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1.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF FORMALLY

Id like to introduce myself


Id like to introduce myself. Im Rajankumar Gupta fromWalplast/Hindustan
unilever.
Let me introduce myself
Let me introduce myself. Rajankumar Gupta.
How do you do?
How do you do? My name is Rajankumar Gupta. I run the Quality division.
Nice to meet you
Nice to meet you. John Bloor. We spoke on the phone last week,
I'm delighted to meet you
Im delighted to meet you. My name is Jeffers.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF LESS FORMALLY


Im
Im Rajan, Susans cousin.
Hi
Hi. Nice to meet you. Im Susan but everyone calls me Sue.
Hello
Hello. Rajankumar Gupta from Quality department.

My name is
My name is Rajan ,Rajan Gupta.
REPLY TO A FORMAL INTRODUCTION
Nice to meet you
Nice to meet you, Colonel Wrigley.
Pleased to meet you
Pleased to meet you, Angela. Im Dr Slithers.
Im delighted to meet you.
Im delighted to meet you. Welcome to Walplast
My pleasure
My pleasure. Have you had a good trip?
Its an honour
Its an honour, ambassador.

REPLY TO AN INFORMAL INTRODUCTION


Hi
Hi. Im Rajankumar
Hello
Hello. Andrew Damson.
Nice to get to meet you too
Nice to get to met you too. Im Sarah.
Lovely to meet you
Lovely to meet you. Would you like a drink?
How are you?
How are you? Its good to get to know you at last!
INTRODUCE YOURSELF BEFORE A SPEECH
I am
I am Rajankumar Gupta from Walplast. I work at our R&D facility.
Id like to introduce myself
Id like to introduce myself. I am Rajankumar Gupta, Manager Quality assurance.
Let me introduce myself
Let me introduce myself. Rajankumar Gupta.
My name is
My name is Rajankumar Gupta. I run Riversofts European operations.
Im called
Im called Roberta Woodall. Robbie to my friends.
INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THE PUBLIC
This is
This is Amy Stevens.
May I introduce?
May I introduce Sally Young? Sallys our PR officer.
Let me introduce
Let me introduce John Oats. He will be joining our sales team.
Id like you to meet
Id like you to meet Dr Li. Shes the Head Surgeon at BC Hospital.
Have you already met Maria Jones?

Have you already met Maria Jones? She runs the Moscow office.
SAY HELLO
Hi
Hi, John.
Hello
Hello. May I come in?
How are you?
How are you, Betsy?
Good morning
Good morning, Mr Hendricks.
Nice to see you
Nice to see you again, Paul
SIGNAL THE START OF A SPEECH
Right. Shall we start?
Right Ladies and Gentlemen. Shall we start with our presentation?
OK. Lets get going.
OK everybody. Lets get going. We only have twenty minutes.
Right then. We are ready
Right then. We are ready. The first point in the agenda is cost-cutting.
Is everybody already here?
Fine. Is everybody here? Lets get on then.
Time to begin
Well, time to begin. Well set off with an outline.
START A MEETING
Let's get started.
Lets get the meetings started. John, would you like to begin?
We need to discuss
We need to discuss whether this company needs two factories.
We will to talk about
We will talk about the hazards involved in our Gulf of Mexico drilling.
What brings us here?
What brings us here today? The hope of finding solutions.
We will study
We will carefully study all the projects that were brought forward.

INTRODUCE A SUMMARY
To put it briefly
To put it briefly, we have a problem with sales.
In a few words
In a few words, Chandler is leaving the company.
In a nutshell
In a nutshell, the contract will be finished next month.
To summarise
To summarise, we face an imminent strike in our Heathrow facilities.
It all comes down to
It all comes down to Sams behaviour at the warehouse.
EXPLAIN YOUR PURPOSE FORMALLY
The reason
The reason I travelled here is to discuss productivity.
My aim
My aim now is to increase sales in Britain.
What Id like
What Id like to do is appoint a new CFO.
My objective
My objective is to reduce advertising costs by at least ten percent.
We intend
We intend to redefine our marketing campaign.
EXPLAIN YOUR PURPOSE INFORMALLY
I want to
I want to let you know Ill stand by you.
Id just like to
Id just like to tell you that well do what we can.
Im here to
Im here to talk about plant organization.
Were going to
Were going to spend all day reviewing our techniques.
Ill put it simply.
Ill put it simply. We must decide on what to do about Alex.

