Being Polite in English

Does your coworker have a bun in the oven? Has your boss let himself go

تخيلوا ان نقول بالعربي (هل لديك زميل في العمل عنده كعكة في الفرن؟) أو (هل سمح مديرك لنفسه أن يذهب؟)

 في هذا الدرس، سوف تتعلم بعض العبارات التي غالبا ما يستخدمها الناس باللغة الإنكليزية   لكي يقولوا أشياء بشكل غير مباشر لأجل ان يبدوا أكثر تهذيبا.


Polite ways to disagree
I’m not sure if I agree with that.
I don’t think that’s necessarily true.
I’m sorry but I have to disagree.
Well, I think that...


Polite ways to suggest alternatives
Why don't we....?
Maybe we could....?
Maybe we should...?
It might be better if we....
How about....?


Polite ways to interrupt someone
Excuse me, could I say something?
Could I add something here?
Could I interrupt you for a second please?

ما الذي تفضل أن تقوله لتجنب استخدام كلمات مثل المرحاض، ميت، أو سمين أو سمينة؟
تفضل و شاهد هذا الفيديو لتتعلم بعض المفردات البديلة الجيدة وغيرها. بعد المشاهدة،  أختبر نفسك فيما إذا كنت قد فهمت هذه المفردات.

For more advanced  and detailed practice about this topic, here's a list of different materials to look at.

Personal Complaint Menu Roleplay : classroom

speaking activity

Travel problems vocabulary and  speaking exercise with pictures (PDF)

Talking about restaurant problems - worksheet

with pictures(PDF)

Consumer Complaint Menu Roleplay Lesson

Complaints & responses, modals & passives

worksheet  + pictues (PDF)

Talking about annoyances (PDF)

Urban complaints guided conversation lesson (PDF)

Describing problems worksheet (PDF)

ESL exercises (with pictures) for describing houses using language for household objects, adjectives, problems, pests & complaints (PDF)

Find more worksheets from the same site here

ESOL housing/plumbing complaints/problems

(with vocab and pictures) (PDF)

What's your pet peeve? lesson (PDF)

"Judge your neighbor" complaints worksheet(PDF)

Making polite requests exercises (PDF)

Neighborhood gossip speaking exercise (PDF)

Neighbors at odds role cards - a complaint roleplay for ESL or EFL students

Discussion cues: Giving opinions with feeling

about everyday annoyances

Workplace Lesson Idea:

Responding to Customer Complaints

Complaints Lesson

Talking about restaurant problems - worksheet

with pictures(PDF)

Dealing with customer complaints and incidents in a restaurant (PDF)

Annoying Habits Lesson Outline

Housing Complaints Dialogue

Complaints about the workplace using pictures

"Find the hazards" in the workplace pics  (PDFs)

ESL teaching worksheets, exercises & ideas for requests

Making polite requests worksheet with pictures (PDF)

Making polite requests worksheet 2 (PDF)

Classroom requests exercise (PDF)

Husband-wife  complaing/request roleplay (PDF)

Making requests lesson (PDF)

Asking permission & making requests (PDF)

Asking for permission & help worksheet (PDF)

Can, could, may- requests & permission (PDF)

Making requests & asking for permission

exercises (PDF)

Modals of permission (PDF)

Modal verbs of permission and ability worksheet (PDF)

Giving Recommendations & Opinions (PDF)

Telephoning & request picture worksheet (PDF)

A collection of request & complaint dialogs

Talking about requests (PDF)

Staying out late lesson (PDF)

Borrow and lend vocabulary worksheet (PDF)

Borrow/lend exercise (PDF)

Picture card cues for making requests (PDF)

Direct/indirect questions quiz (PDF)

Lesson Plan for  'Could I + inf' and 'Could you + inf' as polite requests for Hotel English

Reported speech worksheet (PDF)

Embedded/indirect questions (PDF)

Polite requests lesson plan (PDF)

Requests at work quiz

Requests & Roleplaying

Complete the complaint letter exercise

(see p. 4) (PDF)

Writing a complaint letter: sample

product complaint letter

Product complaint letter layout (PDF)

Customer service lessons, questionnaires and surveys

Take the Fear Out of Handling Complaints (article)

(PDF)

Kitchen products customer questionnaire(PDF)

Complaint customer satisfaction questionnaire (PDF)

Examples of strategies you may consider using

with difficult Customers (PDF)

Customer service dialongue - Dealing with Complaints