Please, Thank You, Youre Welcome

Please,  thank you, and  youre welcome  are perhaps the most common phrases  in English. Use  please  to politely ask for something,  thank you  or  thanks  when someone does something for you or gives you something. Finally,  use  youre welcome  as a polite response when something thanks you for something. Learn the rules and alternate forms of these three important phrases in English. Please for Requests Please is used in order to make requests more polite. It is added to the end of polite questions and is preceded by a comma. Polite Question , please ? Could you give me a hand, please?May I use your telephone, please?Can I join your table, please? Please  can also be placed before the verb when asking a polite question: Would you please help me with this?Could you please explain the grammar again? Please for Confirming Help Please is also used to confirm an offer of help using the phrase  yes, please. Would you like to come with us? - Yes, please.May I help you? - Yes, please. Id like to know more about this months sale. Giving Directions and Please Generally, please is not used when giving directions or instructions, especially if there are a number of instructions to follow.  For example, a teacher might give the following instructions to a class: Open your book to page 40.Read the introduction.Do the introductory exercises.Read the passage.Take the multiple choice follow-up quiz. Please can be used when giving instructions to make the order more polite. This is usually done when only one order (or instruction) is given and is used only in spoken English. Please sit down.Pay attention, please.Please fill in this form. Notice that please is placed at the beginning or end of the instruction. Thank You Thank you is used when a compliment is given: Youre a fantastic tennis player! - Thank you.I really enjoyed dinner. It was very tasty. - Thank you, Im glad you like it. Thank You to Accept and Refuse Offers Thank you is often used at the beginning of a reply to an offer. It can be used in both the positive and the negative form to either accept or refuse an offer. Would you like something to drink? - Thank you. Id like a cola, please.Do you want to join us at the concert tonight? - No thank you. I need to study! Thanks Thanks is also used in the same manner as thank you in informal situations. Youre Welcome The phrase youre welcome  is the most common response when someone thanks you for something.  Youre welcome  is a phrase that comes from the German word  willkommen.  However, as you can read below, the use is very different than in German. Other phrases for saying  youre welcome  include: Formal   Dont mention it.Not at all.My pleasure.Im glad to have been of help. Informal No problem.Sure.Certainly.   When to NOT use Please Please  is not used as a response to  thank you. WRONG Thank you. - Please. RIGHT Thank you. - Youre welcome.Thank you. - No problem.Thank you. - Not at all. The Use of Please and Thank You Compared to Other Languages The use of please and thank you in English is very important. Please and thank you have their equivalents in other languages, but the usage of please and thank you in English is not always the same. Lets take two examples one from German and one from Italian in which a translation of please is used in Italian or German, but not in English. Italian Please - Prego Posso sedermi? - Prego Literal English translation: Can I sit down me? - Please Proper English translation: Can I sit down? - Certainly German Please - Bitte Vielen Dank! - Bitte schoen! Literal English translation: Many thanks! - Please pretty! Common English translation: Many thanks! - Youre welcome! Please, Thank You, Youre Welcome Quiz Fill in the gap with  please,  thank you,  or  youre welcome  depending on the situation.   Could you _____ help me with my homework?Would you like to have dinner early today? Yes, _____.Thank you for your advice. - _____. Im glad you found it helpful.Would you like something to drink? _____. Im not thirsty.Another way to say  _____ is my pleasure._____ sit down and begin the lesson.Could I sit down next to you? Certainly. - _____.May I use your restroom, _____?_____ to use my study if you would like._____ for your help on the test. I got an A! Answers pleasepleaseYoure welcomeThank youyoure welcomePleaseThank youpleaseYoure welcomeThank you About English Functions The use of  please  and  thank you  are known as functions. Learning correct language functions will help you understand and use the correct phrases and grammar in specific situations.