PRESENT THE FIRST ITEM


Lets start by the beginning
Lets start by the very beginning. France is our top priority.
First things first
First things first. Now well discuss this weeks problem.
Item one
Item one in our agenda will be corporate responsibility.
Point A
Point A is our relationship with the government.
The opening issue
The opening issue today is worker benefits.
PRESENT THE NEXT ITEM
Lets move onto
Let's move onto item two.
We can now
We can now discuss the next topic.
We need to go on
We need to go on. Chapter B deals with economics.
The next item
The next item on my list will only take a few minutes.
Shall we continue?
Shall we continue? The second subject concerns our own future.
PRESENT EVIDENCE FORMALLY
Id like you to see
Id like you to see this graph.
Let me show you
Let me show you our new product line.
Please observe
Please observe how the new design is more aerodynamic.
If you watch
If you watch this video closely youll see it was filmed lat year.
Have a look
Have a good look at this chart.

PRESENT EVIDENCE LESS FORMALLY


Look here
Just look over here. This is the new tractor.
Can you see?
Can you see Joe? Hes the third from the left.
Watch this
Watch this scene. Can you spot our product in the background?
We want you to see
We want you to see the difference from the old to the new edition.
Here you have
Here you have the first picture of my wedding.
PRESENT DATA IN ORDER
Firstly
Secondly
To end
To start with
Then
To conclude
Initially
Next
Finally
In first place
Following on from
To finish
Let us begin by
Afterwards
Last but not least
Firstly, secondly and to end
Firstly well tackle costs; secondly well view the balance sheet and, to end,
well discuss this years sales.
To start with, then and to conclude
Henry will start with a presentation. Then hell answer questions and, to
conclude, we will walk round the grounds so you can see the building.
Initially, next and finally.
We had initially planned to visit France. The next idea was to go to Spain
though we finally travelled nowhere.
In first place, following on from and to finish
In first place, we never asked her to represent us so following on from that we
decided to take her to court. Anyhow, we finished it all by reaching an
agreement.
Let us begin by, afterwards and last but not least
Let us begin by setting the goals. We can talk about the budget afterwards and
last but not least name a project coordinator.
PRESENT APPARENTLY CONTRASTING DATA
Although A seems fine, B is better
Although your proposal seems fine, Johns is better.
In spite of the evidence, Id like to say

In spite of the evidence, Id like to say that you could be wrong.


We could opt for A. On the other hand
We could opt for option A. On the other hand, option B is also interesting.
I like your idea. However, I prefer
I like your new idea. However, I prefer to continue with the same plan.
Instead of praising
Instead of praising Jim we should be worrying about his future.
ASK FOR INFORMATION
Could you please?
Could you please give me all the data you have?
Would you mind?
Would you mind informing me of the consequences?
I wonder if you could
I wonder if you could hand me the fact sheet on Dynacore.
What do you know about?
What do you know about Peters background?
Do you have?
Do you have any information on the Lambeth Square project?
ASK FOR EVIDENCE
Could you provide?
Could you provide us with the hard facts?
Why dont you?
Why dont you give us an example?
Can you illustrate that?
Can you illustrate that with a real-life case?
What evidence?
What evidence do you have?
How will you back that up?
How will you back up your proposal?
ASK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May we have?
May we have further details?
Could you elaborate on?
Could you elaborate on how you intend to make this work?

Is there any additional?


