could you pass me the salt please
the sugar and the ketchup
. alternatives.the pepper and the vinegar
. Correct option is C) The indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' are not used for nouns that are uncountable or cannot be counted. The noun here, 'salt' is an uncountable noun, so the options A and B are incorrect. The noun mentioned here is known by both the speaker as well as the listener, hence the article 'the' is used and is the correct answer. Taro: There's some just in front of you. If there is salt that is easy for you to reach then just pass them the salt! If there is no salt that you can reach, but there is some that a third person could reach, you can pass on the request. John: Could you pass the salt? Taro: Sure, ah, Mary, could you hand me the salt please? Mary: Here you are dimenaka1972. I think there are two questions there - "which is more common?" and "what is the difference?" In terms of "which is the more common?", that will depend very much on what circles you move in. I am sure if you eavesdropped in many restaurants and cafés around the country you will find a wide variety not just of those two, but many other forms as well. What is the difference? There is a general acceptance that in the absence of the subject, it is implied as one of the speaker me; the place of the speaker here; the time of the speaker now. It depends on the context as to which one of those is applicable. Random WordRoll the dice and learn a new word now!Get a WordWant to Learn Spanish?Spanish learning for everyone. For PremiumHave you tried it yet? Here's what's includedCheat sheetsNo adsLearn offline on iOSFun phrasebooksLearn Spanish fasterSupport SpanishDict Could you please pass me the salt? Options Previous Topic Next Topic Koh Elaine Posted Saturday, December 2, 2017 82309 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/4/2012Posts 8,454Neurons 38,114 Could you please pass me the salt?Could you pass me the salt?I was told by a friend that the second sentence without "please" is wrong. Is he correct?Thanks. Back to top thar Posted Saturday, December 2, 2017 84749 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/8/2010Posts 28,361Neurons 116,384 Well, in social terms, yes. It is very rude to ask without saying 'please' even if it is a 'could you?', not an orderA 'please' is an integral part of the it would go at the beginning or the end, but nothing wrong the middle, so long as it is might get away without a 'please' to your mates, but in any other situation it just sounds impolite. Back to top Koh Elaine Posted Saturday, December 2, 2017 92930 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/4/2012Posts 8,454Neurons 38,114 Thanks, thar. Back to top hedy mmm Posted Saturday, December 2, 2017 14147 PM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/29/2014Posts 1,466Neurons 704,940Location Borough of Bronx, New York, United States Actually, it should read "Would you please pass me the salt" ...obviously they COULD pass the salt...the question is WOULD they pass it! I think thar, who is alway correct and precise in his suggestions, might've overlooked that word, in concern for the 'integral' part, which is the word 'please', which definetly is most important!As a kid I went to summer camp and when when we ate meals or played games, we'd have fun when someone would say, "Could you please pass..." And the response would be "Yes, I can" ...and not pass it because 'could' means 'can you 'or 'are you capable of'...and then there'd be a peal of laughter until the correct question would follow...'WOULD YOU PLEASE PASS ME THE SALT'...of course, only the one who was desperate for it was utterly frustrated!Hope my input is okay by you thar, I meant no disrespect...just brought back fond memories. Don't get me started on how we learned to pass around the seconds, or in what direction! Eeek! Have a great weekend, hedy Back to top Romany Posted Saturday, December 2, 2017 25356 PM Rank Advanced Member Joined 6/14/2009Posts 18,351Neurons 59,731Location Brighton, England, United Kingdom We've had quite a few discussions recently on the fact that many AE speakers look at this usage in the same was as Hedy you can access one of those you'll find it interesting, Koh. And you'll find why we say "Could" in neither is more "right" than the other. Just different cultural constructs. Back to top palapaguy Posted Sunday, December 3, 2017 123511 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 10/28/2013Posts 1,910Neurons 14,578Location Calabasas, California, United States Koh Elaine wroteCould you please pass me the salt?Could you pass me the salt?I was told by a friend that the second sentence without "please" is wrong. Is he correct? is certainly not wrong. "Could you pass me the salt?" is quite common and acceptable in AE. Adding "please" makes it more polite, but that's unnecessary in most casual settings. Back to top Koh Elaine Posted Sunday, December 3, 2017 124414 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/4/2012Posts 8,454Neurons 38,114 Thanks to all of you. Back to top thar Posted Sunday, December 3, 2017 83425 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/8/2010Posts 28,361Neurons 116,384 Hedy - nothing wrong with disagreeing with me - it has been known to happen! I too know the 'can you' ability vs 'will you' willingness correction - but for whatever reason, I would say 'could'. To me 'would' makes it sound like too much of an order. You ask if they could do something - and let it be assumed there is a reason behind it. Until some smart alec answers 'yes'. As Rom says, I think that is a AE /BE difference in phrasing. Also the levels of 'please, thankyou' and 'sorry' that are expected in well-mannered English people. You say sorry if someone bumps into you. You say please for everything, and thanks for anything. The difference in culture can be noticeable. Brits in America can sometimes appear too polite, or not assertive enough - and Americans in Britain can come across as brash and rude. It is just the cultural difference of using a few words, or not using them. I think there are similar jokes about Americans vs Canadians. My advice to learners would be to learn to always say please, until it is instinctive. Appearing too polite can be quaint, but does no harm. Appearing rude can damage a business relationship before it even starts!Sometimes it is tough, but the British fight on to keep their culture, despite the world trying to dismiss it. Back to top Koh Elaine Posted Sunday, December 3, 2017 102411 AM Rank Advanced Member Joined 7/4/2012Posts 8,454Neurons 38,114 Thanks, thar. Back to top Users browsing this topic Guest Yarn is the best way to find video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect spot. It's available on the web and also on Android and iOS. Could is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. Could is sometimes considered to be the past form of can, but in this dictionary the two words are dealt with separately. 