What do you know about World War I ?
1. attempt
2. alliances
3. nationalists
4. bystanders
5. avoided
6. declaring
On June 28, 1914, a group of Serbian planned to kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Their first failed—a man threw a bomb at his car, but it bounced off and hurt instead. Later, the Archduke decided to visit the injured people. However, his driver took a wrong turn and stopped in front of Gavrilo Princip, one of the attackers. Princip took the chance to shoot and kill the Archduke and his wife.
This mistake led to Austria-Hungary war on Serbia. Because of , more countries joined, and soon, World War I began. A war that could have been started because of small but deadly errors.
1. Who did the Serbian nationalists plan to kill?
2. What happened when the bomb was thrown at the car?
3. Why did the Archduke's driver stop in front of Gavrilo Princip?
4. What was the result of the Archduke's assassination?
1. The Archduke wanted to see the injured bystanders. |
2. Gavrilo Princip was one of the attackers. |
3. The assassination of Gavrilo Princip led to the start of World War I. |
Conversation
A: I can't believe the bomb didn't work!
B: Yeah, it just bounced off! What are the odds?
A: Well, at least we have another chance.
B: Look, there's the Archduke's car again!
A: Quick, take the shot before they drive away!
B: Got it! This time, we won't miss.
1. Have you ever made a small mistake that caused a big problem?
2. Do you like learning about history? Why or why not?
3. Do you think countries should have alliances? Why?
4. If you could go back in time, what event would you like to see?
5. Can small mistakes change history? Why do you think so?
· attempt – try
· alliances – friends
· nationalists – patriots
· bystanders – onlookers
· avoided – stopped
· declaring – saying
On June 28, 1914, a group of Serbian nationalists planned to kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Their first attempt failed—a man threw a bomb at his car, but it bounced off and hurt bystanders instead. Later, the Archduke decided to visit the injured people. However, his driver took a wrong turn and stopped in front of Gavrilo Princip, one of the attackers. Princip took the chance to shoot and kill the Archduke and his wife.
This mistake led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. Because of alliances, more countries joined, and soon, World War I began. A war that could have been avoided started because of small but deadly errors.
1. Archduke Franz Ferdinand
2. It bounced off and hurt bystanders.
3. The driver took a wrong turn.
4. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, leading to World War I.
1. The Archduke wanted to see the injured bystanders. – True
2. Gavrilo Princip was one of the attackers. – True
3. The assassination of Gavrilo Princip led to the start of World War I. – False
1. geologists
2. isolated
3. fascinating
4. wilderness
5. persecution
6. survived
In 1978, Soviet discovered a family living deep in the Siberian . The Lykov family had been from the world for 40 years. They had no idea that World War II had happened or that humans had landed on the moon.
The family fled to the forest in 1936 to escape religious . They by growing their own food and hunting. They had no modern tools or medicine.
When the geologists found them, they were amazed. The Lykovs were friendly but chose to stay in the forest. Their story is a example of how people can survive in complete isolation for decades.
1. Who discovered the Lykov family in 1978?
2. How long had the Lykov family been isolated?
3. Why did the Lykov family flee to the forest?
4. How did the Lykov family survive?
1. The Lykov family landed on the moon. |
2. The geologists were surprised to find the Lykov family. |
3. The Lykov family used modern tools to survive. |
Conversation
A: Wow, you really live out here all alone?
B: Yes, we've been here for 40 years!
A: That's amazing! Haven't you missed the world?
B: Not really, we've had everything we needed.
A: But no news or TV?
B: Nope, just nature and peace.
1. Have you ever wanted to live in the forest?
2. What would you miss most if you lived in isolation?
3. Do you think you could survive without modern tools?
4. What would be the hardest part of living in the wilderness?
5. Would you rather live in a large forest or on a small tropical island?
· geologists – scientists
· isolated – alone
· fascinating – interesting
· wilderness – forest
· persecution – bullying
· survived – lived
In 1978, Soviet geologists discovered a family living deep in the Siberian wilderness. The Lykov family had been isolated from the world for 40 years. They had no idea that World War II had happened or that humans had landed on the moon.
The family fled to the forest in 1936 to escape religious persecution. They survived by growing their own food and hunting. They had no modern tools or medicine.
When the geologists found them, they were amazed. The Lykovs were friendly but chose to stay in the forest. Their story is a fascinating example of how people can survive in complete isolation for decades.
1. Soviet geologists.
2. 40 years.
3. To escape religious persecution.
4. They grew their own food and hunted.
1. False
2. True
3. False
Do you know what a windmill does? (Yes, it...)
1. scrap
2. creativity
3. afford
4. turbine
5. electricity
6. determined
William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi. At 14, he had to leave school because his family could not___the fees. to continue learning, he spent time in the local library. There, he found a book about windmills and was inspired to build one himself.
Using materials like a bicycle frame, tractor parts, and PVC pipes, he created a wind . At first, it powered a single light bulb, but later, it provided____for his home and helped pump water for his village. His success brought him international fame.
Kamkwamba co-wrote "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" and shared his story worldwide, proving that determination and____can overcome challenges.
1. Why did William Kamkwamba leave school?
2. Where did William find the book about windmills?
3. What did William use to build the wind turbine?
4. What did the wind turbine help do for the village?
1. William was 14 when he was born in Malawi. |
2. The wind turbine powered a single light bulb at first. |
3. William co-wrote a book titled "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind". |
Conversation
A: Hey William, how did you make that windmill?
B: I found a book in the library and got inspired.
A: Wow, you must be a genius!
B: Not really, just curious and determined.
A: So, what's next for you?
B: Maybe a solar panel, who knows!
1. Have you ever built something by yourself?
2. Do you think windmills are useful? Why or why not?
3. What would you do if you had no electricity at home?
4. Have you ever read a book that inspired you?
5. Would you like to visit Malawi someday?
· scrap – old
· creativity – ideas
· afford – pay
· turbine – engine
· electricity – power
· determined – sure
William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi. At 14, he had to leave school because his family could not afford the fees. Determined to continue learning, he spent time in the local library. There, he found a book about windmills and was inspired to build one himself.
Using scrap materials like a bicycle frame, tractor parts, and PVC pipes, he created a wind turbine. At first, it powered a single light bulb, but later, it provided electricity for his home and helped pump water for his village. His success brought him international fame.
Kamkwamba co-wrote "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" and shared his story worldwide, proving that determination and creativity can overcome challenges.
1. Because his family could not afford the fees.
2. In the local library.
3. Scrap materials like a bicycle frame, tractor parts, and PVC pipes.
4. It helped pump water for his village.
1. False
2. True
3. True
1. fatal
2. assaulted
3. achievements
4. tragic
5. Tyres
6. extreme
Göran Kropp was a Swedish adventurer known for his___challenges. In 1996, he cycled 7,693
miles (12,385 km) from Sweden to Nepal, climbed Mount Everest alone without oxygen, then cycled home. His journey took months, with many dangers like bad weather, 132 flat_____, and even attacks - he was nearly run over, chased by dogs, hit with stones, and_____with a baseball bat.
He later returned to Everest with his girlfriend and attempted other adventures, including skiing to the North Pole. In 2002, while rock climbing in the U.S., a safety failure caused a_____fall. Despite his____death at 35, Kropp's incredible continue to inspire adventurers worldwide.
1. How far did Göran Kropp cycle from Sweden to Nepal?
2. What mountain did Kropp climb without oxygen?
3. What kind of dangers did Kropp face on his journey?
4. What happened to Kropp in 2002?
1. Göran Kropp was assaulted with a baseball. |
2. Kropp cycled back to Sweden after climbing Everest. |
3. Kropp attempted to ski to the North Pole. |
Conversation
A: Göran, why do people call you The Crazy Swede?
B: Oh, because I cycled to Everest, climbed it and cycled back!
A: That's incredible! And is it true you shot a polar bear?
B: Yeah, while skiing to the North Pole.
A: Wow! Did you make it all the way to the pole?
B: No, I got frostbite in my thumb and had to turn back.
1. Would you like to travel a long distance by bicycle? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever tried a difficult outdoor activity like hiking or climbing? What was it like?
3. Do you think it is better to travel alone or with friends? Why?
4. If you could go on an adventure anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
· fatal – lethal
· assaulted – attacked
· achievements – successes
· tragic – heartbreaking
· tyres – tires
· extreme – big
Göran Kropp was a Swedish adventurer known for his extreme challenges. In 1996, he cycled 7,693 miles (12,385 km) from Sweden to Nepal, climbed Mount Everest alone without oxygen, then cycled home. His journey took months, with many dangers like bad weather, 132 flat tyres, and even attacks – he was nearly run over, chased by dogs, hit with stones, and assaulted with a baseball bat.
He later returned to Everest with his girlfriend and attempted other adventures, including skiing to the North Pole. In 2002, while rock climbing in the U.S., a safety failure caused a fatal fall. Despite his tragic death at 35, Kropp’s incredible achievements continue to inspire adventurers worldwide.
1. 7,693 miles (12,385 km)
2. Mount Everest
3. Bad weather, 132 flat tyres, nearly run over, chased by dogs, hit with stones, assaulted with a baseball bat
4. He died in a rock-climbing accident
1. False
2. True
3. True
Have you ever eaten at McDonald's? (Yes, I have... / No, I haven't...)
1. attracting
2. customers
3. return
4. compete
5. introduced
6. locations
Many people know McDonald's for its burgers and fries, but did you know they once sold pizza? In the 1980s, McDonald's_____ McPizza to with pizza restaurants. At first, it was popular, but there was a problem—it took too long to cook. were used to fast service, and waiting 10-15
minutes for a pizza was too long.
Other companies, like Pizza Hut, made fun of McDonald's pizza, calling it "McFrozen." By the late 1990s, most McDonald's restaurants stopped selling it. However, a few____ kept McPizza for years,
fans. Today, it's gone, but many people still hope it will .
1. What did McDonald's introduce in the 1980s?
2. Why did McPizza not work well for McDonald's?
3. Which company made fun of McDonald's pizza?
4. What do some people hope will happen with McPizza?
1. McPizza was popular at first. |
2. Customers didn't like waiting for 10-15 minutes. |
3. Most Pizza Hut locations stopped selling McPizza. |
Conversation
A: Hey, did you hear McDonald's used to sell pizza?
B: Yeah, I tried it! It took forever to make, though.
A: Really? I thought McDonald's was a fast food restaurant!
B: Exactly! I guess that's why it didn't last.
A: Do you think they'll ever bring it back?
B: I hope so. It was a nice alternative to burgers and fries.
1. Do you like eating pizza? What's your favorite kind?
2. Would you wait 15 minutes for fast food? Why or why not?
3. Do you think McDonald's should try selling pizza again?
4. Have you ever tried a new food that was different from usual?
· attracting – bringing
· customers – people
· return – come back
· compete – fight
· introduced – started
· locations – places
Many people know McDonald's for its burgers and fries, but did you know they once sold pizza? In the 1980s, McDonald's introduced McPizza to compete with pizza restaurants. At first, it was popular, but there was a problem – it took too long to cook. Customers were used to fast service, and waiting 10–15 minutes for a pizza was too long.
Other companies, like Pizza Hut, made fun of McDonald's pizza, calling it "McFrozen." By the late 1990s, most McDonald's restaurants stopped selling it. However, a few locations kept McPizza for years, attracting fans. Today, it's gone, but many people still hope it will return.
1. McDonald's introduced McPizza.
2. It took too long to cook.
3. Pizza Hut made fun of McDonald's pizza.
4. Some people hope McPizza will return.
1. True
2. True
3. False
Do you know who lives in Buckingham Palace?
1. wandered
2. scaled
3. scandals
4. assumed
5. trespassing
6. psychiatric
In 1982, Michael Fagan shocked Britain by breaking into Buckingham Palace. Early one morning, after drinking all night, he climbed over the palace fence, a drainpipe, and entered through an open window. He through the palace, even setting off alarms, but security staff they were false alerts and turned them off. Then, he walked straight into the Queen's bedroom! She quickly left to call for help.
Strangely, Fagan wasn't charged because wasn't a crime. Instead, he was sent to a hospital. Later, he released a punk song and was arrested for other crimes. His break-in remains one of Britain's biggest securities .
1. What did Michael Fagan do in 1982?
2. How did Fagan enter the palace?
3. What did the security staff think about the alarms?
4. Why wasn't Fagan charged with a crime?
1. Michael Fagan was charged with a serious crime. |
2. Fagan entered the palace through a window. |
3. The Queen called for help after Fagan entered her bedroom. |
Conversation
A: Michael, how did you get in here?
B: Just climbed a bit, Your Majesty.
A: You know this is Buckingham Palace, right?
B: I do now! Nice place you've got.
A: Security will be here soon.
B: I guess I'll be leaving then.
1. Have you ever visited a famous building?
2. What would you do if you met a queen or king?
3. Do you like punk music?
4. Have you ever climbed something high?
5. If you couldn't be caught, what place would you break into?
The man who broke into Buckingham Palace
· wandered – walked
· scaled – climbed
· scandals – incidents
· assumed – thought
· trespassing – illegal entry
· psychiatric – mental
In 1982, Michael Fagan shocked Britain by breaking into Buckingham Palace. Early one morning, after drinking all night, he climbed over the palace fence, scaled a drainpipe, and entered through an open window. He wandered through the palace, even setting off alarms, but security staff assumed they were false alerts and turned them off. Then, he walked straight into the Queen's bedroom! She quickly left to call for help.
Strangely, Fagan wasn't charged because trespassing wasn't a crime. Instead, he was sent to a psychiatric hospital. Later, he released a punk song and was arrested for other crimes. His break-in remains one of Britain's biggest security scandals.
1. He broke into Buckingham Palace.
2. He climbed over the fence and scaled a drainpipe.
3. They assumed they were false alerts.
4. Because trespassing wasn't a crime.
1. False
2. True
3. True
Have you ever been to Paris?
1. con artist
2. bribe
3. scams
4. scrap
5. Fled
6. pretended
In 1925, Victor Lustig arrived in Paris with a bold plan. He to be a government official and told six______ metal dealers that the Eiffel Tower would soon be taken down and sold as scrap. One businessman, André Poisson, believed him and paid a large_____ to win the deal. Lustig took the money and disappeared.
A year later, he tried the same trick again! This time, the police found out, and he____ to America. Lustig was a brilliant who spoke five languages and fooled many people. His story remains one of the most daring___in history.
1. What year did Victor Lustig arrive in Paris?
2. Who believed Lustig's story about the Eiffel Tower?
3. What did Lustig do after getting the money from André Poisson?
4. How many languages could Victor Lustig speak?
True or False
1.Victor Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower to a businessman. |
2.Lustig was caught by the police in Paris. |
3.Lustig was able to speak five languages. |
Conversation
A:Hello, Mr. Poisson. I'm with the government.
B:Oh, really? What can I do for you?
A:We're selling the Eiffel Tower as scrap metal. Interested?
B:Wow! Yes, that sounds like a great opportunity.
A:Excellent. Of course, to make sure you get the deal, a little... extra payment is necessary.
B:I understand. Here's the money. I can't wait to start!
1. Would you like to live in Paris?
2. Has someone ever tried to scam you?
3. What kind of scams have you heard about?
4. Do you think there is bribery in politics in your country? Can you think of any examples?
5. Do you think you could trick someone in your family? How?
In 1925, Victor Lustig arrived in Paris with a bold plan. He pretended to be a government official and told six scrap metal dealers that the Eiffel Tower would soon be taken down and sold as scrap. One businessman, André Poisson, believed him and paid a large bribe to win the deal. Lustig took the money and disappeared.
A year later, he tried the same trick again! This time, the police found out, and he fled to America. Lustig was a brilliant con artist who spoke five languages and fooled many people. His story remains one of the most daring scams in history.
1. drifted
2. rescued
3. skipped
4. permission
5. shelter
6. rudder
In 1965, six schoolboys in Tonga, aged 13 to 16, school and took a small fishing boat without_______ . They wanted to sail to Fiji or even New Zealand for an adventure. But a storm broke their sail and , and they at sea for eight days with no food or water. Finally, they reached a small, empty island.
There, they survived by working together. They grew food, collected rainwater, built a , and kept a fire going. After 15 months, a fisherman saw smoke from the island and them. Their families were shocked - they had thought the boys were dead. Amazingly, they were healthy and still good friends.
1. How did the boys sail on the sea?
2. What broke during the storm?
3. How long did they stay on the island?
4. Who found the boys and rescued them?
1.The boys reached the island after two weeks at sea.
2.They collected seawater, built a shelter, and kept a fire going.
3.Their families had already given up hope.
Conversation
1. What would you do first if you were on an island alone?
2. Would you be scared to be on an island alone? Why?
3. What food would you miss the most if you were on an island?
4. If you could take three things to the island, what would you choose and why?
· shelter – house
· permission – allowed
· skipped – missed
· rudder – steering part
· rescued – saved
· drifted – floated
In 1965, six schoolboys in Tonga, aged 13 to 16, skipped school and took a small fishing boat without permission. They wanted to sail to Fiji or even New Zealand for an adventure. But a storm broke their sail and rudder, and they drifted at sea for eight days with no food or water. Finally, they reached a small, empty island.
There, they survived by working together. They grew food, collected rainwater, built a shelter, and kept a fire going. After 15 months, a fisherman saw smoke from the island and rescued them. Their families were shocked they had thought the boys were dead. Amazingly, they were healthy and still good friends.
1. They took a small fishing boat without permission.
2. Their sail and rudder.
3. 15 months.
4. A fisherman.
1. False
2. False
3. True
1. factory
2. visited
3. bold
4. architecture
5. unique
6. accessibility
The Centre Pompidou in Paris is a famous modern art museum with a very design. It was built in the 1970s by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. Unlike other buildings, its pipes and tubes are on the outside, painted in bright colors.
At first, many people didn't like it. Some said it looked like a and called it "ugly." But over time, people began to enjoy its and playful style.
Now, it is one of the most places in Paris. It will close for five years to improve safety, energy use, and . Today, the Centre Pompidou is a symbol of creative, open .
1. Who built the Centre Pompidou?
2. What is special about the design of the Centre Pompidou?
3. How did people first react to the Centre Pompidou?
4. Why will the Centre Pompidou close for five years?
1. The Centre Pompidou was built in the 1980s. |
2. The Centre Pompidou is now a symbol of creative architecture. |
3. The Centre Pompidou will close in five years. |
Conversation
1. Do you prefer old buildings or modern ones? Why?
2. Do you know any buildings with unusual designs?
3. Have you ever visited a museum you really enjoyed?
4. Would you visit the Centre Pompidou if you went to Paris?
5. If you could open your own museum, what would you put in it?
factory – plant
visited – seen
bold – strong
architecture – building design
unique – special
accessibility – entry
Passage:
The Centre Pompidou in Paris is a famous modern art museum with a very unique design. It was built in the 1970s by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. Unlike other buildings, its pipes and tubes are on the outside, painted in bright colors.
At first, many people didn't like it. Some said it looked like a factory and called it "ugly." But over time, people began to enjoy its bold and playful style.
Now, it is one of the most visited places in Paris. It will close for five years to improve safety, energy use, and accessibility. Today, the Centre Pompidou is a symbol of creative, open architecture.
Quiz Answers (Examples):
· Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers
· Its pipes and tubes are on the outside, painted in bright colors.
· Many people didn't like it and called it "ugly."
· To improve safety, energy use, and accessibility.
True or False:
· False
· True
· False
Are you shy when it comes to speaking English? Try leading the conversation! If you ask the questions, you don’t need to be nervous. The spotlight is on the other person, not you!
Hot Seat is an English classroom activity. One student sits on a chair at the front of the room and the other students ask as many questions as they can to the person in the "hot seat". It's called "hot seat" because the student needs to answer quickly. The temperature rises with all the excitement!
A
How are you today?
How are you doing today?
B
I’m good, thanks. And you? I’m fine thanks. And you?
I’m not so bad, thanks. And you? I’m okay. And you?
I’m a bit tired. And you?
How was your day?
Ask your partner about their weekend using the questions below, then change roles. Next, try changing the underlined phrases. It's okay to use your imagination! :)
So, how was your weekend?
Oh, it was good. I went to Tokyo.
Who did you go with?
I went with a friend.
How did you get there?
I got there by train.
How long did it take?
It took about an hour.
How long were you there?
I was there for three hours.
What did you do there?
I went shopping.
Did you buy anything?
Yes, I did.
What did you buy?
I bought a new jacket.
Did you have a good time?
Yeah, it was fun.
TIP: While you are thinking of an answer, try to keep speaking. You can repeat the question ("How was my weekend?") or use phrases like: Let me see..., Let me think..., That's a good question..., If I remember right...
Here are some questions you can ask someone after they finish work.
So, how was your day?
Oh, the same as usual, but I had training.
Where was your training?
It was in the conference room.
Who did you do it with?
I did it with Tom, Bob and Isabella.
What else did you do?
I had to finish a report.
How long did it take?
It took about 3 hours.
What time did you finish?
I finished at about 6.
Did you have time for lunch?
Yes, I did.
What did you eat?
I ate a cheese sandwich.
Did you get the message I sent you?
Yeah, thanks.
Why didn’t you reply?
Sorry, I didn’t have time.
-You could ask someone these questions to learn about their evening.
So, what did you do last night?
Oh, the same as usual, I just stayed in.
And what did you do?
I had dinner.
Who did you have dinner with?
I had dinner with my family.
What did you eat?
I ate a cheese sandwich.
How was it?
It was good!
What else did you do?
I watched TV and played on my phone.
What did you watch?
I watched a documentary about carpets.
Was it any good?
Yeah, it was okay.
What time did you go to bed?
I went to bed at midnight.
Did you sleep well?
Not really, I had a dream about carpets.
You can do this by yourself: Set a timer for one minute and try to ask as many questions as you can without looking at this script. Don’t answer them. Just ask questions aloud. Where did you go? How did you get there? How long did it take? What did you do there? Etc. Practise and practise until the questions become natural.
Now, try asking about their weekend plans.
What are you going to do this weekend?
Oh, I’m going to go into the city.
Who are you going to go with?
I’m going to go with my friend, Alex.
How are you going to get there?
I’m going to get there by train.
How long is it going to take?
It’s going to take about an hour.
What are you going to do there?
I’m going to go to a car show.
Are you going to buy anything?
Yeah, probably!
What are you going to buy?
I’ll probably buy some lunch.
Are you going to do anything else?
Well, I might test drive a car!
First, let’s look at the whole conversation. I’ve highlighted the key phrases in bold.
A: Hi Tomohiro, how’s it going? B: Good, thanks. You?
A: Yeah, not bad. Did you get your new smartphone? B: Yes, I did, but I'm not sure how to use it.
A: No worries, I can help you with that. What do you need help with first?
B: I want to learn how to send a text message.
A: Okay, let's start with that. First, open the messaging app. Do you see the icon that looks like a speech bubble?
B: Yes, I see it.
A: Great, tap on that icon. Now, do you see a button that says "New Message" or a plus sign?
B: Yes, I see the plus sign.
A: Tap on that. Now you can enter the phone number or the name of the person you want to text.
B: Alright, I’ve entered the name. What next?
B: Okay, I’ve sent the message. That was easy!
B: Yes, how do I take a photo?
B: Yes, I found it.
A: Tap on it to open the camera. To take a photo, just press the big circle button at the bottom of the screen.
B: Got it. I took a photo!
A: Nice! If you want to see the photo, tap on the preview in the corner of the screen. B: Oh, there it is. Thanks! This is really helpful.
A: You’re welcome. Anytime you need help, just let me know.
B: I will. Thanks again. Have a good one! A: You too. See you later!
● No worries, I can help you with that.
● What do you need help with?
● First, [open the app/press the button/etc.].
● Do you see the icon that looks like [description]?
● Tap on that.
● Now, [action].
● Once you're done, [next action].
● Do you see it?
● Alright, what next?
● Got it? Got it.
● Do you need help with anything else?
● What else can I help you with?
● If you want to [action], [instruction].
● Thanks! This is really helpful.
● You’re welcome. Anytime you need help, just let me know.
● At the top / bottom; On the left / right; In the corner.
Challenge!
Write out and practice a new conversation teaching someone how to do other things on their smartphone. Here are some ideas:
● Changing the wallpaper.
● Using Google Maps.
● Downloading and installing new apps.
● Making and receiving phone calls.
● Managing contacts (adding, editing, and deleting contacts).
● Using social media apps (e.g., Facebook, Instagram).
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"I am writing to apply for the position of sales assistant."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"I am writing to apply for the position of sales assistant. What kind of job would you apply for?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "sales assistant" with the following job titles.
Say the sentence three times for each one.
"I am writing to apply for the position of ______. What kind of job would you apply for?"
Substitution list:
· receptionist
· graphic designer
· English teacher
· marketing manager
Use typical letter and CV expressions in the following sentences.
Say each one three times. Don't forget the question!
Practice sentences:
1. I am very interested in the ______ position.
2. I have experience working as a ______.
3. I am confident that my skills make me a strong candidate.
4. Please find my CV attached.
5. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
6. I have a degree in ______ from ______ University.
Finally, try to make your own:
· One short introduction letter sentence.
· One sentence about your skills.
· One sentence about your education.
· One sentence about your work experience.
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"In spite of the rain, we went hiking."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"In spite of the rain, we went hiking. What would you do?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "rain" and "went hiking" with the following words.
Say the sentence three times for each one.
"In spite of ______, we ______. What would you do?"
Substitution list:
· the cold / had a picnic
· being tired / finished the project
· bad traffic / arrived on time
· feeling sick / went to school
Use in spite of, despite, although, even though, and though in the following sentences.
Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
Practice sentences:
1. In spite of feeling tired, she finished the race.
2. Despite the heavy snow, they went to work.
3. Although he studied hard, he didn’t pass.
4. Even though it was expensive, he bought it.
5. Though it was late, we kept talking.
6. Despite being nervous, she gave a great speech.
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One sentence with in spite of
· One sentence with despite
· One sentence with although
· One sentence with even though
· One sentence with though
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"I stayed home because it was raining."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"I stayed home because it was raining. What would you do?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "stayed home" and "raining" with the following words.
Say the sentence three times for each one.
"I ______ because ______. What would you do?"
Substitution list:
· left early / I was tired
· called him / I needed help
· missed the bus / I woke up late
· bought a new phone / mine was broken
Use because, as, since, for in the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
Practice sentences:
1. I stayed up late because I was studying.
2. As it was cold, we stayed inside.
3. Since he was busy, he couldn’t join us.
4. I’ve known her for many years.
5. They canceled the trip because it was raining.
6. She took a jacket, as it might be cold tonight.
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One sentence with because
· One sentence with as
· One sentence with since
· One sentence with for
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"Most students enjoy English class."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"Most students enjoy English class. Do you agree?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "students" and "English class" with the following words. Say the sentence three times for each one.
"Most ______ enjoy ______. Do you agree?"
Substitution list:
· people / traveling
· kids / cartoons
· athletes / training
· workers / weekends
Use most, most of, the most, mostly, almost, almost all, nearly in the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
Practice sentences:
1. Most people like pizza.
2. Most of my friends live nearby.
3. He has the most experience in our team.
4. It's mostly sunny today.
5. Almost everyone finished the test early.
6. Almost all of the students passed the exam.
7. She nearly missed the train.
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One sentence with most
· One sentence with most of
· One sentence with the most
· One sentence with mostly
· One sentence with almost
· One sentence with almost all
· One sentence with nearly
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"This bag is heavier than that one."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"This bag is heavier than that one. Which one would you choose?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "bag" and "heavier" with the following words. Say the sentence three times for each one.
"This ______ is ______ than that one. Which one would you choose?"
Substitution list:
· road / longer
· test / easier
· movie / better
· phone / cheaper
Use comparative and superlative forms in the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
· "This ______ is ______ than that one. Which one would you choose?"
· "This is the ______ ______ I have ever seen. Do you agree?"
Practice sentences:
1. This mountain is taller than that one.
2. This pizza is tastier than the one we had yesterday.
3. This book is more interesting than the last one.
4. This is the biggest park in the city.
5. That was the worst movie I've ever watched.
6. She is the smartest student in the class.
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One sentence with a comparative adjective (e.g., bigger, smaller, more beautiful)
· One sentence with a superlative adjective (e.g., biggest, smallest, most beautiful)
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"The man who lives next door is a doctor."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"The man who lives next door is a doctor. What do you think about him?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "the man" and "lives next door" with the following ideas. Say the sentence three times for each one.
"The ______ who ______ is ______."
Substitution list:
· the teacher / teaches English
· the girl / sings well
· the boy / plays soccer
· the woman / works at the hospital
Use who, which, that, whose, and whom in the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
· "The ______ who ______ is ______."
· "The ______ which ______ is ______."
· "The ______ that ______ is ______."
· "The person whose ______ is ______ is ______."
· "The man/woman whom I met ______ is ______."
Practice sentences:
1. The cat which sleeps on the sofa is mine.
2. The car that is parked outside belongs to my boss.
3. The boy whose bike was stolen is crying.
4. The teacher whom we respect is retiring.
5. The restaurant which opened last week is very popular.
6. The woman who called you is my aunt.
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One sentence with who
· One sentence with which
· One sentence with that
· One sentence with whose
· One sentence with whom
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"Either coffee or tea is fine."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"Either coffee or tea is fine. Which do you prefer?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "coffee" and "tea" with the following words. Say the sentence three times for each one.
"Either ______ or ______ is fine. Which do you prefer?"
Substitution list:
· pizza / pasta
· morning / evening
· train / bus
· cats / dogs
Use either, neither, and both in the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
· "Either ______ or ______ is fine. Which do you prefer?"
· "Neither ______ nor ______ is good. What do you think?"
· "Both ______ and ______ are great. Do you agree?"
Practice sentences:
1. Either soccer or basketball is fun.
2. Neither the movie nor the show was interesting.
3. Both ice cream and cake are delicious.
4. Either studying or working abroad sounds exciting.
5. Neither his plan nor her idea worked.
6. Both my brother and my sister love music.
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One sentence with either...or...
· One sentence with neither...nor...
· One sentence with both...and...
Practice and change sentences into reported speech.
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"She says, 'I am tired.'"
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"She says, 'I am tired.' How do we report it?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "I am tired" with the following ideas. Say the sentence three times for each one.
(First read the direct speech, then say the reported speech.)
"______ says, '______.' → ______ says (that) ______."
Substitution list:
· He says, "I am hungry." → He says (that) he is hungry.
· She says, "I can drive." → She says (that) she can drive.
· They say, "We are ready." → They say (that) they are ready.
· He says, "I like pizza." → He says (that) he likes pizza.
Use reported speech with the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget the question!
"______ says, '______.' → ______ says (that) ______."
"How do we report it?"
Sentences to practice:
1. He says, "I am going to the store."
2. She says, "I feel sick."
3. They say, "We will visit tomorrow."
4. He says, "I have finished my homework."
5. She says, "I need help."
6. They say, "We are learning English."
Finally, try to make your own direct speech and change it into reported speech!
· Make one sentence someone says.
· Report what they said.
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentences for 20 seconds:
"The chef cooks the food." (Active)
"The food is cooked by the chef." (Passive)
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentences and the question for 20 seconds:
"The chef cooks the food. / The food is cooked by the chef. Which one sounds more formal?"
Next, Practice the sentences, changing "the chef" and "the food" with the following words. Say the sentence three times for each one, in both active and passive voice.
Active: "______ does ."
Passive: " is done by ______."
Substitution list:
· the teacher / the homework
· the artist / the painting
· the gardener / the flowers
· the mechanic / the car
Example:
· Active: "The teacher checks the homework."
· Passive: "The homework is checked by the teacher."
Use active and passive in the following sentences. Say each one three times. Don’t forget to also ask the question!
"______ does ." / " is done by ______."
"Which sounds better?"
Sentences to practice:
1. The cleaner … the rooms. / The rooms … by the cleaner.
2. The students … the project. / The project … by the students.
3. The waiter … the food. / The food … by the waiter.
4. The writer … the book. / The book … by the writer.
5. The company … the products. / The products … by the company.
6. The singer … the song. / The song … by the singer.
Finally, try to make your own active and passive sentences!
· Make one active sentence.
· Change it to passive voice.
(Ability or possibility)
① Repeat
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence for 20 seconds.
"She can swim very fast."
② Question
Repeat after your teacher:
"She can swim very fast. Can you?"
③ Substitute
Change the activity! Say each sentence three times.
"She can ______ very fast. Can you?"
④ Practice
Use “can” in these sentences. Say each three times.
"______ can _________________. Can you?"
⑤ Challenge
Make your own “can” sentences!
(Advice)
① Repeat
"You should get some rest."
② Question
"You should get some rest. Do you agree?"
③ Substitute
Change the advice!
"You should ______. Do you agree?"
④ Practice
"______ should ____________________. Do you agree?"
⑤ Challenge
Give advice using “should”!
(Possibility, 50/50)
① Repeat
"It might rain later."
② Question
"It might rain later. What do you think?"
③ Substitute
Change the event!
"It might ______ later. What do you think?"
④ Practice
"______ might ____________________. What do you think?"
⑤ Challenge
Predict something with “might”!
(Strong belief)
(Already done in your example, so we can reuse that part!)
(Hypothetical situations)
① Repeat
"I would travel the world if I had time."
② Question
"I would travel the world if I had time. What about you?"
③ Substitute
Change the dream!
"I would ______ if I had time. What about you?"
④ Practice
"______ would ___________________ if they had time. What about you?"
⑤ Challenge
Make your own "would" dreams!
(Polite suggestion, offer)
① Repeat
"Shall we go for a walk?"
② Question
"Shall we go for a walk? What do you say?"
③ Substitute
Change the activity!
"Shall we ______? What do you say?"
④ Practice
"Shall we __________________? What do you say?"
⑤ Challenge
Offer an idea with “shall”!
(Polite possibility or past ability)
① Repeat
"We could meet later."
② Question
"We could meet later. Does that work?"
③ Substitute
Change the plan!
"We could ______ later. Does that work?"
④ Practice
"______ could __________________ later. Does that work?"
⑤ Challenge
Suggest a “could” plan!
(Formal permission or possibility)
① Repeat
"May I borrow your pen?"
② Question
"May I borrow your pen? Is that okay?"
③ Substitute
Change the item!
"May I borrow your ______? Is that okay?"
④ Practice
"May I _____________________? Is that okay?"
⑤ Challenge
Ask something politely with “may”!
(Strong advice)
① Repeat
"You ought to be more careful."
② Question
"You ought to be more careful. Don’t you think?"
③ Substitute
Change the advice!
"You ought to ______. Don’t you think?"
④ Practice
"______ ought to ___________________. Don’t you think?"
⑤ Challenge
Give serious advice with “ought to”!
Final Challenge
Make your own full conversation using different modals!
Example:
Repeat your teacher reading the following sentence for 20 seconds:
"I used to play soccer every weekend."
What do you think?
Repeat your teacher reading the sentence and the question for 20 seconds:
"I used to play soccer every weekend. What did you use to do?"
Next, Practice the sentence, changing "play soccer" with the following words. Say the sentence three times for each one.
"I used to ________ every weekend. What did you use to do?"
Substitution list:
· ride my bike
· go hiking
· watch cartoons
· visit my grandparents
Now, Practice sentences using be used to and get used to. Say each one three times. Don't forget the question!
Be used to:
"I am used to _______________. What are you used to?"
Get used to:
"I am getting used to _______________. What are you getting used to?"
Use these ideas:
1. waking up early
2. eating spicy food
3. speaking English
4. living alone
5. driving in the city
6. working long hours
Finally, try to make your own sentences!
· One with used to
· One with be used to
· One with get used to
Practice the future perfect continuous tense (will have been + verb + ing) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: Will you have been working on the project for 10 hours by the time I arrive?
· B: Yes, I will have been working on it for that long by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have been working for that long. I’ll have just started.
· B: Oh, that’s a short work time! How much longer will you need?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: Will you have been working on the project for 10 hours by the time I arrive?
· B: Yes, I will have been working on it for that long by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have been working for that long. I’ll have just started.
· B: Oh, that’s a short work time! How much longer will you need?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· working on the project → studying for the exam
· for 10 hours → for 3 hours
· I’ll have just started → I’ll have finished
· How much longer will you need? → How many hours will it take?
Example sentences:
· A: Will you have been studying for the exam for 3 hours by the time I arrive?
· B: Yes, I will have been studying for that long by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have been studying for that long. I’ll have finished by then.
· B: Oh, that’s a short work time! How many hours will it take?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· Will you have been… for…?
· Yes, I will have been… by then.
· No, I won’t have been… by then.
· How much longer will it take?
· I will have been… for…
· I will have finished by…
· I will have been working on…
· How much time will you need to finish it?
Example conversation:
· A: Will you have been working on the report for 6 hours by tomorrow?
· B: Yes, I will have been working on it for that long by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have been working on it for that long. I’ll have finished it by then.
· B: How much time will you need to finish it?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
Practice the future perfect tense (will have + past participle) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: Will you have finished the project by next week?
· B: Yes, I will have finished it by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have finished it by then. I still have a lot of work to do.
· B: Oh, that’s a tight deadline! How much time do you need?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: Will you have finished the project by next week?
· B: Yes, I will have finished it by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have finished it by then. I still have a lot of work to do.
· B: Oh, that’s a tight deadline! How much time do you need?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· finished the project → completed my homework
· by next week → by tomorrow
· I still have a lot of work to do → I still have many things to organize
· How much time do you need? → How many hours do you need?
Example sentences:
· A: Will you have completed your homework by tomorrow?
· B: Yes, I will have finished it by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have finished it by then. I still have many things to organize.
· B: Oh, that’s a tight deadline! How many hours do you need?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· Will you have… by…?
· Yes, I will have… by then.
· No, I won’t have… by then.
· How much longer do you need?
· I will have… by…
· I need to… before…
· By next month, I will have…
· I’ll be done with… by then.
Example conversation:
· A: Will you have read the book by next week?
· B: Yes, I will have finished it by then. What about you?
· A: No, I won’t have finished it by then. I still have a few chapters left.
