To ask a colleague if you can have something, use ‘Can I…?’

Can I use your computer, please?

Can I borrow your pen, please?

Can I have a look at that report, please?

Can I use your phone to make a call, please?

Can I have your telephone number, please?

The expression ‘Could I…?’ is even more polite.

Could I borrow your pen, please?

Could I use your computer, please?

Could I have a look at your papers, please?

Could I sit here for a moment, please?

To ask a colleague if they can do something for you, use ‘Can you…?’

Can you bring that file to my table, please?

Can you help me lift this box, please?

Can you wait here for a moment, please?

Can you check these figures, please?

Can you pass me those documents, please?

‘Could you…?’ is even more polite.

Could you send me that report, please?

Could you help me with the printer, please?

Could you get someone to fix this problem, please?

Could you talk to the manager about this, please?

Could you help me restart this computer, please?

Could you open that window, please?

Note that the phrases ‘Can I…?’ and ‘Could I…?’ are polite; however, English speakers often add please at the end of the sentence to be even more polite.