HOW TO ASK ABOUT PRESENT ACTIVITIES

Helpful Phrases:


What's up?
What's up? Why have the lines stopped production?
What's happening?
What's happening in Glasgow?
What are you working on?
What are you working on now? Still on the CDB project?
Anything new?
Anything new in the Chelsea branch?
What’s the current situation?
What's the current situation in the sales department?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT JOBS

Helpful Phrases:


What do you do?
What do you do? I'm a lawyer.
What business are you in?
What business are you in? IT? Sales?
What’s your line of work?
What's your exact line of work? All I know is that you're a manager.
What’s your job?
What's your job? Are you in the IT world too?
Where do you work?
Where do you work? At City Bank?

HOW TO ASK FOR THE PURPOSE

Helpful Phrases:


Why?
Why do we need to open another branch? We already have forty-one!
What can you use this for?
What can we use this product for?
What does it do?
What does this new software do that makes tasks more efficient?
What the purpose?
What's the purpose of manufacturing bags if demand is slow?
Could you explain the object?
Could you explain the object of calling for yet another meeting?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT PROJECTS

Helpful Phrases:


What are your?
What are your current projects in the solar energy sector?
What are you developing?
What is the R&D department developing nowadays?
What are your initiatives?
What are your initiatives in the field?
What are you up to?
What exactly are you up to? A new type of windmill?
Have you come up with anything?
Have you come up with any exciting new idea recently?

HOW TO ASK FOR HELP LESS POLITELY

Helpful Phrases:


I could use your help.
I could use your help. Can't you see I'm carrying heavy boxes?
I need some help
I need some help. I know you understand this better than I do.
Help!
Help! Can anyone explain Economics to me?
I need a favor
I need a favor. Do you see those books? Can you bring them down?
Could you lend me a hand?
Could you lend me a hand? I tried to fix this by myself but couldn't.

HOW TO ASK FOR HELP POLITELY

Helpful Phrases:

Could you please help me?
Could you please help me with this report?
Would you mind helping me out?
Would you mind helping me out? My math skills are not that good.
Could you possibly assist me?
Could you possibly assist me? I can't understand this ATM.
Can you spare a few minutes?
Can you spare a few minutes? I need a bit of support here.
Could I ask you for a favor?
Could I ask you for a favor? How does this program work?

HOW TO ASK FOR PERMISSION

Helpful Phrases:


Could I?
Could I have a look at the new designs?
May I?
May I use your washroom?
Do you mind?
Do you mind if we borrow your printer for a couple of hours?
Is it okay?
It is OK to bring Sally with me the next time?
Would it be all right?
Would it be all right for Danny to use your car tomorrow?

HOW TO ASK TO BORROW

Helpful Phrases:


Could you lend me?
Could you lend me $100? I'm broke!
May I borrow?
May I borrow your laptop? .
Do you mind if I use?
Do you mind if I use your car this evening?
Will you let me have?
Will you let me have your boat over the weekend?
I would need to use
I would need to use a Mac for the presentation. Do you have one?

HOW TO ASK ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED

Helpful Phrases:


What do you need?
What do you need a new plotter for?
What are the requisites?
What are the requisites? For instance, can a foreigner buy property here?
What is required?
What documents are required for the whole importation process?
Is this necessary?
Is it necessary to spend so much money in new equipment?
Is it a must?
Is a coffee machine a must? Can't we just all have tea at the office?

HOW TO ASK FOR STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Helpful Phrases:


What are their strengths?
What are their mains strengths? Marketing? We can beat them there.
What do you do best?
What do you do best? I need to know before I help you write your CV.
Don’t they have any weak point?
Doesn't this team have any weak point? Are they all great players?
What is she good at?
What is Ben good at? Selling. He's a pro at that.
Aren’t they vulnerable at all?
Aren't they vulnerable at all? What if we reduce all our prices?