Speaking: making an offer
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C2)

You can make an offer in English in many different ways. Here are some examples:

• ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ or more informally just ‘Like a cup of tea?’
• ‘Do you fancy a cup of tea?’ or just ‘Fancy a cup of tea?’
• ‘Do you want a cup of tea’ or just ‘Want a cup of tea?

Another way is just to use the basic verb form. For example:

• ‘Have a cup of tea’ (falling intonation)
• ‘Help yourself’ (falling intonation)
• ‘Take another biscuit’ (falling intonation)

or just:

• Cup of tea? (with rising intonation)
• Tea? (with rising intonation)

Another way is:

• What about a cup of tea?
• How about a cup of tea?

However we often make the offer a little stronger and perhaps a little more formal or insistent by adding ‘do’. For example:

• ‘Do have a cup of tea’
• ‘Do help yourself’
• ‘Do take another biscuit’

It looks a little like a question but it isn’t and so we don’t use a question mark (?). See if you can hear examples when you see a film or watch TV.

Remember to make sure your intonation (rising or falling) is correct.