Requests

Definition

Requests are utterances that express a desire for someone to do something, often framed in a polite manner. They play a significant role in communication, as they help convey intentions and can be affected by grammatical structures, especially in terms of tense and modality, which are crucial for clarity in reported speech and the sequence of tenses.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Requests can be made using various grammatical structures, including questions, statements, and commands, often relying on politeness strategies.
2. In reported speech, requests change in form depending on the tense and structure used in the original statement, affecting how they are conveyed.
3. Using modal verbs is common when making requests, as they soften the demand and make it more polite.
4. The sequence of tenses affects how requests are structured in both direct and indirect speech, requiring attention to the time frame of the original utterance.
5. Different cultures may have varying norms around making requests, influencing the level of directness or politeness expected in communication.

Review Questions

• How do requests function in communication and what role do they play in expressing intentions?
  • Requests function as a means of conveying a desire for action from others and are essential for effective communication. They allow speakers to express their needs or desires politely while also considering the social context. The way requests are phrased can reflect the speaker's intent, urgency, or level of politeness, influencing how the request is received by the listener.
• Analyze how changes in tense affect the formation of requests when converting from direct to reported speech.
  • When converting requests from direct to reported speech, changes in tense are crucial to maintain clarity. For instance, if someone directly asks, 'Can you help me?' this might be reported as 'He asked if I could help him.' The shift from 'can' to 'could' reflects this change in tense. Understanding these shifts is important to accurately convey both the original request and its context.
• Evaluate the impact of cultural norms on how requests are made and perceived in different social settings.
  • Cultural norms significantly shape how requests are articulated and interpreted. In some cultures, direct requests may be seen as rude, necessitating more indirect forms of communication to convey politeness. Conversely, other cultures may value directness and clarity over subtlety. Evaluating these differences helps us understand potential misunderstandings in intercultural communications and highlights the importance of adapting our request strategies according to social context.

Related terms

Imperative Mood: A grammatical mood used to give commands or make requests, often using the base form of the verb.

Indirect Speech: A way of reporting what someone said without quoting their exact words, which often involves changes in verb tense and mood.

Modal Verbs: Auxiliary verbs such as 'can', 'could', 'may', and 'might' that express ability, possibility, permission, or requests.