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Previous: 10 Modal Verbs
2.2.1.2.1 can, could, would: Requests
We often use can in a question to ask somebody to do something. This is not a real question -- we do not really want to know if the person is able to do something, we want them to do it! The use of can in this way is informal (mainly between friends and family). For example:
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Can you be quiet!
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Can you come here for a minute?
We often use could in a question to ask somebody to do something. The use of could in this way is fairly polite (formal). For example:
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Could you close the window, please?
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Pardon me, could you give me a hand?
Would is also used to make polite requests, sometimes exchangeable with could. For example:
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Would you close the window, please?
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Would you mind if I sit here?
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