📘 WEEK 4 – English

Topic: Requesting (Can / Could) + General Review

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📅 Monday – Requesting with “Can”

🔹 Warm-up / Icebreaker

• Teacher writes on the board: “Can you help me?”

• Ask students: “When do we use this question?”

• Let students share personal examples of times they ask for help (in Spanish if necessary).

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🔄 Activating Previous Knowledge

• Ask students: How do you ask for something in Spanish? (e.g., “¿Me puedes ayudar?”, “¿Me das esto?”)

• Connect with English: “Can you…” is similar to “¿Puedes…?” in everyday situations.

• Quick brainstorm: Can I…? Can you…?

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📖 Conceptualization

CAN is a modal verb used to express:

1. Ability: I can swim. → Puedo nadar.

2. Permission: Can I open the window? → ¿Puedo abrir la ventana?

3. Requests: Can you help me with this? → ¿Puedes ayudarme con esto?

Structure for requests:

• Affirmative: Can + subject + verb (base form) → Can you lend me your notebook?

• Negative: Can’t + subject + verb (base form) → Can’t you wait a moment? (less common in requests, used to express mild complaint)

• Interrogative: Can + subject + verb…? → Can I borrow your pen?

Key points:

• “Can” requests are informal and friendly.

• Typically used with friends, classmates, or people we know.

• Politeness is achieved by tone and adding please: Can you help me, please?

Examples in context:

• Can you open the door for me? → Everyday classroom situation.

• Can I use your pencil? → Sharing school materials.

• Can you explain this problem? → Asking for help politely but informally.

💡 Comparison with Spanish:

• Can I…? = ¿Puedo…?

• Can you…? = ¿Puedes…?

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✍️ Application (3 exercises)

1. Pair Work: Create 5 requests using Can and role-play with a partner.

2. Classroom Simulation: One student acts as a teacher; others ask for things they need politely using Can.

3. Correction Game: Teacher writes incorrect requests on board (Can you to help me?) → students correct them.

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🏡 Homework

• Write 10 requests using Can in real-life situations at home or school.

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🔹 Closing

“Can we always ask politely? Yes, we can!”

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📅 Tuesday – Requesting with “Could”

🔹 Warm-up / Icebreaker

• Show a picture of a tourist asking for directions. Ask: “Which modal verb would you use to sound more polite?”

• Students guess: Could.

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🔄 Activating Previous Knowledge

• Review yesterday’s Can examples.

• Ask: What’s the difference between Can and Could? → Could is more polite, formal.

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📖 Conceptualization

COULD is a modal verb used to make polite or formal requests, especially with adults or people we don’t know well.

Structure for requests:

• Affirmative: Could + subject + verb (base form) → Could you help me with my homework?

• Negative: Could not / Couldn’t + subject + verb → Couldn’t you explain it again? (polite complaint)

• Interrogative: Could + subject + verb…? → Could I borrow your notebook, please?

Key points:

• “Could” is softer and more respectful than “Can”.

• Used in formal contexts (teacher, principal, strangers).

• Always polite to add please: Could you close the door, please?

Examples in context:

• Could you show me the way to the station? → Tourist asking politely.

• Could I speak with the principal? → Formal school situation.

• Could you pass me the salt, please? → Polite restaurant request.

💡 Comparison with Spanish:

• Could you…? = ¿Podría…?

• It’s similar to using conditional forms in Spanish to sound polite.

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✍️ Application (3 exercises)

1. Dialogue Practice: Students create mini-dialogues making requests politely with Could.

2. Role-play: Restaurant, library, or classroom situations where students request politely.

3. Politeness Transformation: Transform 5 Can requests into Could requests.

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🏡 Homework

• Write 5 polite requests you could make to a teacher, neighbor, or family member using Could.

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🔹 Closing

“We could always ask politely to get help.”

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📅 Wednesday – Responding to Requests

🔹 Warm-up / Icebreaker

• Teacher acts out a request (Could I borrow your pencil?). Students answer with Sure, No problem, Sorry, I can’t, etc.

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🔄 Activating Previous Knowledge

• Quick recall: Can = informal, Could = polite.

• Ask students: How do we accept or refuse requests politely?

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📖 Conceptualization

Responding to requests:

• Accepting:

  • Sure.

