Guess the Request

Elementary (A1-A2) 30 minutes
ESL making requests game preview, drawing Can you...? requests, guessing activities, pair work, elementary A1-A2 students

ESL Making Requests Game - Speaking: Drawing Pictures, Guessing, Forming Questions - Pair Work

In this creative making requests game, students draw pictures of 'Can you...?' requests and try to guess requests from pictures a partner has drawn. First, in two groups, students draw...

ESL Making Requests Game - Speaking: Drawing Pictures from Prompts, Guessing, Forming Questions - Pair Work In this creative making requests game, students draw pictures of 'Can you...?' requests and try to guess requests from pictures a partner has drawn. First, in two groups, students draw pictures that illustrate 'Can you...?' requests in numbered squares. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and give their partner the drawings. Next, students take turns guessing the 'Can you...?' request for each of their partner's pictures. Students have three chances to guess the request for each picture. If a student guesses correctly the first time, they score three points. On the second try, they get two points. On the third try, they score one point. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Requests Mingle

Elementary (A1-A2) 20 minutes
ESL making, accepting and declining requests speaking activity, prompt cards, class mingling, elementary A1-A2 students

ESL Making, Accepting and Declining Requests Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice

In this free making requests speaking activity, students practice making, accepting and declining requests using prompts on cards. Give each student a request...

ESL Making, Accepting and Declining Requests Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Communicative Practice In this free making requests speaking activity, students practice making, accepting and declining requests using prompts on cards. Give each student a request card. On one side is a picture and request prompt and on the other side is a tick or cross. Students hold their cards so the request prompt is facing towards them and the tick or cross is facing away. Students then go around the class making, accepting and declining requests with as many different partners as possible. If students see a tick, they accept the request. If there is a cross, students decline the request. When the students have finished, they exchange cards and repeat the activity, but this time they hold their cards the other way around so the request prompt is facing away. Students then go around the class, making a different request each time they speak to a classmate.

Could you...?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 20 minutes
ESL could you requests game, making and answering requests, group work, pre-intermediate A2 students

ESL Could You Requests Game - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled Practice - Group Work

In this engaging making requests game, students race to find someone to accept their requests. The aim of the game is for students to make requests and find the person in their group who has the 'Yes, of...

ESL Could You Requests Game - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled Practice - Group Work In this engaging making requests game, students race to find someone to accept their requests. The aim of the game is for students to make requests and find the person in their group who has the 'Yes, of course...' response to each request. Student A begins by reading the first request to one of the other students, e.g. 'Could you lend me ten dollars?' That student then looks for a matching reply on their card. If the chosen student accepts the request by saying 'Yes, of course...', Student A crosses off the request. If the chosen student declines the request by saying 'I'm sorry...', Student A has to wait until their next turn before making the request to another student. Student B then reads the first request on their card to one of the other students, and so on. The first student to cross off all three requests wins the game.

Help Me Out!

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL making requests communicative game, helping classmates with tasks, diary activity, pre-intermediate A2 students

ESL Making Requests Game - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice

In this communicative making requests game, students practice making, accepting and declining requests by racing to find classmates who are free to help them with five tasks. First, students write five...

ESL Making Requests Game - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Communicative Practice In this communicative making requests game, students practice making, accepting and declining requests by racing to find classmates who are free to help them with five tasks. First, students write five tasks they plan to do and need help with in a diary, e.g. wash the car, clean the house, etc. Students then go around the class making requests to find classmates who are free to help them with each task, e.g. 'Could you help me wash my car on Tuesday afternoon?' Students also fill in the rest of their diary with tasks their classmates have asked them for help with. If a student is free, they accept the request and write the task in their diary. The student then signs their name in the square under the task on their partner's worksheet. If a student already has something to do, they decline the request and give their reason, e.g. 'I'm sorry, I can't. I'm helping Tim clean his house.' The first student to find classmates to help them with their five tasks wins the game. Afterwards, continue the game to see who can complete their diary with the most tasks.

