Making a Clear Request

MEET & SPEAK | BUSINESS ENGLISH | 4 NOVEMBER 2026

Ask for help politely, check the details and agree on a clear deadline.

1 QUICK REVIEW

Make these requests more diplomatic. Use October’s phrases: Would it be possible to…? / I was wondering if…

1. “Send me the figures today.”    2. “Move the meeting to Friday.”

Example: “Would it be possible to send me the figures today?”

2 USEFUL LANGUAGE

3 MODEL DIALOGUE

A: Could you check this report by Thursday?
B: What exactly do you need me to check?
A: Just the names and dates. Would that be possible?
B: I can check those, but I can’t check the prices.
A: That’s fine. Just to check, can you send it back by Thursday afternoon?
B: Yes, I’ll send it before three.

4 GUIDED ROLEPLAYS

Breakout rooms. Read the dialogues together. Say the missing replies using the prompts. Different answers are possible. Then swap roles.

CONVERSATION 1  A SMALL FAVOUR

A: Hi, could you help me with this presentation?
B: ________________________________________
    Ask what exactly your colleague needs.
A: Could you check the names and dates by Wednesday afternoon?
B: ________________________________________
    Say you can check the dates, but you can’t check the names.
A: That’s fine. The dates are more important.
B: ________________________________________
    Confirm that you only need to check the dates.

Support for B: What exactly…? / I can…, but I can’t… / Just to check,…

 

CONVERSATION 2  AGREEING ON A DEADLINE

A: ________________________________________
    Ask your colleague to send you the price list by Thursday.
B: Do you need the full list or just the new prices?
A: ________________________________________
    Say you only need the new prices. Ask if that would be possible.
B: Thursday morning is difficult, but I can send them in the afternoon.
A: ________________________________________
    Accept. Check whether they can send them before three.
B: Yes, no problem. I’ll send them before three on Thursday.

Support for A: Could you… by…? / I only need… / Would that be possible? / Just to check,…

5 CONVERSATION QUESTIONS

Stay in your breakout rooms. Take turns, give your own answers and ask follow-up questions. The examples are only ideas.

1. What do you most often ask colleagues or other people to help you with?

Example: I often ask someone to check a document. I explain which parts I need them to look at.

2. What details do you need before you can agree to a request?

Example: I need to know what the task involves and when it needs to be finished.

3. Has someone ever asked you to do something without explaining it clearly?

Example: Yes. Someone asked me to prepare a report, but didn’t say which figures to include.

4. How do you check that you have understood a request correctly?

Example: I say, “Just to check, you only need the sales figures for this month?”

5. What makes a request sound polite to you?

Example: A friendly tone helps. “Could you check this by Friday?” sounds clear and polite.

6. Is it easier for you to make a request in person or in writing? Why?

Example: I prefer writing because I can include the details. For urgent tasks, I speak to the person.

7. What do you say when you can do only part of what someone asks?

Example: I explain what I can offer: “I can check the figures, but I can’t finish the whole report.”

8. How do you decide whether a deadline is realistic?

Example: I check my other tasks first. If I’m unsure, I ask how much work is involved.

9. A colleague asks for a favour when you are busy. How would you respond?

Example: I’d say, “I can help tomorrow, but I can’t do it today. Would that work for you?”

10. What could people do to make requests easier to respond to?

Example: They could say exactly what they need and give a clear deadline instead of saying “soon”.

6 FEEDBACK

Back together: share one phrase that helped you make a request clearer. Practise any useful corrections from your teacher.