How to Make Formal Requests in English English Letter Writing Examples
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hi everybody my name is Alisha in this
lesson I’m going to talk about formal
request patterns these are a few
different patterns that you can use when
you’re making formal requests so these
are great for business emails and other
situations where you need to politely
ask for something I’m going to introduce
the patterns and then I’m going to share
a couple of examples as well these are
not the only patterns you can use
they’re just a few ideas to help you get
started so let’s take a look okay first
one let’s begin with the first one
you’ll see some of these patterns today
we’ll use the word would at the
beginning remember we can use wood as a
common word to begin a request so the
first example includes this would you be
so kind as to something another thing
you’ll see in many of these examples is
the word - before kind of the extra
information portion this is a great hint
that we should follow this part with
some kind of verb so 2 plus the
infinitive form of over we’ll see a lot
of examples of this so the first one
I’ve included be so kind as to do
something so this is making a request
and this part be so kind as to shows us
that the speaker is asking for the
kindness of the listener or the reader
in doing this action which we’re about
to describe so let’s look at an example
of this would you be so kind as to send
me the files so here the verb we’re
using is send as I said we need to
follow this too with the infinitive form
of the verb send and send me the files
finishes the phrase so would you be so
kind as to send me the files means
please send me the files but it’s a more
formal sounding request you’re saying it
would be really nice of you if you would
send me the files
it just means please send me the files
but it sounds more polite okay
let’s look at another one similar again
this one begins with wood and ends with
two in the introductory part of this
pattern however here we have possible
would it be possible to this sentence or
this pattern rather this is another way
of saying can you can you but would it
be possible to sounds much more formal
than can you or in some cases can I so
let’s look at an example of this one
would it be possible to discuss this
later would it be possible to discuss
this later
again we have this 2 here which shows us
we should use the infinitive form of the
verb the regular form of the verb to
discuss this later this part would it be
possible to means can so in other words
can we discuss this later that’s what
this request is but it sounds more
formal would it be possible to discuss
this later we’re connecting if you’re
using this in speech we’re connecting
these sounds would it be becomes would
it be would it be possible would it be
possible to discuss this later ok so
this is a good one to use for can
situations if you would use can in a
regular request you could try it would
it be possible to in a formal request
okay let’s go along to the next one may
we ask you to may we ask you to this is
a formal way of saying please please
please do this thing so again we’re
ending the pattern with 2 here we have
this kind of confusing may be may we ask
you so you know that we use may to ask
for permission to do something but we’re
also using ask so really this
combination make a very soft request
here I’m using we this we could mean
your group or your company or your
department perhaps so may we ask you to
is kind of making yourself sound quite
humble so you’re kind of lowering
yourself and making a request from the
other person but again this just means
please please we’re just using a more
formal Express
again we’re going to need to use the
infinitive form here because we see two
at the end of this introductory section
so let’s look at an example all right
may we ask you to submit the application
by tomorrow so again to our infinitive
form and here may we ask you to submit
the application by tomorrow
i phrased this as a question really if
you’re using please you could just say
please submit the application by
tomorrow
period not a question mark here because
we’re being formal and polite we say may
we ask you to submit the application by
tomorrow so may we ask you it’s like
you’re asking permission to ask for
something from someone if that makes
sense so it’s kind of a very soft
expression but we’re phrasing this as a
question here again this just means
please submit the application by
tomorrow okay on to the next one the
next one is also a possibility
expression do you think you would be
able to so here we see would do you
think you would be able to this means
that in the future you’re asking about
someone’s future abilities something
that someone could do or would be able
to do in the future so do you think you
would be able to verb phrase here we
should follow this with a verb again
this part do you think you would this is
maybe kind of softening it instead of
would you be able to it’s do you think
you would be able to hear as well a
pronunciation point this you would we
reduce this to you’d do you think you’d
be able to do you think you’d be able to
in speech in writing we can use the
regular form the non reduce the non
contracted form let’s look at an example
of how to use this do you think you
would be able to have it ready by
tomorrow so this could be a document for
example do you think you would be able
to have it ready by tomorrow if we want
to make this really really simple do you
think you would be able to have it ready
by tomorrow
is can you have it ready by tomorrow
that’s really what this means it’s just
a very formal way of saying that do you
