Permission and offers: may I, shall I
Can I, could I and may I to ask for permission; shall I and shall we to offer help and make suggestions.
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To ask if it is OK to do something, we use Can I ...?, Could I ...? or May I ...? To offer to do something for someone, we use Shall I ...?, and to suggest doing something together, Shall we ...? After all of them, the verb has no to.
Asking for permission
Question | How it sounds |
|---|---|
Can I ...? | normal, with friends, family and in shops |
Could I ...? | more polite |
May I ...? | formal: with a boss, a client, in an interview |
- Can I use your charger?
- Could I leave a little early today?
- May I ask you a question?
- Incorrect: May I to come in?
- Correct: May I come in?After may, the verb has no to.
- Incorrect: Do I can sit here?
- Correct: Can I sit here?Can makes its own questions, without do.
Answering
To say yes, use can, not could. Could I ...? is polite, but the answer is still you can.
- "Could I open the window?" "Yes, of course you can."
- "May I come in?" "Yes, of course. / Sure."
- "Can I park here?" "I'm afraid not. It's for residents only."
- Incorrect: "Could I borrow your pen?" "Yes, you could."
- Correct: "Could I borrow your pen?" "Yes, of course you can."In the answer, use can. You could here sounds like a suggestion.
Go ahead is a friendly way to say yes: "Can I take this chair?" "Go ahead."
Rules: you can, you can't, you may not
To give or refuse permission, use you can and you can't. In notices and formal rules, you will also see may and may not.
- You can sit anywhere you like.
- You can't take photos in the museum.
- Passengers may not use the toilets while the train is in the station.
Offers: shall I ...?
Use Shall I + verb? to offer to do something for someone. It means "Do you want me to do it?"
- It's cold in here. Shall I close the window?
- Your bag looks heavy. Shall I carry it for you?
- Shall I call you a taxi?
- Incorrect: I open the window? It's very hot.
- Correct: Shall I open the window? It's very hot.To offer, start with Shall I.
Other ways to offer: Can I help you? / I'll do it. / Would you like me to help?
Suggestions: shall we ...?
Use Shall we + verb? to suggest doing something together. Let's + verb says the same thing as a statement.
- Shall we go for a coffee?
- What time shall we meet?
- Let's take the bus. It's quicker.
- "Shall we sit outside?" "Yes, let's. / Good idea."
Shall in these questions is mainly British. In American English, and often in British English too, people say Should I ...? and Should we ...?
Shall I or can I?
Both can offer help. Shall I ...? asks what the other person wants. Can I ...? asks if it is OK for you to do it. In a shop, the assistant says Can I help you?
- Shall I wash the dishes?
(Do you want me to?)
- Can I wash my hands?
(Is it OK for me to?)
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