Communicative functions: Interacting with others

Asking people to do things

Responding to Requests

We can respond to requests in various ways. One way is to comply with the Request and carry out the action. There are different ways to comply with a Request, for example:

	Carry out the action and say nothing.
	Use a formulaic expression and carry out the action: "OK", " All right", " Yes, of course." ," Yes, certainly."
	Base the response on the Request and use the future tense: Of course I'll help you.
	Make an offer: How can I help?
	Ask for more information about the Request: What has happened?

Here is a Request and response from a conversation in which one child asks for a sweet. The response is very informal and accompanies an action:

	Can I have one please?
	Here you are.

Here are some examples of Requests and more formal responses from shopping interactions:

		Can I get this please?
		Yes of course

 

		Can I have these please?
		OK

Here are two examples of Requests and responses on the telephone:

	... and I was wondering if you could send someone round to fix it.
	Of course, I'll send someone right away.

	Can you give me your home address please?
	OK my address is ...

We may also choose not to comply with the Request. When we refuse a Request, we usually give an excuse, eg lack of time or ability, and often add an apology to our refusal:

No you can't have one. There's not enough left.
No, I can't just now. Maybe later.
I don't know how to help you.
Sorry, I can't help you at the moment. 
I'm afraid I don't know how to help.

Here is a refusal to a Request on the telephone:

	It's Lara. I was wondering if I could talk to Naomi.
	Oh I'm really sorry Lara, but she's not here at the moment.

Sometimes we neither comply nor refuse, but give a response somewhere between, eg maybe, perhaps, possibly, that depends:

Can you help us please?
- Perhaps

The answer perhaps is halfway between yes and no.

For more information about responding to requests, see:

Text types: Texts for social interaction: Overview: Keeping the interaction going
Text types: Texts for social interaction: Shopping
Grammar: Clause: Using clauses to interact: Making Commands

Teaching activities

For PrimeTeach teaching activities which provide KS2 students with practice in responding to requests, see: Have you got any apples?