Functions in English

FUNCTIONS
• Making and responding to requests
• Express lack of understanding and asking for clarification
• Make and respond to complaints
• Make and respond to aplogies
• Express and respond to opinion
• Express agreement and disagreement
• Express regret
• Express giving and asking for advice
• Express certainty and uncertainty
• Repond to good and bad news
making and responding to requests
we use: can, could,will, would, would you mind + ing to make polite requests.
Making requests Responding to requests
Can you open the door please? Yes, of course./Of course./Yes, certainly./Certainly./Sure
Could you open the door please?
Will you open the door please?
Would you open the door please?
Would you mind opening the door? No, I’d be happy to.
No, certainly not.

Can is informal and can be used with someone we know. For example a friend.
Friend 1:Can you open the window please?
Friend2: Sure.

Brother: Can you give me some water please?
sister: of course.

Could is formal and informal. We can use it with someone we know or someone we don't know.
Customer: Could you bring me some salt please?
Waiter: Yes, certainly.

Student: Could you please repeat?
Teacher: Yes, of course.

Will and Would are formal.

Manager: Would you fill in this form?
Employee: Certainly.

Would you mind + verb + ing is formal:
Secretary: Would you mind calling back later?
Patient: No, certainly not.

EXERCISES:
Find the question:
Sanaa:........................................................?
Houria: Sure. I'll close the window.

Manager: ....................................................?
secretary: No, I'd be happy to write the report.

Mother: ......................................................?
Daughter: Yes, of course. I'll clean the dishes mum.
EXPRESSING LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION

Expressing lack of understanding Asking for clarification
What do you mean? Could you be more explicit/clear?
Would you repeat, please?
I’m afraid I really don’t understand what you mean/you are saying. Could you explain what you mean by this, please?
Do you mean……………………………..?




FIND THE QUESTION:
Student: …………………………………………………………………………………………..?

Teacher: Well, “crucial” means very important.

Rafik: ...............................................................................................?


Anas: I’m afraid I really don’t understand what you mean by brain drain is positive.
Making and responding to complaints
Making complaints Accepting complaints Rejecting complaints
Sorry, I have a complaint I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I’m sorry there isn’t much we can do about it
I'm sorry to bother you, but Oh, dear. I’m terribly sorry Well, I’m afraid there is nothing we can do about it actually.
Maybe you forgot to You should have………
Well, I’m afraid I have to make a serious complaint.

Respond to the following situations:

Customer: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… .

Shop assistant: Maybe it’s too late. You should have brought your jacket earlier and we could have changed it.


Fatima: …………………………………………………………………………


Naima: I’m terribly sorry. I’ll fix up your CD player.
Apologising

Please, accept our sincere apology.
Forgive me. I didn’t mean it.
I deeply regret that.
I’m sorry, sir for this delay
I’m terribly sorry for….
We sincerely apologise for…
Oh, sir! I didn’t mean it. ………..

Respond to the following situations:

(You arrived late to school . Apologise to your teacher)


You: ………………………………………………………………………………………………….


(You accidentally ran into someone in the street while you were walking. Express your apology.)



You: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
EXPRESSING AND RESPONDING TO OPINION
ASKING ABOUT OPINION Informal ways of giving opinions Formal ways of giving opinion
What’s your opinion of………?
What do you think of…………?
How do you feel about………?
Are you for or against……….?
Do you think that………………? To be honest… It seems to me that
If you ask me… I would argue that…
I feel… I am convinced that…..
To my mind… As far as I am concerned…
Frankly, I think…
I reckon…


Journalist: How do you feel about the role of women in society?


Woman activist: It seems to me that women play a crucial role the society.

Exercise: Respond to the following situations:

Teacher: Women are marginalized in our country.

Student: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….


Brahim: Brain drain affects the country economically.

Hamid: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
EXPRESSING AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT
EXPRESSING AGREEMENT PARTLY AGREEING EXPRESSING DISAGREEMENT
absolutely
I entirely agree
quite I see your point
What you mean ,but… I disagree.
I’m afraid I don’t agree.
I can’t agree
I couldn’t agree more ! That’s one way of looking at it, but… I am afraid I entirely disagree with you.
That’s exactly my own opinion I agree with you, but…
I see your point, but I’m not sure you’re right there.
I take your point

Student 1: English has become a global language.
Student2: I entirely agree.
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS:
Husband: The young focus on appearance nowadays.

Wife: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….


Farid: Parents are too permissive with their children.

Hind: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
ASKING FOR AND GIVING ADVICE
ASKING FOR ADVICE GIVING ADVICE
What should…………………………….. ? You should/ought to……….
What do you think should………… ? I think you should/ought to………
What do you advise? You ought to………………
I advise you to
If I were you, I would……..

Student 1: I’d like to improve my English. What should I do?
Student 2: You should watch English channels and read books.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS:
Fatima: I have a problem with my husband’s mother. She treats me like a maid.


Hakima: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .


Youness: I find it difficult to give up chatting. …………………………………………?

Anas: I advise you to occupy yourself doing something else