Can I borrow it?

What's in the lesson

1. 1Warm-up
2. 2In this lesson
3. 3Guess the wordsVocabulary exercise
4. 4Check the wordsVocabulary
5. 5True or false?Reading comprehension
6. 6Read and thinkReading comprehension
7. 7Listen: a message for the front deskListening comprehension
8. 8Use the new wordsVocabulary exercise
9. 9What does it mean?Grammar exercise
10. 10Yes or no?Grammar exercise
11. 11Asking for things and for helpGrammar rule
12. 12Which is right?Grammar exercise
13. 13Put the words in orderGrammar exercise
14. 14Say it politelySpeaking practice
15. 15At work and at a hotelSpeaking practice
16. 16Let's talkDiscussion
17. 17Wrap-up

Homework

1. 1Homework: what do you need?Vocabulary exercise
2. 2Homework: your sentencesVocabulary exercise
3. 3Homework: at the hotelGrammar exercise
4. 4Homework: a message to a coworkerDiscussion

Words

• borrow/ˈbɑːroʊ/

  to take a thing from a person, use it, and give it back later

• stapler/ˈsteɪplər/

  a small machine that joins pieces of paper with a little piece of metal

• 
  charger/ˈtʃɑːrdʒər/

  a thing with a cable that gives power to your phone or laptop

• 
  envelope/ˈenvəloʊp/

  a paper cover for a letter

• 
  folder/ˈfoʊldər/

  a cover of thick paper for keeping papers together

• 
  scissors/ˈsɪzərz/

  a tool with two sharp parts for cutting paper (scissors is a plural word)

• 
  ruler/ˈruːlər/

  a long, flat piece of wood or plastic for measuring and drawing straight lines

• towel/ˈtaʊəl/

  a piece of soft cloth for drying your body after a shower

• 
  front desk/ˌfrʌnt ˈdesk/

  the place near the door of a hotel where you get your key and ask for things

• favor/ˈfeɪvər/

  something kind that you do for a person when they ask

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

Let's talk about asking for things.

1. What do you always have in your bag?
2. Do you sometimes stay at hotels? Where?
3. Who do you ask for help at work or at school?

Grammar rule

Asking for things and for help

	Examples
Do you have…? (does the person have it?)	Do you have a pencil? Do you have an extra pen? — Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Can I…? (I want to do it)	Can I borrow your pen? (I give it back.) Can I have a cookie? (I keep it.)
Can you…? / Could you…? (I want you to do it)	Can you hold my coffee for a minute? Could you say that again, please?

After can and could, use the verb with no -s and no to: Can you hold it? (not Can you to hold it?) Could you…? is a little more polite than Can you…?, and please makes every request more polite. Could I…? is polite too.

Saying yes and no

Yes: Sure. · Of course. · No problem. · Here you go. (when you give a thing)

No: Sorry, I need it. · I'm sorry, but I can't. Say why: I'm sorry, but I'm busy right now.

borrow is for the person who takes the thing: I borrow your pen. (not Can you borrow me your pen?)