· B: How much longer do you need?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
This format helps students practice the future perfect tense in a variety of contexts, promoting better fluency and understanding of how to use it in everyday conversation.
Practice the past perfect continuous tense (had + been + verb + ing) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: Had you been studying all night?
· B: Yes, I had. I was preparing for an important exam. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I had been working late at the office.
· B: Oh, that sounds tough! How long had you been working?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: Had you been studying all night?
· B: Yes, I had. I was preparing for an important exam. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I had been working late at the office.
· B: Oh, that sounds tough! How long had you been working?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· studying all night → cleaning all day
· preparing for an important exam → training for a marathon
· working late at the office → traveling for work
· How long had you been working? → How long had you been training?
Example sentences:
· A: Had you been cleaning all day?
· B: Yes, I had. I was preparing for a party. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I had been traveling for work.
· B: Oh, that sounds tiring! How long had you been traveling?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· Had you been… all night/day?
· Yes, I had. I had been… for…
· No, I hadn’t. I had been…
· How long had you been…?
· I had been… for…
· What about you?
· That sounds exhausting!
· I had been… until…
Example conversation:
· A: Had you been working on the project all week?
· B: Yes, I had. I had been planning it for a presentation. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I had been preparing for a meeting.
· B: That sounds exhausting! How long had you been preparing?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
This format will help students practice the past perfect continuous tense in various contexts, reinforcing both its structure and usage in conversation.
Practice the past perfect tense (had + past participle) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: Had you finished your homework before the movie?
· B: Yes, I had. I finished it in the afternoon. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I finished it after the movie.
· B: Oh, that sounds like a tight schedule! What did you do after the movie?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: Had you finished your homework before the movie?
· B: Yes, I had. I finished it in the afternoon. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I finished it after the movie.
· B: Oh, that sounds like a tight schedule! What did you do after the movie?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· finished your homework → eaten lunch
· in the afternoon → in the morning
· after the movie → before dinner
· What did you do after the movie? → What did you do after lunch?
Example sentences:
· A: Had you eaten lunch before the meeting?
· B: Yes, I had. I ate it in the morning. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I ate it before dinner.
· B: Oh, that sounds like a tight schedule! What did you do after lunch?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· Had you… before…?
· Yes, I had. I had already…
· No, I hadn’t. I didn’t… until…
· What did you do after…?
· I had already…
· I hadn’t yet…
· I finished it just before…
Example conversation:
· A: Had you watched the news before you left the house?
· B: Yes, I had. I had already watched it in the morning. What about you?
· A: No, I hadn’t. I didn’t watch it until after I came back.
· B: Interesting! What did you do after you came back?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
Practice the future continuous tense (will be + verb + ing) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: What will you be doing at 8 PM?
· B: I will be watching a movie. What about you?
· A: I will be studying for my exam.
· B: That sounds hard! What will you be studying?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: What will you be doing at 8 PM?
· B: I will be watching a movie. What about you?
· A: I will be studying for my exam.
· B: That sounds hard! What will you be studying?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· watching a movie → having dinner
· studying for my exam → reading a book
· studying → cooking
Example sentences:
· A: What will you be doing at 8 PM?
· B: I will be having dinner. What about you?
· A: I will be reading a book at that time.
· B: That sounds relaxing! What book will you be reading?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· What will you be doing…?
· Will you be…?
· I will be…
· I think I will be…
· Maybe I will be…
· At that time, I will be…
· I’m not sure yet, but I will be…
Example conversation:
· A: What will you be doing tomorrow evening?
· B: I will be cooking dinner. What about you?
· A: I think I will be working on a project.
· B: That sounds interesting! What project will you be working on?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
This format will allow students to practice the future continuous tense in a variety of contexts, helping them use it naturally in everyday conversations while developing fluency.
Practice the simple future tense (will + verb) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: What will you do tomorrow?
· B: I will visit my grandmother. What about you?
· A: I will go to the cinema with my friends.
· B: That sounds fun! What movie will you watch?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: What will you do tomorrow?
· B: I will visit my grandmother. What about you?
· A: I will go to the cinema with my friends.
· B: That sounds fun! What movie will you watch?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· visit my grandmother → go shopping
· go to the cinema → stay at home
· watch → cook
Example sentences:
· A: What will you do tomorrow?
· B: I will go shopping. What about you?
· A: I will stay at home tomorrow.
· B: That sounds fun! What will you cook?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· What will you do…?
· Will you… tomorrow?
· I will…
· I think I will…
· Maybe I will…
· That sounds interesting!
· I’m not sure yet…
· I’m planning to…
Example conversation:
· A: What will you do tomorrow morning?
· B: I will go for a run. What about you?
· A: I think I will read a book.
· B: That sounds interesting! What book will you read?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
This format will allow students to practice the simple future tense in a variety of real-life contexts and conversations, helping them become more confident and fluent speakers.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: How long have you been learning English?
· B: I’ve been learning English for three years. What about you?
· A: I’ve been learning English for two years.
· B: That’s great! How do you practice?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: How long have you been learning English?
· B: I’ve been learning English for three years. What about you?
· A: I’ve been learning English for two years.
· B: That’s great! How do you practice?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· learning English → studying math
· for three years → for six months
· How do you practice? → What do you study?
Example sentences:
· A: How long have you been studying math?
· B: I’ve been studying math for six months. What about you?
· A: I’ve been studying math for two years.
· B: That’s great! What do you study?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· How long have you been…?
· I’ve been… for…
· I’ve been doing…
· I’ve been studying…
· I’ve been practicing…
· Wow, that’s impressive!
· That’s a long time!
· I started…
Example conversation:
· A: How long have you been playing the piano?
· B: I’ve been playing the piano for five years. What about you?
· A: I’ve been playing the piano for two years.
· B: Wow, that’s impressive! What pieces do you play?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: Have you ever visited Paris?
· B: Yes, I have. I went there last summer. What about you?
· A: No, I haven’t. I would love to visit someday.
· B: It’s a beautiful city!
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: Have you ever visited Paris?
· B: Yes, I have. I went there last summer. What about you?
· A: No, I haven’t. I would love to visit someday.
· B: It’s a beautiful city!
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· visited Paris → eaten sushi
· went there last summer → traveled to Japan
· would love to visit → want to try
· It’s a beautiful city! → It’s delicious!
Example sentences:
· A: Have you ever eaten sushi?
· B: Yes, I have. I tried it in Japan. What about you?
· A: No, I haven’t. I want to try it someday.
· B: It’s delicious!
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· Have you ever…?
· Have you ever tried…?
· Yes, I have. I’ve already…
· No, I haven’t yet.
· I’ve never…
· That sounds amazing!
· I would love to…
· I’ve heard that…
Example conversation:
· A: Have you ever tried bungee jumping?
· B: Yes, I have. I’ve already done it in New Zealand. What about you?
· A: No, I haven’t yet. I would love to try it!
· B: That sounds amazing!
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
· A: What were you doing yesterday at 5 PM?
· B: I was studying for a test. What about you?
· A: I was cooking dinner at that time.
· B: Oh, nice! What were you making?
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
(Teacher reads the conversation aloud, and students repeat after.)
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
· A: What were you doing yesterday at 5 PM?
· B: I was studying for a test. What about you?
· A: I was cooking dinner at that time.
· B: Oh, nice! What were you making?
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· studying for a test → watching TV
· cooking dinner → cleaning the house
· making → baking
Example sentences:
· A: What were you doing yesterday at 5 PM?
· B: I was watching TV. What about you?
· A: I was cleaning the house at that time.
· B: Oh, nice! What were you baking?
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· What were you doing?
· Yesterday at this time?
· Let me think...
· I’m not sure...
· Hmm, that's a good question!
· Were you busy?
· Maybe you were…
· I was just…
Example conversation:
· A: What were you doing yesterday at 5 PM?
· B: Hmm, let me think... I was just sitting on the couch. What about you?
· A: I was reading a book.
· B: Oh, cool! What book were you reading?
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
① Repeat
Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
A: Guess what? David bought a new laptop yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally replaced his old one.
B: Good for him! It must be much faster now.
② Shadow
Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practice
Practice the conversation, switching "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute
Substitute the underlined words and Practice the conversation:
Examples
A: Guess what? David bought a new laptop yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally replaced his old one.
B: Good for him! It must be much faster now.
A: Guess what? David got a new phone yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally replaced his old one.
B: Good for him! It must be much better now.
A: Guess what? David bought a used car yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally replaced his old one.
B: Good for him! It must drive much better now.
A: Guess what? David found a new jacket yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally replaced his old one.
B: Good for him! It must look really nice!
A: Guess what? David rented a new apartment yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally moved from his old one.
B: Good for him! It must be much bigger!
A: Guess what? David grabbed some concert tickets yesterday.
B: Really? That’s great!
A: Yeah, he finally got seats before they sold out.
B: Good for him! It must be an awesome show!
⑤ Produce Conversations
Think of new words to complete the blanks!
Use the following speaking starters:
Example:
Teaching Tip:
⑥ Challenge
Challenge yourself:
In Simple Past:
Practice the present continuous tense (am/is/are + -ing) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
A: What are you doing?
B: I’m reading a book.
A: Really? I thought you were watching TV.
B: No, I’m trying to finish this chapter.
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and Practice the conversation:
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use these support phrases so that you can THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
Practice the simple present tense (do/does) in a conversation.
① Repeat each line of the conversation 4 times.
A: Do you drink coffee in the morning?
B: Yes, I usually have a cup before work.
A: I drink tea. Coffee makes me nervous.
B: Really? I can’t start my day without it.
② Shadow your teacher reading the conversation 4 times.
③ Practice the conversation, changing "A" and "B" roles with your partner.
④ Substitute the underlined words with the following, and practice the conversation:
· drink coffee → eat breakfast
· tea → juice
· makes me nervous → gives me energy
· before work → after I wake up
⑤ Produce conversations by thinking of new words to complete the blanks. Use the following phrases to help you THINK and SPEAK at the same time:
· Do you eat ______ in the morning?
· I usually ______ after I wake up.
· ______ makes me ______.
· I can’t start my day without ______.
· Hmm, let me think…
· That’s interesting!
⑥ Challenge yourself by trying the conversation without looking at it!
Focus: Zero, First, Second, and Third Conditional
Zero Conditional 01 – Real Facts and Routines
Form: If + present simple, present simple
Use: General truths, rules, routines
Example Conversation:
A: What happens if you drink too much coffee?
B: I get really jittery and can’t sleep.
A: Same here! If I drink coffee after 5 PM, I don’t sleep at all.
Practice Questions:
What do you do if you’re late for work?
What happens if you forget your phone at home?
If it rains, what do people usually do in your city?
First Conditional 02 – Real Future Possibilities
Form: If + present simple, will + base verb
Use: Likely future actions or results
Example Conversation:
A: If it rains tomorrow, will we cancel the picnic?
B: Yeah, probably. We can reschedule for Sunday.
A: If the weather is nice, I’ll bring my guitar.
Practice Questions:
What will you do if your internet stops working?
If your friend forgets your birthday, will you be upset?
If you get a promotion, how will you celebrate?
Second Conditional 03 – Hypothetical Present/Future
Form: If + past simple, would + base verb
Use: Unreal or imaginary situations
Example Conversation:
A: If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
B: I’d quit my job and travel the world!
A: I think I’d buy a house for my parents.
Practice Questions:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
What would you do if your phone stopped working during a trip?
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Third Conditional 04 – Imaginary Past Situations
Form: If + past perfect, would have + past participle
Use: Regrets, imaginary past outcomes
Example Conversation:
A: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
B: Don’t worry. If I had remembered to remind you, maybe you would’ve done better.
A: True. At least I’ll do better next time.
Practice Questions:
If you had woken up earlier today, what would have changed?
What would you have done if you had forgotten your keys yesterday?
If you had taken a different career path, what would you be doing now?
Group Speaking Activity – “What If?” Wheel
Students take turns spinning a wheel (real or imagined) that lands on a situation (e.g., "missed the bus", "lost your job", "got a free trip", etc.) and create conditionals in all four forms. Example:
Situation: Missed the bus
Zero: If you miss the bus, you have to walk.
First: If I miss the bus, I’ll call a taxi.
Second: If I missed the bus every day, I’d change my schedule.
Third: If I had missed the bus this morning, I would have been late.
We're 15 minutes early for the meeting.
Should we wait for everyone to arrive?
Yeah, let's find a seat.
Okay, so how do you like this weather?
I don't like it at all.
Me too. It's been raining all week.
It's been raining all week?
Yes, have you been out of town?
Yes, I just got back from Hawaii last night.
I bet you missed the weather there.
I do.
1. to be (time) early: to arrive (time) before the scheduled time
We were 20 minutes early.
He was an hour early for his job interview.
2. to find a seat: to get a chair or place to sit down
Let's find a seat.
I will find a couple of seats for us at the front. Call me when you get here.
3. I bet...: I'm pretty sure that...
I bet that the stock price will go up next week.
I bet that she will be fired next week.
Hi Vincent, I'm Natalie your new client.
Nice to meet you Natalie.
Nice to meet you too Vincent. Have you taken a tour of the office yet.
No. Not yet.
Would you like me to show you around?
That would be great.
Let's start with my office.
It's at the end of the hallway.
You have a view of the mountains.
Yes, it's a relaxing view in a stressful industry.
I understand the stress part.
1. to take a tour of the office: to walk around and look at an office
Welcome to our office. Let's take a tour of the office and I can show you everything.
Mark, this is Carol's first day of work. Can you take her on a tour of the office and show her where everything is?
2. to show somebody around: to guide a person around a place and show them things of interest
My cousin is new to the city, so I will show him around this weekend.
Please show Jon around the office. He is new here.
3. to have a view of something: to be able to see something from a certain position
His office has a view of the city.
Our hotel room had a view of the ocean.
Hi, my name is Bill. You must be Karen, our newest client.
Yes, I'm Karen. Nice to meet you Bill.
Nice to meet you too. I'm the head of marketing.
I think we will be working closely together.
Yes, that's what I hear. Let me know if you have any questions.
I will. My first question is, where is the restroom?
1. You must be...: a grammar point used to draw a conclusion about a person based off of some evidence
Your flight arrived late last night. You must be tired.
You haven't eaten all day. You must be hungry.
2. to be the head of something: to be the leader of something
He is the head of marketing in our company.
She is the head of this project.
3. to work closely together: to work together on many things and with great cooperation
We worked closely together on this project.
We have worked closely together for 20 years. So, we know everything about each other.
What kind of work do you do?
I'm an architect.
That's interesting, I'm in construction.
I studied construction management in college.
We're looking for an architect for our firm.
I've been interested in working on the construction side.
Can I have your business card, here is mine.
Can I send you my resume?
Yes, that would be great. My email address is on the card.
Thank you. I look forward to meeting with you again.
1. an architect: a person who designs buildings and houses
Do you know any architects?
He was an architect, but now he is a salesman.
2. construction: the act or process of building something
It is noisy outside because there is construction going on.
Traffic is bad because they are doing road construction.
3. to be looking forward to: to be happy and excited about something in the future
I am looking forward to going to the game.
We are looking forward to working with you on this project.
Hi, my name is Diane Taylor. I am the office manager.
Hi Diane, I’m called Smith. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too. Please let me know if you have any questions.
I will. I don’t have any questions now.
Here is my business card. You can contact me by email, office phone, or cell phone.
Great. I’m sure I will have lots of questions soon.
1. Nice to meet you.: a polite sentence used when meeting a person for the first time
A) Hello. My name is Nick.
B) Hello Nick. I'm James. Nice to meet you.
A) Hello. I'm Sally.
B) Nice to meet you Sally. I'm Dan.
2. Please let me know if...: Please tell me if...
Please let me know if the schedule changes.
Please let me know if you can come.
3. Here is my business card.: a sentence used when giving a person one's business card
Here is my business card. Call me if you have any questions.
A) Here is my business card.
B) Thank you. Here is mine.
Could you pick our client up from the airport?
Sure, What time is his flight?
5 PM.
5 PM? That’s rush hour.
I know. I’m sorry about that.
Where do I drop him off?
His hotel is downtown.
Down town? I need to come back downtown during rush hour?
Yes, please. Would you also be able to take him out to dinner?
Dinner too?
Yes, you can barrow the company car.
1. rush hour: the time in the morning and evening when traffic is the worst because many people are going to work or coming home from work
I hate rush hour.
It takes 20 minutes to get there, but if you go at rush hour, then it takes 40 minutes.
2. downtown: the center or main business part of a city
I work downtown.
Our office is downtown.
3. to take someone out to dinner: to go out to dinner with a person and pay for the dinner
She took her clients out to dinner.
If you are a salesman in this industry, then you have to take your customers out to dinner regularly.
Do you have some time this afternoon?
Yes, why?
Can you pick our client up from the airport?
Sure, what time?
I need to check the email for the flight schedule.
Okay, just let me know his airline and arrival time.
1. to pick up someone from the airport: to go to the airport and get a person and then take them somewhere else
I need to pick up the client from the airport.
Can you pick me up from the airport tomorrow morning?
2. a client: a customer who uses the professional services of a business or who does business with a company
She is currently meeting a client.
Our accounting firm has over 200 clients.
3. a flight schedule: the times that an airplane will depart and arrive
My flight schedule has been changed.
What is your flight schedule?
Dan, we're excited to start working with you.
Should we set up a meeting to discuss the details of the work.
Yes, that's a good idea.
When are you free?
How about next Tuesday?
I have an all-day meeting on Tuesday.
What about Wednesday?
I'm on a business trip on Wednesday. I will be back Friday morning.
Friday works for me. Should we do a lunch meeting?
Sure, I'll put it in my calendar.
Have a good business trip, and I'll see you next Friday.
1. to set up a meeting to do something: to arrange and schedule a time and place to meet and do something
We set up a meeting to discuss the contract.
I will set up a meeting with them to talk about a possible partnership.
2. When are you free?: When do you have free time?
I need to talk to you. When are you free?
We need to discuss our marketing strategy for next quarter. When are you free?
3. to put something in one's calendar: to write something down on one's schedule in order to not forget
I will put this meeting in my calendar.
Let's put that meeting in our calendars and we will talk more next week.
Let's arrange a meeting for next week.
Sounds good. How about Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.?
That works for me. Shall we meet in my office?
How about a lunch meeting?
Even better. Let's meet at the restaurant across the street.
We can negotiate our business contract then.
1. to arrange a meeting: to set up and schedule a meeting
We arranged a meeting with them for 3 pm on Friday.
Let's arrange a meeting and we can discuss this issue at that time.
2. Sounds good.: an expression used to express that what the other person said is a good idea or plan
A) Should we meet outside at 7?
B) Sounds good.
A) Let's get some Thai food.
B) Sounds good.
3. That works for me.: an expression used to show that some plan or thing is okay
A) The meeting is 10 am. Is that okay?
B) That works for me.
A) The meeting has been rescheduled for next Tuesday afternoon. Is that okay with you?
B) That works for me.
How do you balance your work life and your personal life? I don't bring my work home.
What do you mean?
Don't do more than you can handle?
What if you have a lot of work to do?
Then I stay at the office and finish it. When I go home, I focus on home only.
I wish I was like you.
1. to bring work home: to take work from the office to do at one's home
Do you ever bring work home?
My wife is a workaholic. She brings home work every day.
2. Don't do more than you can handle.: Don't try to do more work than you can do.
A) I have so much to do this week.
B) Don't do more than you can handle.
A) I have to finalize our plan for next year, redesign our website, update our database, and make some calls to our customers.
B) That is a lot. Don't do more than you can handle. I can help you if you need it.
3. to focus on home: to not think about work and just pay attention to one's family and personal life
When I am at work, I focus on work, but when I am at home, I focus on home.
Don't think about work after you leave. Just focus on home.
I think we should change the vacation policy.
Why?
Other companies have paid vacation, we do not.
We are a small company. We can't afford paid vacations.
Paid vacations would make employees work better.
How?
Give employees good benefits and they will work harder.
You have a point but we cannot afford it.
This company is never going to grow if we don't take care of our employees.
I agree. but I don't make the rules.
1. vacation policy: a company's rules for when and how long employees can take vacation
Our company does not have a good vacation policy. We only get 10 days a year, and we can only use those days at certain times of the year.
Does your company have a good vacation policy?
2. can't afford paid vacations: a company does not have enough money to pay employees while they are not working
Our company can't afford paid vacations.
I think our company can't afford paid vacations.
3. good benefits: providing things that are good and helpful for employees besides salary
Our company has good benefits. We get 2 weeks of vacation, health insurance, and an end of the year bonus.
Does your company have good benefits?
What is the vacation policy?
You earn one week of paid vacation after you've been at the company for one year.
I've only been here for nine months but I would like to take one week off next month.
Is it a medical situation?
No, my parents live in Italy and it's their 50th wedding anniversary.
You can take one week off with your supervisors’ approval, but it will not be a paid week.
1. vacation policy: a company's rules for when and how long employees can take vacation
What is your company's vacation policy?
Our company's vacation policy is great. We get 4 weeks of vacation every year and we can choose when we take our vacation.
2. paid vacation: time off from work in which one still gets paid from one's company
Do you get paid vacation at your job?
I get 2 weeks of vacation every year, but it is not paid vacation.
3. to take (time) off: to not go to work; to take a break from work
She took 3 days off from work because she was sick.
I will take 3 months off of work and travel around Europe.
This office layout is confusing.
I agree.
Our clients have a hard time finding the exit and our offices.
I know. Bill got lost the other day looking for the restroom.
Should we redesign it?
That would be a good idea.
I don't think we have the budget for it.
That's too bad.
But we should do something soon.
I know. The layout looks like a maze.
1. an office layout: the arrangement of the furniture, desks, machines, etc. in an office
We have a great office layout. There is a lot of open space and it is easy for everyone to move around.
We have a terrible office layout. It is hard to walk around because all the desks are too close together.
2. to have the budget for something: to have enough money to buy or do something
We don't have the budget for hiring another person.
We have the budget for one more small advertising campaign.
3. a maze: a confusing network of paths or passages
My son likes to do mazes. He has a book of them and he loves finding his way from the start to the finish.
Our office layout is like a maze. It is hard to get out.
I'm meeting with an architect today.
Why? Are you remodeling your house?
No, we are going to remodel the office.
That's a good idea. The layout is not very good.
I know. Some areas are too small and some are just a waste of space.
I agree. Can I get a bigger office?
1. an architect: a person who designs buildings and houses
My daughter wants to be an architect when she grows up.
My husband is an architect.
2. to remodel something: to reconstruct something (not for the whole building; just for parts inside a building)
We remodeled our kitchen last year.
Our company is remodeling our office.
3. to be a waste of space: to take up space but not provide any benefit or have any use
This rowing machine is a waste of space. I never use it.
The statue in our office is a waste of space. It is useless. Plus, it is ugly.
Do you have time for lunch?
No, I have a lunch meeting with the boss today.
The boss? Is something wrong?
No, we’re going to discuss my raise.
Good luck!
Thanks. I’ll need it.
1. to have time for lunch: to have free time to eat lunch
Do you have time for lunch now?
We have time for lunch every day from 12 to 1.
2. a lunch meeting: a meeting that takes place while eating lunch
Lunch meetings are casual and productive.
I think that lunch meetings are great for brainstorming and planning.
3. a raise: an increase in salary or wage
I got a raise last year.
I haven't gotten a raise in 3 years.
Did Katherine have her baby?
Yes, she's on maternity leave right now.
How long will she be gone?
Three months.
That's all? That's so short.
I know. She sad about it.
Is it paid maternity leave?
Yes, that's good.
Katherine wants to take an extra month of maternity leave.
1. to have a baby: to give birth to a child
She had her baby last week.
When will she have her baby?
2. to be on paid maternity leave: to be on a break from work after having a baby, but one still continues to get one's salary from the company
Jane is on paid maternity leave right now.
Is she on paid maternity leave?
3. That's so short.: a sentence used to show that the time or duration of something is not long enough
A) We get 10 vacation days every year.
B) That's so short.
A) We get a 20-minute lunch break.
B) 20 minutes? That's so short.
Veronica when is your baby due?
Next month.
Are you going on maternity leave?
Of course.
How long will you be gone.
Three months.
1. When is your baby due?: When do you expect to give birth?
A) When is your baby due?
B) My baby is due next month.
A) When is your baby due?
B) Our baby is due in 5 weeks.
2. maternity leave: a break from work that a woman takes after giving birth
Carol will not be working for 3 months. She is on maternity leave.
After she has her baby, Karen will take maternity leave for 6 months.
I really like my work schedule.
Do you work flexible hours?
Yes, I can choose my own hours.
I wish I could work flexible hours.
Why don't you?
I can't. I'm in accounting. So I have to work regular business hours.
1. to work flexible hours: to have more freedom in choosing the hours that one works
I love my company because I can work flexible hours.
She works flexible hours. She usually comes in at 11 and goes home at 7.
1. to come into the office: to arrive at work or go to work
I usually come into the office around 9 am.
What time does he normally come into the office?
2. a flexible schedule: a schedule that can be easily changed or adjusted
This project has a flexible schedule, but we should try to finish it before the end of the year.
My manager does not like flexible schedules. He likes everything to be certain and fixed.
3. a single parent: a person who raises a child alone
It is hard to have a career and be a single parent.
She is a single parent.
I really like my work schedule.
Do you work flexible hours?
Yes, I can choose my own hours.
I wish I could work flexible hours.
Why don't you?
I can't. I'm in accounting. So I have to work regular business hours.
1. to work flexible hours: to have more freedom in choosing the hours that one works
I love my company because I can work flexible hours.
She works flexible hours. She usually comes in at 11 and goes home at 7.
2. to be in accounting: to work in the accounting department
I am in accounting.
She is in accounting.
3. to work regular business hours: to work normal hours for the country one works in (in America this usually 9 am to 5 pm or 9 am to 6 pm)
We don't work flexible hours. We work regular business hours.
Salesman usually can't work flexible hours. They have to deal with clients and customers, so they must work regular business hours.
Do we have a company dress code?
No the president of the company doesn't care how you dress.
Really? You can wear jeans and t-shirts or shorts?
Yeah, he only cares about the quality of your work.
That's great we had to wear suits to work every day at my old job.
Even on Fridays?
Yeah, our president was very conservative.
Was that uncomfortable?
Yes, wearing pantyhose every day is very uncomfortable.
I know.
1. to have a dress code: to have rules about what employees can and cannot wear to work
Our company has a strict dress code.
Our company has a dress code, but it is not strict. We can pretty much wear whatever we want.
2. to be conservative: to be more traditional or slow to change in one's views or behavior
Our company culture is a little bit conservative.
His political views are conservative.
3. pantyhose: a one-piece, skintight garment worn by women, combining panties and stockings
All the women in our office wear pantyhose to work in the winter.
She went to the store because there was a hole in her pantyhose. She wanted to buy a new pair.
Do we have a company dress code?
Yes, on Mondays through Thursdays we have to wear business attire.
What about Fridays?
On Fridays we can dress casually.
What does casual dress mean?
You can wear jeans and t-shirts but not shorts.
1. a company dress code: the rules or policy for what employees can and cannot wear to work
We have a very strict company dress code. Every employee must wear formal business attire.
Does your company have a company dress code or can you where whatever you want?
2. business attire: clothes appropriate for business
All employees must wear appropriate business attire.
The boss told him to wear business attire, but he showed up wearing jeans and a T-shirt. The boss was very angry.
3. to dress casually: to dress in a more relaxed and less formal way
We can dress casually at my company.
Salesman must dress formally at my company, but engineers can dress casually.
Are you going to the hospitality event?
Yes, I have a few clients attending.
Great, this year we're doing a raffle and gift bags.
Raffle and gift bags? Isn't that a little childish?
The raffle prize is a sports car and the gift bags are filled with jewelry.
Are you serious? Can our company afford this?
The CEO wants to keep our clients happy.
That's definitely going to keep them happy.
It'll probably attract more clients to our company too.
1. to go to a hospitality event: to attend an event held by a company to say thank you to employees or clients
I don't think I will go to the hospitality event this year.
I have to go to the hospitality event next week because all of my clients will be there.
2. a raffle: a type of lottery in which people buy chances to win and then winning tickets or numbers are randomly selected
We will have a raffle at the hospitality event. Each ticket will cost $5 and there will be many prizes that people can win.
They are having a raffle. Do you want to buy a ticket?
3. to afford something: to be able to buy something with the money one has
I can't afford a BMW, but I can afford a Kia.
I can't afford to live in this neighborhood now, but I might be able to afford it in 10 years.
I'm planning our company's hospitality event.
What are you doing this year?
We've invited a couple of professional golfers. We're going to do a celebrity golf tournament.
Wow, that's going to be a lot of fun.
I just need to hear back from the golfers.
What if no one accepts the invitation?
Then I am in big trouble.
1. a hospitality event: an event or party when companies host their employees or clients in order to say thank you and make them happy
Our company has a hospitality event every year for our biggest customers.
Are you going to the hospitality event?
2. a celebrity golf tournament: a golf tournament in which famous people also participate
Our company hosts a celebrity golf tournament as a way to raise money for charity.
Our company holds a celebrity golf tournament every year as a hospitality event for our biggest clients. The clients can eat delicious food, meet and golf with celebrities, and receive some nice gifts.
3. to accept an invitation: to agree to an offer to go somewhere or do something
We accepted an invitation to her wedding.
I accepted my manager's invitation to join him on the business trip.
Gloria is stressed out?
Why?
The new CTO is visiting our office.
So, what’s the big deal?
It is a big deal to Gloria. She’s one of the managers.
Gloria is a great boss.
She wants to make a good first impression.
She hasn’t met the new CTO yet?
No. This will be her first time meeting him.
No wonder Gloria is nervous.
1. to be stressed out: to have a lot of stress
I am stressed out these days.
She is stressed out because she has too much work.
2. CTO: Chief Technology Officer (a very senior position in any large company)
She was named the new CTO of our company.
The CTO of our company makes more than $10 million a year.
3. to be a big deal: to be very important and significant
This news is a big deal.
The news that our CEO is retiring at the end of the year is a big deal.
Have you met the company's new CEO?
No. Have you?
Yes, she's very nice.
Really. I heard she was very mean.
She asked us a lot of questions about employee happiness and concerns.
I heard if she doesn't like what you say, she will fire you.
1. CEO: Chief Executive Officer (the head of a medium or large-sized company)
He is our company's new CEO.
Who is the CEO of that company?
2. to be mean: to not be nice
My manager is mean, but he is a very good salesman.
He often says mean things to his colleagues.
3. employee happiness and concerns: how satisfied workers are and what workers are worried about
The management of our company thinks a lot about employee happiness and concerns.
Our CEO doesn't care about employee happiness and concerns.
I think the company has finally made a profit.
That's great news.
We're all getting raises and bonuses this year.
That makes me very happy.
Me too. We haven't had raises in four years.
We've never had bonuses.
That's right. If the company is doing well financially we should definitely receive some benefits.
I agree.
We work really hard.
Let's celebrate over drinks after work.
1. to make a profit: to make money from a business
Our company has made a profit every year for the last 20 years.
Did we make a profit last quarter?
2. to get a raise: to get an increase in one's salary or wage
I hope that I get a raise this year.
Did you get a raise when you got promoted?
3. to do well financially: to make or earn a lot of money
Mark and Tina are doing well financially.
Our company is doing well financially.
I think the company is in trouble.
What kind of trouble.
Financial trouble.
What makes you think that?
I overheard Lou talking about bankruptcy laws
We can't lose our jobs. I just bought a home.
1. financial trouble: trouble or difficulties with money; money problems
I heard that Jane is in financial trouble these days.
That company is in financial trouble.
2. to overhear: to hear something from a conversation that one was not involved in
I overheard our boss talking on the phone. He said that every employee is going to get a bonus this year.
I overheard two men talking in the bathroom. They were talking about stealing money from the company. Should I report it to HR?
3. bankruptcy laws: the rules that people or businesses must follow when they can no longer pay their debts
Do you know anything about bankruptcy laws?
Our lawyer knows about bankruptcy laws.
Are on the phone?
Yeah, but I’m on hold.
Do you have time for lunch?
Not right now. I’m trying to get a free upgrade on my rental car.
Are you having any luck?
The rental car agent is talking to her supervisor right now.
How are you negotiating?
I told the agent that our company does a lot of business with this rental company.
You’re right. We do.
Kyle, hold on. The agent is back on the phone.
1. to be on hold: to be waiting to talk to a person on the phone
I need to talk to someone in customer service, but I have been on hold for 45 minutes.
I hate it when I am on hold.
2. to get an upgrade: to get a better version of something
We got an upgrade at the hotel. They gave us a suite.
The rental car agency made a mistake with our reservation, so we got a free upgrade.
3. a supervisor: a manager or boss who watches and makes sure work is being done correctly
My supervisor is not nice.
Her supervisor yells at the employees. Everybody hates him.
Is anyone picking you up at the airport?
No, I'm going to rent a car.
The boss approved your rental car?
Yes, why?
He didn't approve a rental car during my business trip.
I found a great deal for a rental car.
1. to pick someone up at a place: to go to a place and get a person and then take them somewhere else
My wife picked me up at the airport.
I will pick you up at your office and we can go to dinner together.
2. to approve something: to give permission for something
My boss approved my plan.
The CEO approved my travel plans.
3. to find a great deal: to get a great price on something
We found a great deal on jackets. I bought two - one for me and one for my sister.
You can find a lot of great deals at this store.
I need to report lost luggage.
I'm very sorry that happened.
What do I need to do?
Please fill out this lost luggage form?
I have very important business papers in my suitcase.
I understand, I am very sorry.
Will you contact me as soon as you find it?
Yes, we will send it to you right away.
I'm staying in a hotel downtown.
We will contact you as soon as we locate your suitcase.
1. to report lost luggage: to tell the authorities (usually the airline) that one's luggage is missing
I reported my lost luggage to the airline and they helped me.
She reported lost luggage, but the airline couldn't find it.
2. to fill out a form: to write all of the information in the blanks on an official piece of paper
If you want to get a loan, then you have to fill out many forms.
Please fill out this form, sir.
3. to contact someone: to call, message, or email a person
I will contact my client and tell them that we need to reschedule the meeting.
Please contact me once you decide.
Is this all the luggage from this flight?
Yes.
I can’t find my luggage.
It looks like your luggage is lost.
I need my suitcase. I have a business meeting today and my suit is in it.
I’m very sorry. If we locate it, we will send it to you right away.
1. luggage: bags or suitcases that one takes while traveling
The family had a lot of luggage.
The airline lost my luggage. I am so angry.
2. to locate something: to find something
The airline said they will try to locate my luggage as soon as possible.
We are trying to locate the missing document.
3. right away: immediately
I will find it for you right away.
She said she will send it right away.
I'm not happy with my room.
May I ask what is wrong?
I asked for a room with a view. This room has no view.
I'm sorry but we do not have any more rooms available tonight.
When I made the reservation, I paid for a room with a view.
I understand. I'm very sorry but all of the rooms are occupied.
This is unacceptable.
We will discount your room rate.
Our company does a lot of business with this hotel. I will be telling my boss about this.
May we offer you a free stay next time? It will be a room with a view, I will guarantee it.
1. a room with a view: a room that has a good view of a city or ocean
I want to stay in a room with a view.
Do we have a room with a view?
2. to be occupied: to be unavailable
All of the seats are occupied. I guess we have to stand up.
All of the conference rooms are occupied.
3. to discount something: to lower the price of an item
This product is not selling well, so we will discount it.
Can you discount this shirt for me?
This is the front desk, how can I help?
This is Janet Lee from room 112.
Hello miss Lee, how can I help you?
I paid for a room with an attached office but this hotel room has no office.
I'm sorry about that. I will change your room right away.
Great, I'm on a business trip so an office is important to me.
1. the front desk: the place in the main lobby of a hotel to help guests check in, checkout and with other services
I will call the front desk and ask them.
Wait here, I will go to the front desk and check us in.
2. How can I help you?: a common question used to offer help and service after a customer or guest enters a place of business
A) Hello sir. How can I help you?
B) Hello. My name is Michael and I have a reservation.
A) Hello. How can I help you?
B) Yes, I am looking for a new TV.
A) Our TVs are this way. I will take you there.
3. an attached office: an office that is connected to another room
This hotel room has an attached office.
My boss is a workaholic. Even his bedroom at home has an attached office.
Hi Vicky, this is Isabel. I’m the company’s travel coordinator.
Hi Isabel, is there a problem?
No, I see that you take quite a few business trips a month.
Yes, I do.
I noticed that you are not signed for frequent flier miles.
No, I haven’t signed up yet.
Please sign up for your next trip. You can earn miles ad get a free anywhere in the country.
I didn’t know that.
It’s easy to sign up. You can do it online.
I will have to do that today since I have another business trip at the end of the week.
1. a travel coordinator: a person who makes travel plans for workers at a company
We travel a lot on business, so our company has a travel coordinator.
The travel coordinator has a stressful job at our company.
2. to not be signed up for frequent flier miles: to not be a member of an airline's reward program
I am not signed up for frequent flier miles because I don't travel a lot.
She travels a lot, but she is not signed up for frequent flier miles.
3. at the end of the week: Thursday or Friday
We have a meeting at the end of the week.
We get paid at the end of the week.
Lucy, where is Todd?
He's in the conference room. He's been waiting for you.
Could you tell him my flight has been delayed.
He's not going to be happy. He's been waiting for an hour.
My flight isn't leaving for another hour.
Ok, let him know.
Tell him I need to reschedule the meeting.
I don't think I can tell him now.
Why?
He's not there, I think he left.
I'll call him on his cell phone.
1. a conference room: a room where workers can meet and work together
Our company has many conference rooms that employees can use.
We can use this conference room.
2. to reschedule a meeting: to change the time or date of a meeting
Can we reschedule our meeting for 4 pm today instead of 3 pm?
She rescheduled our meeting again. That is the third time this week.
Hey, Todd. This is Rob. My flight has been delayed. I won't be there on time. I guess I'll have to do the presentation alone?
Are you prepared to do that?
