Situational Communication
What situational communication asks
These items give a short exchange with one missing line. You choose the response that fits the function: request, permission, invitation, apology, offer, or small talk. The test is not translation; it is whether the reply is socially and logically appropriate. Read the line before the blank and decide what the speaker is doing.
Core patterns
- Request: 'Could you...?' / 'Would you mind...?' A positive reply is 'Sure' or 'Not at all' (for 'mind').
- Permission: 'May I...?' / 'Is it OK if...?' Agree with 'Go ahead' or 'Sure.'
- Invitation: 'Would you like to...?' Decline politely with a reason: 'I'd love to, but...'
- Apology: 'I'm sorry I'm late.' Reply: 'That's all right' / 'No problem.'
- Offer: 'Can I help you?' Accept: 'Yes, please.' Decline: 'No, thank you.'
- Negative questions: 'Don't you like it?' 'Yes, I do' means you like it; 'No, I don't' means you do not.
Worked example
A: 'Would you mind closing the door?' B: ______ Choices: A) Yes, I would. B) Not at all. C) No, I don't mind closing you. Reasoning: 'Would you mind...?' asks whether the action bothers the listener. 'Not at all' means 'it does not bother me', so it agrees to the request. 'Yes, I would' refuses. C is grammatically broken. Correct: B.
Traps
- Translating Japanese politeness literally; English 'Yes' to 'Would you mind' often refuses.
- Choosing a grammatically correct line that does not answer the function.
- Ignoring register: a friend gets 'Sure', a teacher gets 'Certainly' or 'Of course.'
- Missing the reason in a decline; the blank often needs 'but + reason.'