How to make requests

1. Requests
Originally created by Alan Bessette
Adapted by Candice Quinones

2. Requests

3. Lecture Outline
 Requests: What are they?
 Kinds of requests
 Parts of a request
 Requests & face
 Burden of requests
 Request strategies
 Factors affecting requests

4. Requests - Intro
When you make a request, a speaker asks a someone to
do something
Lend something
Can I borrow 1,000 dollars?
Do or help with a chore
Would you clean up your room?
Do something for someone
Could you drive me to the station?

5. Kinds of Requests
Hearer-oriented
Could you clean up the kitchen, please?
Speaker-oriented
Can I borrow your notes from yesterday’s class?
Speaker- and Hearer-oriented
So, could we tidy up the kitchen soon?
Impersonal
So it might be a good idea to get it cleaned up.

6. Parts of a Request
Danny, can you remind me to bring the book for you on
Monday? Otherwise I might forget.
Attention getter
Danny
Head act – the request
Can you remind me to bring the book for you on Monday?
Supportive move(s)
Otherwise I might forget.

7. Requests & Face
Face is your feeling of self-worth or self-image
Positive face is the desire for approval by others
We want others to like and respect us
Negative face is the desire not to impose on others.
We don’t want to be a burden to others

8. Burden of requests
Requests can potentially be intrusive
The request may place a burden on the recipient
Asking someone who is busy to do something else places a burden
on them
A recipient may have to refuse a request
We don’t like to say no
We don’t like to be refused

9. Burden of requests
Refusing a request and having a request refused result is
a potential loss of face
Therefore, there is a need to minimize the burden of requests
Speakers reduce the burden of requests through different
strategies

10. Request Strategies
Direct strategies
Usually the second most common (10% in English)
Conventially indirect strategies
Most common in all languages (82%)
Non-conventially indirect strategies
Least common (8%)

11. Direct Strategies
Explicit requests
I’m asking you to clean up the kitchen.
You’ll have to clean up the kitchen.
I really wish you’d clean up the kitchen.
Often imperatives (commands)
Clean up the kitchen.
Do your homework!
Sit down.

12. Conventionally Indirect Strategies
Make use of frequently used expressions to downgrade
the request
Suggestions
How about cleaning up?
Why don’t you help with the cleaning up?

13. Conventionally Indirect Strategies
Grammatical downgraders
Could you…?
I wonder if you would mind…?
Do you think I could…?
It would really help if you…?
Would you mind if I…?
Would you be kind enough to…?

14. Conventionally Indirect Strategies
Supportive moves
Do me a favor
Can you do me a favor? Would you lend me 1,000 dollars?
Explain
I missed my bus. Could you give me a lift home?

15. Conventionally Indirect Strategies
Supportive moves
Check possibility
Are you going towards the station? If so, could I have a ride?
Compliment
You have beautiful handwriting. Could I borrow your notes?

16. Non-conventionally Indirect Strategies
Non-conventionally indirect strategies are hints
There is a gap between the speaker’s intended meaning
and the literal meaning

17. Non-conventionally Indirect Strategies
It’s cold in here.
Meaning: Close the window
Do you have any money on you?
Meaning: Can I borrow some money?
Do you know where the newspaper is?
Meaning: Would you get the newspaper?

18. Factors Affecting Requests
How requests are made depend on social and situational
factors
Social status
Social distance
Hearer’s obligation to carry out the request
Right of the speaker to make the request
Difficulty of completing the request

19. Lecture Conclusion
 Requests: What are they?
 Kinds of requests
 Parts of a request
 Requests & face
 Burden of requests
 Request strategies
 Factors affecting requests