I have no choice.
Can we postpone the meeting?
No, the clients are catching a flight right after the meeting.
1. I need to change my flight departure.: I need to change the time of my first flight.
My schedule has changed. I need to change my flight departure.
I have a meeting at that time, so I need to change my flight departure.
2. to prefer: to like more than something else
I prefer to take the train than fly.
I prefer coffee to tea.
3. the return flight: the flight that takes one home after a trip
My return flight was delayed.
What time is your return flight?
1. to be somewhere on time: to arrive at or before the scheduled time
I'm stuck in traffic, so I won't be there on time.
I will be there on time. Don't worry.
2. to have no choice: to have no other options about what to do
We need to file for bankruptcy. We have no choice.
My wife got a good job in New York, so I have to move with her. I have no choice.
3. to catch a flight: to get on a flight
I have to catch a flight at 9 am tomorrow.
Are you late? Will you be able to catch your flight?
I need to change my flight departure.
When do you need to go?
I need to leave tomorrow morning.
Can it be a non-direct flight.
I would prefer a direct flight.
There is one direct flight leaving tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. it's $100 more expensive.
I'll take it.
When will you be returning?
Don't change the return flight.
Ok.
I need to make an emergency trip to our headquarters tonight.
There are no direct flights tonight. There are only non-direct flights.
How many layovers?
There is one layover in San Francisco for an hour.
That's fine. Can you book that flight please?
Do you need a ride to the airport?
No, I will park my car at the airport.
1. headquarters: the main office of a large corporation
Our company headquarters is located in Seattle.
I don't know where their headquarters are located.
2. a direct flight: a flight that goes directly to its destination without making any stops
Direct flights are the best because they are the shortest.
I like direct flights because I don't like changing planes.
3. a layover: a period of time when one gets off one plane, but has to wait in the airport before one's next flight leaves
I was going from Seoul to LA, but I had a 4-hour layover in Tokyo.
On my flight from London to Sydney, there was a 5-hour layover in Dubai.
When is your business trip?
Tomorrow.
Who are you meeting with tomorrow?
One of the managers Kevin Johnson.
have you met him?
Yes, he's a nice guy but he's very disorganized.
That's good to know.
Any advice?
Be flexible because he changes his mind often.
That can be annoying.
Yes, it can but have a good attitude about it.
Why?
because he's the CEOs son.
1. to be disorganized: to be messy and unorganized
Her desk is a disaster. She is very disorganized.
He can never find anything. He is disorganized.
2. to be flexible: to be able to change or adjust
My schedule is not flexible. It is not easy for me to change it.
My boss is flexible. He doesn't mind changing our plan or schedule a little bit.
3. to change one's mind: to decide to do something else
I was going to order a salad, but then I changed my mind and I got a hamburger.
She was going to invest in real estate, but then she changed her mind. She ended up investing in oil futures.
What are you going to do on your business trip?
I'm not sure.
What's the schedule?
I don't know. Our clients haven't sent me anything yet.
You're having a good attitude about it.
I know. I'm trying to be flexible.
Vocabulary
1. What's the schedule?: What do you we need to do?
A) What's the schedule today? B) We have meetings at 11, 2, and 4.
A) What's the schedule this week?
B) We are working with our partner company to develop a sales strategy all week. I will send you a detailed schedule.
2. clients: a customer who uses the professional services of a business or who does business with a company
The lawyer has over 20 clients right now.
Our company has clients all over the world.
3. to have a good attitude: to be positive
Everybody likes to work with her because she has a good attitude.
Even if he fails, he doesn't get angry. He just tries again. He has a good attitude.
Are you ready for the business trip?
Yeah, I'm a little nervous.
Is this your first business trip?
No, I just don't know any of these people. Do you have any advice for me?
Just socialize. Get to know them. Go out for drinks one night.
Actually, two of our clients are taking me out for drinks the first night.
Well, that's good. Don't stress about it so much.
I want to make a good first impression.
Then don't get drunk.
What if I get nervous and drink too much.
Then you'll have more things to worry about
Vocabulary
1. to socialize: to talk and interact with other people (usually at an event)
It is important to socialize in business.
I have to go to this business event and socialize with some of our customers.
2. to get to know someone: to become friendly with someone and to learn about them
I met our new customer. We had coffee and got to know each other.
We took the new employee out to dinner to get to know him.
3. to go out for drinks: to go to a restaurant or bar and drink alcohol
We usually go out for drinks after work on Thursday.
Do you want to go out for drinks after work today?
What are you reading?
A book about traveling etiquette in foreign countries?
Why?
I'm going on a business trip next week.
Where are you going?
To one of our offices in Saudi Arabia.
That should be interesting.
Have you been there?
No, I'm scheduled to go next month. I'm reading about proper
etiquette while I'm there.
Give me some tips after you return from your trip.
Vocabulary
1. etiquette: manners and social rules
Etiquette can change depending on what country you are in.
What etiquette should I know before I travel there?
2. proper etiquette: following the manners and social rules of a particular place
I don't know proper etiquette when dining in China, so I just watch other people and do what they are doing.
Proper etiquette is important when doing business abroad.
3. to give tips: to give pieces of advice
She gave me tips on how to be a better manager.
My boss gave some tips about how to sell.
Wow, Colleen you look great!
Thanks. I'm going on a business trip today.
Where are you going?
San Francisco, our corporate headquarters.
Meeting any important people?
Yeah, all of the top management.
Well, you're definitely dressed to impress
Vocabulary
1. corporate headquarters: the main office of a large corporation
Our corporate headquarters is located in New York.
Their corporate headquarters is located in London.
2. top management: senior positions in a company
The top management makes all decisions in our company.
The workers did not get a bonus, but the top management got big bonuses.
3. to be dressed to impress: to be dressed well; to be wearing nice clothes
He is dressed to impress.
I have a job interview today, so I need to be dress to impress.
I'm nervous about this trip.
Why?
I'm meeting with the CFO.
Wow, that would make me nervous too.
What should I pack?
Well, you should definitely bring your laptop and tablet.
I know, what else?
Bring a nice suit.
I don't own a suit.
Well, you better go shopping then.
Vocabulary
1. CFO: Chief Financial Officer (a very senior position in any large company)
He just got promoted to CFO.
The company's CFO was on the news talking about the company's plans for next year.
2. to make someone nervous: to cause a person to worry
The market is making the CEO nervous.
My son makes me nervous when he climbs trees. I am afraid that he will fall.
3. You better...: a grammar point used to give advice (stronger than "You should")
You better study hard for your test.
You better save some money for retirement.
I have a problem with my online order.
What is the problem?
I ordered red roses for my wife but she received daisies
I'm sorry to hear that.
It is our anniversary and roses are her favorite flowers.
I will have red roses delivered to her as soon as possible.
What should I do with the daisies?
Please, keep them since we made the error.
That's very nice of you.
I hope your wife enjoys both flower bouquets.
Vocabulary
1. an anniversary: a celebration on the same day that some important event happened in the past
It is our 10th wedding anniversary.
Today is the 2nd anniversary of the day we met for the first time.
2. an error: a mistake
The boss doesn't like him because he makes many errors.
Is this number right? It looks too big. I think it is an error.
3. flower bouquet: a bunch of flowers arranged in a pretty way
Women love to get a flower bouquet.
I will get my wife a flower bouquet because she is angry at me.
I hove a problem with my online order.
What is the problem?
I ordered a black jacket, but I received a white one.
I’m sorry to hear that. We can exchange the jacket for you.
How do I return the wrong one?
You can return by mail or return it to one of our stores.
Vocabulary
1. to exchange something: to take a product back to the store and get a different thing instead
The shirt was too small, so I exchanged it for a bigger one.
This TV has some problems. So, I will take it back to the store and exchange it for a new one.
2. I'm sorry to hear that.: a sentence used after hearing bad or unfortunate news
A) I broke my arm playing soccer last week.
B) I'm sorry to hear that.
A) His business went bankrupt last month.
B) I'm sorry to hear that.
3. to return something: to take a product back to the store and get one's money back
I don't like this shirt, so I will return it to the store.
If you don't like my present, you can return it.
I would like to make a haircut appointment with Anne.
Anne does not work here anymore.
When did Anne leave?
She was a great hair stylist. she moved out of the state last month.
Is there anyone else you recommend?
Jane is a great stylist.
Ok, I will try her.
She has an opening tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
I will take it.
You will love Jane.
Vocabulary
1. a hair stylist: a person who styles and cuts hair as a job
My sister is a hair stylist.
Your hair always looks so good. You should be a hair stylist.
2. to have an opening: to have an available time for an appointment (usually used by doctors, hair stylists, dentists, etc.)
The doctor has an opening at 1pm. Would that be okay?
My hair stylist doesn't have an opening on Wednesday, so I will go on Thursday.
3. to take something: to buy or order something; to bring something with you; to accept something;
A) The doctor has an opening at 3.
B) I will take it.
A) This shirt costs $50.
B) I will take it.
I would like to make a haircut appointment.
Our next available appointment is today at 3:00 p.m.
I do not get off work until 5:00 p.m.
How about tomorrow at 5:30 p.m ?
That’s perfect.
Great. I will send you a reminder tomorrow morning.
Vocabulary
1. to get off work: to finish and leave the office or work
What time do you get off work?
I get off work around 7 pm.
2. That's perfect.: a short sentence used to say that a thing, idea, plan, etc. is ideal or very good
A) How about ordering pizza for the party?
B) That's perfect.
A) I got Jane this shirt for her birthday. Do you think that she will like it?
B) That's perfect. She will love it.
3. to send somebody a reminder: to send a short message to a person so they do not forget something
I will send her a reminder, so she doesn't forget the meeting.
The dentist always sends me a reminder before my appointment.
I need to see dr. Johnson right away
What is wrong?
I think I broke my arm.
Can you move it?
No. It hurts if I try to move it.
You need to go to the emergency room.
The emergency room is too expensive. I do not have medical insurance.
Do you have someone who can bring you here?
Yes. My friend is going to drive.
Ok, dr. Johnson will take a look at your arm. Please come as soon as possible.
Vocabulary
1. emergency room: the part of the hospital where the people who need urgent and immediate care go
My son was really sick, and we had to go to the emergency room.
Have you ever been to the emergency room?
2. medical insurance: insurance that covers medical expenses
Do you have medical insurance?
If you don't have medical insurance then going to the hospital is very expensive.
3. to bring somebody to a place: to come together with another person to a place
I will bring my brother to the party.
She will bring her new boyfriend to her friend's wedding.
I would like to make an appointment to see Dr. Smith.
What do you need to see the doctor for?
I just need an annual checkup.
Ok, the doctor’s next available appointment is next Monday at 10:00 a.m.
That’s perfect. Do I need to bring anything with me?
Please bring your insurance card and a photo ID.
Vocabulary
1. to make an appointment: to schedule a time to see someone
I will make an appointment to get a haircut tomorrow.
Did you make an appointment to see the doctor?
2. an annual check-up: a health check-up that one receives one time every year
I have an annual check-up tomorrow.
Do you get an annual check-up?
3. an insurance card: a card that has all of one's insurance information on it
Can I see your insurance card?
I lost my insurance card. I need to get a new one.
I have an emergency I spilled coffee on my dress and I need it dry-cleaned as
soon as possible.
When do you need it?
Tonight.
That's very short notice. We have a lot of customers this week.
It is my wedding anniversary and I would really like to wear this dress.
Wow, that is a big stain.
I am desperate. I will pay extra.
You have been a good customer for many years. I will do it for no extra charge.
Thank you so much. I will tell all of my friends about this place.
Thank you too. It will be ready by 4:00 p.m.
Vocabulary
1. short notice: without much warning or notification
I'm sorry to tell you on such short notice, but you need to work this weekend.
He made me give a presentation on short notice. I only had one day to prepare.
2. to be desperate: to really and urgently want or need something
I am desperate to find a new job.
Our boss is desperate to increase sales. He will try anything.
3. to do something for no extra charge: to provide an additional service for no additional money
If you buy this car, then I will install a satellite radio for no extra charge.
If you purchase a phone, then we will give 3 months of unlimited data for no extra charge.
Do you think you can get this stain out?
I think I should take it to the dry cleaners.
That is my favorite shirt.
You should be more careful with it.
I know. Do you think the dry cleaners can get it out?
I don't know. Let's ask them.
Vocabulary
1. a stain: a spot caused by dropping or getting a thing on something else
I have a chocolate stain on my shirt.
I spilled spaghetti sauce on my pants and now there is a big stain.
2. get a stain out: to remove a spot from something
Can you get this stain out of my shirt?
How do you get a mustard stain out?
3. dry cleaners: a business that dry-cleans clothes and garments
I need to pick up my shirts from the dry cleaners.
Do you take your clothes to the dry cleaners?
Can I help you?
I ordered a table a few weeks ago, but it still has not arrived.
Do you have the order number or your receipt?
No, unfortunately, I lost them both.
I see, I can try to look it up with your address or phone number.
Here is my address and phone number.
I found your item. It was delivered to a different address.
So, what will you do about it?
I’m verry sorry for the error. We will send a replacement table to your correct address as soon as possible.
Thank you for your wonderful customer service.
Vocabulary
1. a receipt: a piece of paper or record that has a summary what one bought
If you want to return a product to the store, then you need to have a receipt.
Do you need a receipt?
2. to look something up: to find information in a book or online
I will look the meaning of this word up in the dictionary.
Can you look up the address online?
3. an error: a mistake
My boss was angry because my report had many errors.
I think this is an error. Please check and see if this is correct.
May I speak with the store manager please?
I am the store manager. How can I help you?
One of your sales clerks was very rude to me.
I'm very sorry to hear that. Could you please tell me which clerk?
His name is Bob. He works in the mornings.
I will talk to Bob as soon as possible.
Vocabulary
1. May I speak with...?: a common question used on the phone to ask to talk with a certain person
A) May I speak with James please?
B) One moment please.
A) May I speak with Karen?
B) She is out of the office at the moment. Please call back later.
2. I'm sorry to hear that.: a sentence used after hearing bad or unfortunate news
A) My grandmother is very sick these days.
B) I'm sorry to hear that.
A) I didn't get the job.
B) I'm sorry to hear that.
3. as soon as possible: quickly; fast
Please give me your answer as soon as possible.
We need to finish this report as soon as possible.
Your English is so good now.
I bought an ESL teaching CD and I visit ESL websites.
Are they helpful?
They are very helpful.
You learned very fast.
I practice every day.
I want to become a u.s. citizen.
You should have no problem passing the test.
I want to take the test next year.
I can help if you need help.
That would be wonderful. You are a great friend.
Vocabulary
1. to be helpful: to be a thing or person that gives assistance or aid
Everybody at the hotel was very helpful.
Thank you so much for helping me. You were very helpful.
2. to have no problem doing something: to be able to do something easily or without much annoyance or inconvenience
I have no problem staying late to help you.
We have no problem giving you a 25% discount if you order 100 units.
3. That would be wonderful.: a sentence used to say that a possible thing in the future would be very good
A) Let's go to the beach sometimes.
B) That would be wonderful.
A) I might be able to get you job at my company.
B) That would be wonderful.
Khaled, your English is so good now.
I've been going to ESL classes at night.
I am very impressed.
Thank you. I have a question to ask you.
Please, ask me.
Would you like to go on a date?
Vocabulary
1. to go to a class: to attend a class
What time do you need to go to class?
They always go to English class together.
2. to be impressed: to feel in awe or surprised by how good something or someone is
I was impressed with his performance.
He is impressed with our company.
3. I have a question to ask you.: a sentence used before asking a question
I have a question to ask you. What do you think of this?
I have a question to ask you. Do you think I should ask our boss for more money?
You stole my project idea.
I did not. That is my idea.
I came up with that idea during our meeting yesterday.
I don’t remember that.
You’re a liar. You said it was a great idea.
It’s too late. I already presented the idea to the manager.
I am going to tell her that you stole my idea.
You don’t have any proof.
Yes, I do. I recorded our meeting.
You’re very sneaky.
Vocabulary
1. to come up with an idea: to create or think of an idea
She came up with a great idea to increase sales.
We need to come up with a new idea.
2. to present an idea to somebody: to submit or tell an idea to a person
I will present my idea to my boss tomorrow.
We all need to present 3 ideas to the CEO at the meeting next week.
3. to be sneaky: being able to do things without other people knowing
When did you come in? You are so sneaky.
How did he leave without me seeing? He is sneaky.
You stole money from her purse.
No, I did not.
I saw you do it.
Are you calling me a liar?
Yes, you’re lying about stealing.
You have no proof.
Vocabulary
1. to steal something: to take something that belongs to another person without permission
Somebody stole my phone.
He was fired because he stole money from the company.
2. a liar: a person who lies (usually often)
Don't trust him. He is a liar.
She is a liar. Don't believe what she says.
3. proof: evidence
Do you have proof that he stole your phone?
We have no proof that aliens are real.
I think I want the blue car instead.
I thought we agreed to buy the red one.
I like the blue one better.
You always change your mind.
This is an expensive purchase.
What if you change your mind again after we buy it?
I promise I won't change my mind.
Ok, let's buy the blue one.
Are you sure? What is wrong with the red one?
Nothing, you said you wanted blue.
Vocabulary
1. to change one's mind: to decide to do something different than what one originally decided to do
A) I thought you were going to travel this weekend. Why are you here?
B) I changed my mind. I decided to stay here this weekend.
A) Why didn't you buy the jacket?
B) I changed my mind. Now, I think that I don't need a new jacket.
2. an expensive purchase: something that cost a lot of money to buy
That is an expensive purchase.
A new car is an expensive purchase.
3. What is wrong with...?: a question used to ask about the problem with something or someone
A) What's wrong with Kelly? Why is she crying?
B) Her dog died this morning.
A) What's wrong with your car?
B) I don't know. It is in the car shop now. I'll find out later.
Are you ready to go?
I don't feel like going out tonight.
You always change your mind at the last minute.
I'm sorry I'm just really tired today.
But I already bought the concert tickets.
Can you call one of your friends?
Vocabulary
1. to not feel like doing something: to not want to do something
I don't feel like working today.
She doesn't feel like going to the park today. She wants to stay home.
2. to change one's mind: to decide to do something different than what one originally decided to do
I was going to visit Japan, but then I changed my mind. Now, I am going to visit China.
I was going to buy the blue car, but I changed my mind and I got the red car.
3. at the last minute: right before a deadline or due date
He always waits to the last minute to do this work.
We finished at the last minute.
Why is this elevator so slow?
How long have been waiting?
10 minutes.
This is a very old building.
I don’t have time to wait. I’m going to take the stairs.
We’re on the 18th floor.
I don’t care. I’m going to be late for work.
I’ll come with you.
Ok, but you’re wearing high heels.
Oh, wait for the elevator.
Good luck.
Vocabulary
1. to take the stairs: to go up or down by using the stairs
The elevator is broken, so we need to take the stairs.
I take the stairs because it is good exercise.
2. I'll come with you.: a sentence used to show that you will go together with another person.
A) I'm going to get some food.
B) I'm hungry, too. I'll come with you.
A) I'm going to take a walk.
B) I need a break. I'll come with you.
3. high heels: shoes with high heels that are worn by women
High heels are very uncomfortable.
High heels are very fashionable.
I have been waiting for this elevator for a long time.
What’s wrong with it?
It is so slow.
Maybe it’s now working.
I can hear it stopping on other floors.
Be patient. It is a very old building.
Vocabulary
1. What's wrong with...?: a question used to ask about the problem with something
A) What's wrong with it?
B) I don't know.
A) What's wrong with the dog?
B) It ate some cookies, so it is sick now.
2. to not be working: to be broken or not functioning properly
The TV is not working.
It is so hot in here. I want to turn on the fan, but it is not working. I need to fix it.
3. to be patient: to wait calmly
She is not patient.
Just be patient. It will come soon.
Why are you always late?
I’m sorry.
You’re always sorry.
What can I say?
What is your excuse this time?
I didn’t hear my alarm clock.
We’re meeting for a lunch not breakfast.
I went to sleep very late.
Were you studying for a test?
No, I was at a party last night.
You have a terrible excuses for being late.
Vocabulary
1. What can I say?: a question used when one does not know how to respond to something or someone
A) You are late every day! Why?
B) I don't know. What can I say?
A) You are amazing! How did you finish all of this by yourself?
B) What can I say?
2. to go to sleep late: to go to bed at a late time
I am tired because I went to sleep late last night.
Why do you always go to sleep late?
3. a terrible excuse: a bad reason or explanation for a mistake or fault
A) I am late because I didn't wake up on time.
B) That is a terrible excuse.
A) She didn't finish because she didn't know it was due today.
B) That is a terrible excuse. It is her job!
Why are you late again?
I’m sorry, there was a lot of traffic.
That’s always your excuse.
I know. I left too late.
Then you should leave earlier.
I will try next time.
Vocabulary
1. There was a lot of traffic: a common sentence used to show that there were many cars on the way to someplace
I am sorry that I am late. There was a lot of traffic.
It took us a long time to get there because there was a lot of traffic.
2. an excuse: a reason or explanation why something bad happened
She is always late, and she always has an excuse.
He gave me an excuse for why he didn't finish his homework. He told me his dog was sad, so he had to play with this dog. What a ridiculous excuse!
Are you ready for the English test tomorrow?
No, I'm going to fail it.
Didn't you study and take notes?
My notes will not help me.
Why?
The teacher speaks too fast? I couldn't write anything down.
Why didn't you ask her to speak slowly?
I was too embarrassed to tell her I didn't understand.
I'll help you study. I have a lot of notes.
Vocabulary
1. to be ready for something: to be prepared for some thing or some event
We are ready for the storm.
He is ready for his presentation tomorrow.
2. to take notes: to write down the important things during a meeting, class, lecture, etc.
She takes a lot of notes during class.
Did you take notes during the meeting?
3. to write something down: to write something on paper
Write this down so you don't forget.
I always write down my ideas so I don't forget.
I'm failing my English class.
Why?
I don't understand what is going on?
Did you talk to your teacher about it?
She's the problem.
What's the problem?
She speaks too fast I don't understand what she's saying.
Vocabulary
1. to fail a class: to not pass a class; to do very poorly in a class and not get credit for taking it
Have you ever failed a class?
I failed my Spanish class when I was in middle school.
2. I don't understand what is going on.: I don't know what is happening.
Why is everyone angry at me? I don't understand what is going on.
Why are they throwing food at each other? I don't understand what is going on.
3. What's the problem?: a question used to ask what is wrong
A) What's the problem?
B) My computer won't turn on.
A) What's the problem?
B) Many customers are complaining about our product.
I can't believe people like this show.
Stop complaining, it's not that bad.
Is there anything else to watch?
I like this show. Give it a chance, there is just too much singing.
It's a musical, they're supposed to be singing.
How can you watch this?
I like musicals.
Are you going to continue complaining?
No, I'll stop. But I get to choose the show next time.
Ok, that's a deal. Now, stop complaining.
Vocabulary
1. I can't believe that...: a sentence pattern used to show great surprise
I can't believe that she got fired.
I can't believe that I won the lottery!
2. There is supposed to be...: a sentence pattern used to show that something is expected or assumed to be in a place, but this is not known for sure
There is supposed to be a lot of food at the party, but I am not sure if there really will be.
There is supposed to be a band here, but I don't see one.
3. That's a deal.: a sentence used to end a negotiation and agree to a deal
A) I'll give you $20 for it.
B) That's a deal.
A) I will trade you my sandwich for your cookie.
B) That's a deal.
This hotel is so old.
It’s not that bad.
What do you mean? This place is awful.
I have seen worse hotels. Stop complaining.
There is a bug in my bed.
Ok. This place is pretty bad.
Vocabulary
1. to be awful: to be very bad
This food is awful.
That movie was awful.
2. to complain: to say negative and bad things about a person, thing, or situation
A) It is so hot here. And the food is terrible. And the service is awful.
B) You complain a lot.
Bill always complains about his job.
3. a bug: an insect
I don't like picnics because there are many bugs.
There is a bug in here! Get it out!
I’m sick and tired of noisy neighbor upstairs.
His music is so loud.
Let’s talk to the apartment manager again.
His not going to do anything.
Then we should move.
But the rent is cheap here.
Well, we have to choose between cheap rent or a quiet apartment.
That’s a tough choice.
No, it’s not. We can find another cheap place.
What if we find another place with a noisy neighbor.
Vocabulary
1. to be sick and tired of doing something: to be bored or annoyed of something that one has been doing for a long time
I am sick and tired of working with her. I really don't like her.
She is sick and tired of dealing with customers. She wants a job that doesn't involve working with customers.
2. the rent: the money one pays every month to live or use a place
The rent is high, but the apartment is in a great location.
Did you pay the rent for this month?
3. a tough choice: a difficult decision
A) Should we go to Thailand or Vietnam for our vacation?
B) That is a tough choice.
A) Do you want to have pizza or steak for dinner?
B) That's a tough choice.
I’m sick and tired of fixing the dishwasher.
May be, it’s time to buy a new one.
Can we afford to buy a new one?
It cost more money to fix every month.
You’re right.
Let’s go shopping for a new dishwasher today.
Vocabulary
1. to be sick and tired of doing something: to be bored or annoyed of something that one has been doing for a long time
I am sick and tired of this job. I need to find a new job.
I have only eaten salad for the last 10 days because of my diet. I am sick and tired of eating salad. I want a hamburger.
2. Can a person afford...?: a question used to ask if there is enough money to do something
Can you afford to buy a new car?
Can you afford to buy that expensive jacket?
3. It costs...: a sentence pattern used to tell the price of something
It costs 10 dollars.
It costs $50.
I can't understand why everyone is so mad at John!
He was rude to Tom.
I don't think he was rude.
He said mean things to Tom.
Tom asked John a question.
John didn't have to be so honest.
John was just telling the truth.
Sometimes the truth is painful.
Then you shouldn't ask questions.
I can't understand why you're on John's side.
Vocabulary
1. I can't understand why...: a sentence pattern used when angry or surprised at something or someone
I can't understand why you like this TV show. It is so boring.
I can't understand why we have to wear suits to work. We don't meet customers, so it is not necessary.
2. to be rude: to behave in an inappropriate way; to not be polite
He is rude.
It is rude to stand very close to people in my country.
3. to be mean: to be not nice
She always yells at everyone. She is mean.
He called me fat. He is so mean.
I can't understand why everyone wants to see this movie.
It's really funny.
It's not funny at all.
Have you seen it?
Yes. It was boring.
You don't have a sense of humor.
Vocabulary
1. I can't understand why...: a sentence pattern used when angry or surprised at something or someone
I can't understand why people spit on the street. It is so dirty.
I can't understand why my boss makes us work late every day. It is unnecessary.
2. at all: a phrase used to emphasize a negative sentence
I haven't eaten at all today.
He doesn't help us at all. He is useless.
3. to not have a sense of humor: to not laugh a lot and to not understand jokes and why things are funny
He is too serious. He doesn't have a sense of humor.
Mary is not fun. She doesn't have a sense of humor at all.
Did you see Jan’s face?
Yes, she looked very surprised.
She is faking it.
What do you mean?
She knew about the surprise party.
How do you know?
Betty accidently told her about it.
Are you sure? She looked really surprised to me.
She is a great actress.
I guess you can’t believe everything you see.
Vocabulary
1. to fake it: to pretend
I hate my job, but I fake it when I am work.
If you don't like your boss, you shouldn't show it. You should just fake it.
2. accidentally: not on purpose; by mistake
He accidentally dropped his phone in the toilet.
She accidentally hit me.
3. to be a great actress: a woman who is very good at acting
She is a great actress.
Mary doesn't like them. She is just pretending. She is a great actress.
Did you see that?
Yes, it was an amazing magic trick.
It looked so real.
It did, but it was just magic.
Are you sure?
Yes, don't believe everything you see.
Vocabulary
1. to be amazing: causing great surprise or sudden wonder; to be very good
The show was amazing.
This moving is amazing.
2. Don't believe everything you...: a famous saying used to tell people to not believe or trust everything
A) This story says chocolate helps you lose weight.
B) Don't believe everything you read.
A) He says that his new girlfriend is a supermodel.
B) Don't believe everything you hear.
Let's sell the house.
Why? I love this house.
It's too much work to take care of.
We raised four kids in this house.
They're all grown up now.
There would be no memories in a new house.
We would make new memories.
I really don't want to move Carl.
Okay, I understand. You talked me out of it.
Vocabulary
1. to raise kids: to take care of and help promote the growth of children
We raised four healthy kids. We should be proud.
It is not easy to raise kids.
2. to be grown up: to be an adult and fully developed physically
My children are all grown up.
My son is grown up and married.
3. to talk someone out of something: to persuade a person not to do something
My wife talked me out of buying a motorcycle.
Mark talked Kathy out of quitting her job.
I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle.
Are you crazy? Motorcycles are dangerous.
I'll be careful.
I really wish you would not get one.
Why? What's the problem?
I would be worried all the time.
Okay, I won't get one. I'll find something else to do.
Vocabulary
1. to be thinking about doing something: to be considering doing something
I am thinking about moving to Europe.
She is thinking about quitting her job.
2. Are you crazy?: a common question used when one thinks that another person's actions or words are strange, ridiculous, or not a good idea
A) I'm going to quit my job and become a yoga teacher.
B) Are you crazy? You hate exercise.
A) I think that our team can win the championship.
B) Are you crazy? We are the worst team in the league.
3. What's the problem?: a question asked to find out what is wrong
A) What's the problem?
B) The printer is out of ink.
A) What's the problem?
B) We don't know yet. We are trying to find out.
You need a new look.
What's wrong with my luck?
You should cut your hair. It's old-fashioned.
I like my long hair.
Try something new.
I'm afraid too.
It's just hair. It will grow back.
Maybe I will. It's hard to maintain this long hair.
Let's go to the salon now.
Okay, you talked me into it.
Vocabulary
1. a new look: a new style
I like your new look.
I think I need a new look.
2. to be old-fashioned: a style, method, or thing that is no longer cool, in fashion, or widely used
Our logo is kind of old-fashioned. I think we need to design a new logo.
He likes to wear old-fashioned clothes.
3. to be hard to maintain something: to not be easy to keep in good condition
It is hard to maintain a clean house when you have 3 small children.
It is hard to maintain this kind of car.
let's go to the party.
I don't feel like it.
Why? it's Friday night.
I want to watch movies in my pajamas.
Come on Brad is going to be there.
Ok, I'll go for an hour.
Vocabulary
1. to not feel like doing something: to not want to do something
I don't feel like eating Italian food. I feel like eating Indian food.
She said that she doesn't feel like attending the party. She just wants to stay in tonight.
2. pajamas: night clothes usually made of cotton or silk that consist of loose pants and a shirt that are worn to sleep
Do you wear pajamas?
My wife has more than 5 different pairs of pajamas.
3. Come on.: an expression used to urge or push somebody to do something
A) I don't want to go to the party.
B) Come on. It will be fun.
A) I don't want to exercise.
B) Come on. It is healthy and good for you.
Hey, can you give me a ride to the airport?
When?
Tomorrow morning.
I’m sorry but my can is in the shop.
How long has it been in the shop?
A couple of days.
That’s interesting!
What’s interesting?
I saw you washing your car this morning.
You did? I’m sorry, I lied. I just hate morning traffic.
You always try to get out of helping me.
Vocabulary
1. to give someone a ride: to take a person somewhere in a vehicle (usually a car)
My friend gave me a ride to the airport.
Do you want me to give you a ride home? It is on my way.
2. My car is in the shop.: My car is currently being repaired at the car shop.
Can you give me a ride to work? My car is in the shop.
A) Why didn't you drive to work?
B) Because my car is in the shop.
3. to get out of doing something: to avoid doing something that one does not want to do
He always tries to get out of helping.
I have to go with my parents to my uncle's house. I can't get out of going.
Can you help me move some furniture?
I hurt my back.
When did you hurt your back?
Yesterday!
Really, I saw you playing tennis at the gym this morning.
I'm sorry. I was trying to get out of helping
Vocabulary
1. furniture: movable things like tables, chairs, dressers, desks, etc. that are needed for houses, offices, schools, etc.
We don't have a lot of furniture. We only have a table, 4 chairs, and a small sofa.
Please do not let the dog on the furniture.
2. to get out of something: to avoid doing something that one does not want to do
I got out of going on the business trip. I told my boss that I had to go to my best friend's wedding.
I have to work this weekend, but I will try to get out it.
Do you want to go to the concert tonight?
Do you have tickets?
Yes, I got two tickets from my boss. She can't go I would love to go. But what about Cindy?
I only have two tickets.
What if she finds out?
She'll be so sad.
I can't give up these tickets. They are a front-row seats
Front row, let's tell Cindy that we have to work late.
Don't you want to buy a concert t-shirt?
Then she'll know we went to the concert.
We'll get her one and tell her that my boss got them for us.
Okay, that's a good lie.
Vocabulary
1. to find out: to learn or get information
I found out that Mark and I attended the same university 10 years ago.
Could you find out who wrote this report?
2. front row seats: the first row of seats closest to the concert, show, game, etc.
I want to get front row seats, but they are too expensive.
The concert was amazing. We had front row seats.
3. a concert T-shirt: a T-shirt with the band's name or picture that can be purchased at a concert
Did you buy a concert T-shirt?
Let's get a couple of concert T-shirts before the concert starts.
Do you want to go to Lisa's party?
No, not really.
Let's tell her we're sick.
Both of us are sick?
Yeah, we're roommates.
She'll believe it.
I feel bad about lying, but I really don't want to go to her party
Vocabulary
1. Yeah: a causal way to say "yes"
A) Do you like pizza?
B) Yeah.
A) Is your name Joe?
B) Yeah. Why?
2. to feel bad about something: to feel sad or sorry for something
I feel bad about not going to her birthday party.
She feels bad about calling you stupid. She only said it because she was angry.
I need to introduce you to my new roommate.
What is her name?
Maria. She's from Spain.
What is she doing here. She's a foreign exchange student.
That's cool.
She's really nice. She taught me some Spanish words.
I'm taking Spanish right now. You should try speaking Spanish to her.
I'll try. Hopefully she won't laugh at me.
Vocabulary
1. a foreign exchange student: a student from a different country that is studying at university or school
I met a foreign exchange student from France in class today.
I was a foreign exchange student in China for one semester when I was in university.
2. to take a class: to attend and participate in a class
I am taking a yoga class these days.
Did you take an English class when you were in high school?
3. Hopefully,...: in a wishful or hopeful manner
Hopefully, I can finish my work by tonight.
Hopefully, we win the game.
Have you met Joanne my new roommate?
No, I have not.
I'll introduce you when she gets home.
Okay, is she nice?
She's really nice. She's our age too.
Cool, we should take her to the coffee shop later.
Great idea!
Vocabulary
1. a roommate: a person who one lives with that is not a family member
I have three roommates.
Do you live with a roommate or do you live alone?
2. to be someone's age: to be the same age as someone
He is your age.
Why do you act like a child? You are my age.
3. Great idea!: a set expression used to show that one thinks what another person said is smart and good
A) Let's get some chicken.
B) Great idea!
A) We should use this strategy with our other products.
B) Great idea!
I am so busy!
That's going on?
I have an important report due tomorrow.
Are you almost done?
No, and I'm starting to feel sick.
You better get some rest before you get sicker.
I don't have time to rest.
Vocabulary
1. What's going on?: What's happening?
Kathy and Karen are fighting. What's going on?
Everyone looks worried. What's going on?
2. due + (time): used to show a deadline when some work or something must be completed by
This report is due next Friday.
I have a project due tomorrow, so I can't go out tonight.
3. A person better + (verb): a grammar point used to give strong advice (stronger than "should")
We better go in now. It looks like it is going to rain.
You have a test in 2 days. You better start studying now.
How are the kids?
They’re doing well.
How old are they now?
Mike is 18. He’s in college. Jane is 16. She is in high school.
Wow! They’re growing up.
I know. They’re growing up too fast.
Vocabulary
1. to be doing well: to be succeeding, progressing nicely, or living well
Is your brother doing well?
Our company is doing well these days.
2. college: an institution of higher learning like a university
Did you go to college?
My son will go to college next year.
3. to grow up: to get bigger and develop (only for living things); to spend one's childhood
The kids are growing up fast.
She grew up in California.
Do you remember our 10th Birth day?
Yes, we got a puppy that year.
I missed that puppy.
Me too. He had a great name.
Actually, I don’t remember his name.
How could you forget his name? His name was Buster.
Oh yeah! It was a sad day when Buster died.
I never wanted another dog after that.
How old was Buster when he died?
You don’t remember anything. He was 14 years old.
Vocabulary
An animal is referred to as “it” unless the relationship is personal (like a pet that has a name). Then it's OK to use “he” or “she” when referring to the animal. This also applies to using “who” and “whom”. If the animal has a personal relationship with the person, then use “who” or “whom”.
1. a puppy: a baby dog
I want to get a puppy.
Look at how cute that puppy is!
2. to miss something: to wish that one could see or do something that one has not been able to see or do for a period of time
I miss my mom's cooking.
I miss spending time with you. Let's get together soon.
3. How could you...?: a question said to a person when one is angry or surprised at that person's action or behavior
How could you have eaten all of the cookies without me?
How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends!
Did you hear the office rumor?
No, I didn't! What's happening?
They are going to layoff several people this
Month.
Where did you hear this?
I heard it from Bill.
Are you worried?
Yes! I've only been here for six months.
Then I should be more worried than you!
Why everyone likes you here?
I've only been here for four months.
Vocabulary
1. office rumor: a story, gossip, or piece of news that may or may not be true that many people in an office or company are talking about
Have you heard the latest office rumor?
She is always spreading office rumors.
2. to lay off: to fire or discharge a worker from a job (sometimes temporarily)
The company laid off 100 workers last month.
Do you think the company will lay off a lot of people?
3. several: more than 2 but not many
I have been to several countries.
We have been working on this for several hours.
No, what’s going on?
They’re getting a divorce.
Really! They’ve been married for 30 years.
Dan cheated on Molly.
That is awful!
