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One of the multiple choice questions in a book I was reading was as follows:

>   1. まどを_____.
>   2. はい、おねがいします。
>
> a) 開けましょうか  
>  b) 開けてもいいですか  
>  c) 開けなさい  
>  d) 開けてくれませんか
>
>

I selected b) as the answer, but the given correct choice was a).

I can see why a) would be a more natural fit than b), but could they both be
considered correct? My translation for the dialogue was essentially: 'Is it
okay if I close the window?' 'Yes, thanks', but would this seem
unnatural/wrong in the context?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-22T17:23:05.307
74030
2020-01-24T05:00:59.393
2020-01-24T05:00:59.393
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question
conjugations jlpt
Conjugations of verb for sample JLPT question
Firstly 開ける means 'open' not 'close'. I'm sure that was just a slip, but I
wanted to make sure.

Option a) is 'Shall I open the window?'. You are offering a service to another
person so 'yes please' would be a natural response.

Option b) is 'Is it okay if I open the window?'. In this case you are seeking
permission to do something for your own benefit, so 'yes please' doesn't seem
like a good match to this question.

In summary a) seems like the only natural answer.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-22T17:36:34.507
74031
2020-01-22T17:36:34.507
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answer
While it probably wouldn’t be the right choice in a multiple choice exam, (b)
is also fine — it just requires that the responder is trying to emphasize that
they are not just giving permission, but if anything are being done a favor.
This sort of reframing is quite common because it can be seen as humbling (in
the sense of “who am I to give permission”), which is fairly core to Japanese
conversation dynamics. Though もちろん(です)、お願いします might be a little better for
this since it more fully reframes (although it depends on the relationship).
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-23T04:49:22.313
74035
2020-01-23T04:49:22.313
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answer