On many occasions, we ask people to give us some time to share our problems and ask for advice and help from them. So, whether you are at home, office, or in public places, how do you politely ask someone to give you some time?
“Would you please give me some time?” & “May I have some of your precious time?” are generally used to ask for some time in English. Likewise, “Can I talk to you for a while?” & “Please give me some time to talk” are also used to politely ask for some time from someone in English.
You may need to ask for some time from the people surrounding you on different occasions for different purposes. For example, maybe you want to ask them to talk to you or ask for help with anything in particular. No matter what your purpose is, you should first ask if they are available at your expected time.
When you are sure someone is available to talk or help you, you can politely request them to give you some time. There are different ways we can ask for some time from someone in English.
Asking for Some Time in English with Modal Verbs
Modal auxiliary verbs are pretty commonly used to make polite expressions in English. So whether you ask for permission, or make any requests, or offer someone something, modal auxiliary verbs can greatly serve your purpose.
Here, while you ask for some time from someone, using modal auxiliary verbs is the best way to do it. Here are some examples of such expressions.
- Would/Could you please give me some time?
- Will/Can you please give me some time?
- Could/Would you please spare some time for me?
- Can/Will you please spare some time for me?
- Would/Could you please consider giving me some time?
- Will/Can you please consider giving me some time?
- Could/Would you please let me talk to you for a while?
- Can/Will you please let me talk to you for a while?
- Would/Could you please care for giving me some time when you are available?
- Will/Can you please care for giving me some time when you are available?
- May I ask for some time from you?
- Can I ask for some time from you?
- Would you mind if I ask for some time from you?
- Will you mind if I ask for some time from you?
Asking for Some Time in English Using Imperative Sentences
We know that imperative sentences are primarily used to make requests and commands. While you ask for some time from someone, you actually make requests to them. So, using imperative sentences is one of the best ways to do it. Here are some example sentences.
- Please give me some time.
- Give me a moment, please.
- Please give me some of your precious time.
- Let me know if you have some time to spare for me.
- Please don’t forget to tell me when you are free.
- Kindly give me some time after office, please.
- I request you to make some free time for me.
- Spare me some time, please.
Other Ways to Ask for Some Time in English
There are some other ways by which you can make polite expressions to ask someone to give you some time. For example, you can use some interrogative sentences and other forms of sentences to ask for some time from someone. Here are some examples.
- Is it ok if I ask for some time from you?
- Is this possible to give me some time?
- Is your schedule open tomorrow? I need to talk about an important issue.
- Is this a good time to come to your place? We should talk.
- Is there any scope that you give me just 5 minutes?
- Do you have some time to spare for me?
- Do you mind giving me some time?
- What are you up to this evening? I would like to talk about something.
- What’s your plan for tomorrow? Let’s settle down the matter.
- What are you doing this afternoon? Can we have a short online meeting?
- Are you free this afternoon? I want to share something with you.
- Are you free to talk now?
- Are you available to give me some time at this moment?
- I need some time from you to sit and talk about something.
- I find it necessary to talk to you about the next deal. Are you free next Sunday?
- Your suggestions matter a lot to me. Would you please give me some time so that I can talk about my problems?
- Your advice is always a guideline for me. So please let me know when I can talk to you.
10 Tips to Ask for Some Time in English
- Be authentic and specific about how much time you need. If possible, mention minutes or hours. Remember! Time is very precious.
- Make proper eye contact while you request someone to give you some time. If you do so, the other person will likely listen to you and consider your request.
- Your right choice of words is crucial when you ask for some time from someone. Your words should clearly explain your needs. It would be best if you used polite & convincing words so that the other person considers what you have asked for.
- Before asking some time from someone, try to give compliments and acknowledge their past efforts to help you.
- Be always ready to accept rejections. No one is bound to accept your requests all the time. So, you should respond to rejections positively.
- Be polite all the way. Regardless of the other person you talk to—younger or older, known or unknown- be sure to speak to them politely.
- Don’t push someone too much. When you request repeatedly, it creates pressure on the other person, and she may get offended.
- Maintain a polite, sincere, and optimistic tone while you ask for some time from someone. You should not be flat in your tone.
- As body language is a vital part of communication, especially when you ask something from someone, you must maintain polite gestures.
- Be natural and confident in your facial expressions. If you can correctly ask something from someone with a polite smile, there is less possibility of getting denied.
In Conclusion
Whenever you need to ask for some time from someone, you can use the above expressions. When applicable, you can make such expressions with modal verbs at the beginning of the sentences.
You can also form some questions with auxiliary and wh words to request someone to give you some time.
Follow the tips to best use the above expressions while you ask for some time from someone.
Thanks for reading.
Happy learning!