Vocabulary
1. What's going on?: What's happening?
It is very noisy in that room. What's going on?
There are many police cars outside. What's going on?
2. to get a divorce: to legally end a marriage
Mark and Sally got a divorce.
She wants to get a divorce, but her husband doesn't want to.
3. to cheat on someone: to secretly be in a romantic relationship with a person who is not one's husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend
Tina and Mark got divorced because Tina was cheating on Mark.
He cheats on his girlfriend a lot when he travels on business.
I had lunch with Sue today.
Your ex-girlfriend?
Yes, we bumped into each other at the store.
She's back in town?
Yeah, she moved back last month.
Are you going to see her again?
I'm single now, so I asked her on a date.
What did she say?
Yes! We have more catching up to do.
Ask Sue if she keeps in touch with Karen, my ex-girlfriend.
Vocabulary
1. to bump into someone: to meet someone by chance
I bumped into Greg at the store.
She bumped into her ex-boyfriend at the concert.
2. to be back in town: to return to town after being gone for a period of time
Mark is back in town.
Tina was in Europe for 3 months, but she has been back in town for a couple days.
3. to keep in touch with someone: to regularly contact or communicate with someone
She moved to New York 2 years ago, but we still keep in touch with each other.
I don't keep in touch with my friends from high school.
A.I was on the phone for an hour.
B. Who were you talking to for an hour?
A. Claude, an old friend from college.
B. When is the last time you talked to him?
A. At college graduation
B. Wow, that was 30 years ago.
A. We had a lot of catching up to do.
Vocabulary
1. to be on the phone: to be using the phone or having a conversation on the phone
She cannot talk right now because she is on the phone.
I couldn't talk to him because I was on the phone with an important client when he came.
2. an old friend: a person who has been one's friend for a long time
I met my old friend from high school last week.
We are old friends.
3. to catch up with someone: to talk to a person that one has not seen or talked to in a long time and find out about the person's life
I caught up with my old friend last night. We hadn't seen each other in over 20 years, so we had a lot to talk about.
I will meet Sally tomorrow. We haven't seen each other in a long time, so I want to catch up with her.
In this lesson you’re going to practice giving a self-introduction. You’ll then add some questions to turn it into a conversation.
After that, you can train your brain to think and speak at the same time! You’ll see some useful English words and phrases you can use instead of “Um” and “Err” when you are thinking.
SELF-INTRODUCTION
Greeting: Hello. My name is Claude.
Hometown: I’m from (Rwanda.)
Job: I work as (a teacher) at (English Accent Hub).
Interests: In my free time, I like to (do yoga).
Family: I (have a wife and one son).
Reason: I’m learning English because (I need it for my job).
Write your self-introduction below. There are some examples at the end of this lesson.
Greeting: Hello. My name is………………………..
Hometown: I’m from…………………………………..
Job: I work as at ……………………………….
Interests: In my free time, I like to…………………………….
Family: I …………………………………
Reason: I’m learning English because ……………………….
TIP: When listening to a self-introduction, show interest with active listening phrases such as “Hi! Oh really? Oh, wow! Interesting! Oh yeah? and I see!”
Questions and Conversation
Greeting: Hi there. Can I ask your name? Hello. My name is (Claude). Hi!
Hometown: Where are you from?
I’m from England. Oh really?
Job: What do you do for work?
I work as (a teacher) at (English Accent Hub). Oh, wow!
Interests: What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to (do yoga). Interesting!
Family: What's your family like?
I (have a wife and one son). Oh, yeah?
Reason: Why are you learning English?
I’m learning English because (I need it for my job). I see!
TIP: Asking so many WH-questions sounds a bit too direct. You can soften them by adding “And…” with a pause. This also gives you some thinking time: “And… what do you do for work?”
Thinking Time
Here are some words and phrases you can use to give yourself some thinking time when answering questions.
[Silence]…………[Repeat the question]
Well…................Sorry, could you say that again?
Yeah… so,..... Let me see / think…
You know….. That’s a good question!
Actually,… .... What I’m trying to say is…
Oh, I’ve forgotten. Just a second. What was it?… Oh, I remember!
Silence is often better than saying “Um” and “Err”.
Repeating is a great way to buy time: “What’s my name? Where am I from?”
Challenge
Now, try creating new self-introductions to practice those thinking-time phrases! Imagine you are different people! Here are some examples:
Hello. My name is Bob. I’m from China. I work as a zookeeper at Shanghai Zoo. In my free time, I like to bake cookies. I’m single and I live with my parents. I’m learning English because I want to go to New Zealand.
Hello. My name is Alice. I'm from France. I work as a graphic designer at a creative agency in Paris. In my free time, I like to paint landscapes. I have a husband and two daughters. I'm learning English because I want to expand my business internationally.
Hello. My name is Carlos. I'm from Brazil. I work as an engineer at Rio Tech Industries. In my free time, I like to play football. I'm single and live with my brother. I'm learning English because it's essential for my professional development.
Hello. My name is Sunita. I'm from India. I work as a teacher at Delhi Public School. In my free time, I like to read historical novels. I am divorced and live with my son. I'm learning English because I plan to teach abroad.
Hello. My name is Michael. I'm from Canada. I work as a nurse at Toronto General Hospital. In my free time, I like to go hiking. I have a partner and no children. I'm learning English because I enjoy travelling to different countries.
Hello. My name is Fatima. I'm from Egypt. I work as a chef at a well-known restaurant in Cairo. In my free time, I like to experiment with new recipes. I'm married and live with my husband and three children. I'm learning English because I want to write a cookbook in English.
Hello. My name is Tim. I'm from Australia. I work as a marine biologist at the Great Barrier Reef Research Institute. In my free time, I like to surf. I’m single and I live on a beachside property. I’m learning English because I often present at international conferences.
Hello. My name is Naomi. I'm from Japan. I work as an architect at a design firm in Tokyo. In my free time, I like to take architectural photography. I have a husband and one son. I'm learning English because I collaborate with international clients.
Hello. My name is Lukas. I'm from Germany. I work as a software developer at a tech startup in Berlin. In my free time, I like to build model aero planes. I’m engaged and I live with my fiancée. I’m learning English because I want to move to Silicon Valley.
Hello. My name is Sofia. I'm from Argentina. I work as a dance instructor at a dance academy in Buenos Aires. In my free time, I like to write poetry. I'm a single-mother with two daughters. I’m learning English because I want to publish my poems in English-speaking countries.
Expand
You can easily expand your self-introduction with more information. Here’s a longer version of mine:
Greeting: Hello. My name is Claude.
Hometown: I’m from a small town in the southeast of Rwanda called Gisagara.
Job: I work as a teacher at English Accent Hub. Actually, it’s my own school. I started it in 2010 and I have about 80 students.
Interests: In my free time, I like to do yoga and go hiking. I live near some mountains so I try to go hiking once a week.
Family: I’m married and we have one son. He’s in the brass band club at school. He plays the guitar.
Reason: I’m learning English because I need it for my job. My students ask me difficult questions and it’s embarrassing if I don’t know the answers!
Can you expand your self-introduction? Try!
Greeting:
Hometown:
Job:
Interests:
Family:
Reason :
Are you better at anticipating or reacting to problems
"Which category do you fall under? A person who anticipates a problem well, or a person who reacts to a problem well?"
This is a tough question because both options look pretty good. My recommendation would be to answer depending on the position you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a type of analyst or upper management position, then anticipating a problem would be more useful. However, if you are applying to be a nurse for a hospital emergency room, then reacting to a problem well is stronger.
Short Answers
"I think it's good to be good at both. But in my experience, I realized I react to problems better. Whenever I'm faced with a new problem, I know what steps to take to deal with the problem."
"I believe I'm strong in both, but I try to work more on anticipating problems. In this profession, it's very important to anticipate a problem and fix it before it becomes a real problem."
"I'm very observant and aware of what's going on, so I'm stronger at anticipating problems."
"I'm good at dealing with problems, so I'm a person who reacts to a problem well."
Long Answers
"I feel I react to problems well, but I'm much stronger at anticipating them. I'm a type of person that pays attention to detail, inconsistencies, and subtle signs. Basically, I want to find a potential problem and put measures in place to correct it before it happens. It's interesting to see how the people who deal with problems get rewarded for resolving the issue. What about the people who put the fire out before it even started? So anticipating problems before it happens is what I've always done and I believe it's important in any work environment."
"Being a nurse requires many skills. One of the important traits is to be able to react to problems well. Reacting to a problem well requires the ability for quick thinking, ability to think of all the options available, and maintaining self control in hectic times. In my spare time, I even think about creative problems that might come up. Since a problem can arise at any time and in any form, I try to be as creative as I can and I walk through the situation as if I'm dealing with the problem. So this has helped me to become very good at reacting to problems."
The answer gets stronger with examples, so if you have experienced something that you can explain, feel free to use include it in the answer. Also, if you are unsure about how to say it, remember that you can ask us.
Are you a risk taker or do you like to stay away from risks?
"Are you a risk taker or do you like to stay away from risks?"
This also depends on the position. But in most cases, I believe someone who likes to take risks is a better candidate. If you choose to answer saying you are a risk taker, you should include why and how you take risks.
Short Answers
"I consider myself to be in the middle, but if I were to choose from my past experience, I would think I would call myself a careful risk taker."
"I'm reliable and believe in stability and guarantees. My work will be based on facts without assumptions or guesses, so I tend to stay away from risks."
"I think it's important to take some risks. I keep the options open and if the reward justifies the risks, I would definitely try. So I'm more of a risk taker."
"I take risks because through planning and working smart, it's possible to reduce some of the risk. So if there's a reasonable chance of success, I would take the opportunity."
Long Answer
"I see myself as a risk taker. But before taking the risk, I always evaluate all other options, weigh the pro's and con's of success and failure, and after careful consideration, I would definitely take a risk if the rewards were high enough. I view staying away from risks similar to staying away from a gold mine surrounded by dynamite. Of course if you don't know what triggers the dynamite, it would be unwise to take that risk. But if you study the situation and know the location of all dynamite and the way they are triggered, then the risk is minimized. Some people would not explore the options to reduce the risk, but I would definitely study each situation and take a risk that would improve my personal or company's situation."
You don't have to use the dynamite example. You can think of any other example. But I used this to clearly explain what I feel about taking risks. Not only did I choose to be a risk taker, but I also explained how and when I would take risks.
Why should I hire you?
"Why should I hire you?"
I don't know if this is a common question, but I heard many people use this question. In all the interviews I've been through, I never received this question, nor did I ask this question in any interviews I gave. But, there are a lot of people asking this question, so preparing for it is a must. To answer this question, you need to know exactly what they are looking for. With this information, tie it in with your strong traits. This will verify that you are completely qualified for the job. Second and more importantly, you need to stand out more than the other people interviewing for this position. I will give two examples for the long answers, one for a person with a lot of experience, and the other for a recent college graduate.
Short Answers
"I'm a perfect fit for this position. I have the experience and the traits you are looking for. On top of that, I'm a great team player that gets a long with everyone."
"I should be hired because I'm efficient, smart, and friendly. I'm great at solving problems and love challenges. Most importantly, I'm dependable and reliable."
"There are two reasons I should be hired. First, my qualifications match your needs perfectly. Second, I'm excited and passionate about this industry and will always give 100%."
"You should hire me because I'm confident and I'll do the best job. I have a proven track record of success starting from high school until now. I'm responsible and smart.
This position requires someone that will work well without supervision. I know how to manage my time and organize my work well. So, I'm confident I'll be the best candidate for this position."
Long Answers
"This position is for a quality assurance manager, I'm confident I'm the best person for this job because of my past experience. At ABC Software Company, I was in charge of a team that was responsible for the quality of three different applications. I have intimate knowledge of quality assurance, product support, and even some creative processes that will benefit a quality assurance team. I've built a team from scratch and fully understand the product development cycle. Finally, one of my traits is in developing and mentoring junior employees. I believe in transferring knowledge to everyone in the company and investing a little more effort into the people who work for me. So I strongly believe that I'll be the best candidate due to the combination of my experience, my managerial skills, and my desire to provide growth in employees."
"The reason I applied for this position is because the qualifications matched my strengths perfectly. I'm good at juggling multiple tasks, I'm very detail oriented, and I organize my time very efficiently. But the truth is that many people have these traits. But if I were in your position, I would hire myself because of the passion I have for this industry, and my optimistic personality. My education background and my strengths show that I can do this job. But I want to make more of an impact than just doing my job. I don't want to blend in with the company, I would rather want my addition to improve it."
The first answer is using experience and skills to convince the interviewer to hire him or her. In addition to talking about past experiences, this example also emphasizes the strong ability to mentor people. The second example is more on the personal level and definitely more creative. Everyone one will claim to have all the good traits. So this candidate says it by saying, "... the truth is that many people have these traits." On top of these traits, this candidate is including passion and excitement. This is very important during interviews. Finally, the last sentence is a good line that the interviewer will remember. It is creative and bold.
Tell me about Q's... / Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
'Tell me about...' type of questions are very popular. It is more effective because it is asking for an answer that comes from experience. If you don't have a particular experience in one of the questions below, make one up. You should prepare ahead of time because you don't want to make up a story during the interview. It will be too hard to sound believable. Finally, you should know that some questions will not be asked to certain job types. For example, if you are not in a management position, you probably won't be asked how you saved the company money. Or if you are not in sales, you won't be asked about making a great sale.
These types of answers are usually long because it is explaining an experience. If you want the interviewer to understand the significance of your story, they will need to understand it. So all my examples will be a little longer than regular interview questions. Finally, a lot of these are my own experiences. I encourage you to think back to your experience and create one. I'm providing my answers so you can see the structure and learn from my answers.
"Tell me about a time you made a mistake."
The best answer for this question involves learning something from a mistake. If you are having difficulty thinking about a mistake you made that will be an effective answer, try to think of a lesson you learned that improved a good trait. Making a mistake is not good, but since you have to tell them something, you should tell them something that makes you look good. For an example, let's create a scenario where you learned how to be someone who anticipates problems.
Short Answer
"I was given a project to complete in a week. I understood the project, but I misinterpreted one section. After completing the project, I was told by my manager that it was done incorrectly. I really made a mistake by assuming incorrectly in one of the sections instead of asking for clarification. I learned not to assume through the mistake I made."
Long Answer
"I had a project I was working on, and while I was in the middle of typing up my documentation, my computer started acting weird. It froze for a while and so I rebooted. After 10 minutes, the computer showed a blue screen saying that there were problems and recommended that I reboot the computer again. After another reboot, everything appeared to be ok. I continued my work and finished for the day. I spent two days on this assignment and when I went to retrieve my data the next day to double check my work, my computer wouldn't start up. A technician came and found that my hard drive malfunctioned. I lost all the data and lost two days of work. I was disappointed and thought I would never trust a computer again, but there was a great lesson to be learned. I had a couple of warnings and I ignored them. From then on, I practiced being someone who can anticipate problems. I now think of potential problems ahead of time and pay attention to details along the way. If I applied this sooner, I would have saved the data on another computer and I wouldn't have lost a couple days of work. But I can't say I regret making the mistake because it made me someone who can anticipate problems better."
This is a minor mistake, and you can say it is really the computer's fault. But this is a good example because I wasn't really at fault. The computer was. But this example is wording it so it looks like the person's fault and it explains how a great lesson was learned. In the end, this candidate became a better person through this mistake. Learning from a mistake is probably the key point here, and this example demonstrates that.
Tell me about a time you made a good decision.
"Tell me about a time you made a good decision."
"Tell me about a time you found a solution to a problem."
This is a little easier than thinking about a mistake. You should make sure to include why it was a good decision and the result should be obviously meaningful. I also want to use this as an example of answering multiple questions. I would use this same answer for either of the two questions above. It was a good decision, and I fond a solution to a problem. Preparing for every interview question in the world will be too much work. Think of key experiences and apply them to multiple answers. In the case where it is the same interviewer, then you might be forced to think of a new answer. So it might be good to think of couple of answers.
Short Answer
"During my last project, we ran into a difficult problem. This was high priority so everyone was instructed to find a solution. I started looking for more information on the Internet, I even talked to a different manager on a different team. This helped tremendously and our problem was solved. I made a decision to use every resource I could find, and in the end, it solved the problem."
Long Answer
"In my last position at Microsoft, there was a time period where our group was going to slip reaching our milestone by one day. This was because the day before exiting the third milestone, we found a problem in the program. Since we created a new build with all bug fixes each morning, we had two choices. We could either fix the problem and verify the program the next day after we build again, or we could postpone the problem and fix it in the next milestone. Both options didn't sound very appealing. I suggested fixing the program now, and perform another build to verify the fix instead of waiting for tomorrow. Many times people are used to following a process, but in this case, I challenged the process of building in the morning and requested another build to verify the last bug fix. In the end, we were able to complete milestone 3 on time and fixed the important problem. This was significant because if we didn't exit milestone 3, then everyone waiting to start work on the next milestone would have to wait another day. In essence, this saved a days work for more than 30 people."
For this example, I was careful not to use too many technical jargons that might not be understood. I also explained the situation carefully and explained why the decision was a good one. Remember that some of these answers will not work for you. In this case, if you never worked at Microsoft and never experienced this, just follow the steps of stating the problem, explaining the choices, why you made the decision, and finally why it was a good decision.
Tell me about a time you made a poor decision.
"Tell me about a time you made a poor decision."
This question is similar to the mistake question. So first, let's think about what lesson we want to learn. A common mistake is when people make assumptions. I'll give an example where a poor decision was made due to making a bad assumption. The answer will also include what was learned and how the poor decision was used as a tool to become a better worker.
Short Answer
"When I was doing an audit for a small company, there was a problem with one of the accounts. I tried to contact the company to ask questions, but they were not there. I made the decision to keep looking for the answer. Four hours later, they returned my call and I realized it was a simple typo. I wasted 4 hours of my day. In this case, I was too sensitive about detail. So I learned how not to be so detailed and picky."
Long Answer
"In my first month working at Tiffany's selling jewelry, I made a poor decision by making an assumption. A person buying an engagement diamond wanted to see some rings. It's not polite to immediately ask for a price range, so I showed the person a variety of rings. He pointed to a ring that was about twelve thousand dollars. The diamond ring he pointed to was one of the more expensive ones I showed him. Eager to sell him the ring, I explained the quality of the ring, explained our satisfaction guarantee policy to him, and made sure he was comfortable with making a purchase at Tiffany's. He bought the ring, and I thought I made a great sell. However, it turns out that on my day off, he came in and exchanged the ring for one that was twenty five thousand dollars. It was one of the rings that I didn't show him. So basically, I made a bad decision on selling him what he first pointed out instead of showing him more options. I assumed that the initial ring he selected was the price range he was looking for. I never made that mistake again and I learned that I shouldn't assume so much."
This example is geared towards sales, but like I said earlier, make sure to clearly explain the situation, identify the decisions, explain why it was a bad decision, and most importantly what you learned by making a poor decision.
Tell me about a time you fired someone.
"Tell me about a time you fired someone."
Firing someone is a difficult task. Usually you will not be asked this question unless it is for a management position. You should emphasize a couple of key things when you answer this question. First, you should be very professional about firing someone. Second, you should mention the procedures you took so the action of firing is justified. I'll give an example for someone who has never fired someone and an example for having fired someone.
Short Answers
"In my last position, I had four people reporting to me. One of my direct reports failed to show up on time, complete assignments, and really didn't care about the work. I tried to encourage the employee, assign different types of work to him, and even sat down and showed him how to do things. After 2 months of trying, I had to let him go."
"Our company was down sizing and I had to let two people go. It's easier when a person does a terrible job, but if everyone is doing there job, it's more difficult. I had to select the bottom two performers and explained why they were being let go."
Long Answers
"During my second year as a manager, I had to fire one of my directs. I can't say it was a difficult task because not only did he not do his job well, he didn't want to try. Initially, we put him on probation monitoring his work, we tried to give him different types of work that he might do better at, and we even assigned a mentor to him. However, even through all this, he was a weak performer. I consulted with other management members and we all agreed it was best for the company to let him go. I got together with an HR representative and told him that he no longer has a job here. He wasn't surprised at all. He just picked up his things and left."
"I've never had to fire somebody yet. I believe that a manager should mentor and lead all team members to be a solid performer. But I know that there are some people who can't or won't perform despite management's best effort. So in that case, I would have to let someone go in a professional manner following the procedures set by the company."
Both of these are good answers. They mention that a manager should take actions to make the worker better, but sometimes turning something bad to something good is impossible, so the only action is to fire someone. The person with experience outlines the steps taken. For example, the probation, assigning different work, providing a mentor, etc. Then in the end he was fired. The second example shows despite experience, that he or she would fire someone in a professional manner following procedure.
Tell me about a time you hired someone.
"Tell me about a time you hired someone."
If you hired somebody before, you know you could have hired someone great, or someone bad. If you have both experiences, you can ask if they want to hear a bad hire experience or a good hire experience. Sometimes the question will be, tell me about the time you made a bad hire. In that case, then you don't have to ask. I'll give an example of a good hire and a bad hire.
Short Answers
"I found a resume on the Internet that was a perfect match for one of our open positions. I contacted the person and we talked for about 10 minutes. During that call, I explained why our company was a great place to work and the opportunities we offered. After a couple more calls, he agreed to come in for an interview and we made an offer. He became a great employee."
"I received a resume but it didn't have all our requirements. I initially thought she wasn't a fit, but after looking over the education background and the previous work experience, I thought this person would have more potential than other candidates. After interviewing her, we extended an offer. She was a quick learner and performed at an exceptional level. Sometimes it's important to see potential and in this instance, it was a great hire."
Long Answers
"In the last company I worked for, we had a recruiting team. They go through all resumes and submit the ones that would be a good fit for a particular team. I received a resume and after looking it over, I was quite impressed. I called him for a phone interview and after that we scheduled a full interview. He aced almost every question given to him by 5 different interviewers. We made a reasonable and fair offer. He mentioned that he was considering another company. I called him to touch bases with him and reiterated the opportunities, the great environment here, and ultimately that we all looked forward to having him join our team. I tried to make the phone call more personal and warm to show him that our group was a place to be comfortable. He joined our team and became one of our strongest performers. It took a little extra work, but it's important to take extra steps when you see someone who is going to be great."
"I had one bad experience when hiring someone. I remember I was following procedures and verifying everything I could from past experience, checking communication skills, personality, work ethic, technical skills, and some tough logic problems. We even had 4 different people interviewing this candidate. Everything looked great. But when the person started, he had a hard time understanding new concepts. I originally thought it was because he was new and had to ramp up on many things, but as months past by, this employee was still unable to work alone. He always had to ask how to do even simple tasks. I remember going through his resume and looking over his background and even thinking about where we missed this flaw in the interview. Using this same interviewing procedure, we hired many great people. But this one turned out a little sour."
The first question is straight forward. This person took it one step farther by making a phone call and encouraging the candidate to join his team. But the second answer is an example of doing everything right, but seeing bad results. You can use something like this, but if you do, you must think of follow up questions such as, 'what did you do to this employee? What happened in the long run? Did you end up firing this person' But I recommend you think of a situation that you personally experienced. Then you can answer all follow up questions easily. But if you never hired anyone before, then simply say that. It shouldn't hurt unless it is for a recruiting position.
Tell me about a time you failed to complete an assignment on time.
"Tell me about a time you failed to complete an assignment on time."
If you are a good worker, then you probably haven't failed to complete an assignment on time. But if you have a lot of experience, you might have some situations where external factors caused you to miss a deadline. This is what my example will be about. But if you have an example where you failed to complete an assignment, make sure you give clear reasons why you failed and what you learned from it. Also, if you can't think of any, then use an example from your university days stating. But if you do, make sure you tell them that so far in your job experience, you completed all assignments on time or ahead of schedule.
Short Answer
"One time, I had a project that was due on Tuesday. On Friday I analyzed our progress and I was ahead of schedule. I didn't have to work over the weekend to complete the assignment. On Monday, my manager was sick so I had to attend several meetings that took all day. Because of that, I didn't complete my assignment until Wednesday. Now, I try to finish my assignments a day or half a day early because something unexpected could come up."
Long Answer
"With proper planning and good execution, I think it's hard to fail at meeting a deadline. But I remember one time in the middle of the project, our clients wanted to change one aspect of the assignment that we already completed. I analyzed the change request and told them that we wouldn't be able to make the date. I estimated that it will take three additional days. They insisted that we finish on the agreed upon time schedule. I told them we'd try but could not promise anything. Even with hard work and overtime, we missed the due date. We did however, finish one day late. In this situation where I didn't feel we could reach the deadline, I specifically told them that we couldn't, I continually sent updates on the progress to keep the clients informed. Since we missed the deadline, they were not too happy, but overall they were satisfied because I effectively communicated the progress regularly."
I like this answer because they want a situation that should make you look bad. Instead, you gave them a scenario where you failed to complete an assignment, but really it wasn't your fault. In the end, this answer makes you look good because you did everything right from communicating properly, giving them a new time frame, and reaching the goal two days ahead of schedule despite missing the original date by one. But just in case they ask what you could have done better, you can say something like, "I feel I should have been more firm with the three additional days I requested. I like to meet difficult deadlines, but I knew the additional work was too large to finish on time."
Tell me about a time you found a solution to save the company money.
"Tell me about a time you found a solution to save the company money."
This question is also for a management level position. If you are not in management, then you probably won't face this question. But just in case, here are a couple of answers. If you are not in a position to save the company money, then you could think of something small.
Short Answer
"Hmmm... I wasn't really in any position to save the company money, but I have one small example. When we were a smaller company, we didn't get a significant corporate discount on our hardware. After we grew in size, we qualified for the larger discount, but nobody realized that we now met the quota. I pointed this out and we started saving 5% more on our hardware."
Long Answer
"We were outsourcing a portion of our work to a 3rd party company. We had two phases for this project. After the first phase, I was given the task to complete the work because the original worker responsible for this project left our group. I quickly got up to speed on the details of the work. I analyzed the information and realized that one portion of the work given to them could've been done by our group because we already had the infrastructure in place. So I only spent half a day to set this up and in turn, we were charged 35% less for the second phase from the first one."
This is a simple story of an experience. It doesn't include every detail on the type of work that was outsourced, or what I specifically did during the half days of work. If they choose to ask this, then I will be prepared to answer it, but this answer gives enough details to allow the interviewer to understand how you contributed in saving the company money. Also, depending on the field of work, answers will vary. If your job specifically oversees the finance, then it is probably important to think of a much better answer specifically for that position. Think of some scenarios, write them down, and feel free to ask us if the grammar is correct.
Tell me about a time you aimed too high.
"Tell me about a time you aimed too high."
This is another question where you can turn this answer into a good experience. I am going to be using the answer as the one where you failed to complete an assignment on time. This is good practice to use a similar answer by changing only a few sentences to answer another tough interview question. But first, I'll give an example of a different short answer.
Short Answer
"We had a new project that I was interested in. Even though I was busy, I volunteered to take on the assignment. I had to work so much more. Although I managed to complete the assignment, it really burned me out. I feel I aimed too high and I would have benefited by doing a better job on my current assignments instead of wanting more challenges."
Long Answer
"I believe aiming high is a good practice. Aiming high keeps me focused and forces me to grow by trying to reach high goals I have set for myself. But I know there are times where aiming too high is not good. For example, one time in the middle of the project, our clients wanted to change one aspect of the assignment that we already completed. I analyzed the change request and told them that we will not be able to make the date. I estimated that it will take three additional days. They insisted that we finish on the agreed upon time schedule. I told them we would try but we could not promise anything. Even with hard work and overtime, we missed the due date. We did however, finish one day later. I challenged myself to complete on time, but with the large change request, it was too high of a goal to reach. In this case, I really aimed too high. I should have been more firm telling them that we will need a few more days."
This is a similar experience we already used, but you changed the beginning and the end to tailor it to this question. Remember that you can use one answer for multiple questions. This answer should make you look good instead of looking like you made a terrible mistake.
Work Related Interview Questions I
If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently?
"If you could start your career over again, what would you do differently?"
This depends on several factors. If your university major is different than your career choice, then you could answer that you would choose a different major to prepare you for your choice in career. Or if you started at a small company and didn't have many opportunities, you can say that you would have started at a larger company. This is not a significant question so a regular answer should suffice.
Short Answers
"I started my career at a small company. I feel I would have benefited more if I started at a larger company. A large company usually provides training that I didn't receive, so I would like to have started my career in a larger company."
"I didn't know how much I liked working with computers until I finished college. If I had known earlier, I would have liked to have worked with computers earlier in my career."
Long Answer
"Well, I majored in chemistry and now I'm working in the marketing department for a telecommunications company. I had a lot to learn in the beginning, but I quickly learned what I needed to know to be an effective member of the marketing team. However, I always felt that if I majored in business or marketing, I would have started off with a better foundation
Basic Interview Questions I
Tell me a little about yourself.
"Tell me a little about yourself."
You should take this opportunity to show your communication skills by speaking clearly and concisely in an organized manner. Because there is no right or wrong answer for this question, it is important to appear friendly.
Short Answers
"I attended MIT where I majored in Electrical Engineering. My hobbies include basketball, reading novels, and hiking."
"I grew up in Korea and studied accounting. I worked at an accounting firm for two years and I enjoy bicycling and jogging."
"I’m an easy going person that works well with everyone. I enjoy being around different types of people and I like to always challenge myself to improve at everything I do."
"I’m a hard worker and I like to take on a variety of challenges. I like pets, and in my spare time, I like to relax and read the newspaper."
"I’ve always liked being balanced. When I work, I want to work hard. And outside of work, I like to engage in my personal activities such as golfing and fishing."
Long Answer
"I went to the University of Washington and majored in English Literature. I went to graduate school because I really enjoyed learning. Afterwards, I started my career at Boeing as a web content editor. I’ve been there for 3 years now. Although my emphasis is in writing, I like numbers. I think solving logic problems and riddles are quite fun. I also enjoy jogging, reading, and watching movies."
There is no right or wrong answer for this question. Most important thing you should remember is how you deliver the message. The example above shows a short answer telling a little bit about the person. The answer went from education to career, and then to personal interests all in a smooth flow.
What are your strengths?
"What are your strengths?"
This is a popular interview question. They want to know what you think of yourself. Although this is a general question, there is a wrong and right answer. The wrong answer is a generic answer saying you are organized and friendly. Although it will not hurt you during the interview, it will certainly not help you either. Answer this question based on the type of job you are applying for.
Short Answers
"I believe my strongest trait is my attention to detail. This trait has helped me tremendously in this field of work."
"I've always been a great team player. I'm good at keeping a team together and producing quality work in a team environment."
"After having worked for a couple of years, I realized my strength is accomplishing a large amount of work within a short period of time. I get things done on time and my manager always appreciated it."
"My strongest trait is in customer service. I listen and pay close attention to my customer's needs and I make sure they are more than satisfied."
Long Answers
Let's say I am interviewing for a management position. You should mention traits that are important for managers.
"A couple strengths I have are planning and execution, and working with people. I've always been very good at planning and detailing all the steps. Even in college, I would spend time organizing my week and planning a strategy to tackle each class or assignment. Executing a plan has always come easy for me as well. I believe it's due to proper planning. I also work with people very well in a way where I use the strengths of each individual in a team to produce the best results. Because of my easy going personality, I've been told by my directs that it's easy to approach me."
If you are applying for an accounting position, you should mention strong traits an accountant should have and claim them to be yours.
"I'm very detail oriented, good at managing time, and very honest. I always incorporate managing time and being detailed together. By nature I've been detail oriented, and that resulted in taking too much time on a particular task. After incorporating time management into the mix, I found that my work and efficiency increased dramatically. I plan better and produce higher quality work in a time constraint environment. Finally, I'm a very honest person. When I was working as a valet attendant during college, a lady gave me a twenty dollar bill to pay for the three dollar fee. She almost drove off the lot, but I stopped her and said here is your change. My co-workers said I should have considered the change as tip, but I know what I did was honest and right. You can fool other people, but you can't fool yourself. That's what I believe."
The second example can seem a little wordy. But the power of an example is greater than any great words you can string together. Everyone can claim they are honest, but with an example, it is much more believable.
What are your weaknesses?
"What are your weaknesses?"
For this answer, you should display a weakness that can be seen as a strength. There are many types of answers that will work. Some answers will be good answers for certain jobs, while the same answer will be a bad answer for a different job. Select an answer that will work for the position you are applying for. Here are a few examples.
Short Answers
"This might be bad, but in college I found that I procrastinated a lot. I realized this problem, and I'm working on it by finishing my work ahead of schedule."
"I feel my weakness is not being detail oriented enough. I'm a person that wants to accomplish as much as possible. I realized this hurts the quality and I'm currently working on finding a balance between quantity and quality."
"I feel my English ability is my weakest trait. I know this is only a temporary problem. I'm definitely studying hard to communicate more effectively."
"The weakest trait I struggled with was not asking for help. I always try to solve my own problems instead of asking a co-worker who might know the answer. This would save me more time and I would be more efficient. I'm working on knowing when it would be beneficial to ask for help."
Long Answers
"I think my weakest trait is my impatience. Whenever I work in a team and a member is not performing up to my expectations, I can get impatient and annoyed. I understand if they are working hard and their portion is difficult, but sometimes a person can't do the assignment due to incompetence or laziness. A while back I would get frustrated and start complaining, but I realized that I can help out by explaining things to some people and encouraging lazy people by reminding them of deadlines. I know it's bad to be impatient, but I'm definitely working on it."
"I'm too detail oriented. I never want to leave anything out and I want everything to be perfect. This is bad because it slows down my work. Initially, I tried to work faster to compensate, but that only made me sloppy. So I decided to put more emphasis on priority and planning. By doing so, I'm hoping that I can make the proper decisions on what to work on and what to intentionally leave out."
Both of these examples show an answer that is acceptable. Although being impatient is not good, it shows that you are a quick learner and that you like efficiency. The second displays a person that is detail oriented, which can be seen as a good trait. Finally, both answers identify the weakness and show the actions of correcting it.
What are your short term goals?
"What are your short term goals?"
This question primarily depends on where you are in your career. A person with 5 years of experience will have different short term goals than a person with no work experience. I'll give an example for both scenarios. But first, here are some short answers.
Short Answers
"My short term goal is to find a position where I can use the knowledge and strengths that I have. I want to partake in the growth and success of the company I work for."
"I've learned the basics of marketing during my first two years. I want to take the next step by taking on challenging projects. My short term goal is to grow as a marketing analyst."
"As a program manager, it's important to understand all areas of the project. Although I have the technical abilities to be successful in my job, I want to learn different software applications that might help in work efficiency."
"My goal is to always perform at an exceptional level. But a short term goal I have set for myself is to implement a process that increases work efficiency."
Long Answers
"My short term goal is to learn everything I can about marketing. I want to find a position where I can contribute what I've learned through education and to gain real life experience. I believe the next couple of years will be very important to me and my immediate goal is to learn and become skilled in all aspects of marketing."
"My short term goal is to get into a management position. The last five years of my career, I've concentrated on learning and acquiring all the skills needed to perform excellent work. Recently, I've taken more responsibilities in management because I eventually want to become a sales manager. I'm excited about the last few assignments I completed because it involved working with vendors and partners while managing a small group of workers. So I hope to be in a management position within a year or two and I feel I'm doing a diligent job by volunteering for extra work to gain more experience."
The first example is a person straight out of school. Learning is a good short term goal to have because it shows that you will be trying hard in your job. The second example is more detailed because that person has several years of experience. Anybody can say they want a management position, but this candidate is taking it a step further by showing the steps he is taking to achieve the short term goal. Thus, it becomes a stronger answer.
What are your long term goals?
"What are your long term goals?"
This question is asked to see how serious a candidate is about his or her career. Some people might not know their long term goals, and some people might have long term goals of becoming rich and retiring early. Those are incorrect answers for this question. The type of answer you want to give is an ambitious answer that shows you really love your career. A good interviewer will read between the lines and find out if a person is going to be a hard worker or just a mediocre one. Being descriptive and shooting for a big goal is something interviewers want to hear.
Short Answer
"I would like to become a director or higher. This might be a little ambitious, but I know I'm smart, and I'm willing to work hard."
"After a successful career, I would love to write a book on office efficiency. I think working smart is important and I have many ideas. So after gaining more experience, I'm going to try to write a book."
"I've always loved to teach. I like to grow newer employees and help co-workers where ever I can. So in the future, I would love to be an instructor."
"I want to become a valued employee of a company. I want to make a difference and I'm willing to work hard to achieve this goal. I don't want a regular career, I want a special career that I can be proud of."
Long Answer
"My long term goal is to become a partner for a consulting firm. I know the hard work involved in achieving this goal, and I know that many people fail to become a partner. That's not going to stop me from working hard, learning everything I can, and contributing to a company where I'll become a valuable asset. I know it's not a guarantee, but becoming a partner is a long term goal of mine, and I am going to work towards this goal throughout my career."
This example shows a candidate with a big goal. This person identifies the difficulty of the goal and shows the steps required to achieve this goal. Despite the difficulty, this candidate shows he or she will not get discouraged with difficult situations and will never give up. It is a short answer that goes a long way.
What do you want to be doing five years from now?
"What do you want to be doing five years from now?"
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
This is a similar question to the short term question, but you should answer it a little differently. Here are some examples.
Short Answers
"In five years, I see myself as a valued employee of a company. I want to be an expert at my position and start training to be a manager."
"In five years, I want to be a senior analyst. I want my expertise to directly impact the company in a positive way."
"My goal is to become a lead in five years. Although not everyone gets promoted to this level, I believe I can achieve this goal through hard work."
"Although I really enjoy working hands on as a mechanical engineer, I want to eventually become a manager. I want to continue gaining experience, and after learning many different aspects, I see myself in management."
Long Answers
"Five years from now, I would like to see myself in a management position. I'm going to be learning and gaining practical experience until then, but eventually, I want to become a marketing manager. I know there are a lot of things to learn, but I'm going to be working hard for the next five years. I believe opportunities come to great workers and I'm going to try to be one of them."
