IBN ZOHR UNIVERSITYFACULTY OF LETTERS

SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

 Introduction to General EnglishS2/ G1

Instructor: Khadija GOUALIkhadijagouali@gmail.com

Facebook: Khadijah Gouali

Course content

Functional English: - Greetings and introductions - Asking for opinion. - Expressing opinion. - Expressing agreement and

disagreement - Asking for and giving advice. - Making and responding to

apologies. - Making and responding to

requests.           

Making and responding to

apologies

Apologizing

• To  apologize  is  to  tell  someone  that  you  are sorry  for  having  done  something  that  has caused him inconvenience or unhappiness.

Example Dialogues

• Jane: I'm very sorry for stepping on your foot!• Marry: Don't worry about it. It's very crowded 

on this bus. • Fatima: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep your 

book so long.• Ahmed: No problem. I won’t need it until next 

semester.

Example Dialogues

• Jane: I'm very sorry for stepping on your foot!• Marry: Don't worry about it. It's very crowded 

on this bus. • Fatima: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep your 

book so long.• Ahmed: No problem. I won’t need it until next 

semester.

Making and responding to apologies

Making apologies:• I do apologize for... • I must apologize for...• I apologize for...• I'd like to apologize for... • I am so sorry for...• I shouldn't have...• It's all my fault. • I'm ashamed of... • Please, forgive me for... • Excuse me for ... • I'm terribly sorry for... • Pardon me for this...• Please, forgive me for my....• Please, accept my apologies for..

Accepting apologies:• That's all right. • Never mind. • Don't apologize. • It doesn't matter. • Don't worry about it. • Don't mention it. • That's OK. • I quite understand. • You couldn't help it. • Forget about it. • Don't worry about it. • No harm done.

Let’s practise • Make  a  dialogue  on  one  of  these  situations  using  the 

expressions of making and responding to apology:

    You  had  a  meeting  with  your  friend  but  you  came late. 

  You lost your temper and shouted at your friend.    Your  teacher  asked  you  to  do  homework  but  you 

forgot.

Making requests.

• When you ask  someone  to do something for you,  or  ask  if  you can do something,  it's important to sound polite. 

Example Dialogues

• Father: Tom, can you pass me the salt, please?• Son: of course dad! Here it is.

• Teacher: would  you  mind  opening  that window?

• Student: Certainly.

Example Dialogues

• Father: Tom, can you pass me the salt, please?• Son: of course dad! Here it is.

• Teacher: would you mind opening  that window?

• Student: Certainly, teacher!

Expressions of requestRequesting

• Will/Would/Can/Could you please…• Do you mind …?• Do you think you could…?• Do you think it would be possible to...?• Would it be possible for you to…?• Would there be any possibility of…• Would you be so kind as to…?• Would you be kind enough to…?• Would you mind (V+ing) …?• Can/could you... for me, please?• Could you possibly…• I’d appreciate it if you could…• Can/Could I ask you to…?• I’d like you to please…

Accepting Requests

• Sure, I’d be glad/happy to…

•  Of course/Certainly.• No problem.•  Sure. Just a moment

Examples 

• Would it be possible for you to bring us some water, please?

• Would you mind telling me your name?• Could you please speak a little louder?• I’d appreciate it if you could turn off the  TV?

Let’s practise!Read the situations and make the requests.

1. You want to borrow your friend’s camera.     2. You didn’t hear what your classmate’s said. You want her to 

say it again.    3. You can’t hear what your sister is saying because of the radio. 

You want her to turn it down.       4. You haven’t finished your essay. You want to give it to your 

teacher a day late.    5. You need to use your colleague’s computer.    6. Your friend asks you to go to the cinema with her. You can’t 

tell her until tomorrow.    7. You want to your friend to turn the light on

Best of luck