1 modal You use could to indicate that someone had the ability to do something. You use could not or couldn't to say that someone was unable to do something. For my return journey, I felt I could afford the extra and travel first class..., I could see that something was terribly wrong..., When I left school at 16, I couldn't read or write..., There was no way she could have coped with a baby around. 2 modal You use could to indicate that something sometimes happened. Though he had a temper and could be nasty, it never lasted..., He could be very pleasant when he wanted to. 3 modal You use could have to indicate that something was a possibility in the past, although it did not actually happen. He could have made a fortune as a lawyer..., He did not regret saying what he did but felt that he could have expressed it differently. 4 modal You use could to indicate that something is possibly true, or that it may possibly happen. =might Doctors told him the disease could have been caused by years of working in smokey clubs..., An improvement in living standards could be years away... 5 modal You use could not or couldn't to indicate that it is not possible that something is true. Anne couldn't be expected to understand the situation..., He couldn't have been more than fourteen years old. 6 modal You use could to talk about a possibility, ability, or opportunity that depends on other conditions. Their hope was that a new and better East Germany could be born..., I knew that if I spoke to Myra, I could get her to call my father. 7 modal You use could when you are saying that one thing or situation resembles another. The charming characters she draws look like they could have walked out of the 1920s. 8 modal You use could, or couldn't in questions, when you are making offers and suggestions. I could call the local doctor..., You could look for a career abroad where environmental jobs are better paid and more secure..., It would be a good idea if you could do this exercise twice or three times on separate days. 9 modal You use could in questions when you are making a polite request or asking for permission to do something. Speakers sometimes use couldn't instead of `could' to show that they realize that their request may be refused., politeness Could I stay tonight?..., Could I speak to you in private a moment, John?..., He asked if he could have a cup of coffee..., Couldn't I watch you do it? 10 modal People sometimes use structures with if I could or could I as polite ways of interrupting someone or of introducing what they are going to say next. FORMAL, SPOKEN, politeness =may Well, if I could just interject..., Could I ask you if there have been any further problems?..., First of all, could I begin with an apology for a mistake I made last week? 11 modal You use could to say emphatically that someone ought to do the thing mentioned, especially when you are annoyed because they have not done it. You use why couldn't in questions to express your surprise or annoyance that someone has not done something., emphasis We've come to see you, so you could at least stand and greet us properly..., Idiot! You could have told me!..., He could have written..., Why couldn't she have said something?... 12 modal You use could when you are expressing strong feelings about something by saying that you feel as if you want to do the thing mentioned, although you do not do it., emphasis `Welcome back' was all they said. I could have kissed them!..., She could have screamed with tension. 13 modal You use could after `if' when talking about something that you do not have the ability or opportunity to do, but which you are imagining in order to consider what the likely consequences might be. If I could afford it I'd have four television sets..., If only I could get some sleep, I would be able to cope. 14 modal You use could not or couldn't with comparatives to emphasize that someone or something has as much as is possible of a particular quality. For example, if you say `I couldn't be happier', you mean that you are extremely happy., emphasis The rest of the players are a great bunch of lads and I couldn't be happier..., The news couldn't have come at a better time. 15 modal In speech, you use how could in questions to emphasize that you feel strongly about something bad that has happened., emphasis How could you allow him to do something like that?..., How could she do this to me?... could've Could've is the usual spoken form of `could have', when `have' is an auxiliary verb. Translation English Cobuild Collins Dictionary Collaborative Dictionary English Cobuild love me, love my dog exp. expression used for pointing out that, if you love someone, you accept also things and people dear to the person you love it hit me exp. it occurred to me, I suddenly thought of it, I had an idea all of a sudden I wondered all day long how to solve this problem and it suddenly hit me...I had to talk to Marry. hand me up n. a technology item that a young person no longer uses and hands over to an older person, after having purchased a last generation product [Bus.];[Tech.] screw you jackass exp. go away idiot, fool ; leave me alone idiot, fool ; fuck you idiot, fool ; fuck off idiot, fool. [Slang];[Vulg.] so am I exp. me too allow me! exp. polite expression offering to do something for someone beats me! exp. I have no idea; I don't have a clue [Informal] Why was she upset? - Beats me! it’s all Greek to me id. phrase used to qualify something appearing to you incomprehensible or hard to understand According to Albert, this partial differential equation was beautiful, harmonious, speaking louder than any words while it was all Greek to me and just looked like fly droppings on a sheet of paper! he could sell sand to an arab exp. he is a very good seller ! Now, you wait a minute! v. Ну-ка погоди! lend me your ears! exp. expression used for catching the attention of an audience ya pron. you [Slang] LMK exp. acronym for Let Me Know, as to ask the other party to get back to you pleaser adv. someone who is always trying to please others "He`s always been a people pleaser." AMA abbr. acron. Acronym for Ask Me Anything. AMA is a series started on Reddit, where an authority on a subject fields open questions. heshe loves me not exp. a humorous way of saying that someone doesn't like or love the speaker. [Hum.] You've seen the way she treated me last time we met. It's clear she loves me not. laugh and the world will laugh with you; weep and you will weep alone exp. when you are happy, people will want to be around you and share your happiness, but when you are sad, people will avoid you. when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! exp. make the best out of a difficult situation ; turn sth negative into a positive. By making sth sweet lemonade out of sth bitter lemon, the phrase encourages to look on the bright side of life even in the face of adversity or misfortune When life gives you lemons, make lemonade; but when life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic! To add entries to your own vocabulary, become a member of Reverso community or login if you are already a member. 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