"Five years from now, I want to be a senior sales manager. I'm currently training to become a manager, and if I continue to work hard, I feel I'll have a management position soon. After gaining several years of experience as a sales manager, I want to be in a position where I can train and provide my expertise to newer sales managers."
Both answers display characteristics of working hard. The second example also mentions that he or she wants to train newer managers. This is a good answer because it targets one good trait about upper management... the ability to train managers.
If you could change one thing about your personality, what would it be and why?
"If you could change one thing about your personality, what would it be and why?"
This question is another variation to the weakness question. You can provide a similar type of question unless it is the same person asking them. To answer this question, think of a person you respect and the trait they have that you really like. I used to have a manager that was very patient and explained things very carefully. I really liked this trait, so I'm going to provide the long answer by using this example. But first, let's look at some short answers.
Short Answers
"I get easily frustrated at people who don't work very hard. But I know people have different work styles and different work habits. So if I could change something, I would like to be more understanding."
"I have high expectations and I have these expectations on others. I think if I was more understanding, I could help other workers improve instead of being disappointed."
"I would like to be more of a risk taker. I always do my work and complete it at an exceptional level, but sometimes taking a risk can make the work even better. I'm working on this by thinking the issue through and weighing the pros and cons."
"I would like to be more of an extrovert. I'm a little quiet and a little closer to the introvert side. I would like to change this because I would appear more friendly."
Long Answer
"I wish I was more patient with people. I remember a manager I had a couple of years ago. He was very patient with everyone. Even workers that were not that smart and failed to understand a concept to perform the job. I remember thinking how can this person who can't understand this concept continue to work here. My manager took a different approach. He was understanding of this worker and explained the concept in a different way. He even explained how to view problems from a different perspective. That helped this worker and in time that worker became a strong contributor. So if I could change one thing about me, I would like to be more patient and understanding. I'm taking the steps to change for the better by remembering the actions of my past manager whenever I'm in a similar situation."
This is a little long, but if you can speak smoothly, it shows off your communication skills. Also, the content of the answer is not that bad. They want a personality problem, and this answer is showing impatience while indicating that you understand difficult concepts easily. It also shows that you are working on correcting the bad behavior.
What does success mean to you?
"What does success mean to you?"
There are many things you can say. This type of question doesn't have a wrong answer. All answers will be correct. So the best answer is how good you can make the answer. A mediocre answer will be something like completing a project on time. You can say this, but add another twist to make the answer a little better. Here is an example.
Short Answers
"To me, success means to have a goal, plan the steps to achieve the goal, implement the plan, and finally achieve the goal."
"Success means to achieve a goal I have set for myself."
"Success means to produce high quality work before the deadline."
"Success to me is knowing that my contributions positively impacted my company."
Long Answer
"Success to me means completing a task and when looking back, thinking I couldn't have done it better. To succeed is to complete a task or assignment on time in an excellent manner. But that's only half of it. The results should be good and the people involved should gain a valuable lesson or experience. For example, if it was a group project, and only two people out of four really did the work, I wouldn't call that success. If everyone participated and worked together providing a valuable deliverable then it's a success. So I think both the result and the process should be great to call something a success."
This answer is showing that you believe in delivering great quality work. Moreover, it is implying how much you value team work. If you value teamwork highly, then it is safe to assume that you would make a great team player.
What does failure mean to you?
"What does failure mean to you?"
This is quite simple. I don't see many right answers so this is what I suggest. You can believe in two of the following. One, you believe that failure is not achieving your goal no matter what. Or two, you can believe failure is only when nothing is learned from the failure. I believe in the latter, but you don't have to agree with me.
Short Answers
"Failure is when I do not reach my goal."
"I think to fail at something is making a mistake and not learning anything from it."
"To me, failure means to have a goal and not do anything about it."
"I think failure is not reaching your potential. If you do not use the resources you have and the resources around you, that's failure because the work or goal could have been done better."
Long Answer
"I think it's harder to fail than it is to succeed. The reason is, if you fail in a project, you can learn a valuable lesson from your mistake. Learning from the mistake will allow you to improve future projects, or to simply not repeat them. Just because I believe this, doesn't mean I believe it's acceptable to fail at a project, but just in case, I would try to learn everything I can... even when the end result wasn't that good. So, failure to me means making a mistake and having learned nothing from it."
Nobody wants a failure. So you can feel that answering like this will be risky. However, this is a solid answer that most people agree with. If the person doesn't like this answer, then you might not want to work for this person. Everyone fails and if you work for someone who doesn't tolerate failure, then you will be in a difficult situation. Even vice presidents of large corporations will believe that learning from mistakes is a valuable lesson. This answer also states that you will do you best not to fail, but just in case, you want to gain something from your experience.
Are you an organized person?
"Are you an organized person?"
You can think that this question is stupid. Actually, I do. Everyone will say they are organized. Who will admit otherwise? You should know that everyone will say similar things. Take this time to be creative with your answer. You can use these types of questions to leave a strong impression with a creative answer. Or, if you are not creative, then the best way to answer this question is with an example. Using a story is more believable and easier to remember. Feel free to mix in a little humor to make it more memorable.
Short Answers
"I'm a very organized person. I like to know exactly what I'm going to do for the day and the week. So I outline my tasks and organize my work load. By doing so, I can organize my time and work better."
"I believe I'm very organized. I like to organize my work by priority and deadlines. I do this so I can produce the highest quality work in the amount of time I have."
"I think I'm quite organized. I like my documents and papers in a way where I can retrieve them quickly. I also organize my work in a way where it's easy to see exactly what I'm doing."
"Organization has always come easy to me. I naturally organize things like my desk, time, assignments, and work without thinking about them. This helps me tremendously during times when I'm approaching a deadline."
Long Answer
"I'm actually a very organized person. It's funny that you mention this because just the other day, my roommate wanted to borrow my suitcase and saw my closet. He made fun of me for organizing my clothes by length and color. I'm like that with everything. It's just so much easier to manage things. However, I'm not picky and don't need to have things in a certain way. I just want things to be organized. So yes, I consider myself organized."
This example should only be done if you are confident with your communication abilities. If you appear awkward or if you sound like you are reading this type of answer, it could have a negative effect. Instead, you should make a generic answer if you are uncomfortable with this type of answer.
In what ways are you organized and disorganized?
"In what ways are you organized and disorganized?"
This is another variation to the previous question. This question is a little better because the question wants you to identify an area you are disorganized. Make sure to emphasize the organized portion of the answer. If you are truly an organized person, then it is really tough thinking about an area you are disorganized. So thinking ahead of time will allow you to make a good impression with a solid answer.
Short Answers
"I'm very organized with my time and work, but my desk is a little disorganized."
"Since I work with many files, I like to keep my desk organized. I always have everything in a certain place so I can find things easier. The area I'm disorganized is probably my computer desktop. I usually have so many icons everywhere. I should organize it a little, but I've never needed to."
"I organize my schedule the best. I'm used to many meetings so it's important for me to be organized with my schedule and time. The area I need to improve is probably my file cabinet. I started to sort things alphabetically, but when I'm busy, I start putting things in there. It started getting hard to find things, but this is something I'm going to fix."
Long Answer
"Oh... that's a good question. Well, I'm organized in almost everything I do. I'm very organized with my schedule and time. I like to work efficiently, and being organized with my time helps me. The area I feel I'm disorganized is probably my desk. I like to work fast and don't keep my desk area as tidy as some people I know. This however doesn't prevent me from doing my job well. You know some people can have files and paper all over their desk but some how know exactly where everything is located. I think I'm one of those people. However, if I know I'm having a client or a guest, then I would definitely make things more tidy."
This answer brings a little humor to the question. It lightens the mood and makes a person seem real instead of appearing to be perfect. However, if the job you are applying for requires constant customer interaction, then this answer will not be good. This answer would be better for an office job where not many people will see your desk.
Do you manage your time well?
"Do you manage your time well?"
"In what ways do you manage your time well?"
The first question is a little easier. The second question is more difficult because it requires an example. I'm going to give an example for the second question and you should be able to use it for the first question as well.
Short Answer
"I know I manage my time well because I'm never late to work, and I've never missed a deadline."
"I'm good at managing my time. I stay busy both at home and at work and being able to manage my time is necessary for me to do everything that I want to do."
"I manage my time well by planning out what I have to do for the whole week. It keeps me on track and evens helps me to be more efficient."
Long Answer
"Managing my time is one of my strong traits. I prioritize my tasks and this allows me to stay ahead of schedule. Each day I manage my time so I can achieve more than I set out to do. So managing my time in a goal oriented way is
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "It's a nice day."
B: "Yes. It is a beautiful day."
A: "Do you live around here or are you visiting?"
B: "I am on vacation from Korea."
A: "That's cool. Are you having a good time?"
B: "Yes. There are many things to see and I'm taking a lot of pictures. Do live in this city?"
A: "Yeah. I'm just here with my kids. They wanted to come to the park today."
B: "What's a good place to visit in this city?"
A: "Where have you been so far?"
B: "This was my first stop. I was going to look at my maps."
A: "I recommend going to the water front in downtown. They have a ferry you can ride, some good restaurants, and a good beach for a walk."
B: "How do I get there from here?"
A: "You see Jackson street over there? Go straight for 10 blocks. When you see 5th Avenue, turn left. Follow the street for about 3 miles and you should see it."
B: "Thanks. I'll go check it out. It was nice talking to you."
A: "It was nice meeting you. Have a good time."
A: "Are there so many people here all the time?"
B: "I'm not sure. This is my first time here."
A: "Me too. I think this is a great place."
B: "Yeah. I think so too."
A: "Where are you from?"
B: "I'm visiting from Cleveland, Ohio. How about you?"
A: "I'm from Seoul, Korea."
B: "How long are you visiting for?"
A: "For 2 weeks. I went to San Francisco and Los Angeles. I want to see the Grand Canyon before I go. I'll probably visit Grand Canyon on Monday."
B: "Ah, looks like you are having a great time."
A: "Yes I am. How long are you visiting for?"
B: "I am only here for three days. My kids have been wanting to come to Disneyland for a long time."
A: "That's great."
B: "Oh. My family is waiting for me. I hope you enjoy your stay in America."
A: "Thank you. It was nice meeting you."
A: "That's such a cute dog. What kind is it?"
B: "He's a cocker spaniel."
A: "I have a terrier at home. What's his name?"
B: "His name is Buffy."
A: "Hi Buffy. You're so cute. Do you come here for a walk often?"
B: "About 3 times a week. It's a good walk and Buffy likes it too."
A: "It's a great place for a walk. I wish I had a trail like this at home."
B: "Where are you from?"
A: "I'm visiting from Korea. I live in the city so there aren't many places like this."
B: "I guess that's one thing good about suburban life."
A: "I wouldn't mind the slower pace of life. I am always in a hurry. That's why I wanted to come and relax."
B: "That's good. How long are you staying for?"
A: "I'm here for about three weeks. Oh, it looks like Buffy wants to go."
B: "Yeah. Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope you have a good time here."
A: "Thanks. It was nice talking to you."
There are many opportunities to talk with strangers. If you are waiting for a bus, or if you are waiting in line, strangers start talking to each other. Another opportunity is if you are on a ferry or in the park sitting on a bench. Basically, opportunities can come everywhere. You should practice this section if you want to talk with different people. Talking to strangers require a lot of small talk. You can study more about small talk in the English Lesson section. For now, we will cover things like talking about where you came from.
If you look like a tourist, some people will ask where you are from. This is just a way to get to know strangers. It's quite common to talk with strangers here. Here are some questions you might hear.
"Are you visiting from somewhere?"
"Yes. I'm visiting from Korea."
"Are you on vacation here?"
"Yes. I'm taking a vacation from Korea."
It's very common for strangers to talk to each other if you are at a tourist location. For example, if you are at Disney Land and you are sitting down, someone next to you might ask some questions assuming you are visiting from somewhere.
"How are you enjoying your vacation?"
"I'm having a great time. How about you?"
"It's pretty fun here. Are you having a good time?"
"This is a great place. I'm having a lot of fun. Are you having fun?"
"Are you here with your family?"
"I'm here with my wife and 2 kids. They are so excited to be here."
"My kids love this place. This is our third time here. Have you been here before?"
"This is my first time here. I always wanted to come and I'm having a great time."
Starting a Conversation
The best time to start a conversation is when you are next to someone who is not moving. You can't start talking to someone walking away from you. Then you are bothering them by making them stop. But if you are sitting down on a bench and someone is next to you, or you are at a beach and someone is close by, you can start a conversation by saying something generic. Here are some conversation starting sentences. But after you make your first sentence, you should see by their reaction if they want to continue the conversation or not. If they appear a little rude, then stop talking to them. You don't have to say anything to stop talking. They don't expect you to. They expect you to not say another word. But if they ask a question back, and they seem friendly, then you can continue with the conversation.
"The weather is so nice today. Are you from around here?"
"How is your day going so far?"
"There are a lot of people out here today. Is this normal?"
An easy way to start talking is when you notice something such as their kids, family, or a dog they might be with.
"Are you here with your family?"
"Are you on vacation?"
"Are those your kids? They're so cute?"
"What kind of dog is that?"
It's much easier if they start the conversation. If they make a comment or ask a question, then you know that they would like to talk.
Finally, it's common for these types of conversation to last only a couple of minutes. So don't feel bad or feel pressured to keep the conversation alive.
There isn't that much more to tell you about speaking with strangers. The best way to understand what types of things are said in a stranger to stranger conversation is to hear a couple of examples. I will give a couple examples to help you understand more.
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Do you need help finding anything?"
B: "I'm looking for this shirt in a small."
A: "Let me see if we have any in the back."
B: "Thank you."
A: "I found a couple. Here you go."
B: "Thank you. Do you sell belts here?"
A: "Yes. They are on the other side of the counter there."
B: "Thank you."
A: "You're welcome. Let me know if you need anything else."
A: "Do you have disposable cameras?"
B: "Yes. They are next to the film on aisle 6A."
A: "Which way is 6A?"
B: "Two rows that way."
A: "Great. Thank you."
A: "Hi. I would like to send this to Korea."
B: "How would you like to send it?"
A: "What is the price difference?"
B: "You can send it priority airmail for $17.68 or regular airmail for $13.95."
A: "I'll send it through regular airmail."
B: "Is there any food items in here?"
A: "No."
B: "Is there any firearms or explosives?"
A: "No."
B: "Is there anything fragile?"
A: "No."
B: "Would you like to insure the contents?"
A: "How much is insurance?"
B: "For $200, it comes to $3.76."
A: "Yes please."
B: "Do you need any stamps today?"
A: "No thank you."
B: "Ok. Your total is $18.63."
Department Store
I will have more coverage of these topics in the regular English Lesson section, but I want to provide some general things specifically for travelers. In this lesson, we will cover shopping, bank, and post office terminologies and sentences for travelers.
Department Store
There are only a few things that you need to know how to say. Here is a small list.
Finding something
"Do you have different sizes for this shirt?"
"Where are your blue jeans?"
"Do you have regular T-Shirts here?"
"Where is the dressing room?"
"Do you have a dressing room?"
Shoes
When you see a shoe that you like, you have to find a worker and have them bring your size out to you. Here are some ways to say what you want.
"Can I try this shoe on in a seven?"
"Can I get this in nine and a half?"
"Can I get this in a size six?"
If you don't know what your size is, they will take your measurement.
"I don't know what my size is?"
"I don't know what size I am."
"Can you take my measurement?"
When you go to the register, you don't need to say anything. However, they might ask you a bunch of questions.
"Did you find everything you needed today?"
"Was anyone helping you with this?"
"Would you like to open a credit card? You can get 10 percent off of everything for today."
These are all yes and no questions so answer appropriately.
Grocery Store
In the grocery store, you don't have to say anything except when you need to find something. Here are some sentences to find general items.
"Where is the fruit section?"
"Do you sell ice cream here?"
"Where can I find batteries?"
"Where is the toothpaste?"
"Can you point me to the medicine area?"
"Where is the bakery section?"
"Do you sell fresh seafood?"
"Do you sell postcards?"
"Where can I find film?"
Be careful when you say film. They will not understand you if you say it improperly. If you have difficulty pronouncing film, you should say, "Where can I find camera film?"
"Where are the shopping carts?"
"Where can I find a shopping basket?"
Bank - Currency Exchange
Listen to the Entire Lesson
If you are a traveler, then you don't need to open a bank account. For more banking specifics, feel free to ask us.
"Do you exchange foreign currency?"
"What is your exchange rate for the Korean Won?"
"Can I cash my traveler's checks here?"
"The exchange rate is .0009 cents for one won."
"I would like to exchange 500,000 won please."
"500,000 won at the current exchange rate is $450. Here you go."
Post Office
If you buy too many things and you have to send it through the mail, you can go to the post office. If you don't have a box, most post offices sell boxes of all sizes.
"Do you sell boxes here?"
"Can I buy one of those large boxes?"
"What is the largest box you sell?"
"How much is the box?"
If you are sending it to a different country, you have to fill out a form. You can either wait until you are ready to send it, or you can fill out the form before going to the counter. They will have blank forms available next to the counter for anyone to take. On the form, you have to specify what you are sending, how much it costs, and the address of where you are sending it to. After filling out the form and packing your box, you are ready to go back to the post office to send it.
Because the box should already have the address, they will not ask you where you are sending it. The first question they usually ask is how you want to send it. You can send it by boat, and a variety of air mail.
"How would you like to send it?"
"How much is it for air mail?"
If that is too expensive, you can ask if there is anything cheaper.
"What is the cheapest way to send it?"
Because you are sending a box, they have standard questions they ask everyone.
"Are there any perishable food items in the package?"
"Are there any fragile items?"
They also ask if you want insurance on the package. It's not that expensive so you can ask how much it is.
"Would you like to insure your package?"
"Would you like insurance?"
"How much is it?"
"It's $7.16."
After everything is determined, they always ask one more question.
"Do you need any stamps today?"
That is basically it. Let's cover some general sentences you might need to know in the post office.
"How much does it cost to send a regular letter to Korea?"
"What is the fastest way to send this mail?"
"What time do you open in the morning?"
"What time do you close?"
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order?"
B: "I'll take the number one."
A: "What size would you like?"
B: "Medium please."
A: "Will that be for here or to go?"
B: "Here please."
A: "The total comes to $4.89. We'll have that right out for you."
A: "Can I get a drink started for you?"
B: "I'll take a coke."
A: "One coke. I'll be right out with your coke."
--Pause-- "Here's is your coke. Are you ready to order?"
B: "Can I have one more minute?"
A: "Sure. I'll be back in a little bit."
--Pause-- "Do you need more time?"
B: "I'm ready now. I'll have the Patty Melt with fries."
A: "Do you want regular fries or steak fries?"
B: "Steak fries please."
A: "I'll have that out for you in a few minutes."
--Pause-- "Here you go. Do you need anything else?"
B: "Can I have a bottle of ketchup?"
A: "I have one right here."
B: "Great. Thanks."
A: "Is everything ok here?"
B: "Yes. Thank you."
--Pause-- "Excuse me. Can I have my bill?"
A: "Sure. Here you go."
Fast Food
There are many types of restaurant. In this lesson, we will cover what you need to say in fast food restaurants, regular sit down restaurants, and luxury fine dining restaurants.
Fast Food
McDonald's is a popular restaurant, so I will use McDonald's as an example. The only thing you do when you go to a fast food restaurant is to go to the counter and order your food, then pay for it. That's all. Let's go through some quick sentences.
"Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order?"
"I'll take a Big Mac and a small coke."
"One Big Mac and one small coke. Will that be all?"
"Yes."
"Will that be for here or to go?"
"For here please."
"The total comes to $3.87."
A common mistake is to answer yes or no when you don't know the answer. I heard of many stories when the cashier asks, 'for here or to go', and the person says, 'yes'. It is simple to avoid this mistake by studying and being prepared.
In most fastfood restaurants, it is even easier to order. They have value meals and you just have to say a number.
"I'll take number 2."
But the difference is that there are sizes.
"Would you like medium, large, or super size?"
"Medium please."
Regular Restaurant Ordering
When you sit down to eat at a restaurant remember to leave a tip. The average you should leave is 15 percent.
After you are seated, the first thing they ask is if you want something to drink.
"Can I get you a drink?"
"Can I get a drink for you?"
"Would you like to order a drink now?"
"Can I get a drink started for you?"
"What would you like to drink?"
"I'll take a coke."
"I'll have an orange juice."
"Water will be fine."
"Can I have a glass of water?"
After they bring out your drinks, they will take your order. The reason they do this is because most people know what they want to drink, but want a few minutes to decide what to eat.
"May I take your order?"
"What would you like to order?"
"Are you ready to order?"
"What would you like today?"
If you need more time, you can simply say, "Can I have a couple more minutes?"
When you are ready to order, just read off what you want.
"I'll take the Salisbury steak with hash browns."
Depending on what you order, they will have side options they will ask you about. Listen carefully to your choices and choose one. You should prepare yourself by reading the menu carefully. It should indicate what your options are.
"Would you like toast, a muffin, or a cornbread?"
Regular Restaurant Eating and Requesting Bill
Most places will come by once when you are eating and ask how everything is. This is a chance for you to order something else, complain about something, or get a refill on your drink. Some of the things they might say are:
"How is everything?"
"Is everything ok?"
"How is your dinner?"
"How is your lunch?"
"Are you guys doing ok?"
"Do you need anything else?"
When you are almost done with your meal, they might ask if you want some dessert.
"Would you like dessert today?"
"Would you like our dessert menu?"
"Would you like to order any dessert?"
"Any dessert for you today?"
"Would you like to hear our dessert special?"
If you are finished and want your bill, you can look for the server, make eye contact, and raise your hand. When they come by, ask them for the bill.
"Can I have my check?"
"Can I have my bill?"
"I'm ready for my bill."
"I would like my check please."
Fine Dining
The process of fine dining is very similar to the previous example. I'll list a couple of additions for fine dining that I didn't include above.
If you order wine, they will pour a tiny bit into your glass. You should immediately take a drink of it and shake your head yes. After you approve, they will pour your glass and other glasses full of the wine.
Some restaurants need to prepare dessert 20 minutes in advance. That means they will ask you if you are going to have dessert while you are eating instead of waiting for you to complete.
Finally, these types of restaurants take reservations. Here is an example of making a reservation through the phone.
"Hello, McCormick's. How may I help you today?"
"I would like to make a reservation."
"What day did you want to come in?"
"This Friday at 7:00pm."
"We have a table at 7:15. Will that be acceptable?"
"Yes."
"May I have your name?"
"Rich Yu. That's Y U."
"I have reserved a table for Mr. Yu on Friday at 7:15. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"That will be all."
"Thank you for calling."
"Thank you. Good Bye."
"Good Bye."
When you come in, you can tell them that you have a reservation.
"Hi, I have a reservation at 7:15 for Rich Yu."
"Oh, yes. Mr. Yu, your table will be ready in just a moment. You can wait right over there."
Asking for Directions
When you are looking for something, it is sometimes easier to ask for directions. When you do, you have to be able to listen to the directions given. In this lesson, we will study listening a little more so you can effectively understand a person giving you directions.
Here are some key words you have to remember. I suggest you drill these in your head because they are very commonly used when giving directions. There are many direction terminologies. I'll cover all the common phrases. You should be able to effectively give directions and receive directions after this lesson.
Asking for Directions
Most of the time, you should start by saying excuse me. The pronunciation for excuse me can be shortened. The shortened form sounds like 'scuse me.'
"Excuse me. Do you know where the post office is?"
"Excuse me. Can you point me to the nearest gas station?"
"Excuse me. Can you give me quick directions to the movie theater?"
Excuse me. Do you know how to get to the Shopping mall from here?"
"Excuse me. How do I get to the freeway from here?"
"Excuse me. I'm looking for Bank of America. I thought it was around here. Do you know where it is?"
"Excuse me. I'm looking for the post office. Do you know how to get there?"
"Excuse me. What is the best way to get to Seattle?"
When you ask for directions, the person responding will usually give you quick directions. The next section is a list of common phrases used when giving directions. You should study them carefully so when someone gives you directions, you can understand them without having to say 'one more time.'
Left Right and Around the Corner
Take a Left/Right
"Take a left at the next light."
"Take a right at the gas station."
"When you get to Robson Street, take a left."
"After you pass 7-11, take a right at the next light."
"Take a left when you come to a stop sign."
Turn Left/Right
"Turn right on 112th."
"Turn left after you pass McDonalds."
"When you see a church on your left hand side, turn right on the next street."
"Turn left at the next street and immediately take another left."
Just/Right around the corner
"It's just right around the corner on the left side."
"It's right around the corner from the Starbucks over there."
"Go down the street, turn left on Williams Street, and it will be right around the corner from the gas station."
Across Blocks and Miles
Go for five blocks/After three blocks
"After you turn right, go for five blocks and turn left. It will be right around the corner."
"After three blocks, turn left. You will see it on your right hand side."
"Go for four blocks and then turn right."
Across the street from/Directly across
"It's across the street from the library."
"It's directly across from Taco Bell."
"Go for three blocks, turn left at the next light. You'll see it across the street from McDonalds."
"Go down the street. You'll see it directly across from the gas station."
Go for 2 miles
"It's pretty far from here. Go on Washington Street for about 2 miles. You'll see it next to a school."
"Turn right at the stop sign and go straight for a couple of miles. At 112th turn left. You'll see it on your right hand side."
"Go straight on this street for about 3 miles. You'll see it next to Wendy's."
Light and 'Y'
On the third light
"Go down this street, after you pass two stop lights, turn right on the third light. You'll see it right around the corner."
"Head down Madison Street and on the fourth light, turn left. You should see it immediately."
"Turn right on Jackson. Keep going straight for three lights. When you see Burger King, turn left. It's right there."
The 'Y'
A 'Y' is a street that turns into two. It's not really a left turn or a right turn, but the street is shaped like the letter 'Y'.
"Keep going down this street. Stay on the left side when you reach the 'Y'. At the next light, turn right."
"Take a left on Jackson. At the 'Y' go to the right. It will be on your left hand side about a mile down that street."
"Go for about three miles on this street. At the 'Y' go to the left. You'll see a blue house on your right. It's right after that house."
Dead end and 'T'
The 'T'
A 'T' intersection is a three way intersection. You can either go left or right. The street is shaped like the letter 'T' so people call it a 'T'. Sometimes they don't call it a 'T'. Other names for a 'T' intersection you might hear are more descriptive. Here is a list.
'When the road ends...'
'When you can't go anymore...'
'Three way intersection...'
"At the 'T' intersection, turn right. It is just around the corner."
"When you pass a gas station, you will come up to a 'T'. Take a left, and then an immediate right."
"Go down this road until it ends. Turn left at the 'T' and you will see the gas station on your right."
Dead end
This isn't a direction terminology, but dead end is a road that has only one entrance. That means the only way out is the way you came in. All dead end streets will have a sign at the entrance with the word 'Dead end'.
If you are going to a location that is in a dead end, someone might use this word.
"Turn right on 117th. It's a dead end. We are on the right hand side at the end of the street."
"There are three places to turn right. The second one is a dead end so make sure you don't go in there."
"I live in a dead end street. It's nice because there isn't much traffic."
Freeway Explanation
America uses a freeway system. Freeways pass through all major cities and are used very frequently. If the distance is far, you probably will have to take the freeway. To give directions referring to the freeway, you use North, South, East, or West. Other ways you might hear are Northbound, Southbound, Westbound, or Eastbound.
Most freeways also have exit numbers. In many states, the numbers start at one from the beginning of the state border and increases by one every mile. If someone says you should take exit 178, you should stay on the road until you see exit 178. Each exit is clearly marked so you don't have to worry about missing it.
You will know you are going the wrong direction if the numbers are going in the wrong direction. For example, if you need to take exit 150, and the first exit number is 151, and the next one is 152, and the next one is 153, then you know you should turn around because the numbers are getting larger.
Regular Practice
For this practice session, there will be one question with a long direction. You shouldn't read the text while listening. Instead, listen to the audio, and then without looking, try to write them down. See if you can understand on the first attempt. Here are several questions and answers for practice.
Question: "Excuse me. I'm looking for a supermarket. Do you know where the closest one is?"
Answer: "Yes. It is a couple miles away. What you want to do is go down this street for about a mile. At 112th street, turn left. Stay on 112th until you pass three lights. You should see 56th street. Turn right and you will see the supermarket just around the corner."
Question: "Excuse me. Do you know where Starbucks is located?"
Answer: "Yes. Go down this street. When you reach a 'T', turn right. At the next stop sign, turn left. You'll see a gas station on your left. Starbucks is directly across the street.
Question: "Excuse me. I'm looking for Best Western. Wasn't there one around here?"
Answer: "Yeah. Let me think... the best way to get there is by turning right at the next street. Immediately take another right on the next street. Go for about 2 miles. When you see Greenwood Avenue, turn left. Head down Greenwood for about 3 miles. I believe it will be on your left hand side. If you pass a school, that means you went too far."
Question: "Excuse me. How do I get to the airport from here?"
Answer: "Turn around and you'll see an entrance to the freeway. Go south. You'll have to go for about 15 miles. You should see airport signs, but just in case, it is exit number 154. Turn right off the ramp and it will be straight ahead."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Thank you for calling Great Hotel. How may I help you?"
B: "I would like to rent a room, but how much do you charge a night?"
A: "Our prices start at $79 a night for a standard room."
B: "Great. Can you reserve a room for me?"
A: "Sure. What day are you coming in?"
B: "I will be checking in on August 3rd."
A: "How many days do you need the room for?"
B: "I'll need it for three nights."
A: "Ok. I have you coming in on the 3rd of August and checking out on the 6th. Is that correct?"
B: "Yes."
A: "How many total adults?"
B: "Two adults and two kids."
A: "How old are the children?"
B: "10 and 12."
A: "Would you like one room or two rooms?"
B: "Just one is fine."
A: "Would you like a smoking room or a non smoking room?"
B: "Non smoking room please."
A: "Can I have your last name?"
B: "Park."
A: "Your first name"
B: "Young. That's Y O U N G."
A: "Let me confirm your information Mr. Park. I have one non smoking double room with 2 adults and 2 children from August 3rd to August 6th. Is this correct?"
B: "Yes."
A: "The total comes to $256.78. Can I get your credit card number?"
B: "Sure. It is 555555555555."
A: "What is the name on the credit card?"
B: "Young Park."
A: "I have the room reserved for you. If you need to cancel, please call us 24 hours before your check in date. Failure to cancel will result in a one day charge on your credit card. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
B: "Yes, one more question. What time can we check in?"
A: "We can check you in by 2:00pm."
B: "Great. Thank you."
A: "Thank you and have a great day."
B: "Thanks. Bye"
A: "Good bye."
Making a Reservation I
It is not common to go to a hotel without a reservation so I will only cover the reservation aspect. Along with reserving a room, I will cover checking in, checking out, room service, and wake up call.
Making a Reservation
When you make a reservation, call them and tell them you want to reserve a room. Or, you can start by asking them for a price.
"Hi, how much are your rooms?"
"Hi, what are your rates?"
"Hello, how much is a room?"
"Our rooms start at $79 for a basic room."
"Our rooms start at $79 for a standard room and go up to $300 for a suite."
"Ok. Can I reserve a room?"
"Hi, I would like to reserve a room."
"Hello, can I reserve a couple of rooms?"
The first thing they usually ask is the dates you want the room and the duration.
"What day do you want to check in?"
"Which date did you want to reserve?"
"What date are you looking for?"
"I want a room from June 22nd to June 25th."
"I would like a room for the 19th of July."
"How long will you be staying with us?"
"When will you be checking out?"
"How many days would you like the room for?"
"I am going to stay for 3 days."
"I would like to reserve the room for 4 days."
"I am going to need the room until July 23rd."
Making a Reservation II
The next series of questions covers how many people and how many rooms. Some hotels charge by number of rooms and number of adults, and some hotels charge by number of rooms only.
"How many rooms will you need?"
"Is this for only one room?"
"How many rooms would you like to reserve?"
"How many rooms should I reserve for you?"
"I will only need one room."
"I am going to need two rooms."
"How many adults will be in your party?"
"How many total children will be with you?"
"Just two adults."
"A total of four adults."
"I will be alone."
"A total of 2 adults and 2 children."
"One adult and 2 children."
Making a Reservation III
After they determine how many rooms and how many total people, they will ask you what type of bed you want.
"Would you like a single king size bed, or two double size beds in the room?"
"Will a single king size bed be ok?"
"We only have a room with two double size beds. Will that be ok?"
"Do you want a smoking room or a non smoking room?"
"Do you prefer a smoking or non smoking room?"
"I would like a smoking room."
"Can I have a non smoking room?"
"Either is fine."
"I don't have a preference."
You will have to provide your credit card number to reserve the room.
"Can I get a credit card number?"
"Can I have your credit card number?"
"What is your credit card number?"
Finally, they will repeat all the information back to you.
"Ok, Mr. Lee. I have one smoking room reserved for July 19th till July 22nd. The total comes to $256.78 after tax. If you need to cancel, please call us 24 hours before July 19th. Can I help you with anything else?"
Checking In and Checking Out
Checking in is pretty simple, you just need to go to the counter and say that you are checking in.
"Hi, I am checking in."
"Hi, I have a reservation and I am checking in."
They will ask you for your credit card and a photo ID. They might confirm your information and you should receive your keys. Here are some questions to ask during this time.
"Where is the elevator?"
"Do you have concierge service here?"
"Do you have a map of the city?"
"What time should I check out by?"
"What time is check out?"
Checking out is just as simple. You go to the counter and say, "I am checking out." At this time, you should return the keys. They might ask you to sign something or ask you if the credit card on file is ok to charge.
"Should we charge the credit card on file or did you want to use a different card?"
"Your credit card will be charged a total of $256.78. Can you sign on the bottom?"
"Thank you for staying with us. We look forward to seeing you again."
General Things
If you need a wake up call, you can call the front desk.
"Can I have a wake up call?"
"What time would you like your wake up call?"
"At 7:30 am please."
Room service is available but they have hours of operation. The menu in the room should indicate what times they serve hot food, and the menu will show a list of items that are available 24 hours a day. If you can't find the times, you can ask the front desk.
"What are the hours for room service?"
"They serve hot food from 5:30am to 11:00pm. They also have a list of items you can select from during off hours."
If you need help with your luggage, the person that does this is called a bellman, a bellhop, or a bellboy. The most common term is a bellman so I will use that terminology here.
The person that gives advice on city activities, recreation, places to dine, and general questions is called a concierge.
If a person parks the car for you, they are called a valet.
Regular motels and inns might not have these additional services. Even some hotels do not have them. But if you are staying at a nice hotel, you can ask for them.
"Do you have a bellman here?"
"Do you have a concierge?"
Only some hotels have valet service. If someone parked the car for you and you can't find someone, you can ask someone else the following questions.
"Where is the valet attendant?"
"Can you get someone to get my car?"
Remember that if you use these premium services, you should tip. Also remember that you might not know they are helping you. For example, when you check in, a person might ask if you need help with your bags. If you say yes, then you are using the bellman services. So remember to tip if you do. If you don't want to tip, you don't have to, but it is a little rude. Finally, if you don't want any help, just tell them, "No thank you."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Hello, ABC Car Rental. How can I help you?"
B: "Hi, I wanted to make a reservation."
A: "What location would you like to rent from?"
B: "I am flying into Los Angeles Airport. Do you have a booth there?"
A: "Yes we do. What date are you flying in?"
B: "I am arriving on June 22nd."
A: "What time is your arrival time?"
B: "I am scheduled to arrive at 2 pm."
A: "How long would you like to rent the vehicle?"
B: "I will need it for 10 days."
A: "What size car would you like?"
B: "A midsize car please."
A: "Can I get your name?"
B: "Yes. My name is Sang Min Lee."
A: "Can you spell that?"
B: "Last name is L E E. First name is S A N G. Middle initial is M."
A: "Great. Thank you. I have reserved a midsize car for you for June 22nd until July 1st. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
B: "That will be all."
A: "Thank you for calling."
B: "Thank you. Bye."
A: "How can I help you today?"
B: "I would like to rent a car."
A: "Do you have a reservation?"
B: "No."
A: "That's alright. Let's see what we can find. We have several cars to choose from. What size are you looking for?"
B: "What are my options?"
A: "A compact car, midsize car, and a minivan."
B: "How much are they?"
A: "Compact is $21.95 a day, midsize is $27.95 a day, and a minivan is 35.95 a day."
B: "I'll take a midsize car."
A: "How long will you be renting the car?"
B: "One week."
A: "How many people will be driving the car?"
B: "Just myself."
A: "Would you like insurance?"
B: "How much is it?"
A: "It is $14.95 a day and it covers everything regardless of fault."
B: "Yes please."
A: "Can I have your name?"
B: "Last name is Lee. L E E. First name is Sang. S A N G."
A: "Your address please?"
B: "I am from Korea. Would you like my address in Korea?"
A: "Just the city name."
B: "Seoul, Korea."
A: "Can I see your driver's license and a credit card?"
B: "Sure. Here it is."
A: "Great. That will be $324.92. Would you like me to charge it on this card?"
B: "Yes. That will be fine."
A: "Please sign here. You can pick up your car downstairs. Your expected time to return the car is June 29th. That is exactly one week. Show the attendant this invoice. When you return the car, bring this invoice with you. Also, the gas tank is full, you should fill up the gas tank before you return. If you don't want to, we can do it for you for $3 a gallon. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
B: "That will be all. Thank you."
A: "Thank you. Good bye."
Car Availability
When you travel, it is common to rent a car. You will either call and make a reservation, or you will rent one by walking up to the counter. We will cover both scenarios here.
At the Counter
If you are at the airport, you can ask an airport employee, "where is the rental car booth?" or "where can I rent a car?"
After you arrive at the place, you will ask if you any cars are available. Here is a common script.
"Hi. I would like to rent a car."
"Do you have any cars available?"
They might ask, "Did you make a reservation?" In this scenario, you didn't so you can answer, 'no.' If they don't have any cars available, they will say, "I'm sorry, we do not have any cars available today." If that is the case, then go to the next counter. Most airports have numerous car rental booths so you can keep asking until you find a company that has a car available. If you are going during peak vacation periods, it might be good to call and reserve one. But let's continue with this scenario.