  • Of course.

  • No problem.

  • Yes, you can.

• Refusing politely:

  • I’m sorry, I can’t.

  • I’d love to, but I’m busy.

  • Not right now.

Examples:

1. Student: Could you help me with this exercise?
   Friend: Sure, no problem.

2. Student: Can I borrow your charger?
   Friend: Sorry, I need it right now.

💡 Tips:

• Using polite responses makes the conversation smoother.

• Always consider tone and context: formal vs informal.

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✍️ Application (3 exercises)

1. Mini-dialogues: Create dialogues with requests and responses.

2. Yes/No Card Game: Students answer classmates’ requests using cards.

3. Role-play in groups: Different roles (teacher, student, customer) → practice requests and responses.

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🏡 Homework

• Write 5 dialogues using Can / Could requests and polite responses.

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🔹 Closing

“Polite responses help us communicate better in English.”

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📅 Thursday – Requests in Real-life Situations

🔹 Warm-up / Icebreaker

• Teacher gives situations: need a pen, water, or directions. Students guess the correct request (Can I…? / Could I…?).

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🔄 Activating Previous Knowledge

• Quick review: Can = informal, Could = formal.

• Ask: When do we use Could instead of Can? → Politeness, formal context.

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📖 Conceptualization

Real-life examples of requests:

At school:

• Can I borrow your notebook?

• Could you explain the exercise again, please?

At home:

• Can you help me with my homework?

• Could you close the door, please?

In public:

• Can I use the restroom?

• Could you show me the way to the station?

Key points:

• Formal situations → Could

• Informal/friends → Can

• Adding please increases politeness.

• Responses must match politeness:

  • Sure / Of course / No problem → polite acceptance

  • I’m sorry / I can’t → polite refusal

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✍️ Application (3 exercises)

1. Role-play real-life situations in groups (school, home, public).

2. Polite chain: One student requests, another continues the chain with another request.

3. Politeness Challenge: Transform 5 Can requests into Could requests and answer them.

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🏡 Homework

• Interview a family member: ask 5 requests in English and write their answers in Spanish.

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🔹 Closing

“Politeness and requests help us communicate better and respect others.”

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📅 Friday – General Review & Integration

🔹 Warm-up / Icebreaker

• Game: Polite or Impolite? → Teacher writes sentences, students say if they are polite.

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🔄 Activating Previous Knowledge

• Quick recap of all previous weeks:

  • Week 1: Present Perfect + Preferences

  • Week 2: Deductions (must/might) + Predictions (will)

  • Week 3: Offering/Suggesting + Obligation

  • Week 4: Requesting (Can/Could)

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📖 Conceptualization – General Review

1. Present Perfect (have/has + past participle):

• I have visited Bogotá. → action that happened in the past but affects now.

• She has never eaten sushi. → experience.

2. Talking about preferences (Prefer / like better / would rather):

• I prefer tea to coffee.

• I would rather stay home than go out.

3. Making deductions (Must / Might):

• He must be tired. → logical conclusion.

• She might be at school. → possibility, not sure.

4. Making predictions (Future Simple – will):

• It will rain tomorrow. → future predictions.

• I will call you later. → intention in future.

5. Offering and suggesting (Shall / Could / Can):

• Shall we go to the park? → polite offer.

• We could watch a movie. → suggestion.

• Can I help you? → informal offer.

6. Talking about obligation (Have to / Need to):

• I have to study for the exam. → obligation.

• You need to wear a uniform. → necessity.

7. Requesting (Can / Could):

• Can you lend me a pencil? → informal request.

• Could you help me, please? → polite/formal request.

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✍️ Application (3 exercises)

1. Mixed Quiz: Teacher prepares exercises from all weeks.

2. Team Challenge: Groups of 4 answer review questions and compete for points.

3. Creative Dialogue: Students write dialogues including at least one example from each grammar structure studied.

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🏡 Homework

• Write a short story (10–12 sentences) using:

  • Present Perfect

  • Preferences

  • Predictions (will)

  • Deductions (must/might)

  • Obligation (have to/need to)

  • Requests (can/could)

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🔹 Closing

“We can review, we could practice, we shall improve, and we have to keep learning English every day!”