EnglishPod - Can I ask you a favor?
M: Hello English learners! Welcome back to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.
M: And we're bringing you another great elementary lesson today. One that takes place at the office.
E: Yes, today we're gonna teach you some great phrases, so that you can ask people to help you.
M: Right. And I think this dialogue is with a new person at the office.
E: Uhu.
M: So, when you're new, you always need to ask people for favors.
E: Exactly.
M: Okay.
E: Yeah.
M: So, we're gonna be asking for a favor.
E: So, Marco, what exactly is a favor?
M: Something that a person does for you.
E: Like a small helpful thing.
M: Ah, Yeah, a small helpful thing, so…
E: Uh.
M: You know, like “can you pass me that pencil”. Maybe that's even a favor.
M: Or…
E: Maybe, uh, can you pick me up on your way to work.
E: Uhu.
E: Yep.
E: Yeah.
E: Yeah.
M: So, that's what we're gonna be talking about – favors and how to ask for one.
E: Cause you always have to do this at work.
M: At work, with your friends.
E: Uhu.
M: With your family. So, let's listen to the dialogue and then we'll come back and explain all the vocabulary.
E: Pretty unhelpful colleagues.
M: Hehe. I know everyone so busy…
M: They didn't help this poor girl.
E: Yeah, I hope she found the bathroom.
M: Hehe. Now, let's take a look at the language from the dialogue. So, let's start with language takeaway.
E: There's some great language in this dialogue, wasn't there?
M: Yeah, a lot of, uh, interesting phrases and words. Um, the first one that… that I saw that was really interesting is on board.
E: On board.
E: Well, we've got some examples of how this phrase is used. So, let's listen to them to help us understand the meaning.
A: Welcome on board, Sarah; if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
B: We need to get a new office assistant on board as soon as possible.
C: We decided to bring Melissa on board to join the marketing team.
E: Or.
E: Yeah.
E: So, “on board” is the same as “to the company”.
M: I guess also when you get on a ship, they tell you “welcome on board”.
E: Yes. That's where it comes from.
M: Welcome on board. Okay, let's take a look at our next word – about to.
M: So, this a great phrase to explain that you're about to do something.
E: I'm going to do this thing really soon.
M: Okay, so… so, for example, you can say “I'm about to go out for lunch”.
E: Uhu. Or I could say “hey, Marco, let's go record a show”.
M: I'm about to going to a meeting.
M: Right?
E: Yeah.
E: Going to do something really soon.
M: Okay. The next word we have is instead.
E: Instead.
M: Instead.
E: Instead. It means in the place of.
E: Yeah.
M: So, for example, if for a dinner I could say “I'll have the chicken instead of the fish”.
E: Uhu.
M: Right?
E: Or I can say “I wanted to buy a red sweater, but they didn't have one, so I bought a blue one instead”.
M: Instead.
E: Uhu.
E: Yeah.
M: And our last word for… language takeaway – interrupt.
E: Interrupt.
M: Interrupt.
E: Interrupt.
M: So, when somebody interrupts you, they're coming and…
E: The talk to you while you're doing something or maybe while you're speaking.
E: Aha.
E: Yeah.
M: Okay.
M: Interrupt. Okay, some great words here in our dialogue and now we can listen to it again. This time it's gonna be a little bit slower…
E: And you'll be able to understand the language a little bit better.
M: Okay, so, there're some great ways that you can ask someone for a favor, right?
E: Yeah, we wanna show you some really useful phrases for asking for help.
M: So, let's start with “putting it together”.
E: Let's listen to some different ways of how you can ask someone for a favor.
A: May I get you to do me a favor? Can you carry this package and that suitcase for me?
B: Can I ask you a favor? Can you just finish this report for me?
C: Could you do me a favor and pass me that file.
M: Okay, so, those were great examples of asking for a favor.
E: Yeah.
M: In our dialogue we heard “Can I ask you a favor”.
E: Uhu. But we could also say “Can I get you to do me a favor”.
M: Right, can I get you to do me a favor.
E: Uhu.
M: Also I could say “Will you do me a favor”.
M: Right. So, those are different ways of asking for a favor.
E: Let's say you want to ask someone for a favor, right?
M: Uhu.
M: Right.
E: So, you'll need some phrases to help you do this.
M: Exactly, you need some phrases to interrupt somebody.
E: Aha.
M: Right? So, let's listen to some examples of what phrases you can use to begin to talk to someone.
M: Okay.
Example 1: I hate to bother you, but… I hate to bother you, but…
Example 2: I'm sorry to bother you, but… I'm sorry to bother you, but…
Example 3: I don't mean to bother you, but… I don't mean to bother you, but…
M: Okay, so, those are really nice and polite ways of beginning to talk to someone.
E: Exactly, they're really useful at the office.
M: So, maybe you wanna talk to your boss, you knock on his door, kind of open it a little bit and say “I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you have time for meeting today”.
E: Uhu. Or you could say “I hate to bother you, but do you have time for a meeting today”.
M: Exactly.
E: Uhu.
M: So, those are great ways of starting up a conversation.
E: Yep.
M: And maybe setting it up to ask for a favor.
E: Uhu.
M: Right?
E: Uhu.
M: So, we can combine them. I could say “I hate to bother you, but can you do me a favor”.
E: Perfect.
M: Right?
M: So, then… then you can ask someone for a favor.
E: Yep.
M: Okay, great stuff. So, I guess we can listen to our dialogue again.
E: Yeah, let's listen to our dialogue for the third time and this time I'm sure you'll understand it a lot better.
M: Alright, so, now you have all the vocabulary necessary the next time you need to ask someone for a favor.
E: Yes.
M: At the office, with your friends, with your family, anyone.
E: Well, everyone, we are out of time for today, but remember to visit our website at englishpod.com.
M: Exactly, at our website you'll find the script of the dialogue…
E: Uhu.
M: And also you'll find intermediate lessons, upper intermediate and even advanced.
E: Yeah, exactly, our website is a great resource for learning. Uh, Marco and I are always there to answer you questions and we also have lots of helpful users, who answer your questions.
M: Exactly, so, don't miss out come to our website at englishpod.com and we'll see you there. [NOTE: to miss out = to lose an opportunity]
M: Bye-Bye.
E: Bye.