If they have a car available, they will ask what type of car or what size.
"What size car would you like?"
"What type of car would you like?"
"What type of car do you need?"
"What sizes do you have?"
"What are my options?"
"We have compact, midsize, full size, luxury, SUV, and a minivan."
"How much is the full size car?"
"How much is the midsize car?"
"How many does the full size car seat?"
"How many can fit in the midsize car?"
"I'll take a midsize car."
Duration and General Questions
In order to verify if they can give you the car you requested, they need to know how long you will need the car for.
"How long will you be needing the car?"
"How long will you be renting the car?"
"When do you need the car till?"
"I'll need the car for two weeks."
"I want to rent it for one week."
"I need it for 4 days."
"I need it for just a day."
They might ask you to fill out a form, or they might ask you many questions.
"What is your last name?"
"What is your first name?"
"Are you a United States resident?"
"What country are you from?"
"What is your address?"
Insurance and Driver License
Before giving you a price, they will then ask if you would like insurance or if you have insurance. The price varies. Last time I checked it was approximately $15 a day for insurance.
"Would you like insurance on the car?"
"How much is insurance?"
They will also ask who is going to be the driver.
"Who is going to be the driver?"
"How many people are going to drive?"
"Are all the drivers at least 25 years old?"
You will have to provide a driver's license. If you are from a different country then you should at least have an international driver's license prepared from your country.
"Can I see your driver's license?"
"May I have your driver's license?"
"I will need to see your driver's license."
Price and Rules
Finally, they will tell you the price and you will have to pay with a credit card.
"The total will be $184.19."
At this time, you can give them your credit card.
After you pay, they will tell you some rules.
"The gas tank is full. You should fill it up before you return the car. If you do not, then we charge $3 a gallon."
"You can pick up your car downstairs. Just show them the invoice and they will have your car ready for you."
"You will need to return it by 4pm on the 16th. We charge an additional $8 for every four hours that you are late. Return it to the same place you picked up the car."
"Please keep this form in the car. Bring it with you when you return the vehicle."
The price of $8 is just an example. Make sure you find out if you are not sure you will be late or not.
"How much do you charge if I am an hour late?"
After this process, you should have your car and you are ready to drive away.
Making a Reservation
You will be calling the company you are renting from. When you call, you should verify if the rental car company has a location at the airport you are flying into.
"I need one at Los Angeles Airport."
"I am flying into Los Angeles Airport."
If they have one, they will say they do and start asking you similar questions we already covered. We will not repeat them here, but I will have a practice session giving an example dialog on making a reservation below.
They might ask you for a credit card number on the phone. If you don't call and cancel, you might be charged. So if you need to cancel, remember to call and cancel at least 24 hours before the date. I am not sure if it is 24 hours. You should ask and verify.
"If I need to cancel, when should I do that by?"
"As soon as possible, but in order to avoid a charge you should call 24 hours before the date."
When you arrive at the counter, you will tell the person that you have a reservation.
"Hi, I have a reservation under last name Lee."
"Hi, I have a reservation for a midsize car."
After that, they will confirm your information. They might ask you some duplicate questions, but we should have covered most of it already.
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Welcome. May I have your tickets?"
B: "Here you go."
A: "Is anybody else traveling with you two?"
B: "No. It's just us."
A: "Do you have your passports with you?"
B: "Yes. Here it is."
A: "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. Please respond with a yes or a no."
B: "Ok."
A: "Did someone you do not know ask you to take something on the plane with you?"
B: "No."
A: "Did you have possession of your luggage since you packed?"
B: "Yes."
A: "Did you leave your luggage unattended at all in the airport?"
B: "No."
A: "Are you carrying any weapons or firearms?"
B: "No."
A: "Are you carrying any flammable material?"
B: "No."
A: "Do you have any perishable food items?"
B: "No."
A: "Great. Can you place your baggage over here?"
B: "Sure."
A: "Would you like an aisle or a window seat?"
B: "Window seat please."
A: "Ok. I am placing you two in 21A and 21B. The gate number is C2. It is on the bottom of the ticket. They will start boarding 20 minutes before the departure time. C2 is located around the corner through the hall. Thank you."
B: "Can you point me to gate C2?"
A: "Sure. It's that way. Around that corner."
B: "Great. Thank you."
Airport
Confirming your Flight
If you are taking a plane to travel, then you will be calling a travel agent and purchasing a ticket in your own country. We will not cover this portion because you can do it in your own language. But once you arrive to your English speaking location, you might need to change your flight and talk to English speaking people. More likely, they will have people speaking your language, but just in case, we will cover some general topics about air traveling here.
Confirming your flight
Some airlines require you to call a couple days in advance to confirm your departure date. Here are some sentences you will be asked and what you will need to say.
You: "I would like to confirm my flight."
Them: "Can I get your ticket number?"
You: "The number is 45-6-43."
Them: "You are scheduled to depart on June 15th at 1:00 pm. Is this correct?"
You: "Yes it is."
Them: "Is anybody else traveling with you?"
You: "Yes, my wife."
Them: "Can I have the other ticket number?"
You: "It is 45-6-44."
Them: "Your tickets have been confirmed. Please arrive at the airport 3 hours before your flight departs. Thank you for calling."
Some other questions you might hear are similar to the ones you might hear at the airport counter.
"Would you like to book your seats now?"
"Would you like a window seat or an aisle seat?"
"What is your ticket number?"
"What is your last name?"
"What is your first name?"
Departing Date
Listen to the Entire Lesson
Reserving a date to depart or changing a departure date
If you have an open ended ticket or would like to change your departing date, you will have to call and reserve a date to depart.
"I have an open ended ticket and I would like to schedule a departure date."
"I have a ticket and I need to schedule a departure date."
"I am scheduled to depart on June 15th. Can I change this to a later date?"
"I have a ticket to depart on June 15th. I would like to see if there is an earlier flight available."
With any of these questions, the other person will usually ask for your ticket number. After that, they will ask you what date you want to depart.
"What date would you like to depart?"
"What date would you like to change it to?"
"When do you want to depart?"
You should respond by selecting a date.
"I would like to leave on June 22nd."
"Is June 22nd available?"
"Can you check if June 22nd is possible?"
"I was hoping to reserve a seat for June 22nd."
After you select a date, they will either say ok, or they will tell you the closest dates available to your selection.
"Yes. We have seats available for the 22nd. Would you like me to reserve them?"
"On the 22nd, the departure time is 1:00pm. Should I reserve them?"
"We have two flights departing on that date. Would you like to depart at 10am or 7pm?"
"I'm sorry, but we do not have any available seats on the 22nd. Should I put you on the waiting list?"
"I'm sorry, there are no departures for the 22nd. We have a flight leaving on the 21st and the 24th. Will either of these days work for you?"
"The 22nd is full. The next available flight is on the 23rd. Would you like me to reserve a seat on that date?"
At the Counter
When you first reach the counter, you should give them your ticket and your passport. The first question they usually ask is how many are traveling with you.
"Is anybody traveling with you today?"
"Is anybody else traveling with you?"
"Are just you two traveling today?"
All airlines have a list of questions they have to ask you. Let's look at some of these questions.
"Did someone you do not know ask you to take something on the plane with you?"
"Did you have possession of your luggage since you packed?"
"Did you leave your luggage unattended at all in the airport?"
"Are you carrying any weapons or firearms?"
"Are you carrying any flammable material?"
"Do you have any perishable food items?"
If you don't understand, you can't say yes or no to all of them. The correct answer for some of them is 'no' and some of them is 'yes'.
"How many pieces of luggage are you checking in?"
"Do you have a carry on?"
"Can you place your bag up here?"
"How many carry on bags are you taking with you?"
Afterwards, they might ask if you prefer an aisle seat or a window seat.
"Do you prefer window or aisle?"
If they are out of aisle seats, they will ask you if window is ok.
"We do not have any aisle seats remaining. Is a window seat ok with you or would you prefer a middle seat?"
Some people like to be by the emergency exit. You can ask for that seat.
"Do you have a seat next to the emergency exit?"
"Can I have a seat closest to the emergency exit?"
If they do, then you will get a seat by the exit, but if they don't, they will try to give you one that is close.
"All the seats next to the exit have been taken. I have a seat directly in front of it. Would you like that one?"
Finally, they will tell you the gate number and the boarding time.
"Here are your tickets. The gate number is on the bottom of the ticket. They will start boarding 20 minutes before the departure time. You should report to gate C2 by then. C2 is around the corner and down the hall. Thank you."
Finding the Gate
They will usually tell you what gate you should go to, but if you need to ask again, I will provide an example question. Also, you might need to ask someone where the gate is located.
"Which gate did you say it was?"
"What was the gate number again?"
"Can you point me towards the gate?"
"How do I get to the gate again?"
"How do I get to gate C2?"
"Where is gate C2?"
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Hello? This is Steve."
B: "Hi Steve, this is Mary from ABC Company. I'm returning your call."
A: "Hi Mary. How are you doing?"
B: "I'm doing great thanks."
A: "Thanks for returning my call. I couldn't figure out why the ending balance on fiscal year 2003 didn't match the beginning balance on of 2004."
B: "When I checked, it was matching. How much is the difference?"
A: "The amount is exactly $42,000."
B: "Oh. I know what the problem is. We opened another bank account at the end of fiscal year 2003. I might not have included the new bank statements when I sent over the information."
A: "That makes sense. I'm just glad it wasn't out of my miscalculation. Can you send over the statements? I should be done by end of day since everything looks good."
B: "Sure. I'll fax them to you immediately. Is 555-123-4567 the number I should fax it to?"
A: "Yes. That is the correct number."
B: "I'll do it right now."
A: "Thank you for your help."
B: "I should have sent them over to you the first time. I apologize for that."
A: "No problem."
B: "Thank you."
A: "Thank you. Bye."
A: "Hello, ABC Company."
B: "Hi, this is Janet from Consult R Us. May I speak with Alex please?"
A: "He's in a meeting right now. Would you like to leave a message?"
B: "Yes. Can you have Alex call me back when he is available? My name again is Janet, and he can reach me at 555-987-6543."
A: "It's Janet at 555-987-6543. Can I tell him what this is regarding?"
B: "He sent over a fax, and the last page didn't print out. I will need for him to resend the fax to me."
A: "I'll let him know."
B: "Thank you."
A: "Thank you for calling ABC."
B: "Good bye."
A: "Bye."
A: "Microsoft, this is Steve."
B: "Hi Steve, this is Richard from Third Hand Testing. I'm calling in regards to the MSN assignment. Do you have a minute to answer a couple of questions?"
A: "Sure. What can I help you with?"
B: "We originally agreed on 5 testing procedures, but our program manager received a mail indicating 4 testing procedures. Is 4 the correct number?"
A: "Yes it is. We found that we can do the last one here."
B: "Great. Does the timeline change because we reduced one of the testing procedures?"
A: "We don't have to change the timeline. Our original timeframe was very aggressive."
B: "That makes our job a little easier."
A: "Do you have any other questions?"
B: "No. That's all I had. Thanks for your time."
A: "No problem."
B: "Ok. Good bye."
A: "Bye."
Talking on the phone is very common in the office. You will be in a situation where you have to call someone, receive a phone call, leave a message, return a call, and a variety of other tasks. We will use this lesson to cover all the details about making and receiving phone calls.
Receiving a call is probably the easiest.
"Hello, this is Mike."
"Microsoft, this is Steve."
Calling someone is a little more difficult. You should state your name, where you are from, what you are calling for, and the question. Let's give it a try through an example.
"Hi Mary, this is Michael Johnson from ABC Consulting. I am reviewing the financial data for the payroll project. I will need the 2002 fiscal report to complete this task. Do you know where I can get a copy?"
This example is very clear, organized, and concise. It first explains who the person is, what they are doing, and what they need. If you need to call someone to obtain information, you can use this type of sentence.
Let's try one more, but this time, you are asking for help.
"Hi Bob. This is Steven from ABC Company. I'm calling in regards to the data entry program you created. I'm having trouble locating where the connection is made to the server. Can you help me with this?"
Similarly, this phone call starts with an introduction of the person, a quick sentence on what the call is regarding, and a short description on what this person needs. If you are in this situation, use this process and write it down so you can say what you need smoothly. After you become familiar with it, you will not need to write it down anymore and you should be able to say it fluently.
If you have questions and a consultant or another business employee is visiting your company, then asking a question to them is very similar to asking a question to anyone else.
"Hi Bob. I'm George. I'm the technical writer for this project. I had a question regarding the installation process. If you have a minute, can you show me the installation process? I'm having problems on the confirmation section."
Usually, when a person is visiting your company, then it is polite to tell them your position so they can understand what type of help you will need. In the previous example, we used the same process of asking for help with an introduction, telling them what it is regarding, and what the problem or question is.
Verifying Information
Sometimes you have to verify an order, or double check a figure. If you have the information and you just want to verify that it is accurate, then you can use these types of sentences.
"Hi Debra, I'm analyzing the log files and noticed entry 14 was negative 42. Can you confirm if this is accurate?"
"I see that our April 2003 revenue was 1.2 million dollars. Can you double check that this figure is accurate?"
"I am going to meet with the CFO in an hour. Can you look through this report and double check my findings? It should only take you 20 minutes or so."
Telling person you will call them back
If you receive a question from a client or customer that you do not know, you can either tell them that you will find the answer for them, or tell them to call someone else. Let's learn how to do these things professionally.
"I don't have the answer right off hand. I'll need to find that information for you. Will it be ok if I call you back in about 30 minutes?"
"I believe I can find that information for you. It might take 10 minutes or so. Can I call you back with the information?"
"I'm not sure about the answer. I'll find the information and call you right back. Will that be ok?"
"I'm not sure about this one. Let me ask my manager. Can you please hold?"
Redirecting
Receiving a Call
"I believe Joe Carry in marketing can help you with that. Do you have his contact information?"
"I'm not sure about that. I'm pretty sure Mitch Smith will be able to answer this and other questions. Let me give you his number."
Making a Call
"Can you redirect me to that person?"
"Can I get his contact information?"
"Can I get his phone number?"
"What is the best way to contact her?"
"Can you direct me to someone who can help?"
"Hi, this is Matt from ABC Company. I have some questions on your Platinum level business package. Can you redirect me to someone who can help?"
Leaving Messages
When you call someone and they are not there, you have to leave a message on their voice mail. Remember to state your name, your company, and what the phone call is regarding. Then leave your phone number even though you think they have it.
"Hi Mary, this is Josh from ABC Company. I have some questions regarding the financial data you sent me yesterday. Can you give me a call back when you have time? My number is 555-123-4567. Thank you."
"Hi Jack, this is Julie from Consult R Us. I am missing a couple pages on the document you sent me. Can you call me when you are free? My number again is 555-321-7654. Thank you."
In some cases, you will receive a phone message like this. If you have to call them back and they are not there also, you can leave a message saying, you are returning their call. Here is an example.
"Hi Josh, this is Mary and I am returning your call. I'll be in the office for the next three hours, so feel free to call me back any time. Just in case, my number is 555-234-5678."
"Hi Julie, this is Jack. I double checked the documents I sent you and I am not sure what pages you are missing. I might not be at my desk, so feel free to call me on my cell phone. The number is 227-1000. Hope to hear from you soon so we can straighten this out."
On another occasion, you might call someone and they might not call you back. In this case, it is polite to call them again. This is how you can leave a second message.
"Hi Mary, this is Josh again from ABC Company. I'm not sure if you got my first message so I am leaving one more. I have some questions regarding the financial data you sent me several days ago. Can you call me at 555-123-4567 when you get a chance? Thank you."
If the company does not have voice mail, you can leave a message with the secretary. After asking for the person you are looking for, if they say they are not in, then leave a message with them.
"Can you have Julie return my call? This is Jack, and my number is 555-123-4567."
Sending and receiving information
While you are working, you will need to send information back and forth to business partners or to clients and customers. Since email is covered in its own separate section, let's work on sending packages through the mail and the fax machine.
"Hi Jack, I have the final documents requiring your signature. I will have them delivered to you by tomorrow. If you can sign them and return them, we can submit the documents by Friday."
"Hi Ruth, I have the escrow papers ready for review. Should I mail them to you, or can I fax them?"
"Do you have a fax machine?"
"Can I have your fax number?"
"When you finish the final review, can you fax over the documents. Our fax number is 555-345-6789."
"I have a package that I am going to send out. I will Fed-Ex it to you tonight."
Fed-Ex is a short way of saying Federal Express. It is a delivery company that ships immediately. A lot of businesses in the States use this method of shipping things, so it became common to say, 'Fed-Ex it.'
"I believe I have your fax number. Is it 555-234-5678?"
If a person said they will send information, you might have to call them to check on the status if you haven't received it.
"Hi Mary, this is Diana at ABC Marketing Co. Can I get a status on the fax you are going to send over?"
"Can you check on the status of the documents you are faxing to me? I haven't received it."
"Hi Mary, I didn't receive the fax last night. Can you fax it again? We should also confirm what fax number you have on file."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Hi Mark, I have something important to tell you."
B: "Come on in. What's on your mind?"
A: "Well, I have decided to leave the company. I had a wonderful time here, but it is time to move on for me."
B: "May I ask why?"
A: "I got an offer from ABC Company. It's a management position and I really don't want to let this opportunity pass me by. You know I have been looking for a management position here, but all the positions here are full."
B: "I understand your decision and you have my support."
A: "Thanks for understanding. I can work here two more weeks."
B: "Ok. Will you be able to finish your current assignment?"
A: "Yes I will. And if you hire someone within two weeks, I would be happy to provide training on my areas."
B: "That would be great. We're going to miss you here."
A: "I'm going to miss this place too. Thanks."
A: "Hi Mary, I interviewed with another company and they offered me a position. I wanted to let you know before I made my decision."
B: "I'm sorry to hear that. But I appreciate you telling me before you accepted the offer."
A: "I really enjoy my work here, but I was concerned about the lack of opportunities. I put in effort to gain more experience here, but the projects are limited."
B: "What would help you to decide to stay?"
A: "I would consider staying more if I could change my position. I would love working in this same group, but I would like to be doing something different. And finally, they offered me 6 percent more than my current salary."
B: "When do you have to make a decision by?"
A: "They want me to respond in a week."
B: "Let me see what I can do and I'll let you know tomorrow or on Wednesday. Can you wait until then?"
A: "That's not a problem."
B: "Great. I'm going to do everything I can to keep you on board."
A: "I appreciate what you are doing for me."
B: "It's the least I can do. You're a valuable asset here."
There are many questions to ask before a meeting. If you are curious about what the meeting will cover, you will need to ask the organizer of the meeting. You can also ask things like how long the meeting will take, and who is coming to the meeting. Let's try a couple of these sentences.
"Hi Jack. Do you know who is coming to your meeting at 2:00?"
"Who all did you invite to the triage meeting?"
"Hi Jack. How long do you think the meeting will be?"
"I have to schedule another appointment at 4:00 but I don't want it to overlap with yours. How long is the meeting going to be?"
"Is the meeting going to be more than an hour?"
"What time was the meeting again?"
"When are you going to make that presentation? I thought it was today?"
Here are common statements people use when they can't attend a meeting.
"I have another appointment that conflicts with your meeting. I will not be able to make it."
"I have another meeting that I cannot miss. I won't be able to make yours."
"I won't be able to go to the 3:00 meeting. I have another appointment at the same time."
"I can't go to the meeting at 4:00. I have a doctor's appointment. Can you take notes for me?"
"I'm going to be out of town tomorrow, so I won't be able to attend the quarterly meeting. Can you send me a mail on the topics that were discussed?"
Canceling a Meeting
If you are the meeting organizer, then there are times when you have to cancel a meeting. Here are some sentences you can use for this situation.
"There are four people who will not be able to attend the meeting tomorrow. I am going to reschedule the meeting to a more convenient time."
"The director asked that we postpone the finance meeting until the quarterly report comes out. So I'll send an update with the new date and time later this week."
Some meetings are weekly meetings that occur at the same time. It is common that these meetings are canceled when there is nothing to talk about.
"There is nothing new to discuss this week, so we are going to cancel this week's agenda meeting."
"I am running late this morning. Let's postpone the meeting until the afternoon."
"I can't make it in tomorrow, so let's cancel this week's meeting. I'll email everyone if something new comes up."
During the Meeting
If you have to talk in a meeting, there are three general reasons. You might have to ask a question, state your opinion, or you will have to ask for clarity on something you didn't understand. Let's see some of these sentences.
Raising a Question
Depending on the type of meeting, you might have to wait for the meeting to end before asking a question, you might have to raise your hand to ask a question, or you can simply ask a question any time. I'll give an example on each of these.
If you are in a type of meeting where you can ask a question at any time, then you can say this.
"I have a question. Why is marketing not handling the portion on end user analysis? They usually did this work in the past."
"How will the new addition to our project affect the deadline that we have?"
"Are we making sure to incorporate user feedback on the changes we are making?"
Stating your Opinion
Basically, you can ask any questions, there is no specific way to do it. This is the same when you are talking about your opinion. Someone might ask what you think about the idea or situation. You will simply speak your answer.
"I agree with Mark. The correct approach is to send out the tools to our partners before making it public to everyone."
"In my opinion, I think we should introduce our new line of printers in August. Many companies get more funding at this time, and students are school shopping. Our target market will be more responsive to our ads during this time period."
"I think we can go either way. I believe both solutions will take care of it."
Asking for clarity
Asking for clarity is similar to asking a question. The only difference is that they already answered it and you don't understand. So you should state exactly what you don't know, or ask for clarity on a specific part of the question.
"I didn't understand why we are going to be late. I thought we had everything planned out early. What were the reasons again?"
"Can you elaborate on how this process can help the sales department?"
"Can you clarify the second step in your solution proposal? I don't understand why it is necessary."
After the Meeting
It is common to talk about meetings afterwards. Sometimes it is to say how useless it was, or that you were bored, but there are times when someone might ask you for feedback. Other times, you might want feedback if you were the person holding the meeting. Let's cover these here.
Asking for Feedback
"What did you think about my presentation?"
"Did you think the meeting went ok?"
"Can you provide feedback on the meeting we just had?"
"Did you find the meeting useful?"
"Did the meeting help to clarify the current situation?"
"Is there any part of our discussion during the meeting that you are still unsure about?"
Providing Feedback
Even if you think the meeting was boring and useless, you can't say that unless you are talking to a close friend. Many times in the office, you have to give a professional answer.
"I thought the presentation went well. You provided great information and I think everyone was impressed."
"The meeting went well. We covered a lot of information and made some important decisions."
"The whole presentation went pretty well, but next time I would recommend that you talk a little slower. When we were running out of time, you started speaking too fast and it was hard to keep up."
"Most of the time, our weekly meeting is pretty dull, but today was quite useful."
"I understand what is happening to our project now, but I'm still unclear about exactly who is affected by this change."
General Statements
"I have to go. I have a meeting I'm late for."
"I have to go to a meeting now. I'll talk to you later."
"I forgot about my 1:00 meeting. I don't have much time for lunch."
"I'll finish the feedback form after my meeting."
"I'll be in meetings all day today."
"I have five meetings today, so I won't have time to help you with this now. Let's set up a time for tomorrow."
"The meeting went an hour over."
"The meeting was canceled."
"The meeting started 15 minutes late."
"George didn't arrive to the meeting on time."
"We finished late because John had problems with his computer during the presentation portion of the meeting."
"Are you going to the company meeting next week?"
"Can you set up a meeting for our brainstorm session?"
"My calendar looks pretty clear on Thursday. Set up a meeting for that day."
If you have a close friend in the office, then you can speak more candidly. Here are some general statements you can make about meetings. But be careful who you say them to.
"I hate meetings. I think they are a waste of time. I'm an engineer, not a planner."
"I don't know why I have to go to those meetings. I never learn anything from them and I never say a thing."
"I can't believe our weekly meeting is at six o'clock in the morning. I hate waking up that early."
"If I skip that meeting, I wonder if anyone will notice."
"That meeting was hilarious. I can't believe the manager forgot John's name."
"I get so sleepy at meetings."
"I almost fell asleep during that meeting."
"I had a hard time keeping myself from laughing. I saw you falling asleep during the meeting."
Quitting or Leaving Work
When the time comes to leave work, you can do whatever you want. You can raise hell, say you hate everyone and yell out, 'I quit!!!' But in other cases when you want to leave professionally, you can use this lesson to help.
There's a common phrase when you are leaving a company. 'Don't burn the bridge.'
This is basically saying you should leave on a good term. If you leave on a good note, then you have the option of coming back to the company or your position if something goes wrong with your next job. So basically, you are leaving the bridge back to your position.
If you are leaving because you have an offer from a different company, here are some professional statements you can make to your manager.
"Hi Mark, I have a wonderful opportunity to work at a different company. I enjoyed my time here, but I shouldn't pass this up. I am putting in my two week notice."
Remember that in the States, changing job is very common. So it is no big deal when you leave a company. Businesses understand the need for change and realize that some people want different challenges in their life. So don't be nervous when you have to leave.
Giving a two week notice is standard. This gives your current employer the chance to hire someone to replace you. It also gives some time for you to finish the remaining work you have to do. Not giving a two week notice is one way to burn a bridge. The new company you are going into should realize this and will not expect you to start your job immediately if you have to give a two week notice. If you don't have a job, then this doesn't apply to you.
Here is another example.
"Hi Mark, unfortunately I have to tell you that I am leaving the company. I really enjoyed my time here and I appreciated all your help on my tasks. I have to put in my two week notice."
"Hi Mark, I received an offer from a different company. This is a great opportunity for me so I accepted the offer. My decision on leaving is not because I didn't like my duties here. I really enjoyed my experience. But I am at a point where I want to find other challenges. I hope you can understand."
I have seen some people leave the company to go on a year trip around the world. Others I have seen just wanted to spend more time with their kids. I know in some countries it is hard to get back into a company after you leave, but in the States, if you are a good employee, it is easy to get their job back. Many times after a long break, they returned to the same company.
"Mark, I have decided to leave the company. I have worked here for 10 years and I really enjoyed it. But I want to take a break and spend more time with my family. So I am putting in my two week notice."
"Hi Mark, I have come to a decision to leave the company. I am going to travel for a year and this is the best time period for me to do so. I have always wanted to travel for an extended time period, and this is the only time I can do it. I can work for another month, so hopefully that should give you some time to find a replacement. And if you want, I can train the new employee on my areas."
Negotiating before Leaving
Receiving a job offer is another way to negotiate a salary increase or a position change. If you are a great employee then your current employer might try to entice you to stay. If you are willing to stay, you can say that you received another offer and you are still thinking about it. If they try to make you stay, you can state what it will take for you to stay.
"Hi Mark, I am at a crossroad in my career. I have recently interviewed with a different company and they extended an offer to me. I haven't decided yet, but I wanted to tell you before coming to a decision."
If at this time they ask you to stay, then you can ask for a couple of things.
"If I didn't like this company, it would be an easy decision, but I really like it here. However, I have been asking to take on Program Management responsibilities here. Also, they are offering me a 6 percent higher salary than my current pay. Can anything be done about these two things?"
"Hi Mark, I have been thinking about moving back to my home town. I have a job lined up, but I haven't decided yet. I wanted to let you know before I make my final decision."
If they ask you to stay, you can say the following, but if they don't ask you to stay, then it is useless.
"Well, they are offering me a higher salary. It's 7 percent higher than my current salary. Would it be possible for you guys to match this?"
General Statements
When you talk to co-workers, you will eventually tell them that you are leaving. Here are some general sentences.
"Next Friday is my last day."
"I already put in my two week notice."
"I'm leaving the company."
"I accepted a job offer from ABC Company. This Friday will be my last day here."
"I'm leaving this dump."
"I would've left a lot sooner but I had to get a job lined up first."
"I got screwed here so many times. I don't want to work here anymore. My last day is this Friday."
"It was great working with you. I wish you the best on this project."
"I had a wonderful time here. I wish the best for you."
"I really enjoyed working with you. I'll send you my personal email so keep in touch."
If someone else is leaving, then you can say something good like the example sentences below.
"I hope you enjoy your new job. Let me know if they have any other opening."
"Good luck in your new job. We'll keep your seat warm for you in case you want to return."
"Hey Jack, good luck with your new job and save me a seat."
"We'll miss you here. Good luck with your new career."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "It's that time of year again."
B: "Yeah. I always get nervous during this time."
A: "It shouldn't go too bad."
B: "So, how did I do this year?"
A: "Let me first ask you how you feel about your performance?"
B: "I think I improved a lot and made a lot of great contributions. I completed all my assignments ahead of schedule, I volunteered for two more extra projects, and mentored a couple of our newer employees."
A: "I agree. You did great this year. I got your rating back from upper management and it's not bad, but it's not the best. You received a 3.5, a 4 percent raise, and an 8 percent bonus."
B: "I got a 3.5? Why? I was really expecting a 4 this year. I really worked hard."
A: "Unfortunately, we can't give everyone a 4. There were a lot of people who did great this year and we only had a few 4's to give. You barely missed the cut."
B: "What could I have done to get a 4? I thought I did everything to deserve one."
A: "I agree. I think you should have received a four, but the only thing I can suggest is for you to be more visible. The people who beat you this year didn't necessarily do better work than you, it's just that people knew the work they were doing more than yours. You need to stand out a little better."
B: "How do I do that? It doesn't make sense. If I work my ass off and I do great work, why does it matter if I show off or not?"
A: "If 3 people are equal in their work, the only deciding factor is how much of the work they know about. Since upper management cannot know the details of everything, they mainly see the people who are visible. You can do this by taking on projects that affect the whole team so everyone can see, or you can be pro-active in finding places for improvements and sending out a mail to management with your ideas."
B: "If I did a great job, why did I only get a 4 percent raise?"
A: "You got a high raise comparing to other people. The average raise throughout the company was 2 percent. They cut back a lot on raises due to the slow economy."
B: "I'm a little disappointed, I'll see you tomorrow."
A: "Ok. Think about what I said and we'll try to give you more assignments with more visibility."
A performance review period is a time when your manager reviews your work and tells you where you need to improve or where you have been doing well. Some smaller companies do not have a concrete review process. But large companies have a process in place. Some of them do a review two times a year, and some companies have a yearly review. Your review is sometimes dependent on how much raise you will get and sometimes even the bonus amount.
Because the review is different from company to company, I will use this lesson for sentences you need to say during the time you speak with your manager. I will not be going into the details and timeframe of the review.
If there is a process in place, then you probably have a template to write down your achievements over a certain time span. This is your chance to toot your own horn. So include everything you did and do not be modest. If you don't have a template to follow, then write down on a word document the achievements you made. It is also good to write down some places where you want to improve. Some people might think that telling your manager where you need to improve is basically admitting to having flaws, but great managers think a person who can identify their own problems and fix them are great employees.
Achievements
Everyone has certain responsibilities. You should use your responsibilities as a guide when you talk to your boss. The best way is to go through each responsibility and state how you successfully accomplished everything you were responsible for.
If you are a sales person, then the best metric is to use your sales number.
"I have exceeded the average for all sales categories. I was in the top 3 for renewals, I was second in accessory sales, and the most in new services. Overall, I was the first in our store and third in the whole region."
If you are a computer engineer, then it will be a little different.
"I finished all my assignments on time, I fixed the most amount of code errors, I did code reviews on numerous occasion, and I created a program that helped the installation process. This ultimately reduced the installation time by 40%."
Some General Statements
"I feel I did a great job. I exceeded all my goals, and I made the most sales throughout the year."
"I am very happy with my performance over the year. I completed all my projects and I even took on three additional assignments. I also helped the junior employees on a regular basis."
"I'm happy with my results. The project I have been working on was a success. During the process, I managed to overcome all obstacles and finished on time. We have increased our revenue while decreasing cost."
"I believe I am on track. This year I have learned a great deal. I am very familiar with all our tools and I even completed my first project successfully."
These are general sentences you can say, but if you have a list of accomplishments, you should say them one by one in a paragraph. But make sure you speak clearly and slow enough so the other person can keep up.
"I have accomplished a great deal this year. I analyzed all monthly sales data, wrote up a thorough report for each one, I also created a process of submitting the report form that saved an hour for each report, I worked on four projects that were all successful, and I created a How-To document for new employees."
This is long, but it is actually very simple. All I am doing is stating each thing right after the other. You should make a list and basically say them all together. It's effective and short.
Self Improvement
If you are going to mention where you need improvement, it is very important to include how you are going to improve. This is similar to asking what is your weakness. If you mention a weakness, show them what steps you are taking to improve in that area. Finally, you must be certain it is ok to expose an area for improvement. I don't recommend doing this on your first review. After the first review, you will have a better idea if it will help to critique yourself.
"I feel I need to be more technical. I realized how important it is to know different computer applications. In order to improve, I have researched some classes I can take, and I even bought a couple of books. In the next 3 months, I am going to concentrate on learning these new tools."
This is a good answer because it shows the manager that you are capable of finding your own faults. It also has a step by step process with a timeline on how you are going to improve.
Timeline is important because it shows that you are not going to procrastinate. If someone says, I'm going to read this book, you don't know when they are going to read it. It is much better when someone says they will read this book within 2 weeks.
Here is one more example.
"An area I would like to improve is in planning. I plan all my work and I complete everything on time, but I feel if I do a better job at planning, I can be more efficient with my time. In order to work on this, I created a checklist of everything I should think about before starting a project. Using this checklist will make me think of potential obstacles that I wouldn't normally think about, verify that I am not forgetting something, and keep me on track to complete ahead of time. I am going to do this and see how much it improves my efficiency for the next 2 projects. Afterwards, I'll report how much it helped or didn't help."
Compensation
Reviews are another time period where you get a raise and a bonus. If you work in a large company, then it will be hard to complain and get something changed. But if you work in a small company, you can ask for a larger raise. However, you must be in a position where the company will suffer if you leave the company. If you are replaceable, then the company doesn't have to give you a good raise. Just in case you are in one of these situations, here are some example sentences.
If you know you did more than anybody else, then here is a statement you can make to your manager.
"I have done more and better work than anybody else. I have learned everything on my own in the first three months without any training, and I have been a great employee. An 8 percent raise is not what I had in mind. I want a minimum 20 percent raise."
If they agree with you, then they might give you a larger raise, but they will question the 20 percent raise. You should know the average pay in your field and use that as ammunition.
"I agree that you have performed well, but 20 percent is a large raise. Where did you get that number from?"
If you researched, then you can answer calmly with facts that your manager cannot disagree with.
"I have researched the pay for 5 different companies for someone with my experience and skill set. On average, they are being paid 25 percent more than me. I don't expect to get paid more than the other people because this is a smaller company, but I should get what I deserve and that is at least 20 percent."
If you have to go on frequent business trips, then you can include that as well.
"The average pay for workers who have to go on frequent business trips is significantly higher than what I am being paid. There is no overtime pay here and all the extra work is not compensated for. I feel it is fair to get a larger raise due to the amount of quality work I do and the frequent business trips required for this position."
Large companies have a process in place and most people will get a similar raise. If you get a small raise and you know you cannot fight for a larger raise, then you can at least ask what the average raise is.
"A three percent raise barely covers inflation. What was the average raise throughout the company?"
Most of the time, the answer will be very similar to what you got.
"I did very well this year and exceeded all my goals. Why am I only receiving a four percent raise?"
Sometimes even great employees will get a small raise in a large company. It might seem small, but if the company is struggling financially, they might not give anybody raises. Here is an example of what you might hear for the question above.
"You actually got the maximum raise this year. Most of the people didn't get anything. Some people got a two percent raise. So you should actually be happy with your raise. The economy is down and the company needs to save money. They can't give large raises this year."
This lesson will give some guidelines on how to explain something and how to speak during presentations. Because I cannot be specific to every topic, I'll choose general ones. You should primarily be looking at the structure and style for this Business English lesson.
It is understandable if you feel nervous or uneasy about having to explain something in
English. Because English is not your first language, it is very difficult. However, in the office, you will be in many situations when you have to explain something. Here are 3 tips to make your explanation or presentation easier.
First, you should not talk fast. I work in a large company with many different people from all over the world. The hardest time I have when listening to someone is when they talk fast with a bad accent. The problem they have is that they are fluent and comfortable speaking English, but they do not realize how bad their accent is. If you speak slower, you can avoid this problem. Unless you are certain that your accent is understandable, always speak a little slower.
Second, you should speak clearly. Say each word clearly and emphasize the important words. Even if they don't understand every word in your sentence, they will understand the whole meaning with proper emphasis.
Third, prepare and practice ahead of time. You should record yourself and listen to the recording. You should also get an American friend to judge you. This is a lot of work you have to do in the beginning, but this is VERY important. Even though it will make your presentation or explanation clearer and better, that is not the reason I am saying you should do the recording and getting a friend to listen. The reason why this is so important is because you are laying the foundation on proper communication in regards to intonation and pronunciation. For example, if you don't do this, you might think you don't have a problem and you will continue to practice incorrectly. Soon, you will be someone who can talk fast but have terrible pronunciation. You will become the type of people I described... hard to understand. If you take the time to practice for several hours before each presentation, you will be practicing the correct way to enhance your English abilities.
Explanation
The third step above is primarily for presentations. When you have to give an explanation, you might not have time to prepare for it. If someone asks you a question, you can't tell them that you will need two hours to prepare before answering.
However, if it is work related, you have the ability to anticipate questions ahead of time. Think of your area of expertise and list many questions you have heard from co-workers or friends. If you speak in your own language, you know exactly how to say it without preparing for it. But in English, you don't know where to begin. List all your answers out and learn how to say it in English. If you do this, then anytime you get asked a question about your area, you can quickly respond. Here is an example with more tips.
"Can you explain the process of selling a house and the cost associated with it?"