think you would be able to have it ready
by tomorrow so it’s quite soft it’s like
giving the other person a chance to say
no I’m really busy but it means can you
can you have it ready by tomorrow do you
think you would be able to have it ready
by tomorrow
quite nice okay let’s move along to the
next one again we’re starting this with
wood so another soft request pattern
would you have some time available to so
this is asking about someone’s schedule
would you have some time available to
verb we need to follow this with the
verb so let’s look at the example would
you have some time available to chat
about this so again here’s our to our
verb to chat about this in other case
this just means do you have time to chat
about this but this would you have some
time available in the future
in other words or do you think that it
would be possible to chat about this is
another way to say that so just a quite
formal expression again do you have time
to chat
in other words okay let’s move along to
the next one for very kind of direct
requests but that are also formal we can
use a pattern like this I would like to
request I would like to request here you
notice there’s no 2 at the end of this
so we should probably use a noun phrase
here there’s something that you want to
receive so I would like to request
something example I would like to
request your attendance at the meeting I
would like to request your attendance at
the meeting this is a formal sentence
which means please come to the meeting
please come to the meeting so I would
like to request you can imagine this as
meaning I want or a need or please do
this I would like to request something I
would like to request a a letter I would
like to request an application form
please I
like to request your attendance at the
meeting as well so these mean I want
something but as I’ve gone over here try
to avoid using some of these expressions
informal requests I want and I need can
sound very casual and too direct
especially in business situations when
you’re making a request I tend to avoid
using these if you’re trying to give
some supporting information or your
requests maybe that’s okay so for
example I would like to request your
attendance at the meeting because I need
your approval for my project for example
in that case using I need could be okay
but if you make your request your first
kind of introduction to your request
using I want or I need in some cases it
might sound a little too direct
so please kind of be cautious I tend to
avoid these same thing with can I can I
can sound a little bit casual sometimes
so you can kind of feel the situation
and how close you are to the person
you’re speaking to or writing to okay
let’s move along to the next one the
next one is great in emails and written
correspondence so this is when you are
maybe introducing yourself in an email
or you’re introducing a request in an
email I am writing to request this is
very clear I like to use this one I’m
writing to someone that I don’t know I
use this after I introduce myself hi my
name is Alicia
I’m from ABC company and I am writing to
request so this is in other words why am
i writing to this person so I’m writing
to request a meeting I’m writing to
request to request this document for
example I’m writing to request noun
phrase Here I am writing to request a
letter of recommendation so in other
words this is the thing I want I’m
writing to request this thing this is
great to use in emails when there’s some
specific thing that you want and you
want to describe it quickly and clearly
that’s quite nice alright let’s move
along to
the next one when you need to ask
permission to do something so here
you’ll see we go back to this too at the
end of the pattern meaning we should use
a verb here
may I or may we have permission to in
other words is it okay to but this is a
formal way to ask permission examples in
this school example sentence may I have
permission to use your video in an
article so this is actually I think this
is a similar similar to a comment we
received on the channel may I have your
permission to use your video in an
article in this case so in other words
is it okay if I use your video in an
article this is a much more formal a
much nicer way to ask if something is
okay to do or not all right let’s move
on to the last pattern for today
could you please could you please here
you’ll notice I’ve used you you can
change this if you’ve changed this to
like could I please it means you want
something like you want to receive
something here you’re asking for someone
else to do something for you could you
please do something example could you
please let me know if this is acceptable
so this part let me know if this is
acceptable means please let me know if
this is OK acceptable means okay really
but more formal so could you please let
me know if this is okay
is what this means but you can change
this this you to whoever like could he
please give me the information or could
I please meet with you later for example
you can change this could this could you
depending on the situation depending on
who is giving and who is receiving
information or a favor or so on so this
one there’s quite a lot of flexibility
with this so keep that in mind okay so
those are a few different patterns that
you can use when you’re making formal
requests so as I said this is really
good for business emails informal
situations so I hope that you got some
new ideas of course if there’s something
else that you like to use in your formal
requests please let us know in the
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you again soon bye
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