Would you mind…?

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

Polite requests with Would you mind + -ing? and Would you mind if I…?, and how to answer them: Would you mind not drilling in the morning? — Of course not. From two neighbors' talk about a noisy kitchen to solving neighbor problems of your own, politely.

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Would you mind…?checkingif I changed

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Check the conversationListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find Would you mindGrammar exercise
  6. 6Would you mind…?Grammar rule
  7. 7Choose the right formGrammar exercise
  8. 8Requests and answersGrammar exercise
  9. 9Make it politeGrammar exercise
  10. 10Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12Good neighborsSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: what do they mean?Grammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: yes or no?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the requestsGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a note to a neighborDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Do you have real conversations with your neighbors, or do you just say hello?
  2. What noises in your home or on your street bother you the most?
  3. When did you last ask a stranger for a favor? What did you say?

Grammar rule

Would you mind…?

Would you mind…? = Is it a problem for you?

You want…AskExample
someone to do somethingWould you mind + -ing?Would you mind checking my email for typos?
someone not to do somethingWould you mind not + -ing?Would you mind not eating at your desk?
to do something yourselfWould you mind if I + past simple?Would you mind if I changed the channel?
  • After Would you mind if I…, the past (changed) is about now or the future: it just sounds softer. In conversation, you will also hear the present: Would you mind if I change the channel?
  • Do you mind if I + the present is a little less formal: Do you mind if I leave my umbrella here?

How to answer

Yes, it's fine (= I don't mind)No, sorry (= it is a problem)
No, not at all. · Of course not. · No, go ahead. (for if I…) · Sure. / Sure, no problem. (very common in American English)Actually, I'm sorry, but… + a reason · Well, it's a little difficult right now. + a reason
mind means "feel that something is a problem", so the friendly answer is no. "Yes" or "Yes, I would" means "Yes, it's a problem: please don't!"

Watch out

  • -ing after mind, not to: Would you mind to repeat that? → Would you mind repeating that?
  • not before -ing: Would you mind don't shout? → Would you mind not shouting?
  • No will after if I: Would you mind if I will take the last cookie? → if I took (or take) the last cookie.
  • A no needs a reason, and it often offers another idea: Actually, I'm sorry, but I need it today. Is tomorrow OK?

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