"You can either sell the house by yourself or get an agent. Since most of the people use an agent, I will explain that. The first thing you need to do is find a sellers agent. The agent will list your house on the market. After the house is on the market, people who are looking to buy a house will find a buyers agent. The buyers agent looks through the list of houses for sale posted by the sellers agent. The buyers agent shows your house to potential buyers. When someone makes an offer, the buyers agent will let the sellers agent know about the price that the buyer has offered. After everyone agrees, the house is sold. The price associated with selling a house is based on commission. The sellers agent will get an average of 2.5 percent of the selling price and the buyers agent will get 2.5 percent as well. If the price of the house was $300,000, then each agent will get $7500, costing you a total of $15,000."
You're first reaction might be, 'when am I ever going to be able to say all this at one time?' But it is much easier than you think. I'll explain further.
We have someone asking about selling a house or something. We have to explain the process. Even if you don't know the process of selling a house in America, you can use the same guideline for your area of expertise. If you can say each sentence individually, then you can say all of them put together.
I start by saying there are a couple of ways to sell a house.
Then the example says you will explain the more common process.
From here, it is basically listing steps.
1. "The first thing you need to do is find a sellers agent."
2. "The agent will list your house on the market."
3. "After the house is on the market, people who are looking to buy a house will find a buyers agent."
4. "The buyers agent looks through the list of houses for sale posted by the sellers agent."
5. "The buyers agent shows your house to potential buyers."
6. "When someone makes an offer, the buyers agent will let the sellers agent know about the price that the buyer has offered."
7. "After everyone agrees, the house is sold."
8. "The price associated with selling a house is based on commission."
9. "The sellers agent will get an average of 2.5 percent of the selling price and the buyers agent will get 2.5 percent as well."
10. "If the price of the house was $300,000, then each agent will get $7500, costing you a total of $15,000."
This list seems pretty simple now. Each sentence is relatively short. There is no difference between the long paragraph and the listed out items. Both contain the same words. All I did was put them together.
Finally, if you feel that you cannot create these sentences even in a list form, use an example that you are familiar with. I'm sure you will have an easy time creating a list if the topic is in your area of expertise.
I recommend listening to the paragraph again. But this time, listen to the speed I talk. Also, listen to the pauses after each sentence. Notice that I don't have unnecessary words like 'and', 'moreover', 'furthermore', 'Afterwards', and so on. These are good words, but you don't need them that much when you are explaining something verbally. Using pauses between sentences and speaking clearly and slowly is the best way to communicate an explanation.
Presentation
Presentations are longer than an explanation, but it is easier in the sense that you have time to prepare for it. The biggest mistake I have seen is that people do not use short simple sentences. Many of the best presentations from English speakers I have seen are those who use simple sentences that are easy to understand. Remember that a long paragraph can consist of 10 short sentences. It is still effective and much easier to say.
Many times, a person will be using a presentation software like Power Point. If that is the case, then you should prepare your slides and a separate document with your sentences for each slide. You shouldn't read them, but at least it is there just in case you forget to mention something. Use it as a preparation material before the presentation and reference during the presentation. Each sentence should be step by step explaining the content on the slide.
I am not going to be giving an example because presentations are all different depending on the subject. But keep in mind the process I explained on the house selling example. Keep the sentences short, speak slowly and clearly, put emphasis on key words, and leave a short pause after each sentence.
There are many times when you will have to explain something. Here are some questions you might hear.
"What did you do this week?"
"What are you going to do next week?"
"What is your schedule like for the next two weeks?"
"Can you explain how to perform an evaluation for a partner feedback?"
"How do I perform a refund for a credit card purchase?"
There are numerous questions like these you might run into. To answer all of them, just follow the list example.
"This week, I finished the analysis on Ford Motor, I started writing a report on international market penetration, and I showed our new employee how to use our software."
This example is very simple. It is basically a list of three things. You don't need to include any words in between.
You can use this same style of answer for many different types of questions.
"Next week, I have to finish my report, research information on GM Motors, and make a presentation on our market strategy."
"To perform a feedback on a partner you need to specify who the partner is, what project they worked on, the outcome of the project, where they need to improve, and finally what they did well."
"On the credit card machine, press the refund button. Then type in the credit card number and press enter. Type in the amount, and press enter. That's all you need to do."
Whenever you are giving an explanation, remember the easiest way to do it is by giving a list and putting them together. In order to be able to do this, you must know how to say key words in your area of expertise.
When you have to give a presentation, remember that preparing is the most important. As I said earlier, take the time on your first several presentations to record yourself and find a friend to listen to your presentation.
Finally, let's review the three key steps you need to remember when giving an explanation or a presentation.
Don't talk fast: Even people with perfect English have this problem. Talking fast is not good when you are explaining something or giving a presentation.
Talk clearly: Making the words in each sentence clear will help anyone to understand you better.
Prepare and Practice: This is the most important. As time goes on, you will realize how much your preparation will help with your overall English skills.
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "How are things at work?"
B: "It's not too bad. But I hate our office setting."
A: "Are you in a cubicle?"
B: "No. I would be happy with a cubicle. We have 10 desks all in a large room. The supervisor is at one end with a view of everyone."
A: "That sucks. You have no privacy."
B: "I know. I can't even take a small break because everyone is watching. But that's not the worst part. I can hear everyone talking all day long and it's so distracting."
A: "I feel sorry for you."
B: "I can't even complain about something to the supervisor because everyone can hear."
A: "Why do they have the office set up like that?"
B: "I'm not sure. Maybe they want to save money, or maybe they think it's more effective."
A: "Is anybody in an office?"
B: "Only the people above the supervisor."
A: "Maybe if they got out of their office and worked in the open space they would realize how terrible it is."
B: "I guess I'll just have to tolerate it for now."
A: "Do you have cubicles in your company?"
B: "No. Everyone has their own office."
A: "You're so lucky. I'm in a cubicle."
B: "I'm so glad we have our own office. There is so much privacy and we can take breaks whenever we want."
A: "How does management know if you are working or not?"
B: "Our company doesn't really keep track of little details. Our performance is based on our assignments and projects. Management doesn't care when it's done, they just want the person to do a good job and turn it in on time."
A: "I like that method. In our company, our manager wants to know every detail almost every hour. If we are a little behind, the manager gets mad and starts worrying."
B: "I would hate that environment."
A: "I agree. It's not a good work environment. Do you ever play video games in your office?"
B: "Not when it is busy, but when we are experiencing a down time, I close the door and start a game of Star Craft. If someone comes in, I quickly switch the view on the monitor."
A: "You're so lucky."
B: "I don't take it for granted, but I wouldn't mind a window office soon."
A: "Shut up you freak."
Desks all together
If you are in an environment where you have to sit at a desk right next to 15 other people with the same desks, I'm sorry for your situation. It's very uncomfortable working like this, but it is a reality. Here are some things I heard from people in this setting.
General statements or complaints
"It's not that bad, but there is no privacy."
"I wouldn't mind it so much if the manager couldn't see every minute of my day."
"I hate it. Even if they can't give us offices, they could at least give us cubicles."
"The reason I hate it so much is because I can't take a small break. Since the manager is always looking at everyone, even when I am not working, I have to pretend like I am."
"There are a lot of distractions. I can hear everything everyone says in the whole office."
"Mary sometimes turns on the music. It's not that bad, but sometimes I want it quiet."
"If I have a complaint about something, I can't talk to the manager because everyone will hear. I have to set up a meeting and use the conference room."
Questions and Requests
"I don't have another outlet near my desk. Can I get a power strip?"
"Can I move to a different location? The sun always glares off my monitor and I have trouble working."
"Can I sit on the other side of the room? This is too close to the door and it gets cold here."
"I get hot easily. Would it be possible if I sit next to the door? It is much cooler there."
Cubicles
Here is the entire Lesson
A cubicle is a work area that is separated by small portable walls. It is generally about 4 to 5 feet high and it gives a little more privacy. Although it's not as good as an office, it is much better than having to sit in an open area looking at everyone. Another benefit of having a cubicle is that you can personalize the space. There are small walls to put up pictures, decoration, or to put up a white board or a cork board.
"I sit in the cubicle down the hall. It's next to the conference room."
"My cubicle is directly on the other side of this wall. Come by sometime."
"The files are on my desk in my cubicle. I'll get them for you."
"I walked by your cubicle and saw a heater. Where did you get such a small one like that? I think I want one for my cubicle as well."
"There are a couple of people with the name Steve in our office. If you say, 'Steve' real loud, you will see two heads appear at the same time. It's quite funny."
If you hear the term 'cube farm', it is referring to a huge space with a lot of cubicles.
"I heard ABC Company has a serious cube farm. Even the CEO has a cubicle. I think that's pretty cool."
"How big is your cubicle?"
"My cubicle is about 5 feet by 6 feet."
"It's roughly 5 by 6."
"I'm not sure, but it fits two small desks and a drawer. I guess it's big enough for me."
Office
If you think having an office will stop all your complaints and you will be happy, you are mistaken. It's amazing how people with their own office still find things to complain about. I am just as guilty. I remember when I was sharing an office with one other person, I was complaining about not having my own office. And when I got my own office, I remember complaining about getting a bigger office. When I got a bigger office, I remember complaining about not having a window office. Isn't it strange how the complaints never end? Let's see some of the sentences for this section.
"Why is Jack's office so much bigger than mine?"
"I'm next in line for a window office. How come you gave it to Paul?"
"There is an empty office across the hall. Can I have it?"
"It's great having my own office because I can surf the Internet and take a real break anytime I want."
"The privacy is probably the best thing about having my own office. I can't image working in a cubicle again."
A common phrase you might hear from you manager is to come to their office.
"Can you stop by my office?"
"Stop by my office when you get a chance."
"Let's meet in my office."
If you want to stop by someone's office, you can say this.
"Can I stop by your office after lunch?"
"Can I come by your office now?"
"Can we talk in your office?"
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Hey Mark, I'm assigning you on the Tully project. You'll have to go to California in two weeks."
B: "What is my objective over there?"
A: "You have to review financial documents over there. If you find something missing, work with their accountants to get the documents you need to complete the analysis."
B: "How large is this project?"
A: "It's pretty big, so take someone with you. I think you can finish in a week if two of you are working on it."
B: "Do we have to arrive there at a certain time?"
A: "Not really, but you should get there before lunch to settle in. Then you can get in half a day."
B: "Who should I contact when I get there?"
A: "I'll email you the details, but you should go book your flight soon."
B: "Will do. Do you have a recommendation on who should go with me?"
A: "Either Seth or Josh."
B: "Ok. I'll find out who has more time."
A: "Great. Keep me informed."
B: "Got it."
A: "Hey Seth, you wanna go for lunch soon?"
B: "How about in 30 minutes. I'm almost done with this section."
A: "Ok. Where do you want to eat?"
B: "I'm ok with anything, but let's go to a fast food place."
A: "There's a Burger King around the corner. Let's go there."
B: "Sounds good. One quick question... I'm going to finish all my work tomorrow. If we finish tomorrow, I suggest we head back home tomorrow evening. What do you think?"
A: "I think that's doable. We'll see how much we get done today, and if we're close, I'll let them know that we'll be done tomorrow."
B: "Sounds good."
If you have a job that requires traveling or business trips, there are many things you need to know how to say. I recommend studying the Travelers Guide section I have for general traveling needs. But for this lesson, I am going to cover the things you need to say to the people you are traveling with and questions you need to ask about the business trip. Most of this lesson is primarily showing you a variety of questions you might need.
Details
When you go on a business trip, you will need to find out a lot of information.
"Where are we going for our business trip?"
"Where are we going this time?"
"What city are we traveling to?"
"What is the objective for this business trip?"
"What is our goal for this business trip?"
"What do we want to accomplish for this business trip?"
"What is the primary purpose for this business trip?"
What day are we departing for our business trip to Los Angeles?"
"How long are we going to be there?"
"How long is the business trip scheduled for?"
"What time is ABC Company expecting us?"
"Who should I report to when I get to ABC Company?"
People who go on business trips get a daily allowance for food and other small necessities. This is called a per diem. The amount depends on the company, but you should ask how much you get a day.
"How much is the per diem?"
"How much per diem do we get a day?"
"How do we get the per diem?"
"Isn't the per diem too low?"
"What do they expect us to eat with this amount of per diem?"
"Is the business trip really going to take us all five days?"
"If we finish on the fourth day, can we come back early?"
"I think we can finish a day early. Can we come back on Thursday if we complete our work early?"
First time business trip Q's
If this is your first time on a business trip, then you will have even more questions. If you are not sure what to bring or how much stuff to bring, you can ask your manager or a co-worker.
"How much do you usually pack for a week long business trip?"
"How big is the suitcase you take with you on a business trip?"
"Do the hotels we stay at have a hair dryer?"
"How many pieces of luggage do you bring with you on a business trip?"
"Where do you usually park when you go to the airport?"
"Is long term parking available at the airport?"
"How early should I go to the airport?"
"Where should we meet?"
"Should we meet at the airport?"
"I missed my flight. The next flight they have available is in 45 minutes. I'll have to meet you at the airport in Los Angeles. I'll call you when I land."
Talking to people
Talking to the employees of the company you are visiting is very different than talking to employees. Basically, you have to be polite and formal when dealing with them.
"Hi Mark, I'm Alex from ABC Consulting. It's nice to meet you."
During this stage, you might be engaged in small talk such as how your flight was or how the weather is over in your city, but if not, then you can get straight to work. You might need to know where you will be working. Only ask this if they never tell you. But chances are, they will let you know before you ask.
"Where will I be working this week?"
"Where is your office located?"
"Is your office relatively close to where I will be working?"
You might need to ask who you will be working with. But again, don't ask this too early, you should give them a chance to answer.
"Who will I be working with this week?"
These previous questions should only be used in rare cases the other person doesn't tell you. The next couple of sentences are more likely.
"Who should I contact if I have a question regarding inaccurate data?"
"Who should I contact if I have a question with this type of problem?"
"I am going to be calling my manager frequently with critical updates. What phone should I use?"
"How long does it take to get to the airport from here?"
"How bad is the traffic around this time to the airport?"
"Where is the closest place to eat around here?"
"Is there a fast food restaurant near by?"
"Does this building have a cafeteria?"
"Do you have a cafeteria close by?"
Eating during the Business Trip
If you go on a business trip alone, then you don't need to talk much, and you can eat whenever you want. But if you go with a group, they might want to eat together. Some people like to eat together all the time, but some people might not want to eat because they are not hungry.
"What kind of food do you guys want to eat today?"
"Anybody want to go for lunch?"
"I'm going to lunch. Anybody want to join me?"
"Let's go in 20 minutes. I have to finish this real quick."
"I can't make it. I have to finish this and it will take me another 30 minutes."
"I'm going to pass today. I brought a bagel with me."
"I have a small sandwich. I'm just going to eat here."
"Where should we have dinner tonight?"
"Hey, let's go to the Italian restaurant next to the hotel."
"We can either go to the steak house in the hotel, or the Italian restaurant next door."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "I'll have the report ready for review tonight. Will you be able to look at it tomorrow?"
B: "I'm not going to be in the office tomorrow. Can you email it to me? I'll look at it from home."
A: "Sure. What's your email address?"
B: "It is someone@hotmail.com."
A: "The file is pretty big. Will the email allow me to send a file that big?"
B: "If it is under one mega byte, you shouldn't have a problem."
A: "I don't think it's that big. I'll send it tonight. Just get back to me when you finish the review tomorrow."
B: "Ok. I should be done with it by noon."
A: "That would be great. Thanks."
A: "The manager wants us to work on the data analysis together."
B: "Did you get an email from her?"
A: "Yeah. You were on the µto' line as well."
B: "I never got it yet. When did you get the mail?"
A: "I got it about 30 minutes ago. Should we have her send the mail again?"
B: "No, I don't want to bother her right now. Can you just forward the mail to me?"
A: "No problem. I'll do it now."
B: "I'm still not getting it."
A: "Maybe your exchange server is down."
B: "I think you're right. Can you send it to my personal account? It is someone@hotmail.com."
A: "Sure. Sending now."
B: "I got it. Thanks for forwarding me the mail. After I read it, let's get together to discuss how we are going to work on the data analysis."
A: "Perfect. Just ping me when ever."
A: "Hi Jack, this is Cindy from the audit team."
B: "Hi Cindy."
A: "I'm calling in regards to the 2003 bank statements you sent over to me last week. I cannot find the August statement. Can you resend that one by any chance?"
B: "I can fax them over to you in about an hour. Will that be ok?"
A: "That would be great. I also have questions on several of the withdrawals. Do you know who I should contact to straighten this out?"
B: "You should talk to Joe Smith. He is our senior accountant over here. His number is 555-123-4567."
A: "That was Joe Smith at 555-123-4567?"
B: "That's correct."
A: "Do you have his email address. I might need it later."
B: "Sure. It's joesmith@ourcompany.com."
A: "joesmith@ourcompany.com. Ok. Thanks for all your help."
B: "No problem. Have a good day."
A: "You too. Thanks again. Bye."
Asking for Email Address
Email is a daily part of the office life. Everybody and every company uses email as a way to communicate quickly. This lesson will cover all aspects of using the email.
"Can I have your email address?"
"What is your email address?"
"Do you have an email account?"
"My email address is someone at hotmail dot com (someone@hotmail.com)."
"It is someone@hotmail.com."
"Do you have his email address?"
"What was her email address again?"
Requesting information through email
Listen to the Entire Lesson
"Can you send it to my email address?"
"You can send it to me through email."
"Can you email it to me?"
"Can I email it to you?"
"Can I send you the information through email?"
Whenever you send an email to an account that doesn't exist, you get an automated email saying the mail was not delivered. You can use these sentences if you are in this situation.
"Can I verify your email address? The address I have on file appears to be incorrect."
"I am unable to email it to you. Can you tell me your email address again?"
"I am getting a mail saying it is undeliverable. I might have misspelled it. Can I double check your email address?"
"The email address I sent it to was someone@hotmail.com. Is this correct?"
"I sent the email to someone@hotmail.com. Didn't you get it?"
"That's the wrong email address. My email address is someone@hotmail.net."
"Oh... I see the problem. My email address is some1@hotmail.com."
Sending attachments through email
Some companies have security in place such as firewalls that prevents sending certain types of attachments. For example, sending a .js file is potentially dangerous because it can run scripts. Also, some documents can carry viruses through macros or other methods. Sending attachments to some email addresses are not possible. However, text files are usually permitted. Here are some sentences that you might find useful.
"I can send you the document through email."
"I'll send you the images to your email account."
"Can I send the documents to your email?"
"Can I email you the files?"
"Can I email the files to you?"
"I received your email, but I didn't receive the attachments."
"My company prevents many types of attachments. Can you send a text file instead?"
"Before you send the document, change the extension .doc to .txt and then send it. When I receive it, I will change it back to .doc before I open it."
"Hi Mary, I sent you an email with my proposal as an attachment. Did you receive it?"
"Hey Jack, did you receive my attachments?"
"The file is too large to send through email."
"My email account will only allow sending attachments that are 1 MB or smaller."
"My email account will only allow me to receive attachments that are 2 MB or smaller."
Email Problems
"My email is getting full. I better delete some old mail."
"I better save my emails to my hard drive so I can make some room in my inbox."
"How do I request more storage space for my email account? I am constantly running out of space."
"You're running out of email space too? I have the same problem at least once a month."
"I hate getting the mail that I am running low on space."
"I just started my job so I haven't received my email address yet."
"My email account hasn't been created yet. They said I should receive it tomorrow."
"I haven't received any emails in the last four hours. I think the server is down or something."
"I think the exchange server is down. Is somebody taking a look at this problem?"
"I can't send anything right now. Is anybody else having a problem with their email?"
"It could be a network problem, but my email account is not working."
"I can't access my email right now. I think the server is down."
"Who should we contact if we are having email problems?"
"I keep getting junk mail in my work account. How did they get this email address?"
"How do I prevent junk mail?"
"Don't open any mail with the title, 'Your request has been approved!!!' It contains a virus. Please delete this mail at once if you see it."
Reply and Reply All
When you reply all, it goes out to everyone on the To line and the CC line. Reply only goes to the sender. When we send out a mail to many people, you might see a sentence that says 'little 'r' me'. This means to use the small R instead of the Big R. That basically means to reply only to me instead of replying to everyone on the mail thread.
A mail is also referred to as a thread. That is because in the office, a mail can go on back and forth among many people so it becomes a chain of mail that started from one email. I'll use these terminologies in the next several example sentences.
"I sent out a mail to the whole group. I requested that they little 'r' me with their ideas."
"When I receive a mail sent out to multiple people, I keep forgetting to send to all."
This next sentence is not a spoken sentence. It's a common sentence used in email when someone forgets to send to everyone.
'Resending to include everyone.'
If you see this, that means the person sent a reply to the sender instead of replying all.
"Start a mail thread on your idea. I think everyone should get in on this discussion."
"Do you want me to start a mail thread for this?"
Forwarding Mail
"I can't find the mail about our next project. Can you forward the mail to me?"
"I got a useful email on productivity. I think I will forward it to our team."
"I have that email. I'll forward it to you."
"If you find that mail, please forward it to me."
"I'll forward you the mail I got from the manager."
"I received a mail from the marketing manager. I don't know what she is asking for. Can I forward the mail to you?"
"One of our clients is asking for more data on the BB project. Who should I forward this mail to?"
"Forward the complaint to the manager. I think he should see this."
Sending to an alternate email address is common when the work email is not working. Here are some sentences you can use if you are ever in this situation. Some companies do not allow this, so make sure your company does not have policies prohibiting this.
"My work email is currently down. Can you send it to my personal email address? It is someone@hotmail.com."
"I'm having problems with my work email account. Can you send it to someone@hotmail.com instead?"
"I'm having problems sending you an email to this account. Is there another email account you have that I can try?"
"Our exchange server is down for the next thirty minutes. If this is urgent, you can send me an email to my personal account. It is someone@hotmail.com."
Although I have a couple of sentences on writing, most of this is to talk about email. Learning to write is not what I am trying to teach here. I want everyone to be able to speak. You should be practicing all of these lessons while talking along.
General email sentences
"Hi Jack, this is Steve. I have a proposal for the marketing idea. Can I email it to you?"
"I will need the information by noon. Can you email it to me soon?"
"The deadline for the project was an hour ago. Did you send the information?"
"I'm going to send you a rough draft. Can you review it and email me back?"
"I have sent three mails asking for information on their design. I haven't received a reply yet."
"Send an email to the team with your plan of action. I want everyone following this process."
"I have to send out my report before five. I won't have time to help you right now."
"I have a meeting at 4:00 pm. I think I should send out a reminder mail. I don't want anyone to forget."
"If you are not sure how to talk to the boss about this, why don't you email her?"
"Did you read the mail from the CEO? It's about our new mission statement."
"The CFO sent out a mail that describes our quarterly earnings."
When you are going on vacation, there is an option in some mail programs such as Outlook to reply with a message saying anything you want. After you turn on auto reply, there is a text field where you can type in your message. In general, this is what I have seen the most. Once again, the following is not spoken, but email language.
'I will be vacation until June 4th. I will be on email occasionally, but if you have an emergency, you can reach me at 555-555-5555. For information on financial reports, contact Suzy Mae. For information on quarterly earnings, contact Jim Beam. For other urgent matters, contact Billy McHale.'
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "John, are you going to complete the report on time?"
B: "I am confident that I will have it done by this Friday."
A: "How far along are you?"
B: "I have completed the preliminary review, analyzed the data, and I am almost done writing the analytical review."
A: "That's great. It looks like you are ahead of schedule. When you are done, send it to me for review."
B: "I'll send it to you Friday morning. That should give you a day to review it."
A: "That's great. Keep up the good work."
A: "Can you give me an update on your assignments?"
B: "Yeah. I'm helping with the performance testing, I've met with the partners for the integration project, and I'm finishing up the documents on the internal tool."
A: "That's good. Can you start sending me a weekly report? That will help me keep track of your progress regularly."
B: "No problem. Do you want it by the start of Monday, or do you want it Friday evening."
A: "I'm probably not going to read it until Monday, so just send it to me by Monday morning."
B: "What do you want me to include in the weekly report?"
A: "Include what you did for the week, what you're going to do for the next week, and include any other issues you have."
B: "I'll start doing that this week."
A: "Great. Thanks."
A: "John, can I see you in my office?"
B: "I'll be right over."
A: "Have a seat... I'm concerned about your performance lately. Is there something I should know about?"
B: "I've been pretty occupied at home. I apologize for letting it affect work. I'll definitely pay more attention."
A: "I understand, but I'm still having to take some heat on your work. You have been late numerous times, your projects are not as detailed as it used to be, and you missed a deadline last week."
B: "I am really sorry, and I won't let it happen again. I understand that I have been underperforming, and I will step it up."
A: "I hope so. I'll explain it to the director. But I don't know how much more he will tolerate. That's all I had so you'd better go back to work."
B: "Ok. I really will change things around. Thanks for understanding."
A common question a manager asks is to find out what the status of a project is.
"What is the status of the marketing documents?"
"How far along are you in your analysis?"
"Are you almost done with the technical report?"
"When are you going to finish the design plans?"
"Can you give me a status on your progress so far?"
"How is the reporting assignment going?"
"When can you give me a working draft by?"
Requesting a weekly status mail from your direct is very common among large companies with many employees. Basically, the status mail will include what has been accomplished the current week, and what will be done next week. If your company has this process, or if you just want to implement it yourself, you can tell your direct something like the following.
"At the end of every week, can you send me a weekly status mail? I'll email you a template you should follow. You should email it to me every Friday."
"I want you to send me a status report at the end of every week. You should include what you did for that week and what you plan on doing for the next week."
"Can you send me a weekly status report? If you haven't done it before, let me know and I will send you a template to use."
Project Change
There are times when a project changes and you have to tell your direct to change something. Let's work on some sentences where you do this.
"I know you have been working on the database using excel, but we need to use SQL. Can you make the necessary changes?"
Although you don't have to be polite to your direct, it is good practice to show directs some common courtesy. In the sentence above, it recognizes the work that has been done so far, instructs what needs to be changed, and politely asks if they can do it. You should follow a similar way of asking your direct to change something.
In another scenario, your direct might give you a report to review. If something is incorrect, or not complete, you should tell them professionally what needs to be redone.
"Hey Jackie, I reviewed your report and there are a couple areas you have to change. Can you double check the figures you provided in page 7, and provide a recommendation for step 3? I would appreciate it."
This example is a little more firm, but still polite. It states that changes are required, it then asks if two things can be changed, and finally, adds a good comment about appreciating the work.
Finally, your direct could be doing something on a regular basis that you don't like. As a manager, you should tolerate things that do not affect the work, but if there is something that is work related, it is your responsibility to tell that person. Let's use an example where a person has a habit of talking before someone finishes.
"John, when we are discussing something in meetings or small groups, I noticed that you don't allow the other person to complete their sentences. I do appreciate your contributions, but I think you should always hear the other person out. Can you try to do that?"
Adding a simple phrase like appreciating the contribution can make a huge difference when giving criticism. There is a great chance the direct will be offended or upset. But if you add a small compliment in there, the chances of the direct accepting your criticism will be that much greater.
Deadline
Deadlines and due dates are common among projects and assignments. Sometimes the deadline changes or your direct needs a reminder. In any case, you should know some sentences how to convey the deadline.
"Here is your new project. You have two weeks to complete it. After you review the project, let me know if there will be any problems."
"You have until the end of this month to complete your assignment. It is critical that everyone completes on time."
"We have two more days to complete the test pass. If anyone cannot complete their portion on time, let me know as soon as possible."
"We are not required to send in our analysis until Wednesday, so you have a couple more days to complete it."
"Do you think you can finish the marketing report by Friday?"
"Our deadline is fast approaching. I try to minimize weekend work, but we might have to work this Saturday if we do not finish on Friday."
Subordinate asking you Questions
All directs at one time or another asks you questions on how to do something, or asks what something is. The average employee will usually ask you something that is obvious and you simply tell them. Sometimes however, a smart employee asks difficult questions that you are not sure about.
If an employee asks you a factual question that you are not sure about, you can always refer them to other sources.
"I'm not sure about that one. I think the information you are looking for is in a manual I saw in the file cabinet. Why don't you check there?"
"Do a search on Google and see if you can find the information there."
"I think Stacy will know the answer. She is very familiar with that topic."
If the question is more process related where it involves an opinion, you can answer telling them what you would do.
"I'm not sure on the exact procedure, but if I were you, I would do the forth step before the third one."
"I don't think we ever decided on a specific way. I think it might be better to do this before that."
These are vague sentences, so you should fill in the details depending on your situation.
Encouraging
As a good manager, you should encourage great workers and bad workers. Good directs need encouraging to keep them working hard. Bad employees need encouragement to work harder. Here are some sentences for both types.
"Hey James, I think you're doing a great job and it is not going unnoticed."
"You're doing great. Keep up the good work."
"I told my manager about your performance. He was quite impressed. Keep up the good work."
Directs having difficulty
"I had a hard time on my first project too. Don't let it get you down. I'm sure you will do better next time."
"It wasn't as bad as you think. I also saw definite improvements so you shouldn't give up."
"Your work has been pretty good, but I really think you can do better. You have potential and I hope you start trying a little harder."
Reprimanding
Finally, when you have an employee that is doing something wrong such as being late, turning in a project late, or not performing well, it is your responsibility to let them know.
If someone is always late, then you don't have to ask for an excuse. If it was one time, then it is ok, but if they are constantly late, there is no excuse for it.
"You have been late for work on a regular basis. You better start coming to work on time."
"This is your third warning. If you are late for work again, we will have to take more serious action on you. Is that understood?"
"Being late for work once in a while is understandable. But there is no excuse to be coming in to work late every day. You better start coming in on time."
When a direct doesn't turn in a project, it's a pretty serious no-no. I would definitely be upset, but as a good manager, I wouldn't accuse the employee without giving them a chance to explain. Here is an example.
"The report was due last Friday. What's going on?"
This is more like a trap question. Unless it is a life or death situation, the excuse shouldn't be good enough. Here is a generic excuse.
"I was working on three other assignments. I just couldn't finish them all."
This is not a good excuse, so you can start reprimanding the employee. You gave them a chance to explain, and since the excuse wasn't good enough, you can basically, 'let them have it.'
"If you were not going to finish on time, at least you could have let me know. Regardless, you knew how important this project was and you knew about the due date. What am I going to do with you?"
"You should have at least told me that you wouldn't be able to finish. Then I could have asked Mary to finish it. This is very irresponsible of you. Is this going to be a continual problem in future projects?"
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Barbara, did you finish the report on XYZ Company?"
B: "Yes. I just finished today."
A: "I would like to review them before we send the report. Can you give me a copy?"
B: "Sure. Would you like a hard copy?"
A: "No. Just send me the path to the location of the report. I'll look them over on my computer."
B: "Sure. I'll give you permission for the folder. You can find them at barbara01 slash XYZ. I'll give you permission right now."
A: "Great. Thanks."
A: "John, are you having problems with your network?"
B: "I think our whole network is down for upgrades. It should be back up in an hour."
A: "That's too late. I need the review documents from the company network share."
B: "I have a copy of that on my computer."
A: "Really? Can I get a copy?"
B: "Sure. But since the network is down, I'll have to put it on a disk for you."
A: "That would be great."
B: "Do you have a floppy disk?"
A: "I think I have one on my desk. Here it is."
B: "Ok. It's saving now. Here you go."
A: "Thanks. You saved me a great deal of trouble. I'm so glad you had a copy of this on your machine."
B: "No problem. I'm glad I could help."
A: "Don't we need a tax software to do this work?"
B: "Yeah. Don't you have it installed on your computer?"
A: "No. They said they would install it for me, but they didn't do it yet."
B: "Go ask your manager. He probably forgot."
A: "That's a good idea. Is there an instructional manual for this software?"
B: "It's in the second file cabinet under Software Applications."
A: "Thanks. I'll probably need it when I get the software."
B: "Actually, it's not that difficult to use. I think you should be able to figure it out without the manual. The manual is only good for advanced options that we don't really need."
A: "You're probably right. Many of the manuals I've read were not that helpful. Do you mind if I come to you for questions when I am using the software?"
B: "Not at all. Feel free to ask any questions. If I know the answer, I'll let you know."
A: "Great. I better go find the manager to get the software installed on my computer."
Talking to your Subordinate or Direct
If you are a manager, then you will more likely have someone reporting to you. The most common terminology I am used to is a direct. Throughout this lesson, I will use the word direct.
There are many things you have to say to a direct. You have to give them work, explain things, encourage them to do better, and even reprimand them when they are not performing well. We will cover these types of sentences in this lesson.
When you save data, there are several ways to save it. There is the standard removable disk, saving to the hard drive, and saving to a network share.
"Does anybody have an extra floppy disk?"
"I ran out of floppy disks. Where can I get more?"
"I think we need to order more floppy disks."
"I saved it on a floppy disk."
"I have all the information on my USB drive."
"Can you save the document on a disk and give it to me?"
"Save the information on a disk and give it to Jack."
"I'll have all the information on a disk and bring it to the meeting."
Standard floppy disks only hold 1.44 MB of information. There are times when the disk is not big enough. Here are ways to express this.
"All the information doesn't fit on one disk."
"The file is too large to fit on a disk."
"Do you have a different storage device that can hold more information?"
"Can you order a 128 MB removable storage device for me? I always need to move files that a regular floppy disk cannot hold."
Hard Drive
"I have all the information saved on my hard drive."
"I finished the presentation preparation and I saved it on my hard drive."
"I have the documents you are looking for saved on my computer."
"I have the information on my computer. Do you want me to put it on a floppy disk for you?"
When you say something like, 'saved on my computer', it is understood that you are referring to the hard drive, so in this situation, you can use the two words interchangeably.
"I'm running out of room on my hard drive."
"I need a bigger hard drive."
"I have the information on my computer, but I think I will need to prepare hard copies for the meeting."
Hard copy refers to something that is tangible. For example, a hard copy of a report is a printed out version on paper. A soft copy is the file stored on the computer.
Network share and public share
Network share is a location on your network that you can access. The files are stored on a different computer. If you do not have a network set up in the office you work at, then you won't need this section.
In order for you to save data on a network share, you will need permission. The person in charge of the computer has the ability to add users. If you know of a public share and you cannot access it, then tell your administrator or the person in charge of that computer to give you permission.
"I have it saved on a network share. You can find it at computername public John data.doc."
Whenever you tell someone a network location, you tell them the name by the path. I'll use the previous sentence as an example. Computername is the name of the computer, then the next word is a folder name. The next name is also a folder name. Finally, data.doc is the name of the file. So, the location of data.doc is in a folder named John that is under a folder called public under the computer computername. When you say a path verbally, you just leave a pause after each word or say slash between the words. In the written form, it looks like this, \computernamepublicJohndata.doc.
When people share documents, they save them on their own computer and put it in a folder that they made public. Or, a co-worker might have data saved on their computer. If you don't want to deal with the floppy disks, then you can retrieve the data from the network if they make the folder public.
"I have those files in my public folder. Just go to John01 public. You should see all the documents there."
"I saved it at John01 public. Go ahead and take what you need."
"I'll need all the information on ABC Company. Didn't you say you have the information? Can you put them on a public share?"
"Hey John, I don't have permission to get into John01. Can you check the permissions on the folder?"
"I don't have write access on the folder. Can you give me write permissions?"
"I don't want anybody changing the data, so everyone only has read permissions."
Software
Different companies use different software programs. For example, a tax firm might use a program for tax purposes, and an insurance company will use their own software for inputting data to retrieve quotes for customers. You might not have the software or it might be broken. I'll have some example sentences for these situations.
"What software do you use here?"
"What kind of application do you use to keep track of all these records?"
"Martha told me about TaxIt. When can I get a copy?"
"Is there a manual how to use this program?"
"How do you use this?"
"TaxIt won't open any more. I think it's broken."
"I can't get TaxIt to work. Can someone help me with this?"
"Microsoft Office applications do everything we need. That's all we use here."
"What version of Office do you use here?"
"What software do you use for word processing?"
"All the documents are saved using MSWord. Do you have Word or another application that will be able to read the information?"
"We use a different word processing application. Can you save as a text file?"
"I can't open the file that you gave me. What version of Word are you using?"
Internet
I'm not going to explain all the specifics about the Internet here. The goal of this lesson is not to give a computer lesson, but to learn English related to using the computer. I will show some sentences that are commonly used for the Internet.
"What is the URL of that site again?"
"What is the address to the English site you are studying?"
"What is the best search engine?"
"Where can I find information on marriage law?"
"If you go to greatsite.com, you will find all the information I just told you."
"If you need more information on cooking, go to cooking.com."
"I purchased all the computers from Dell.com. We should have them by the end of the week."
"Do you have a company website?"
"Is there a website where I can learn more about your services?"
"Do you have a website where I can review the different products you are offering?"
"I HATE POP-UPS!"
I really do. I hate pop-up ads with a passion. If it was up to me, I would shut down all companies that produce pop up ads. For now, we have to live with them.
"Can I install something that stops pop-up ads?"
"What tools are available to block pop-up ads?"
"I think I misspelled the web address. Can you spell it out for me?"
"I'm getting a page not found error. I think the web site is down."
Intranet
A lot of companies have an intranet site. This is basically web pages that can be viewed by employees connected to the network in the office. The address does not use the standard .net or .com address. It will simply be http://companysite.
"Do we have an intranet site that explains our benefits?"
"What was the site where we log our travel expenses?"
"If you want to use a sick day, you can go to http://timereport."
If you have an intranet site for your company, then when you talk to other workers, you don't need to say http:// everytime. You can simply say the name, for example, 'If you want to use a sick day, you can go to time report.' The other person listening should understand that you mean http://timereport.
"Is there an intranet site detailing each project our company is doing?"
"Is our company going to put an intranet site for employees?"
"I think it will help a lot if we had an intranet site with general questions and answers from all the employees."
General Computer Sentences
"My computer is giving me problems again."
"My computer broke, but luckily I saved my work on a disk."
"My computer is too slow."
"Something is wrong with my computer."
"I work with the computer most of the day."
"All my work is done on the computer."
"We are upgrading our computers this week."
"I hope we upgrade our computers soon. The ones we have are way too old."
