Are the following expressions grammatically correct? If not, how should I correct each?
Giving 10 dollars to the store clerk:
- Can I get some change in quarters?
- Can I get some quarters in exchange?
- Can you make change for one dollar into quarters?
- Can you break up one dollar into quarters?
- Can you exchange one dollar for quarters?
Best Answer
This is probably most common: "Can you make change for {a dollar | a twenty | a hundred}?" "Sure, what do you need?" "{Quarters | two tens | twenties} please"
Here are some corrections to your phrases (assuming American English):
Depending on the situation, this might be seen as a little too informal, it might be better to say 'May I have...' or 'Do you have...' instead. But if you're in a very informal encounter (like if you're familiar with the person, or you know for sure that they routinely make change in the form of quarters, or if you're just feeling lazy), your question is an okay and grammatically correct phrase.
People don't usually phrase it in this way (they don't say exchange when talking about change). You're likely to get the answer "for what?" since you didn't specify what you need to change ($1). Also, when people say "in exchange", they almost always say "in exchange for (something)".
This is probably the closest one to the correct version, almost everyone would understand exactly what you're asking here. But you should say "in quarters" instead of "into quarters".
Most people would say "can you break a dollar?", And if you don't say anything else people usually assume a denomination to use (if you're breaking a dollar, quarters; if you're breaking a 20, a mix of 10s 5s and 1s, or they might ask what you want).
Most people wouldn't say it this way, but they would understand what you mean.