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We, sometime ask others for a permission. We do it so to show respect and project ourselves as mannered people. Let us learn about permissions. Learn what is the right way to ask for a permission? Why do we ask for a permission? What words do we use while asking for a permission? Any clue? Come on, in this blog, let us learn about ‘permissions’.

We are capable of doing many things on our own. But sometimes we need to ask for a permission. What are the reasons or situations under which we need to ask for a permission?

Let us look at the reasons to ask somebody for a permission first. Then we can think of the ways to ask for a permission.

We have basically two reasons to ask somebody for a permission.

Learn about ‘permissions’ |Reason number 1.

1. If we want to use something that doesn’t belong to us.

Let us think of a situation when you need something and you don’t have it on you. Your friend or the person next to you may possess the object that you need.

Let me remind you here that you have the ability of taking that object from the other and you can use it too. But, because that object or thing doesn’t belong to you, you don’t have a right of using it.

So, to get the right to use that object or thing, we should ask the other for a permission and asking for a permission is a good mannerism.

Learn about ‘permissions’ |Reason number 2

2. To get relaxation from the restriction temporarily.

The second reason to ask somebody for a permission is to get rid of restrictions temporarily.

Imagine you are a school going boy or girl of early teens. In this case, you, sometimes have restrictions of not to go out after certain time from home.

Your friend’s Birthday party is arranged at late hours and you wish to attend. But you have the restriction of not to leave home at late hours.

Here, you would ask your parents to let you go attend that Birthday party. In other words, you wish to get relaxation from the restriction temporarily.

I hope, now, you understood the reasons why we ask for a permission.

As we are aware of the reasons to ask somebody for a permission, let us look at the ways to ask for a permission.

Learn about ‘permissions’ |Ways to ask for a permission.

We generally use the modal verbs ‘may, can or could’ to ask somebody for a permission.

‘may’ is used in formal situations, ‘can’ is used in informal context and ‘could’ is used to be polite.

The application of ‘may’ is limited when asking for a permission in comparison to the use of ‘can’.

How can we use ‘may’?

In modern English, the application of ‘may’ to ask for a permission is limited. “May” is being formal, it can be used when asking elders or superiors for a permission. Let us look at some situations where the usage of ‘may’ is in practice.

1. If you want to enter somebody’s chamber or room…you say….

“May I come in Sir/Madam?”

2. When you wish to know some stranger’s name…you say….

“May I know your name, please?”

3. If you wish to know where somebody (generally, a stranger) resides….you say…

“May I know where do you live?”

4. If there is any seminar, lecture or presentation going on and you wish to know whether or not you can ask the speaker a question……you say….

“Excuse me, Sir, May I ask you a question?”

There are some other limited areas or situations where you can use ‘may’ to ask for a permission.

How can we use ‘can’?

The usage of can while asking permission is very common compared to the limited application of ‘may’. But, ‘can’ is informal. “Can” can be used with parents, relatives, friends, or with somebody in a close relation while asking for a permission.

Let us look at some of the ways to use ‘can’ to ask for a permission.

Examples:

1. Can I come in, please?(informal)

2. Can I watch T.V?

3. Can I drink some water?

4. Can I use your phone?

5. Can I go to the market with you?

6. Can I take leave?

7. Can I play Foot ball?

8. Can I take your pen?

9. Can I use the washroom(Restroom), please?

10. Can I stay here tonight?

So, there are many other ways we use ‘can’ while asking for permission. We will have the elaborate use of ‘can’ with more examples in a different blog.

How to use ‘could’?

“Could” is also used to ask permission where the manner and respect plays an important role. ‘Could is the past tense of ‘can’ but, while asking permissions, ‘could’ represents ‘present tense’, not ‘past tense’.

To get a permission from elders, superiors, we use ‘could’. Let us look at some ways to use ‘could’ while asking for a permission.

Examples:

1. Could I drink some water?(polite)

2. Could I switch the fan off?

3. Could I take/use your mobile?

4. Could I join your team?

5. Could I sit here?

6. Could I share your lunch?

So, there are many other ways to use ‘could’ to ask for a permission in a polite manner. Let us look at other examples in our next blog.

Hope, you got the basic idea of why do we ask for a permission and what to use and how to use ‘may, can or could’ while asking permission.

In our next blog, we will discuss about ‘How to give permissions? and what do we use when giving a permission?

Also, how to talk about ‘permission in the past’. So, stay connected, come back to learn more on this topic.

See you and talk to you soon.

Till then, bye….

Have a great time…..

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