Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sunumu çeyrek saat uzatabilir miyiz, yoksa mola mı verelim? - Can we extend the presentation by a quarter of an hour, or shall we take a break?

Because uzatmak is a transitive verb and the object is specific/definite. In Turkish, definite direct objects take the accusative: sunumu = “the presentation (acc.)”. Without -u, sunum would be interpreted as an indefinite object (“a presentation”), which doesn’t fit here.

Does sunumu mean “my presentation”? I’m confused by the ending.

No.

sunumum = “my presentation” (1st person singular possessive)
sunumu = “the presentation” (accusative of “sunum”)
sunumumu = “my presentation” in the accusative So in the sentence, sunumu is just the definite object.

Is çeyrek saat the same as “15 minutes”? Do I need bir?

Yes, çeyrek saat = “a quarter of an hour” = 15 minutes. You normally do NOT add bir here; bir çeyrek saat sounds bookish or mathematical. You can also say on beş dakika, which is very common and neutral.

Could I say çeyrek saatlik here?

Not with this verb form. çeyrek saatlik is an adjective and needs a noun: e.g., çeyrek saatlik bir uzatma (“a 15‑minute extension”). Your sentence uses a verb phrase, so stick with çeyrek saat uzatmak or on beş dakika uzatmak.

Why use uzatabilir miyiz instead of uzatalım mı or uzatsak mı?

uzatabilir miyiz = “Can/May we extend…?” It asks about possibility/permission and sounds polite.
uzatalım mı = “Shall we extend…?” A direct proposal to do it.
uzatsak mı = “How about extending…?” More tentative/soft suggestion. All are fine; choose based on the tone you want.

How is uzatabilir miyiz put together? Why is miyiz separate?

uzat-a-bil-ir = root uzat- (extend) + ability -(y)e/-a bil-
- aorist/present -ir
mi is the yes/no question particle, written as a separate word and obeying vowel harmony
The 1st person plural ending attaches to mi here: mi + yiz = miyiz (the y is a buffer consonant to avoid vowel clash) Statement vs. question:
Uzatabiliriz. (We can extend.)
Uzatabilir miyiz? (Can we extend?)

Why is it mola mı verelim and not mola verelim mi? Are both correct?

Both are correct:

mola mı verelim focuses the contrast on mola (“Is it a break that we should take?”), which fits well with the either–or structure introduced by yoksa.
mola verelim mi asks a neutral yes/no about the whole predicate (“Shall we take a break?”). In your sentence, the focus version sounds especially natural.

Why the verb vermek with mola? Could I say mola yapmak or mola almak?

The idiomatic collocations are:

mola vermek or ara vermek = to take a break Avoid mola yapmak/mola almak in standard Turkish; you’ll hear them colloquially, but mola/ara vermek is the natural choice.

What does yoksa add? Could I use ya da or veya instead?

yoksa in questions introduces an alternative with a stronger “or else”/either–or feel: “...or shall we…?”
ya da/veya are more neutral “or”. You could say ... uzatabilir miyiz, ya da mola mı verelim? but yoksa better highlights the contrast between the two options.

Can I change the word order of the first clause?

Yes, Turkish word order is flexible, but some versions sound more natural:

Very natural: Sunumu on beş dakika/çeyrek saat uzatabilir miyiz?
Also ok in speech: Sunumu uzatabilir miyiz çeyrek saat?
Less natural: Çeyrek saat sunumu uzatabilir miyiz? (possible but marked) Keeping the time expression right before the verb or right after the object is a safe bet.

Could I use the intransitive verb uzamak instead, like Sunum çeyrek saat uzayabilir mi?

Yes. uzamak means “to get longer/run over” (no object):

Sunum çeyrek saat uzayabilir mi? = “Might the presentation run 15 minutes longer?” This shifts focus from “us extending it” to “it running long.” Your original with uzatmak emphasizes an intentional extension by us.

Do I need to say biz?

No. Person/number is already clear from the verb forms (miyiz, verelim). You’d only add biz for emphasis/contrast: Biz sunumu… (“We, as opposed to others...”).

Is it okay to add daha to mean “longer by 15 minutes”?

Yes: Sunumu on beş dakika daha uzatabilir miyiz? = “Can we extend the presentation by 15 more minutes?” daha emphasizes it’s an additional amount.

How about politeness—any softer variants?

Add acaba: Uzatabilir miyiz acaba… (more tentative)
Add lütfen for “please”: Sunumu… uzatabilir miyiz lütfen?
Use past conditional for extra deference: Uzatabilir miydik? (like English “Could we possibly…?”)