Lesson 10 — Polite Ways Americans Ask for Help

Описание: Hi, I’m Jill, and welcome to American English.

In the last lesson, we talked about what Americans say to show they’re listening.
Now, let’s talk about polite ways Americans ask for help.

When Americans ask for help,
they usually sound polite and simple.

Listen first.

“Can you help me?”
“Can you help me, please?”

Repeat after me.

Can you help me?
Can you help me, please?

Very common.

More polite ways Americans ask for help. Repeat after me.

“Can you help me with this?”
“Can you show me?”
“Can you tell me?”

These sound natural.
These sound American.

If you want to be extra polite, say this.

Repeat after me.

“Excuse me, can you help me?”
“Excuse me, can you tell me?”

At the store. Listen.

“Excuse me, can you help me?”
“Sure.”

At work. Listen.

“Can you help me with this?”
“Yeah.”

Seeing someone you know. Listen.

“Can you show me?”
“Of course.”

Repeat after me.

Can you help me?
Can you help me with this?
Excuse me, can you help me?

Repeat after me again.

Can you show me?
Can you tell me?
Excuse me, can you tell me?

In American English,
polite questions sound friendly.

You do not need long sentences.

When you need help,
ask clearly
and say please.

In the next lesson,
we’ll talk about what Americans say to say no politely.

I’ll see you next lesson.