Modals of Permission
Modals of Permission
Permission
Requests / Asking for Permission / Giving or refusing Permission
Making Requests:
Will/Can you (V) ....? (informal) (NB NOT May you…?)
Would/Could you (V) ....? (more formal)
Would you mind (V+ing) ....? (more formal and polite)
Asking for Permission:
Can I (V) ….? (informal)
Could I (V) ….? (neutral)
May I (V) ….? (formal)
Would you mind if I (V – past tense)....? (very formal)
I wonder if I could/might (V) .... ? (extremely formal)
Giving or refusing Permission:
Yes, you can/may. (May is formal)
No, you can’t/may not. NB NOT Could not)
Notice reported speech:
You may not leave the room, but you can switch on the TV.
He said I couldn’t leave the room, but I could watch TV.