"My computer froze. What should I do?"
"My computer is not responding and I haven't saved my data yet. What should I do?"
"My computer is making a weird sound. Can I get someone to look at it?"
This concludes the computer English lesson. I know many of the business topics are large and some of them have topics I didn't cover. I want to remind you that you can ask specific questions to us using the business bulletin board.
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Hi Matt, I finished the assignment on the documents. Did you get a chance to review them?"
B: "Yeah. I already reviewed them. It was pretty good."
A: "Since it was my first project, I was wondering if I can get some feedback."
B: "Well, you finished the project on time. And seeing how it was your first assignment, you did very well."
A: "Thanks. If it wasn't my first assignment, where do you think I need to improve?"
B: "That's a fair question... I think you could have spent a little more time documenting the difference between Process A and Process B. You showed a lot of the similarities, but lacking a little on the differences."
A: "I'll keep that in mind. How about the structure? I changed the template a little because I wanted to add a section for recommendation."
B: "I liked the addition. Usually people just enter it into the comment section on the bottom but having a clear section makes it stand out. That was good."
A: "Was there anything else? I like to get feedback early so I can improve."
B: "No problem. Everything else on the assignment was great. The only other tip I can give you is sending me more updates. If I knew you were stuck on section C for a while, I could have saved you a lot of time. So keep me aware on your status."
A: "That makes sense. I'll do that. Thanks for the feedback."
B: "Don't mention it. And good job on the assignment."
A: "Thanks."
A: "Hi Mark. I completed Project A and didn't have anything else to work on. Should I find something to do, or did you have something lined up?"
B: "I won't have another assignment for you until next Monday. What will you be doing until then?"
A: "I'm not sure, I was thinking about investigating the reporting issue we are having, but that's a low priority now. But if there is nothing else to do, it might be good to finally fix that."
B: "How about John? He told me that he needed a little help on Project C. Why don't you ask him if he still needs help? If not, then check out the reporting issue."
A: "John? I've been meaning to talk to you about him."
B: "What's the problem?"
A: "I don't want to be out of line, but he's very difficult to work with. He looks over my shoulder all the time and doesn't like how I am doing things."
B: "Yeah. He is like that. I appreciate your feedback, and you are not the first to bring this up. Although he is difficult, he does get a lot of work done around here."
A: "I completely agree, and I will continue to work with him as well as I can. I just thought I should let you know instead of keeping it bottled up."
B: "I appreciate your honesty. But for now, you're going to have to tolerate his methods a little longer. I'll see if the director is willing to have a talk with John about this problem."
A: "Ok. Well, I'll go see what type of help John needs. If there is nothing, I'll work on the reporting problem. Either way, I'll send you an email letting you know what I am working on."
B: "That would be perfect. Thanks."
A: "Thanks. I'll talk to you later."
B: "Ok. Bye."
Unless you are the owner of the company, you will have a boss. This lesson will cover all English you need to know to express what you want to say to your boss. This will include asking for feedback, explanation, showing frustration, asking for more work, and more.
If you are doing a project and you want your manager to review it before submitting it, then you can ask the manager in several ways.
"Did you want to review my project?"
"I just completed the assignment. Did you want to review it?"
"This is my first project and I was wondering if you could review it real quick?"
"I think I covered all the bases, but could you do a quick check."
If you are new at your job, then it is good to ask for feedback. This can be done when you complete a project or after several months on the job. Some companies have a process in place where you have a weekly one on one meeting with your manager. You can use this time to talk about your work and anything else on your mind. If you don't have a weekly meeting, then you might have to set up a time with your manager to discuss your progress.
"Hi Roger, can we set up a time to discuss my progress so far?"
"I was wondering if we can meet to discuss how I am doing."
If you are doing work that doesn't include projects or assignments, then you can't ask for feedback on the work you completed. But you can ask how you have been doing in the last several months.
"Can I get some feedback on my performance?"
"Where do you think I need to improve?"
"What areas do you think I should work on?"
If you have a project you completed, you can ask for feedback on the project. But make sure you give your manager enough time to review the work before asking for feedback.
"Did you finish reviewing my project I completed?"
"Hi Mark, this was my first project, and I wanted to know how I did so I can improve."
"Where do you think I could have done better?"
"Is there any areas that I could have done better?"
"What should I do better for next time?"
"What areas did I do well, and what areas did I do poorly."
Asking for more work
Most companies will have so much work that you will never run out of things to do. But there are times when you don't have enough to do. In this situation, you should ask your manager to give you more work.
"Hi Mark, I finished all my weekly duties already. Do you have more work I can do?"
"I've been completing my work early on a regular basis. Can I have more responsibilities?"
"I have a lot of extra time. I usually double check all my work, but that doesn't take much time. Is there any additional work I can do?"
Although asking for more work is a good sign of being productive, there is actually something better. Instead of asking for more work, find the extra work without asking. After you find something to do, then tell your manager that you want to do the work.
"I had extra time on my hands so I started investigating the network problem. If you don't mind, I would like to work on this project to help the office productivity around here."
If you are a manager, would you want someone asking you what to do, or would you prefer a worker who found a problem and wants to fix it. I have had people ask me for more work and it is stressful trying to think of something. I am busy and don't have that much time to find extra work. If a worker identifies more work to do, then I would appreciate it that much more.
"I have been completing my work a day early every week. I know the reference material has been sitting there for some time. Would you like me to do that project, or did you want to assign another project to me?"
Although having extra time to do more work is a good situation to be in, there might be times when you have too much work. Here are a couple of sentences to ask for help.
"Hi Mark, the addition we made to the project made it difficult to complete by myself. If the deadline doesn't change, I will need some help to complete it. Can you assign someone to help me out?"
"I have spent every minute on this project and have been putting in serious overtime. This project is a lot bigger than we anticipated. I am going to need some help to complete it on time. Do you have anyone available to help me?"
"The Alpha project has been eating so much of my time that I didn't have much time to work on the Beta project. Is there anyone with extra bandwidth to help me finish the Beta project?"
Complaining and Showing Frustration
Showing frustration is ok if you do it right. If you are frustrated and you start complaining, then the manager will either think you are not capable of doing your work, or the manager will realize that you have way too much work. So it is important how you complain and how you show your frustration.
Showing frustration because of your mistake is ok to do. It shows that you are upset at yourself and that you can't believe you made a mistake. So it is indicating to the manager that you are not going to screw up again. Hopefully you won't screw anything up, but just in case, here are some ways to show your frustration.
"I can't believe I messed that up. I don't think I am stupid, but this is suggesting otherwise."
"I am so frustrated at myself. How did I not catch that?"
Complaining about someone else is not good. But if you are so frustrated and you have to tell your manager, take a deep breath, calm yourself down, and say something like my example as calmly as you can.
"It's frustrating working with Tim. I'm doing everything I can to help and I am trying to be understanding, but he is slowing our project down immensely."
The best kind of frustration is when the manager knows exactly what you are talking about. If the manager is frustrated as well, then he or she will completely understand. An example of this is when you are working with another company and they are not doing their work properly.
"I'm having a hard time working with ABC Company. They are always late and the work they do has numerous errors. It is really frustrating because I have to spend a great deal of time proof reading the material. I recommend not giving ABC Company any more work."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Jack. Can I see you in my office?"
B: "Sure."
A: "You have been late 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Is this going to be a continual problem?"
B: "I'm so sorry. I really got unlucky this morning."
A: "Being late once in a while is based on luck. If you are late frequently, it shows that you are irresponsible. How are you going to fix it?"
B: "Last week, I had a lot of personal problems. I took care of all those problems and I don't have any excuse to be late anymore. I planned on coming in to the office early today, but there was an accident that held up traffic."
A: "You better start anticipating all problems because I'm not going to tolerate your tardiness any longer. Is that clear?"
B: "Perfectly clear. I will not be late again."
A: "That's all."
A: "Hey Martha, is there anything urgent that needs to be done today?"
B: "No. I don't believe so. Why?"
A: "I have a terrible headache and I was wondering if it would be ok if I could leave a little early today."
B: "I don't see why not. You can make up the time later in the week."
A: "That's what I was thinking too. But as for today, I don't think I can be productive."
B: "It's already two o'clock now. What time were you going to leave?"
A: "I'm just going to wrap up and leave pretty soon. Probably in about thirty minutes."
B: "Ok. Get some rest. If you are sick tomorrow, give me a call."
A: "Alright. Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."
A: "Hi Martha. This is Jack. I think I caught a flu or something. I feel worse than yesterday."
B: "You better stay home today then."
A: "I think that will be best. I'll log my sick day tomorrow when I get in."
B: "No problem. Just get some rest. We have everything covered here so don't worry."
A: "Ok. Just in case something happens, you can call me at home. I'll be here all day."
B: "Ok. Thanks for calling. I'll see you when you get better."
A: "Alright. Thanks. Bye."
When you work for a company, there are times when you are late or you can't make it to a meeting. Sometimes you are sick, or sometimes you are stuck in traffic. We will study sentences you need to know to say why you are late or can't make it to work.
Late
Some jobs require you to 'punch in' when you get to work. 'Punching in' keeps track of how long you worked. Many hourly jobs use this system. But if you are a salary person and do not have to 'punch in', then you have more flexibility. Let's say you are going to be five minutes late. If you have your own office, then nobody will know. But if you work in a setting where your boss sees you coming in, then you will need an excuse. We'll cover everything about being late here.
Five minutes late
If you are going to be just a little late, then you don't need to call in. However, you will need to tell them why you are late when you get in the office. Here are some examples.
"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was unusually bad today."
"I apologize for being late. I had to drop off my wife at work. It took longer than I thought."
"I had a dentist appointment this morning and it was longer than I expected.
"I'm sorry for being late. I got stuck in every light this morning."
If you are the boss, then you might want to ask why your employee is late. Let's see some of these sentences.
"Running late this morning?"
"What held you up this morning?"
"Do you have a reason for being late?"
"Why are you late?"
A boss or manager will not be too upset if you are late only once or very rarely. But if this is a constant habit, they might be a little more upset.
"You have been late three times in the last two weeks. Is this going to be a continual problem?"
"Your tardiness is getting out of hand. You had better start managing your morning time better."
"I expect you to be at your desk at eight o'clock. Do you have a problem with this?"
If you hear one of these statements, then you better say something that will calm the boss down. Also, you shouldn't let this happen again so tell him or her it won't happen again.
"I am terribly sorry. It won't happen again."
"I had a lot of recent changes at home, but it's all taken care of. I will not be late again."
"I'm really sorry. It's been one of those weeks. It won't happen again."
Very Late
If you are going to be a lot later than 5 minutes, then you should call your manager and tell them about it.
"Hi Barbara, I'm going to be 30 minutes late today. My car is having trouble this morning, so I arranged for a ride with a friend."
"Hey Jack, I'm running a little late today. I just got out of my dentist appointment and it was longer than I expected."
"Mark? This is Pat. I'm stuck in traffic. I think there is an accident that is holding up traffic. I'm going to be a little late."
When you plan on being late ahead of time, it is much easier. For example, if you have a doctor's appointment in the morning, you can tell them in advance and then you don't have to worry about coming in on time.
"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. Remember I told you earlier this week? I'll come in right after my appointment."
"My daughter has been sick, so I'm going to take her to see the doctor tomorrow morning. Is it ok if I'm a little late? My appointment is at seven in the morning, so I'll only be an hour late."
"I have to take my parents to the airport tomorrow. I shouldn't be too late, but wanted to tell you ahead of time."
Leaving Work Early
This is a little easier than explaining to your boss why you are 10 minutes late. You can think of an excuse ahead of time, or tell them about an appointment so you can leave early. You can use the same excuses as the ones I mentioned earlier. You just have to change the wording a little and make it future tense.
"I have to leave a little early today. Is it ok if I finish my work at home?"
"I have a dentist appointment at four. I have to leave early today."
"I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at four. Is it ok if I leave early tomorrow?"
"I have to pick up my wife at the airport tomorrow. Is it ok if I leave at three?"
"I have a conference with my son's teacher tomorrow at three thirty. I have to leave at three. Will that be ok?"
"I have a terrible headache. Is it ok if I leave early today?"
"I think I might be coming down with the flu. I should get some rest and try to fight this thing off early. May I leave early today?"
"I'm not feeling well. I think I should get some rest. Will it be ok if I go home early today?"
"My son got sick and I have to pick him up from school. Will that be ok?"
Sick day
"Martha? This is Jack. I have a fever and I will not be able to come in today."
"Hi Mary, I have to use a sick day today. I'm feeling terrible right now."
"Hi Steve, this is Mark. I wanted to let you know that I am too sick to come in today."
"Hi Andrew, this is Josh. I'm pretty sick so I will not be able to make it in today. I was feeling sick last night and thought I would be better after some sleep, but it just got worse."
"Hi Sam, this is Jessica. I have some urgent personal matters I have to deal with. I won't be able to make it in."
"Mark? This is John. My dad went into the emergency room this morning. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I don't think I can make it in today. I'll send you an update later."
"My son all of the sudden got really sick. I have to take him to the hospital now. I doubt I can make it in today. Will that be ok?"
"Jake? Will it be ok if I take the day off? My grandmother just passed away and I don't think I will be able to work today."
Vacation
Taking a planned day off
These are the easiest to request. If you are caught up with your work and you want to take a vacation or personal day, it is as easy as asking for it.
"Can I use a vacation day this Friday?"
"Will it be ok if I use a personal day this Thursday?"
"I have to catch up on a lot of errands, so can I use a vacation day on Monday?"
"My parents are coming into town. Can I take Thursday and Friday off?"
"I would like to use my vacation days for the first week of June. Will that be ok?"
"Will it be ok if I take the last week of July off?"
"Can I schedule a vacation for the second week of August?"
"I was wondering if I can take a vacation. Can I take the first two weeks off in September?"
Remember that asking for a vacation all depends on the office policies. Some companies do not like an employee taking all their vacation days at once. However, some places are more lenient and allow long vacation days. Before asking for long vacation days, you should first see what other employees are doing.
I remember in my first job, I had a co-worker I really didn't like. He was a nice guy, but he was a complete idiot. To vent out my frustration, I talked with some closer co-workers about my problems with him. Here are some of the things I said. You might be in a similar situation of dealing with a complete idiot.
"Have you worked with Jake yet? He can't do anything right."
"The problem with Jake is that he doesn't know that he is an idiot."
"I remember helping Jake out so much, and then he stabs my back."
"I don't think he does his own work. He goes around asking everyone to do a portion of his work and says he did it all."
"If you have to work with Jake, remember the things I told you."
"Is management blind or am I being too sensitive about this?"
"I think the manager likes him because he kisses her ass all day long."
Kissing ass refers to butt kiss and brown nosing. Basically, a person who butt kisses is a person always saying good things to the manager, giving compliments, showing off in front of the manager, and doing anything possible to look good.
"The manager is blind because he is a total brown-noser."
"I can't believe this company is paying $75,000 a year for this fool."
Complaining about the company
As I already said previously, make sure you are careful who you talk to when you are complaining about anything such as the company.
"This is a dead end job. I don't see much of a future here."
"I hate the redundancy. It's so boring."
"Work isn't exciting for me anymore. I am doing the same thing over and over again."
"This company doesn't care about employees that much. I haven't received a fair raise in 3 years."
"I don't know if it is my manager or this company, but I'm really getting sick of my job."
"What do you think about all the politics in this company?"
"The politics suck here. But it is the same for any large corporation. The best way to deal with it is to take advantage of the rules."
I heard in some countries that switching companies is not common. Once you have a decent job in a decent company, the person usually works there all their life. In the States however, changing jobs and changing companies is very common. That makes it a common discussion to have with friends and co-workers.
"I don't know how much longer I can take this job. I've been thinking about applying to a different company."
"Have you ever thought about leaving this company?"
"What company do you want to switch to?"
"I started applying for other jobs. There are a lot of positions open."
"I've been looking for jobs on monster.com. They have a lot of positions available."
Talking about work experience
Listen to the Entire Lesson
I won't cover topics we have in our regular English lessons, but talking about work experience is not a separate topic I have, so let's spend a few minutes here.
When you are talking to a co-worker, you can talk about many different things. One of the topics might be previous work experience. Whenever you receive this question, the easiest way to answer this is to say where you worked and what you did.
"What did you do before working here?"
"I worked at ABC Company. I was a market analyst researching what the user wants in portable devices."
"I was over in the sales department on the second floor. I was in charge of overseeing the sales made by all the sales associates each month."
"I was a software engineer at Sun Microsystems. I created internal tools using Java to help automate the recruiting process."
Talking to CoWorkers - Interactive Practice
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "Hey Jack. How is your day going?"
B: "Just finishing the project. Other than that, not much. How about you?"
A: "I'm just about finished for the day. I have one more task to do, but I wanted to take a break first."
B: "Did you have to work with Jake on that project?"
A: "Unfortunately, yes."
B: "Oh my gosh. I feel so sorry for you."
A: "Don't remind me. I'm just glad it's over."
B: "Yeah. I remember when I worked on the data conversion tool with him. Everything he did, I had to re-do. It would have been faster if I did it alone."
A: "That's exactly what happened to me. It took me longer because I had to re-do everything he did. That really pissed me off."
B: "Next time the manager wants me to do a project with him, I'm going to tell him that I will do it myself."
A: "That's a good idea. Hopefully, the manager will realize how useless he is."
B: "Exactly. If you're not busy, you can do my work."
A: "Ha ha. I got enough to do."
B: "Yeah. I'm just kidding."
A: "Alright dude. I better finish my work. I'll talk to you later."
A: "Hey Jordan, did you go to the team meeting this morning?"
B: "Yeah. The manager presented a new project to us that we'll have to do."
A: "Damn it. I shouldn't have missed that meeting, but I was stuck in another meeting. What else did you guys talk about?"
B: "Everything else was the same. We talked about progress of current assignments, due dates, about hiring another worker, that's all."
A: "What's the new project about?"
B: "It's hard to explain. She sent out mail to all of us. You can just review the document she sent out."
A: "Ok. I'll do that."
A: "Hey Bob, do you have a few minutes?"
B: "Sure. What's up?"
A: "I'm having problems with my computer. I don't know what's wrong with it."
B: "Let's go take a look at it. Oh. Here is the problem. You have a boot sector virus. Install the anti-virus software. That should take care of the problem."
A: "Great thanks.
A: "How is your day going?"
B: "The same as usual. How about you?"
A: "Me too. I'm getting sick of work man."
B: "I'm already past that stage."
A: "What are you still doing here then?"
B: "It pays the bills."
A: "Why don't you find another job?"
B: "Well, I thought about it, but if I put in two more years, then I get a good pension. I can't give that up. Anyway, this job is boring, but at least it's easy."
A: "Well, you've been here for eight years. You have something to stay for. I've only been here for two years. I can't see myself doing this for another two years. I want to gain more experience in other areas."
B: "Have you brought this up to the boss? Maybe you can go into management."
A: "They usually want a person with an MBA degree or a person willing to put in 80 hours a week."
B: "That's what it takes man. Either this or that."
A: "Yeah. I better think about what I want. Why didn't you go into management?"
B: "It would have taken too much time. I have a family that I want to spend time with, so it wasn't worth it for me. But you're single. You can put in a few good years and put yourself in a good position before thinking about settling down."
A: "You have a point. I'll see what my options are. Hopefully the manager will help me out with my career."
B: "She's pretty cool about that. Just be honest with her and she'll show you some doors."
A: "That sounds good. Thanks for the advice."
B: "No problem. Good luck."
What ever company you work for, you will have a boss or a manager. If you are a manager, you will have directs reporting to you. And in most cases, you will have to work with co-workers. This lesson will cover the English you need to know to speak to co-workers. I will also have a lesson on talking to the manager and subordinates.
When you talk with a co-worker, most of it is small talk. You can talk about your background, what school you attended, your major, and your previous work experience. So studying the English lessons along side the business section will help you for your daily English needs. However, I'll have some sentences you can use when you are talking with a co-worker.
If you miss a meeting, then you will need to ask a co-worker what happened during the meeting.
"I missed the meeting. Can you fill me in?"
"I had a doctor's appointment so I missed the meeting. What happened?"
"I couldn't make it to the meeting today. Anything interesting I should know about?"
"I missed the meeting. Was there anything new?"
Another time you talk with a co-worker is if the boss is mad or you don't like the boss. But whenever you talk about bad things with co-workers, make sure you are talking to a friend. If that person is not a friend, then they might tell your manager what you said.
"Matt looks pretty upset right now. Do you know what's going on?"
"Did something happen recently? Matt looks pissed off."
"I think Matt is mad about something. Do you know what it could be?"
Or if the manager only treats you bad, then you can ask your co-worker/friend if the manager treats them differently or the same.
"Matt talks to me like he is mad all the time. Does he do that to you?"
"Does Matt talk to you like he is upset? Or is it just me?"
"It's not you at all. He talks to me that way too."
"Matt is way too moody."
"If he knew what he was doing, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"What is wrong with Matt these days?"
"He is having one of those days again. I think his manager just gave him a hard time."
"What do you think about our manager?"
"He gets too mad easily and he doesn't really help us out that much. What do you think?"
Asking for help or offering help
Listen to the Entire Lesson
When you offer to help someone, you are asking your co-worker if they want to give you some of their work. Here are a couple of ways you can offer some help.
"I finished my project already so I have extra bandwidth. Let me know if you need help with anything."
Bandwidth is usually used as a networking terminology. But in this context, it means having extra time.
"You're doing the analysis on ABC Company? I did that last year. If you need any help, just let me know."
"I'm pretty familiar with your project so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Asking for help is a little more difficult. You will have to see what the work environment is like and what type of relationship you have with your co-workers.
"I'm having trouble implementing Plan A on ABC Company. Can you look at my work and see if I am missing a step?"
"Can you help me analyze the finance data? This is my first time and I don't want to screw it up."
"Do you have a few minutes to help me with the data migration tool? I can't figure it out."
After becoming comfortable with the entire conversation, you will be able to speak as fast as a native.
A: "I can't get the printer to work."
B: "Did you check to see if it had paper?"
A: "Yeah. That's the first thing I checked."
B: "I don't know then. You might have to call the technician."
A: "How do I do that?"
B: "Just tell the admin and she should take care of it."
A: "Is there another printer that I can use?"
B: "Yeah. There's one down the hall next to the supply room."
A: "Oh yeah... I remember that one. Thanks."
B: "No problem."
A: "Do you have a lot of work?"
B: "Yeah. I'm pretty busy. Why?"
A: "Oh. I needed some help on documenting this process."
B: "Does this have to be done right now?"
A: "The manager wants it by Friday."
B: "I'll try to free up my schedule. Remind me again tomorrow morning, and I'll help you in the afternoon."
A: "Do you need to read the documents first?"
B: "Yeah. That would help."
A: "I'll print you a copy and then drop them off."
B: "Make sure you drop it off before five because I have to leave early."
A: "No problem. Thanks."
A: "Are you new here?"
B: "Yeah. I just started yesterday."
A: "Welcome aboard. I'm Jack."
B: "I'm Mark. Nice to meet you."
A: "What are you going to be working on?"
B: "I'm going to work on the planning team. But I haven't started yet. I'm still in training."
A: "The planning team is great. Our marketing team works with them closely. We'll end up working together sometimes."
B: "That's great. Oh, can I ask you some questions?"
A: "Sure."
B: "Does this company have a casual Friday?"
A: "Not really. You can get away with wearing slacks, but I've never seen anyone wear jeans."
B: "That's alright. Do you know any good places to eat around here?"
A: "Yeah there's a deli right across the street. They have fresh sandwiches and sometimes hot dishes like teriyaki. It's pretty good."
B: "That sounds good. Thanks for the info."
A: "No problem. If you need anything, I sit right around the corner here."
Office Basics
Machine Problems
There are many things to say while in the office. Something can go wrong with the printer, or you could be wondering why a package didn't arrive. The next several short lessons will be about Basic Office scenarios.
"Do you know what's wrong with the printer?"
"Who do we call to report a problem with the printer?"
"When is the printer going to be fixed?"
"The printer next to the break room is broken. Where is the other printer?"
"The copy machine is jammed again."
"The copy machine is broken."
"We need to get the copy machine fixed."
"A technician is coming this afternoon to fix the copy machine."
"Where is the paper for the copy machine?"
"We need to order more paper. We're running low."
Mail Room
For larger size companies, a mail room is provided where each employee has their own box. Here are some sentences you might need to know.
"Where is the mail room?"
"I don't have a mail box. Who should I contact to get one?"
"Your mail box was pretty full. You should go pick them up."
"I haven't checked my mail in 2 weeks."
"I never receive anything so I don't need to check my mail often."
"What time does the delivery person usually come?"
"What time does the mail usually come?"
Large companies also have multiple buildings. So sending mail to another worker is a common practice. For example, if I need to send some financial documents to the auditor in a building down the street, I will use the Inter Office mail service. Some people might say I.O. to make it short.
"I can send it to you through Inter Office mail."
"I'll send it through Inter Office mail immediately."
"I'll IO it to you."
"I need those documents. Can you IO it to me?"
"Would you like to pick them up or should I send it through Inter Office mail?"
The term inter basically means between when there is more than one. For example, in the word international, nation is a country, and if you have inter in front of it, we have international, which means involving two or more nations.
Requesting Equipment
"I'm out of staples. Do we have any more in the supply room?"
"The supply room is running low on pens. I think we should get more."
"My monitor is very old. It's a little blurry and it gives me a headache when I look at it for a long duration. Could I get a new monitor?"
"My computer is too slow. It slows down my work. I would like a faster computer. It will increase my efficiency on many of my tasks."
"I would like an ergonomic keyboard. I can type much faster with those."
"Can I get a new chair? This one is so uncomfortable."
"Can you get me a headset for the telephone? I'm on the phone most of the day and I would like to free up my hands."
Company Policies
Every company has their own rules about animals, dress code, break time, vacation time, and many other policies. Let's take a moment to learn how to ask about these policies.
"How long are we allowed for lunch?"
"How long is our lunch break?"
"If I only take a 30 minute lunch, can I leave 30 minutes earlier?"
"What time should I report to work?"
"Is there a strict policy on working hours?"
"Are we allowed to start work an hour later if we work an hour more?"
"What is the dress code here?"
"Are we allowed to wear casual clothes on Friday?"
"Does this company have the casual Friday thing?"
"If I have ten vacation days, am I allowed to use them all at once?"
"What holidays do we have off?"
"Do our vacation days expire?"
"Does this company allow telecommuting?"
"Are we allowed to work from home?"
I'm Busy
For general statements about being tired at work or being sick of work will be covered in the 'Talking to coworkers' section. These types of statements shouldn't be said to everyone.
"I'm busy with work."
"Can I do this later?"
"Does this have to be done now?"
"When do you need this by?"
"When is the deadline?"
"I'm not going to have time for any other assignment until Thursday."
"I'll try to free up my schedule."
"I'm pretty sure I can meet the deadline."
"If I don't get any help on this, I won't be able to complete it on time."
"I'll do whatever I can to make sure this is done on time."
"You can count on me."
"Have I ever let you down?"
Giving/Asking Business Cards
Listen to the Entire Lesson
"Do you have a business card?"
"Could I have one of your business cards?"
"Can I have your business card?"
Responding to these questions are very easy. You can just say 'sure' or 'no problem.'
"Can I get your phone number or email address?"
"What is the best way to contact you?"
"Can I get your contact information?"
"Let me give you one of my business cards."
"My contact information is on my business card. Let me give you one."
"You can reach me by calling the number on my business card."
"My email address is on my business card."
General Office
If you can't find a file, you can ask around.
"Do you know where the ABC file is at?"
"Do you have the ABC file?"
"Is anybody using the ABC file right now?"
"Did you check the file cabinet? It should be there."
"Check the bin. Sometimes people throw it in there after they are done."
"Oh... it's on my desk. I forgot to put it back."
"It's in my office. I'll get it for you."
If you see a file or a book you need on someone's desk, you can ask to borrow it.
"Are you using this book right now?"
"Can I borrow this book?"
"Are you finished with this file?"
"Are you done with this report?"
"Can I use this file?"
If you need something, it is common to ask around. Here are some examples of what you might need in the office.
"Do you have an extra mouse? Mine broke."
"Do you have another network cable? The one I have is too short."
"Do you have a blank floppy disk I can have?"
"I ran out of labels. Do you have any I can have?"
"Can I borrow your stapler?"
"Do you have a hole puncher?"
"Do you have a staple remover by any chance?"
Let's talk about some of the best calls so far that you can talk about um, you had actually yesterday, yesterday's show, and if you can't watch it, you can watch it on the player, (yes) and if you weren't watching it, what else were you doing? Um but you had one team which was the strong team, Chris Ramsey (yes) You had uh Georgia from Love Island (yeah) um and then you had uh Charlotte, Charlotte Crosby from Georgia um and they were a great strong unit as a team.
It’s aah basically, I realized that, celebrities aah, only know about some of themselves.
A lot of people
probably don't know the answers of some questions because some of the questions
are a little bit tricky.
They’ve
given them my name in the title. Leave it, and so she is, but it’s like sort of
a series or aah Alexa and we asked her to sort out these kinds of numbers for
the celebrities to call and you’d just basically have like, you know like, Joey
yes, is calling up like a mechanic and asking for like, if they don’t know the
answer to the question then they can call a random number
You can give your name in the title.
Used
to, be used to, get used to
I love you
I used to be a dude.
The point is,I overreacted. I'm just not
used to obstacles.
Oh, come on. I'm sorry that we told you,
okay. It’s part of being in a relationship, eventually you get used to these annoying little things that bug you at first.
Yeah, I guess. I mean you got used to Lily's loud chewing, right?
Explanation
English learners often confuse used to, be used to and get used to.
They look similar but they have very different
uses.
What is the difference?
Let's start with the phrase used to:
Used
to,
is always followed by a base verb.
We use used to plus infinitive to talk about something we did regularly in
the past but do not do it now.
Example: I used to smoke every day but I do not
smoke now.
I didn't use to smoke when I was young
but now I do.
Kids, your grandma always used to say to me nothing good happens
after 2 a.m.
I now pronounce you man and wife.
I love you.
I used
to be a dude.
Roger, I thought you knew how to play
the guitar.
I
used to.
You used
to be someone I liked being around and now you're not.
You know April?
We went to high school together.
We
used to date.
You used
to a date?
April, you're Monica Geller.
Do I know you?
You
used to be my baby-sitter.
Hi.
Hi, I'm Monica Geller.
How do you know the bride and groom?
Oh, I used to work with Frannie.
Used
to work with her.
Used to. I'm a relative and I didn't get invited.
Me, Marshall and Lily, Barney, Robin, We
all used to hang out at this one bar
called McClaren's.
We used
to talk. That's all I want. Don't cuddle me, don't handle me just talk to
me, please, and not about business.
Andie hey.
Hey,
I've been trying to reach you.
You remember Andie, right? Used to date Michael, used to stalk Jane.
I used
to believe everything happens for a reason. But now, I'm not so sure.
You don't scare me Mona.
You're
not as good of a liar as you used to
be.
Nice car.
It used
to be mine.
My mom used to play this song all the time.
Look, those girls used to make me feel bad but recently I realized that we're on the
same side.
We used
to get coffee sometimes.
I used
to love being a surgeon.
You take spider-man's pictures, right?
I used to.
Where is he?
Henry and I agree. We don't see his
picture in the paper anymore.
Maybe I was just looking for a hookup?
Yeah, I know you think you know me.
I
used to.
Yeah, used to. I've changed.
I used to be obese.
I used
to wake up early when I was a child, work on some project.
Honey, honey come help Mom sort her pills.
You used to love that.
Maybe I'll come to your place.
Your
wife doesn't mind being alone at Christmas?
I'm a doctor. She's used to being alone.
Be
used to
Explanation
Be
used to
is followed by a noun pronoun or ing form a verb.
If you are used to something, you are
familiar with it.
example
I am
used to getting up early because I start my job at seven in the morning, so
it is normal for me to get up early because of my job.
Note
that
in the negative we can say I am not used to getting up early.
Maybe I'll come to your place.
Your
wife doesn't mind being alone at Christmas?
I'm a doctor. She's used to being alone.
I was stopping by Lily's kindergarten class
to say hi, but they were all at recess.
I really had to pee so I went to the class’s
restroom. It was a smaller target than I'm
used to. So I figured I should sit down. What I didn't realize was it was a
shared bathroom.
Having no dad is something I'm used to. I wasn't even thinking
about him that much anymore.
Hey, listen David, your mom is a great director.
She's
just not used to working with amateur
dancers.
So, what can I get you guys?
Um, what's the cake today?
I'm
sorry did you just ask for cake? I'm not
used to you ordering solid food.
Yeah I'll just have a slice of whatever.
Roland, I ran the second largest retail
video chain in North America so…
Well, that's good to hear, so you're used to coming in second, huh?
I'm
used to knowing what the right thing to do is, but now I'm not sure anymore.
Sorry, I'm not used to public speaking.
Normally my boyfriend…Normally Mr. Rustin Snyder handles these events but he's
out of town so it's all on my shoulders.
The point is, I overreacted. I'm just
not used to obstacles.
He was the tiger king but here's the problem
with kings. They get used to making
all the rules.
Get
used to
Explanation
Get
used to is
also followed by a noun pronoun or
ing form of a verb.
We use get used to to talk about the process of becoming familiar with something
and it can be used about the past present or future.
Example
I'm getting used to living in a big city.
I couldn't get used to living alone.
He was the tiger king but here's the problem
with kings. They get used to making
all the rules.
Are you drunk?
Get used to it.
So, you've experienced this sort of
thing before.
You get
used to it.
They have to get used to doing it my way. Right now they're getting very used to it. You have to get
used to doing things my way too.
Okay, what happened to Yumland? Why aren't
the other children on stage?
I
cut them. If they want to be actors so bad they should get used to being unemployed.
A fine dinner, my lord.
Call me Tyrion please. I'm sure you're getting used to fine dinners, now that
you're lord.
You better get used to negotiating with me. If the president dies, it's you
and I…
or nothing at all.
Oh, come on. I'm sorry that we told you,
okay? It's part of being in a relationship. Eventually you get used to these annoying little things that bug you at first.
Yeah, I guess.
I
mean you got used to Lily's loud
chewing, right?
You're not happy
No Kyle I'm thrilled.
You don't sound thrilled.
It's called sarcasm get used to it.
So, she seems fine.
Yeah
I
think she's getting used to being
away from you, now that you have the new job.
I went there for my honeymoon and
so, that was already a really good start, because it was just incredibly
romantic; everything we were doing.
But, the people were incredible, the
food was absolutely amazing. I mean, we started off thinking, oh gosh, who on
earth has curry for breakfast. And by the end of our honeymoon, it was curry
three times a day and it was just fantastic.
Um… and then we went to lots of
nature reserves as well and so...just the wildlife that was there was
fantastic. The beaches were fantastic. Just everywhere, everywhere. I couldn’t
say a bad thing about it.
My favourite country. Um… I probably
have lots of favorite countries and I tend to like er… mountainous countries
so like, like Austria. Austria's very… or the Alps, that’s sort of, lots of
countries. So you've got er… yeah, French Alps or Austrian Alps, they’re really
good. Er… I also like beach environments I love, like in Brighton; we’ve got
lots of beaches. So again I like, hot, warm beaches, probably Spain
I'm going to say America, I lived
there for a year, I studied there and I also proposed to my wife there. So there’re
a lot of special memories.
Well it is a hard one to decide, but I'm gonna go with India.Oh, nice. For the reason that erm… my parents were both born there and met each other there. And my sister who is five years older than me was born there and then the family came to this country when my sister was six months old. Erm… and my love for India didn't really start until I was old enough to appreciate everything about it. So as a child growing up I found it very, very strange. As an adult, it was quite intriguing and we have been and visited as…as much as we've been able to at this point.
People know lots of European
countries and I think, no… and I'm thinking I went travelling with my wife and
we spent quite a bit of time in South America and Argentina, particularly
Patagonia was stunning landscape, right down at the bottom of South America on
the point.
Well I… I lived in France for a long time and I really enjoyed that because it's got everything, it's got two sets of mountains, amazing beaches, temperate and hot climates and bit of, sort of, you know, more temperate towards the north, beautiful countryside. Erm… some French people are nice. Erm …But I’d have to say the place I've always wanted to visit is Canada.
Music biz ain't bad she could be you Know, she got right what the hand in there what [yeah] her dad is involved
Vocabulary
Ain’t (informal): am not;
are not; is not.
Has not; have not.
Yeah, but you know what, one thing to me is all like
I like her to kind of that she said, what she wants to be artist advise her but
Is she going, is she going to follow her dad into the music biz? I mean, yeah, she is very much a baby, but these days [these days] people start at younger than that.
She
stole the show [she stole the show] yeah [I'm not complaining]
yeah
He is going to do up. Make some
noise [thank you]
And then like too far forward would be I guess like, you know what me and my misses we’ve got really close and because my head is focused and then like now skipping again, I go do up.
Vocabulary
Do
up: 1.Fasten something.
2. Wrap or tie something
up.
Far forward: adj. 1. Directed or moving ahead.
2.
Lying or situated in or near the front part of something
3.
Presumptuous, pert, or impudent.
And because I have got my own labels
or clown name record so I focus on that.
I've been a last five years, I guess
I've been always working and recording in a studio constantly doing shows.
Do you want to speak English fluently? If so, try reading
and repeating aloud along with the audio! If you repeatedly practice, the
phrases and vocabulary you have remembered will begin coming out of your mouth
naturally. For more videos to help you learn English and sound like a native
speaker, please watch them in Tutorials at englishaccenthub.com!
Now seriously, it feels great to be
back in a mix and just working, yeah.
Vocabulary
Be back: Return
You cracked on, work dried up for me.
Vocabulary
Dry up: 1.
become completely or excessively dry.
2. (Of something perceived as a continuous flow or source)
decrease and stop.
Cracked on: Proceed or progress quickly.
Tinchy
you and I, we, I basically used to interview you about once a week.
© englishaccenthub.com All Rights Reserved. Designed by The Focal Media