Don’t be too direct as it may threaten other people! Don’t forget to apply politeness strategies to get what do you want! These two concepts have been rooted in our minds for so long. Thus, when we’re about to ask for help, most of us like to mitigate our face-threatening acts by using an expression like “I wonder if…”.   

It is true that using “I wonder” is one of the common ways to mitigate requests. However, for some, this expression sounds too indirect as the phrase “I wonder if…” is used to contemplate something, for example, “I wonder if an afterlife does exist“ or  “ I wonder if I will ever be a millionaire”. In short, making a request or asking for help using “I wonder if…” is not strong enough.  

So what are other expressions that could be used to make polite requests in English? Here are some of the expressions that you might want to use. 

 1.Would you mind…? 

Would you mind passing the plate? 

 2.Would it be okay if …? 

Would it be okay if you pick me up on Sunday? 

 3.Would it be possible …? 

Would it be possible for you to drive me to school? 

It’s true that the three expressions above sound strong and more direct as they involve a direct question.  Yet, the threatening acts are mitigated with the modal verb “would” and an expression of probability “probably”, and therefore the request sounds politer and more straightforward. So,  as an alternative to “I wonder if…” you might want to try practising those three expressions to sound more certain.