you could take some out

Claire: "You could..."

that sounds like a suggestion.

Well, let's see if that's what Emily meant.

Emily: Have you finished that app design?

Mark: I've just been putting some more features in it

It's got 200 now.

Emily: Hmmm. It looks a bit complex.

You could take some out.

Mark: I suppose but...

I quite like it like this.

Emily: If you'd like to ask the team,

they might be able to help..

Mark: I'm not really sure I would like to

ask them, to be honest.

Emily: You might want to look at it again

before we show the director.

Emily: Ok, are you ready

to show it to the director?

Did you take out some of the features like I asked?

Mark: No actually. I've put a few more in there.

It's got 250 now.

Emily: Weren't you listening?

Didn't I tell you to make it simpler?

Mark: You said I could. But I didn't want to,

so I didn't.

Emily: The director's just going to laugh at this.

I know this business.

You really need to listen to me.

Mark: But...

Claire: Ouch, you don't look happy.

Mark: I just don't get it.

Emily made some suggestions,

and fine, I didn't agree with them,

but now she's acting as though they were orders.

Claire: Ah, well you see...

Sometimes we word things as suggestions,

when we mean them as instructions.

It's a way of being polite.

It can be tricky to spot these instructions.

The expressions that Emily used all had modal verbs

that we usually use for suggestions.

We had could, if you'd like to,

and you might want to.

What you have to do is think about the context.

If it's someone who often gives you instructions

like your manager,

then you might want to double check

whether they are just making suggestions

or actually telling you what they want you to do.

They are quite common in a lot of work situations

and you'll see some more

at the end of the programme.

Mark: Thanks, I feel as though I want to go back

and try that again with Emily.

Mark: I've just been putting some more features

on that app.

It's got 200 now.

Emily: Hmmm. It looks a bit complex

you could take some out.

Mark: Now, you said could.

Do I have a choice or do you need me to do that?

Emily: Good questions

I need you to do that.

If you'd like you could ask the team,

they can help you.

Mark: If I'd like to?

Emily: I did it again didn't I?

Yes, I need you to do that as well.