Race to Respond

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL accepting and declining requests game, making requests, card race, group work, pre-intermediate A2 students

ESL Accepting and Declining Requests Game - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this fast-paced making requests game, students race to accept and decline requests. In groups, students take turns picking up a card, making an appropriate request based on the situation and placing the...

ESL Accepting and Declining Requests Game - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work In this fast-paced making requests game, students race to accept and decline requests. In groups, students take turns picking up a card, making an appropriate request based on the situation and placing the card face-up on the table. Students with a matching accept or decline picture card then race to respond to the request. The first student to accept or decline the request and lay their matching picture card down on top of the request card wins and keeps the two cards. The student with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins.

Special Requests

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL polite requests worksheet, grammar exercises, binary choice, gap-fill, matching, pre-intermediate A2 students

ESL Polite Requests Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Binary Choice, Gap-fill, Matching, Unscrambling, Error Correction, Rewriting and Writing Sentences

In this comprehensive making requests worksheet, students learn and practice how to make polite requests with 'Could you...?' and 'Would you mind...?' Students...

ESL Polite Requests Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Binary Choice, Gap-fill, Matching, Unscrambling, Error Correction, Rewriting and Writing Sentences In this comprehensive making requests worksheet, students learn and practice how to make polite requests with 'Could you...?' and 'Would you mind...?' Students start by underlining the correct phrase to complete each request. Students then complete polite requests with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Next, students match polite requests to suitable responses. After that, students put words in the correct order to form polite requests and complete an error correction exercise. Lastly, students write a polite request for each situation using 'Could you..?' or 'Would you mind...?'

Be Polite

Intermediate (B1) 20 minutes
ESL polite requests worksheet, vocabulary exercises, forming questions, word completion, asking and answering, intermediate B1 students

ESL Polite Requests Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Forming Questions, Word Completion - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

Here is a free polite requests worksheet to help students practice a variety of phrases for making, accepting and declining requests politely. First, students use...

ESL Polite Requests Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Forming Questions, Word Completion - Speaking Activity: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Pair Work Here is a free polite requests worksheet to help students practice a variety of phrases for making, accepting and declining requests politely. First, students use polite phrases to write requests for ten situations. Next, students complete phrases that accept and decline requests. Finally, in pairs, students take turns making, accepting and declining requests using the situations and phrases.

Deal With It

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL making requests game, forming questions, communicative practice, group work, intermediate B1 learners

ESL Making Requests Game - Speaking: Forming Questions, Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this productive making requests game, students practice a variety of request phrases by racing to make suitable requests for common situations. In groups of three, one student picks up a situation...

ESL Making Requests Game - Speaking: Forming Questions, Communicative Practice - Group Work In this productive making requests game, students practice a variety of request phrases by racing to make suitable requests for common situations. In groups of three, one student picks up a situation card, while the other two students each take a phrase card. The student then reads the response or statement on the situation card, e.g. 'The plants need watering.' The two students then race to come up with an appropriate request using the phrase on their card. The first student to make a suitable request wins and keeps the situation card, e.g. 'Would you mind watering them for me?' The next student then picks up a situation card, and so on. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Let's Practice Requests

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
ESL requests worksheet, gap-fill, identifying, error correction, role-play, pair work, intermediate B1 students

ESL Requests Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Gap-fill, Writing Sentences, Error Correction - Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this free making requests worksheet, students practice making, accepting and declining requests using various phrases. First, students read two...

ESL Requests Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Gap-fill, Identifying, Writing Sentences, Error Correction - Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this free making requests worksheet, students practice making, accepting and declining requests using various phrases. First, students read two dialogues and complete them with words from a box. Students then role-play the dialogues with a partner to compare their answers. Next, students identify the phrases to make requests in the two dialogues and write them in a table. After that, students identify and write the phrase used to accept or decline each request. Next, students use the phrases from the table to write a request and reply for each prompt. Following that, students write four requests of their own and practice making, accepting and declining the requests with their partner. Students then read short impolite dialogues and rewrite the requests and responses to make them more polite. Finally, in pairs, students write and then present a conversation where they make, accept and decline requests.

