Can, could, may and would: request, permissions, offers, and invitations

 

We often use can or could when we ask someone to do something:

 

Can you wait a moment, please?

Ann, can you do me a favor?

Excuse me. Could you tell me how to get to the bus station?

Do you think you could lend me some money?

I wonder if you could help me.

We also use would to ask someone to do something:

Ann, would you do me a favor?

Would you wait here, please?

To ask for something you can say Can I have...?/ Could I have...?/ May I have....?:

• (in a gift shop) Can I have these postcards, please?
• (at the dinner table) Could I have the salt, please?

Asking for and giving permission

We often use can, could, or may to ask permission to do something:

• (on the telephone) Hello, can I speak to Tom, please?
• "Could I use your telephone?" "Yes, of course."
• "Do you think I could borrow your bicycle?" "Yes, help yourself."
• "May I come in?" "Yes, please do."

To give permission, we use can or may (but not could)

• You can (or may) smoke if you like.

We sometimes use can or may when we offer to do things. (May is more formal.):

• "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" "That's very nice of you."
• (in a store) "May I help you, ma'am?" "No thank you. I'm being helped."

For offering and inviting we use Would you like...? (not do you like):

• Would you like a cup of coffee? (not do you like)
• Would you like to go to the movies with us tomorrow evening? (not do you like to come)

I'd like ( = I would like) is a polite way of saying what you want or what you want to do:

• I'd like some information about hotels, please.
• I'd like to try on this jacket, please.