Asking for help, offering it and saying yes
Ask with a question, not an order: “Help me with this.” can sound like an order, but “Can you help me?” is polite. “Can you give me a hand?” means the same and is common between colleagues. Then name the problem in one sentence.
- Ask: “Can you help me?” / “Can you give me a hand?”
- Explain: “I can’t log in.” / “I don’t know how to do this.”
- Offer: “Can I help?” / “Do you want a hand?”
- Accept: “Yes, please.” / “That would be great, thanks.”
- Say no: “No, thanks. I’m OK.”
Listen: help with a file upload
A colleague can’t upload a file. Listen for three moves: she names the problem, asks about the unclear step and confirms the result.
Maya Can you give me a hand? I can't upload this file.
Owen Sure. First, open the project page.
Maya How do I do that?
Owen Click this link. Next, choose Upload.
Maya It's working now. Thanks.
Owen No problem.
Technology words for everyday tasks
Upload and download are opposites: you upload a file from your device to an online system, and you download a file or an app from the internet to your device. “Log in” is a two-word verb (“I can’t log in.”), while “login” is a noun: “your login details”.
- laptop: “Connect the laptop to the projector.”
- app: “Open the banking app.”
- log in: “First, log in to your account.”
- download: “Download the new app.”
- upload: “Upload the signed form.”
- online transfer: “I make an online transfer each Friday.”
Giving steps in order: first, next, then, finally
Give one action per step. Start with a sequence word and a comma, then use the base verb with no subject: “open”, “choose”, “check”. When you speak, pause after the sequence word and stress the verb.
If a step isn’t clear, ask about that step only: “How do I do that?” or “Can you show me?” When it works, say so: “It’s working now.”
- “First, open the app.”
- “Next, log in.”
- “Then, check the details.”
- “Finally, confirm the transfer.”
How often? Always, usually, sometimes, never
Frequency adverbs go before the main verb, but after “am”, “is” and “are”: “I always check the number.”, “The app is usually fast.”
Ask with “How often do you …?” With “he”, “she” and “it”, use “does” and the base verb: “Does she use the app?” In questions, “ever” means “at any time”: “Do you ever use the app?”
- always (every time): “I always check the number.”
- usually (most times): “She usually uses a laptop.”
- sometimes (on some occasions): “We sometimes work from home.”
- never (at no time): “He never shares his password.”
Write a four-step help note
If a task comes back every week, write it down once: a “How to” title, then four numbered steps. Read each step aloud to test it.
- “HOW TO UPLOAD THE ORDER”
- 1. “First, open the project page.”
- 2. “Next, choose Upload.”
- 3. “Then, select the order file.”
- 4. “Finally, check the file name and confirm.”
Common mistakes
People will understand you, but these mistakes are easy to hear:
- “Can you give me hand?” The phrase needs “a”: “give me a hand”.
- “Does she uses the app?” After “does”, use the base verb: “Does she use …?”
- “How often you upload files?” Add “do”: “How often do you upload files?”
- “I check always the number.” Say “I always check the number.”
- “I can’t login.” The verb is two words: “I can’t log in.”
- “Upload the new app.” You download apps to your device.
A 10-minute daily practice routine
Practise out loud, in the same order each day.
- 3 minutes: play the exchange, pause and repeat each line, then take the other role.
- 2 minutes: name three problems from your work and ask for help with each one.
- 2 minutes: answer “How often do you …?” about your tools.
- 3 minutes: explain a task you know in four steps, then write it as a help note.
What comes next
Next, practise explaining a mistake in an order and sending a corrected document by email. After that comes a short follow-up email to a new business contact.