B2 Spanish grammar
Formal Requests and Recommendations in Spanish
Formal requests in Spanish balance clarity with social distance. Conditional questions, request verbs, usted commands, and impersonal instructions are useful in different relationships; the most elaborate form is not automatically the most appropriate.
Formal request
request frame chosen for audience + infinitive/noun or que + subjunctive
Use a finite subjunctive clause when another subject performs the requested or recommended action.
Formal request structures
| Situation | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| courteous direct request | ¿podría + infinitive? | ¿Podría enviarme el contrato? |
| courteous different-subject request | ¿sería posible que + imperfect subjunctive? | ¿Sería posible que lo revisara? |
| request a thing | solicitar + noun | Solicitamos una prórroga. |
| recommend an action | recomendar que + subjunctive | Recomendamos que el comité revise los datos. |
| institutional instruction | se ruega + infinitive | Se ruega mantener la puerta cerrada. |
Choose directness from hierarchy, audience, and document type—not from formality alone.
formal requests in Spanish: Frame a courteous request with a conditional question
Use podría, tendría la amabilidad de, or sería posible followed by an infinitive or que clause to reduce directness while keeping the requested action explicit.
¿Podría enviarme el contrato hoy? ¿Sería posible que lo revisara antes del viernes?Quick check
Could you confirm receipt, please?
Use request and recommendation verbs precisely
Solicitar can take a noun or infinitive in formal documents; pedir que, recomendar que, and aconsejar que take subjunctive when another person performs the requested action.
Solicitamos una prórroga y recomendamos que el comité revise los datos.Match the form to hierarchy and document type
Use an usted command for a clear polite instruction, a conditional for personal courtesy, and an impersonal form for general institutional procedure. Avoid both unexplained bluntness and inflated formulae.
Firme aquí, por favor. Se ruega mantener la puerta cerrada.Common mistakes
¿Sería posible que lo revisará mañana?
¿Sería posible que lo revisara mañana?
The hypothetical polite frame selects the imperfect subjunctive, not the future.
Recomendamos que el comité revisa los datos.
Recomendamos que el comité revise los datos.
A recommendation directed at another subject requires subjunctive.
Tendría usted la infinita amabilidad de quizá firmar aquí. (routine form)
Firme aquí, por favor.
A routine, low-cost instruction can be clear and polite without excessive ceremony.
Ready to practise formal requests in Spanish?
Complete an eight-question round and save skill-level progress for future review.
Formal requests and recommendations FAQ
What does formal requests and recommendations cover?
Formal requests in Spanish balance clarity with social distance. Conditional questions, request verbs, usted commands, and impersonal instructions are useful in different relationships; the most elaborate form is not automatically the most appropriate.
What is the first rule to remember?
Use podría, tendría la amabilidad de, or sería posible followed by an infinitive or que clause to reduce directness while keeping the requested action explicit.
What is another important B2 pattern?
Solicitar can take a noun or infinitive in formal documents; pedir que, recomendar que, and aconsejar que take subjunctive when another person performs the requested action.
How can I practise formal requests in Spanish?
Complete the focused round, review each correction, and repeat the lesson when its skills become due again.