Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Modal expression + ask to soften commands, requests and questions

A modal expression + ask is used to soften a request or question. Ask is not used

in this way without a modal or hedging expression:

A: Can I ask you to sign that and then the banker’s order.

B: Yes. [signs]

(I ask you to sign that …)

A: Mrs Smith, could I ask for your date of birth as well please. 

B: Yes, twenty-three, seven, forty-five. 

A: And your occupation? 

B: Housewife.

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Speech acts | 711

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Prefaces to speech acts

423d

Speakers often delay or preface the performing of a speech act. A lead-in remark

or question (a preface) may occur before the speech act itself. This is particularly

so in the case of speech acts which impose on the listener or possibly put the

listener in the position of having to refuse, etc., such as invitations, requests,

advice, commands.

Speakers also use a wide variety of expressions to hedge or soften speech acts.

These include modifiers such as a bit, the use of if, the use of informal lexis (e.g.

pop in

instead of visit/call on, a wee favour instead of a (small) favour), adverbs

such as ideally, possibly, maybe, just, the -ish suffix, and a range of fixed

expressions such as let’s say, perhaps you could see your way to …, if it’s/that’s

okay with you

, if you like, if it’s all the same with you, sorry to bother you:

A: 

Are you doing anything Sunday?

B: No. 

A: 

I 

might pop in on Sunday with the boys if that suits you?

B: Yes. Yes. 

(note the preface: the listener is given the chance to say she is busy before the

speaker suggests she will visit her; note also the softener might, the informal

verb pop in, which suggests a brief, unimposing, informal visit, and if that suits

you

)

[beginning a phone call; fire away means ‘start talking’]

A: 

Is this a good time to talk?

B: Yes, fine, no problem. Fire away.

A: 

Are you free 

a bit later on this afternoon, probably around about threeish

possibly? No, erm any time any other time later on today? No? What about

early

ish on Monday. I’m free earlyish on Monday. What about, is it a big

hassle

you getting in for nine? 

B: No. 

A: No, okay.

(note how speaker A negotiates his way gradually towards the potentially

imposing request to B to come in at 9am on Monday morning; note the

softening effect of the suffix -ish and the approximators a bit, around and

about

, and the use of the hedges probably and possibly)

Thursday we’re gonna do a major evaluation task with text books you haven’t

seen before, new ones. Do one of those before Thursday and give it to me then.

I’ll give you some feedback straightaway. 

Ideally if you could do different ones

and we could put them together in a 

little folder and photocopy them

, and

you’re gonna have examples of different types.

[university tutor (A) to student]

A: 

Do you want to 

just come in and start

because Claire’s cancelled her

appointment, 

if that’s okay with you?

B: Oh that’s okay. 

712 | Speech acts

Cambridge Grammar of English

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[message on an answerphone]

Hi Louise. It’s Rick. 

Sorry to bother you this late. Erm I was wondering if

tomorrow, and if it is portable, 

whether or not you could bring in that office

chair you wanted to give away.