Making Requests Board Game

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL requests board game, forming questions, group work, everyday situations, intermediate B1 students

ESL Requests Board Game - Speaking: Forming Questions - Group Work

In this fun making requests board game, students practice making requests in everyday situations using various phrases. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, the...

ESL Requests Board Game - Speaking: Forming Questions from Prompts - Group Work In this fun making requests board game, students practice making requests in everyday situations using various phrases. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, the student to their right takes a card and reads the situation on the card to the player, e.g. 'You are at a hotel reception. You need a taxi. Make a request.' The player then tries to make a request for the situation using the request phrase on the square, e.g. 'Do you mind calling a taxi for me?' If the request is grammatically correct and appropriate, the student who read the situation accepts the request, e.g. 'Sure. No problem.' If the request is incorrect, the student refuses the request, e.g. 'Sorry, but I do mind.' The player then goes back two squares. The first player to reach the finish wins the game.

Party Time

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL suggestions and requests activity, planning a class party, guided discussion, intermediate B1 students

ESL Suggestions and Requests Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Table Completion, Discussion, Presenting - Pair and Group Work

In this imaginative making suggestions and requests activity, students plan and organise a class party by making, accepting and refusing suggestions and requests...

ESL Suggestions and Requests Activity - Speaking: Planning, Asking and Answering Questions, Table Completion, Guided Discussion, Presenting - Pair and Group Work In this imaginative making suggestions and requests activity, students plan and organise a class party by making, accepting and refusing suggestions and requests. Students imagine that they are going to organize a class party and that there is an unlimited budget as the teacher is going to pay for everything! In pairs, students then make, accept and refuse suggestions and write down their agreed-on ideas for the party. Next, each pair discusses their suggestions for the party with another pair and writes down the best ideas. After that, students take turns making requests to each other to complete tasks in preparation for the party, e.g. 'Could you possibly go to the shop and buy ten bottles of Champagne?' Students only agree to a request if they genuinely think they wouldn't mind doing it. When a student agrees, the group writes down their name and task. If students don't want to do something, they decline the request and explain why. Afterwards, groups tell the class about their party plans and what each student is going to do in preparation for the party. Finally, the class votes for the group with the best party ideas.

Would you mind...?

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL would you mind activity, making, accepting and declining requests, communicative speaking, intermediate B1 students

ESL Would You Mind Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Communicative Practice

In this communicative making requests activity, students practice making 'Would you mind -ing...?' requests and accepting and declining them. Students go around the class making requests for the...

ESL Would You Mind Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Communicative Practice In this communicative making requests activity, students practice making 'Would you mind -ing...?' requests and accepting and declining them. Students go around the class making requests for the things shown on their worksheet using 'Would you mind -ing...?' Students only agree to a classmate's request if they think they wouldn't mind doing it. If students don't want to do something, they decline the request and explain why. For each request, students speak to two people. When a classmate responds to a request, the student writes down their reply and name. When everyone has finished, students give feedback to the class on the people who accepted and declined their requests.

What's missing?

Upper-intermediate (B2) 20 minutes
ESL requests game, vocabulary, gap-fill, guessing missing words, pair work, upper-intermediate B2 learners

ESL Requests Game - Vocabulary, Gap-fill, Guessing - Pair Work

In this entertaining making requests game, students practice phrases for making requests. In pairs, one student begins by guessing the missing words in the first request. Their partner listens and tells them if they are correct or not...

ESL Requests Game - Vocabulary, Gap-fill, Guessing - Pair Work In this entertaining making requests game, students practice phrases for making requests. In pairs, one student begins by guessing the missing words in the first request. Their partner listens and tells them if they are correct or not. If the student guesses correctly the first time, they score three points and write the words in the gaps. On the second try, they get two points. On the third try, they score one point. After the missing words have been guessed correctly or three chances have passed, their partner guesses the missing words in the second request, and so on. The student with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Using Requests

English requests range from informal phrases like 'Can you...?' to more careful ones like 'Could you possibly...?' and 'Would you mind...?', and each one sends a different social signal. A learner who relies on just one phrase across all situations risks sounding too casual with a boss, too stiff with a friend, or unintentionally rude with a stranger.

