في المطار · Programme: Making polite requests; requesting others to do something · Grammar: Would you mind + verb-ing; Could you + verb
By the end of this lesson, I can:
- Use the key words of air travel: flight, boarding pass, aisle, customs…
- Make polite requests with “Would you mind + verb-ing?”
- Ask someone to do something with “Could you + verb?”
- Answer polite requests correctly (agree or refuse politely)
- Pronounce the weak sound /ə/ in words like “about” and “passenger”
🖼️ Picture dictionary قاموس مصوّر
tap 🔊 to listen📚 كلمات الدرس
13 كلمة من هذا الدرس في القاموس المدرسي: المعنى بالعربية والفرنسية، والنطق، ومثال.
📖 Read: Yassine’s first flight أقرأ
Yassine, 15, is flying from Tunis-Carthage to Istanbul with his aunt Hela. They came from Sfax by railway early in the morning, so they are a bit tired.
On the plane, a flight attendant named Selim welcomes them.
Three hours later, they land in Istanbul and go through customs. Yassine smiles: flying is easier when everybody is polite.
Do you understand? أفهم
Answer in your copybook first, then check.
- How did Yassine and his aunt travel from Sfax to Tunis?
Answer
By railway (by train).
- What kind of seat does Yassine choose? Why?
Answer
A window seat, because it is his first flight and he wants to see everything.
- What does the flight attendant ask the passengers to do before take-off?
Answer
To fasten their seat belts and switch off their phones.
- Does Yassine agree to help the old lady? Which words show it?
Answer
Yes. He says “Not at all. Here you are!” – “Not at all” means he doesn’t mind.
- Find two polite requests in the text.
Answer
“Could you put your suitcase on the belt, please?” / “Would you mind showing me your passports?”
🧩 Grammar القواعد
To ask someone politely to do something, we use two structures:
- Would you mind + verb-ing …? ▸ Would you mind opening the window? (very polite)
- Could you + base verb …? ▸ Could you open the window, please? (polite)
Add please to sound even nicer. To ask someone not to do something: Would you mind not talking so loudly?
Careful with answers! “Would you mind…?” means “Is it a problem for you…?”. So to say YES, I’ll help, we answer: No, not at all. / Of course not. / No problem.
لطلب شيء بأدب: Would you mind + فعل بـ ing، أو Could you + الفعل في صيغته الأصلية. انتبه: للموافقة على Would you mind نقول No, not at all (أي: لا مانع عندي).
Two polite structures
| Structure | Verb form | Example | Answer: YES 👍 | Answer: NO 👎 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Would you mind…? | verb + -ing | Would you mind carrying my bag? | No, not at all. / Of course not. | I’m sorry, but I can’t. My arm hurts. |
| Could you…? | base verb | Could you carry my bag? | Sure! / Of course. / Certainly. | I’m afraid I can’t right now. |
| Would you mind not…? | not + verb-ing | Would you mind not smoking here? | Oh, sorry! Of course not. | — |
How polite are you?
- 🧑💼 Check-in agent: Could you put your bag on the belt?
- 🛂 Passport officer: Would you mind taking off your glasses?
- 🧑✈️ Flight attendant: Could you fasten your seat belt, please?
From check-in to take-off
- 🧳 Check in your luggage and get your boarding pass.
- 🛂 Go through passport control and security.
- 🚪 Wait at the gate, then board the plane.
- 💺 Find your seat and fasten your seat belt.
- 🛫 The plane takes off!
- 🛬 After landing, go through customs.
💬 Useful expressions عبارات مفيدة
Making polite requests
Answering requests
Thanking
🔊 Pronunciation النطق
Worked examples أمثلة محلولة
Try first, then read the solution.
Change the order into a polite request with Would you mind…?: “Close the door!”
Step-by-step solution
- Keep the verb: close.
- After “Would you mind” we need verb + -ing: closing.
- Add the rest of the sentence and a question mark.
✓ Would you mind closing the door?
Could you (to show / showing / show) me your ticket?
Step-by-step solution
- After “Could you” we use the base verb, without “to” and without “-ing”.
✓ Could you show me your ticket?
A passenger asks you: “Would you mind changing seats with me?” You agree. What do you say?
Step-by-step solution
- “Mind” means “be unhappy about”.
- If you agree, you are NOT unhappy, so you answer with “no”.
✓ No, not at all. / Of course not.
⚠️ Common mistakes أخطاء شائعة
⭐ Remember أحفظ
- Would you mind + verb-ing…? = a very polite request.
- Could you + base verb…? = a polite request; add “please”.
- To agree with “Would you mind…?”, say “No, not at all / Of course not”.
- Air travel words: flight, boarding pass, seat, aisle, seat belt, take off, customs.
- /ə/ is the short weak sound in about, letter, doctor.
Quick quiz اختبار سريع
4 questions · instant feedback1. Would you mind … the music down?
2. Could you … me your boarding pass, please?
3. “Would you mind waiting a minute?” You agree. You say:
4. A seat next to the passage between the rows is:
✍️ Write: Project step 1: start a blog “My Ideal Mobile Phone” أكتب
Your group is starting a project: a blog (a personal diary on the internet) called My Ideal Mobile Phone. You need help from your computer science teacher to create it. Write a short polite message to him or her with at least three polite requests. (No internet? You can make your “blog” on paper.)
Steps
- Start with a greeting: Dear Mr / Mrs …,
- Say who you are and what your project is.
- Make 3 polite requests with Could you…? and Would you mind…-ing?
- Thank the teacher and sign with your names.
A model text to compare with (after writing mine)
Dear Mrs Gharbi,
We are four pupils from class 9B, and we are starting an English project called “My Ideal Mobile Phone”. We want to write it as a blog, but we have never made one. Could you help us create a free blog during the computer lesson on Thursday? Would you mind showing us how to add photos and short texts? Also, could you check our first post before we publish it? We know you are very busy, so we will be ready and on time. If the internet does not work, we will use paper. Thank you very much for your help. That’s very kind of you!
Best wishes,
Amira, Firas, Lilia and Omar
One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.
😊 The lighter side استراحة
Politeness costs nothing and gains everything.
What has wings and flies but is not a bird?
Answer
A plane.
Passenger: “Would you mind telling me when we land?” – Flight attendant: “Not at all, sir. You’ll feel a little bump!”
✅ Exercises تمارين
All exercises →6 exercises on three levels, with new questions every time.
- Choose the right answerTo do
- ClassifyTo do
- Situation 1To do
- Situation 2To do
Practise: At the Airport
True or false, complete, choose, classify and situations: instant correction with explanations.
Got the lesson? Try it yourself
6 exercises · instant correction · new questions every time
Start the exercisesPictures: Twemoji (CC-BY 4.0). Texts, explanations and exercises: Scolaire.tn.