eloquence and getting rid of repetition, you can use pronouns. And two sentences that use the same subject can be combined into one. For example:
- He's the one (person). He runs the store - He is alone (man). He manages the warehouse
- He's the one who runs the store - He is the one who manages the warehouse.
- The man was very young. He was playing that game - The man was very young. He played that game
- The man who was playing that game was very young - The man who played that game was very young
Be sure to do practical
Permission: Permission to do something is an antonym to the word "prohibition". Permission to do something requested, including a document confirming this; work permit; Temporary residence permit; Settlement permit; Permission ... Wikipedia
PERMISSION- PERMISSION, permissions, cf. 1. only units Action under ch. allow allow. Deal with difficult technical issues. Resolving all doubts. Conflict resolution. Contact someone to resolve the issue. Permission… … Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
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permission- (Resolution) The most important characteristic of any discrete output device (monitor, printer, phototypesetter, etc.) is the size of the bitmap element [two-dimensional pixel array]. Usually expressed as dots per inch and ... ... Font terminology
permission- PERMISSION, permission, book. sanction, obsolete desire, obsolete. permission, colloquial, joke. blessing, dec. reduced permission TO ALLOW / ALLOW, give / give, allow / allow, bookish, incons. and owls. authorize, obsolete. ... ... Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech
PERMISSION- PERMISSION, I, cf. 1. see allow, xia. 2. The right to do something, as well as a document certifying such a right. Get r. to work in the archives. Ask for permission (to be allowed). R. for shooting wild boars. 3. Degree of visibility… … Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
Permission- an act of consent issued in writing or orally by the subject of management, the state licensing authority that has the appropriate right. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001 ... Glossary of business terms
PERMISSION- a document granting the right to commit to. l. actions, for example, for the passage of a vehicle through the territory of a foreign state. R. can be single, multiple, special, multilateral ... Legal Encyclopedia
Permission- * high * resolution the degree of definition (description) of molecular details on the physical map of DNA, which ranges from low to high ... Genetics. encyclopedic Dictionary
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