This page covers making requests across A1 to B2 levels, with 13 activities ranging from drawing games and mingling activities to a board game and a party-planning discussion, including two free downloads.

This table maps the most common expressions for making requests to the situations where each one fits naturally.

ExpressionSituationExample
'Can you...?' Asking a friend or family member for a small, easy favor 'Can you grab me a coffee?'
'Could you...?' Asking a colleague or someone you don't know well 'Could you send me that file?'
'Could you possibly...?' Making a request that needs a little more care or effort 'Could you possibly stay late tonight?'
'Would you mind...?' Asking someone to do something that may inconvenience them 'Would you mind moving your bag?'
'Do you mind if I...?' Asking for permission rather than action 'Do you mind if I open the window?'
'I was wondering if you could...' Making a tentative or very polite request in writing or speech 'I was wondering if you could take a look at this report.'

When to Use Requests

Asking a friend or family member for help: When the listener is someone you know well and the task is minor, a short informal phrase like 'Can you...?' fits naturally because it matches the ease and closeness of the relationship, as in 'Can you give me a hand with this?'

Asking a colleague or someone you have just met: In a workplace or with a new acquaintance, expressions like 'Could you...?' or 'Could you possibly...?' signal respect and consideration without sounding distant or overly formal, as in 'Could you possibly send me those figures before lunch?'

Asking someone to do something that takes real effort: When a request involves a genuine imposition on the listener's time or comfort, a phrase like 'I was wondering if you could...' or 'Would you mind...?' shows that you recognize the effort involved and are not taking the other person for granted, as in 'I was wondering if you could cover my shift on Friday.'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Requests

1. Build the Phrase from the Start: Give students meaningful repetition with request phrases through a drawing-and-guessing game that rewards accuracy. Students draw pictures to represent 'Can you...?' requests, then swap drawings with a partner and take turns guessing what each picture shows. The scoring gives three points for a correct first guess, two for the second, and one for the third, keeping both students alert throughout.

2. Add Phrase Variety Under Pressure: Once students know the basic expressions, push them to produce a range of request phrases quickly. In a group of three, one student reads a situation aloud, such as 'The plants need watering.', while the other two race to form a suitable request using the phrase on their individual phrase card, so the same situation prompts two competing versions and students hear the contrast immediately.

3. Take Phrases into Real Communication: The final step moves students away from controlled practice and into a genuine communicative task where the language has to do real work. Students plan a class party, starting with suggestions and moving into requests, and they only agree to a request if they genuinely think they wouldn't mind doing it. The scenario, in which the teacher is going to pay for everything, provides just enough energy to keep the discussion lively.

Common Mistakes with Requests

Infinitive after 'Would you mind': Students often follow 'Would you mind' with an infinitive instead of a gerund, treating it like 'Could you' or 'Can you'. Wrong: 'Would you mind to close the window.' Correct: 'Would you mind closing the window.'

Saying 'Yes' to agree to a 'Would you mind' request: Students often say 'Yes' to signal agreement when responding to a 'Would you mind...?' request, not realizing that 'yes' means they do mind and are in fact refusing. Wrong: 'Would you mind opening the door?' 'Yes, of course.' Correct: 'Would you mind opening the door?' 'No, not at all.'

Common Questions About Teaching Requests

What is an engaging activity for practicing requests?

In the activity Requests Mingle, each student holds a card showing a request prompt on one side and a tick or cross on the other. Students move around the class making, accepting, and declining requests with different classmates. They then flip their cards and repeat, making a fresh request to each person they meet. It is free to download.

What is a good worksheet for making requests?

The worksheet Let's Practice Requests takes students from reading model dialogues through gap-fill, error correction, and sentence writing before they write and perform their own request conversation. It covers making, accepting, and declining requests and includes a section where students rewrite impolite exchanges to make them more polite. It is free to download.

What is a fun board game for making requests?

The board game Making Requests Board Game gives each player a different phrase on every turn and a situation to match it to. Get the request right and you stay put. Get it wrong and you go back two squares. It is the kind of game where one bad answer can change everything.

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