Is there any additional aspect to consider before we vote?
We need more
We need more data. One projection is just not enough.
Could you provide?
Could you provide some extra information on the touch-screen market?
ASK FOR FURTHER DETAILS
Could you add?
Could you add more details to the second point, please?
Could we have more particulars?
Could we have more particulars on your experience is mecatronics?
Could you give us further details?
Could you give us further details on this scheme?
What else?
What else can you add to convince us better?
Any more information?
Do you have any more info or have you already shown us everything?
ASK ABOUT MEALS
Is it included in the price?
Is breakfast included in the price?
What time?
What time is dinner served?
Do you have a special menu?
Do you have a vegetarian menu at the restaurant?
Jim is intolerant to gluten
Jim is intolerant to gluten. Is there anything for people with celiac disease?
Im allergic to
Im allergic to nuts. Do you have any nut-free ice cream?
ASK HOW TO CONTACT
Could I contact you?
Could I contact you at the agency later on?
How do I get in touch with you?
How do I get in touch with you if I have a problem with the system?

How can I reach you?


How can I reach you at the weekend? I dont have your home number.
Whats your?
Whats your e-mail?
Could I have your?
Could I have your office address please?
CORRECT MISUNDERSTANDING
Theres a misunderstanding
Im afraid theres been a misunderstanding. I said Mrs Figgs, not Mrs Pigs.
This isnt what I meant
This isnt quite what I meant. Sales diminished but didnt plummet.
I dont think youve understood
I dont think youve actually understood me. I am not against you.
It was not my intention
It was not my intention to offend you. I am sorry.
Im sorry about the confusion
Im sorry about the confusion. I thought Taylor was only a womans name.
CORRECT WHATS WRONG
That is not right
Sorry, that is not quite right. Toronto is not the capital of Canada.
Its wrong
Its all wrong. Cant you see the formulas incorrect?
Youve made a mistake
Youve made a mistake so its your turn to set matters right.
That needs correction
Those figures need correction. We need to add variable costs.
This is different to
This is different to what we had agreed. You must change it.
KEEP A MEETING IN ORDER
We cant all speak at once.
We cant all speak at once. Heather, you start.
Lets concentrate on
Lets concentrate on the agenda for the day.

Shall we take turns?


Shall we take turns? We can vote one by one.
Please lower your voice.
Please lower your voice. You wont convince anyone by shouting.
Will you let Maria speak?
Jason, will you let Maria speak? She has important things to say.
KEEP A MEETING IN TRACK
Thats another subject
Finance is another subject altogether. Now well just talk about sales.
We cant discuss that issue
We cant discuss that issue today. Its not on the agenda.
That's outside the scope
Thats outside the scope of our meeting so well leave it for now.
Let's get back on track
Lets get back on track. Were wasting too much time.
Were digressing
Were digressing. I want to stick to the main subject.
COME BACK TO A TOPIC
Now, where were we?
Now, where were we? Yes, prime time ratings.
What were we saying?
What were you saying when Carol interrupted us?
As I was explaining
As I was explaining before lunch, higher prices dont always deter buyers.
Return to
Lets return to point five: Clay Corporation.
This leads us back to
This leads us back to the subject we were discussing yesterday.
POSTPONE AN ISSUE
Well defer
Well defer the matter till we have all relevant information.
Lets leave
Lets leave this issue aside for the time being.
Its too late to

Its too late to discuss advertising today. Well have more time tomorrow.
Shall we leave it for?
Shall we leave the final decision for this afternoons session?
Lets postpone
Lets postpone the discussion till everyone has arrived.
FOCUS ON THE MAIN ISSUE
The major
The only major problem we need to solve is absenteeism.
Our primary concern is
Our primary concern isnt only increased sales but better quality as well.
What is the real issue?
Whats the real issue? Managers are not committed to their jobs.
The most important
The most important hurdle of this negotiation is to convince Mr Lewis.
We really need
We really need to look after our workforce.
EMPHASISE ON A POINT
This is a key issue
Labour relations are a key issue now.
Id like to emphasise on
Id like to emphasise on point three of my presentation.
This is highly significant
Norahs attitude is highly significant. Shes certainly against us.
This is vital
Turning a profit this year is vital if we wish to survive.
Its imperative
Its imperative to solve this problem now.
PLAY DOWN A POINT
This is a minor issue
This is a minor issue. Price is the main concern.
This is of secondary importance
This is of secondary importance if we compare it with our real problem.
Who cares?
Who cares about PR when the companys on the brink of bankruptcy?

