How to Ask for a Permission or Approval in English

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Now as kids we were always taught, that it's very important to ask for permission to do

anything and everything, right? Remember we used to ask our teachers -

"Mam'm can I please go to the toilet?

Hi welcome back, I am Niharika and in today's

lesson we are gonna look at some expressions that would help you to ask for permission

or for an approval. Now as kids we were always taught, that it's very important to ask for

permission to do anything and everything, right? Remember we used to ask our teachers

- "Mam'm can I please go to the toilet, right? So we used to ask for permission, now we are

adults , still we need to ask for permission or for an approval , perhaps at work or maybe

ask a friend, if in case you have to borrow something from her or if you want to take

something from him, right? We have to ask for a permission. So how do you do that in

English, well we are gonna learn some expressions that would help you to do that, so the very

first one is a very informal way of asking someone " What do you think about me doing

something?" Okay at times you know you wanna do something, but you are not sure if you

are taking a right decision, so you wanna check with someone who's maybe well experienced

and probably you want an approval from that other person. So, probably it's your dad,

probably you wanna start your own business or you wanna take up a new job, but you are

unable to make your own decision. So you wanna ask for an approval, so this is a good informal

way of asking your closed ones. What do you think of me taking up this job? Okay it's

kind of asking for a permission , for an approval and it's a very polite way of asking to your

loved ones. So do use it, when you wanna take an approval. The second one is " would you

approve of ...? Now, this is a very hypothetical phrase, well would you approve of me doing

this? okay again you are asking for permission,

so since it's very hypothetical , but it can be very polite as well. So Would you

approve of me going to Switzerland by myself? Okay so you are asking for permission, right?

Another phrase that you can use is " Do you think I could?" plus you add a verb, okay.

So the phrase will be - " Do you think I could borrow your laptop? So it's another way of

asking for permission, probably you need your friends laptop, your laptop is not working

so you need to use your friends, so this is a good way of asking. " Hey, do you think

I could borrow your laptop?" Okay, so you can use the phrase, I could and then add a

verb to it. The next one " Would it be possible" and then you can follow it with an infinitive

, so for example , now of course you end up using this phrase because you think that there

is a possibility , there is a probability that this person would allow you to do something,

that you are asking for, "Would it be possible you lending me your laptop?" So, this is another

way of asking permission. And then the last one - " Would you mind if I" and then you

follow it with a verb in the past, so for example how you would use it - " Would you

mind If I stayed here for few hours" So, you are using this phrase to ask a question, but

you are adding a verb in the past, so, "Would you mind if I stayed here for few hours?"

again you are asking for permission. So, these are certain phrases that you can use in order

to ask for an approval or for a permission. Now also at times people ask you something

and you are at a position to either agree to it or deny it, so what are the phrases

that you can use to agree or to deny , we are gonna have a look at. So, here are some

phrases that would help you to give or grant permission, very simple , Sure, so someone

would ask you for something and you are okay , he or she doing it, then you gonna say " Oh

sure" The other one " Go right ahead" okay Go right ahead it's not a problem, you can

also add, Sure not a problem or Go right ahead, not a problem. Okay that's simple, and then

the third one " Please feel free to...." Someone asked you - Hey can I use your laptop or can

I borrow your laptop, you gonna say - Please feel free to, okay so that's very simple when

you wanna go ahead and say yes. Now at times we have to say NO, there is no fun in saying

no, but it is necessary. So how do you deny , well these are the phrases that would help

you to deny if someone has asked you for something. So, "I am afraid, that's not possible" So

just keep it simple and of course you got to be a little polite, don't be very stern

or rude, you can say " I am afraid, that's not possible" so probably your team member

wants to do something different and you are the decision maker and you do not approve

of his idea, then just don't discourage him but just you know cut it short by denying

it in a nice way, you can say " I am afraid, that's not possible" right? Another one, "Unfortunately

I need to say no"So again someone came up with a great idea, okay and asking for your

permission, but you think that this idea is not up to the mark and you are sad , you don't

wanna be rude by saying a stern NO, you are sad, so in a very polite way you say " Unfortunately

I need to say no" So this is another way of denying it. And then the last one " I am afraid,

i would prefer if you don't" This is perfect for parents, when kids come up to you and

ask for a permission or an approval to do something and you do not agree with them,

then this is the best phrase you can use. You can say " I am afraid, I would prefer

if you don't" Now another thing that you can do along with this phrase is by giving options,

so give options , maybe give solutions probably whatever is asked that's not possible, but

you can work out something else, so give options. So hope these phrases are helpful to you,

so next time you wanna ask for a permission or for an approval, please do use these phrases

because this would help you to speak fluently. I will be back with a new lesson, till then

you take care.