Lingua e
Cultura inglese
Prof.ssa Fabiana Loparco
Michael Vince - Grazia Cerulli
New Inside Grammar
Oxford, Macmillan, 2009
Università degli Studi di Macerata
Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo
Classe: L-19
Anno Accademico 2014/2015
Lesson number: 9
1. Reporting requests and orders
2. Requests and permission
3. Will, would vs would like
1. Reporting requests and orders
Nel riportare richieste o ordini si usano comunemente le forme:
• Ask/tell/order (s.body to do)
They asked the taxi driver to drop them off
• Would like/want (s.body to do)
They don’t want you to follow them
• Ask if s.body can/could/would…
They asked the taxi driver if he could drop them off
Ricordate che l’infinito negativo si forma premettendo not al to dell’infinito
Greg told me not to wake him before 9.00
non
told me to not
Nota:
Si dice ask (s.body) s.thing quando si chiede un’informazione. Si dice invece ask (s.body) for
s.thing quando si chiede per ottenere qualcosa
Let’s ask him the way
She asked the waiter for a cup of tea
Exercises
Change the direct speech into reported speech:
• “Please help me carry this”
She asked me ______________________________________________________
• "Stop talking, Joe," the teacher said.
The teacher told Joe_________________________________________________
• “Please buy some milk”
She asked me ______________________________________________________
• “Do your homework!”
She told me_________________________________________________________
• "Go to your room," her father said to her.
Her father told her_________________________________________________
• “Can you help me with my homework, please?”
She asked me ______________________________________________________
Exercises
Muta il discorso diretto in reporting requests and orders:
• “Please help me carry the bag”
She asked me to help her carry the bag
• "Stop talking, Joe," the teacher said.
The teacher told Joe to stop talking
• “Please buy some milk”
She asked me to buy some milk
• “Do your homework!”
She told me to do my homework
• "Go to your room," her father said to her.
Her father told her to go to her room
• “Can you help me with my homework, please?”
She asked me to help her with her homework
2. Request and permission
Le seguenti sono espressioni comunemente usate per formulare richieste o chiedere permesso
Requests and permission
Permission
Requests
Can I/you…?
May I…?
Will you (please)…?
Could I/you…?
Is it all right if I…?
Would you (please)…?
I wonder if I/you could…
Do you mind if I…?
Do you mind + ing?
Could I/you possibly…?
You don’t mind if I… do you?
Would you mind + ing?
I wonder if you would mind + ing
Richieste
I verbi modali can, could (potere), will e would (volere) seguiti da un verbo alla forma base si usano
per fare richieste.
Can e will sono usati per richieste informali; could e would sono usati per richieste più formali. Will e
would sono usati nelle domande in seconda persona singolare e plurale (you)
Can/Will you close the window?
Could/Would you tell me the time, please?
Would you mind + forma in –ing del verbo si usa per fare richieste più cortesi
Would you mind closing the door, please?
Would you mind not smoking here, please?
Suggerimenti
Shall e should (dovere) sempre seguito dalla forma base del verbo si usano per suggerire qualcosa.
Shall si usa nella prima persona singolare e plurale soprattutto nella forma interrogativa e si usa
per fare proposte. Should viene utilizzato per dare e chiedere consigli.
Shall I make some coffee?
You should talk to your parents about it
Per fare suggerimenti si può usare anche la forma How about + forma in –ing del verbo. Questa
forma è meno formale di shall
How about going out?
Un’alternativa è fancy + forma in –ing del verbo
Do you fancy going out?
Offerte
Per le offerte si usa shall I, can I, o would + you like + forma base del verbo con to
Would you like to come for dinner?
Shall/Can I help you with that?
Per offrire qualcosa would you like viene seguito da un sostantivo
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Nota:
May I/we…? è un modo molto più formale di chiedere permesso rispetto a can/could e, a
differenza di questi ultimi, non è usato per esprimere richieste:
Can/Could you make room for me?
Non
May you…
Nel concedere o rifiutare un permesso è più comune l’uso di can rispetto a may
• May I sit here?
- Of course you can (may)
Exercises
Abbina i verbi modali alle frasi seguenti. A volte è possibile più di una
soluzione
will
shall
would
can
could
• _________ I ask you something?
• __________ you tell me the time, please?
• __________ we go for a walk later?
• It’s quite cold here. ____________ you close the window Pete?
• Excuse me,____________ I have your autograph?
• ___________ we all go in one car?
Exercises
Abbina i verbi modali alle frasi seguenti. A volte è possibile più di una
soluzione
will
shall
would
can
could
• Can/Could I ask you something?
• Could/Would you tell me the time, please?
• Shall/Can/Could we go for a walk later?
• It’s quite cold here. Can/Will/Could/Would you close the window Pete?
• Excuse me, could/can I have your autograph?
• Shall/Can/Could we all go in one car?
Exercises
Completa questo mini-dialogo
• Hi Terry, _________ you tell me the way to the railway station?
– Certainly. Walk up this road as far as the church. Then take the second turning on
the left, go past the little square, then…
• Er… it sounds a bit complicated. _______ you draw me a map?
– OK. Oh but wait. Paula is going to the station. ___________ asking her to give you
a lift?
Exercises
Completa questo mini-dialogo
• Hi Terry, could/would you tell me the way to the railway station?
– Certainly. Walk up this road as far as the church. Then take the second turning on
the left, go past the little square, then…
• Er… it sounds a bit complicated. Could/Would you draw me a map?
– OK. Oh but wait. Paula is going to the station. How about asking her to give you a
lift?
Exercises
Scegli l’opzione corretta
• Can/May I ask your age madame?
• ‘Could I borrow your umbrella?’ ‘No, you couldn’t/can’t. That’s the only one I
have and I need it’.
• There’s a bus strike today. May/Could you pick up the children from school?
• Shall/Will we go?
• Will/Shall turn off the radio?
Exercises
Scegli l’opzione corretta
• Can/May I ask your age madame?
• ‘Could I borrow your umbrella?’ ‘No, you couldn’t/can’t. That’s the only one I
have and I need it’.
• There’s a bus strike today. May/Could you pick up the children from school?
• Shall/Will we go?
• Will/Shall I turn off the radio?
3. Will, would vs would like
Note sul verbo volere:
“Volere” è espresso dalla forma would like
I want to know everything
(=condizionale, formale) e want (=presente,
I would like to learn German
informale).
Will/Would you come this way, please?
Will e would sono usati con il significato di
“volere” in casi particolari, ad esempio – come si
Will/Would you stop chatting?
è visto – per fare richieste, oppure per esprimere
ordini o offrire qualcosa
Will you have some more wine?
Will/Would you? Possono anche essere posti in Don’t forget to call, will you?
fine di frase per mitigare un ordine o una
richiesta
Pass me tha salt, will you/would you?
Won’t è una forma cortese usata per invitare a
Won’t you take a seat?/ Take a seat, won’t you?
fare qualcosa
Per approfondire ed esercitarsi:
New Inside Grammar
Lesson & excercises
pp. 189-192; 408-409; 434-437
English Children’s
Literature
Northern Lights
Author: Philip Pullman
Publication date: July 1995
