Exercise 6: Simulation Exercises for Making a Request

(Hiroko approaches your desk and says:)

Hiro: どう、宿題は？ Doo, shukudai wa?

1. You: (respond to the question)

Hiro: はやく終わりにしてテレビでも見ようよ。 Hayaku owarini shite terebi demo miyouyo.

2. You: (make a request)

3. Hiro: あ、そうだったの。ごめん、ごめん。 A, soudattano. Gomen, gomen.

You: (thank him/her)　

Self-Evaluation

4. Now, let’s listen to a sample dialogue between two roommates. Observe their language carefully. Write down the request statement the first speaker makes.

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5. Reflect on the important situational factors that are most likely to influence your speech:

   - Age difference between the two speakers
   - Role/status difference between the two
   - Closeness or distance between the two
   - Magnitude of the request (degree of imposition)

Now let’s review the politeness levels of a request:

・・・してくれない/もらえない*？          …shite kurenai/moraenai*?                                                 Plain form (no honorifics, casual)
・・・してくれませんか/もらえませんか？   …shite kure masenka/ morae masenka?                  Desu/masu form honorifics (polite)
・・・してくださいませんか？         …shite kudasai masenka?                                                         Exalted form honorifics (very polite)
・・・していただけませんか？         …shite itadake masenka?                                                          Humble form honorifics (very polite)

* もらえる moraeru is slightly more polite than くれる kureru.  Note also that the negative form of request (e.g.,・・・してくれない ...shite kurenai?) is more polite than the affirmative (e.g., ・・・してくれる? ...shite kureru?).

In light of the situational factors and the level of politeness, how appropriate do you think your request was?

6. What are the other strategies being used in the sample dialogue?

Listen Again

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7. Listen to another sample dialogue between two roommates. Pay attention to the language of requesting and other strategies being used in this dialogue.

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