Its irrelevant
His view is irrelevant, completely worthless.
Its not significant
This matter is not significant at all. Lets move onto what is crucial.
SLOW DOWN A MEETING
Before we move on
Before we move on I believe we should hear Jackies point of view.
Wait a minute
Wait a minute. We haven't discussed the forecast yet.
Shouldnt we postpone?
Shouldnt we postpone the decision till Lindsay is back from her office?
Not so fast
Not so fast. We havent finished our coffee yet!
Take it easy
Take it easy. Whats the hurry? We have the whole weekend ahead of us.

MOVE THE MEETING FORWARD


Shall we proceed onto the next point?
Shall we proceed onto the next point? There are ten items on the agenda.
We need to solve it today
We do need to solve it today. Tomorrows Sabbath in Israel.
Let's move on
Lets move one. Time is money.
I dont have all morning
I dont have all morning. Make up your minds now!
Hurry up
Hurry up please. We cant waste more time on this.
CHANGE TOPICS FORMALLY
Incidentally, may I mention that?
Incidentally, may I mention that Hutchinson called today?
An alternative to consider
An alternative point to consider is the effect of this decision on our image.

While we are on the subject


While we are on the subject, Id like to inform you that Jo is ill today.
On quite another matter
On quite another matter, battery life is still a major concern.
Could we now deal with?
Could we now deal with our plans for the Geneva summit?
CHANGE TOPICS LESS FORMALLY
By the way
By the way, it rained quite a bit yesterday.
Can we move onto?
Can we move onto our plans for dinner?
To bring up something else
To bring up something else, Max came to the office yesterday.
Now is time to
Now is the right time to talk about the new site. Tomorrow will be too late.
Theres another issue we have to deal with
Theres another issue we have to deal with losses in the chemistry area.
CHANGE TOPICS INFORMALLY
I dont want to
I dont want to talk about football anymore. What are the plans for tonight?
It has just crossed my mind
It has just crossed my mind that Billy wont be able to come.
Changing subject
Changing subject, did you see Dudley yesterday?
Before I forget
Before I forget, how did Jack and Edith get on?
Weve had enough
Weve had enough of you talking about golf. Whats the next point?
INTERRUPT VERY POLITELY
Er
Er, I think Joan is already here.
Sorry
Sorry, I never meant that.
Actually
Actually it was Geraldine who arrived late.

Excuse me
Excuse me, that seems taking matters too far.
May I have a word?
May I have a word? Nothing will stop the Mirror from running the story.
INTERRUPT POLITELY
Can I make a comment?
Can I make a comment? Mike was never involved in this.
May I come in here?
May I come in here? In fact, new laptops tend to be lighter, not heavier.
May I interrupt?
May I interrupt? I do have something relevant to disclose.
Could I say something?
Could I say something? If we want lower costs we need other suppliers.
Sorry to interrupt
Sorry to interrupt, but someones phone is ringing.

INTERRUPT STRONGLY
Please listen to me
Please listen to me. It is important.
Do you mind if I jump in here?
Do you mind if I jump in here? I have to leave in
five minutes.
I don't mean to intrude, but
I dont mean to intrude, but Stephen is not
exactly reliable.
Can I add something?
Can I add something here? WTR Ltd should be
able to supply us.
What are you trying to say?
What are you trying to say? I never accepted that.

42. INTERRUPT VERY STRONGLY


What are you getting at?
What are you getting at? Cant you see youll only cause trouble?
Will you let me speak?
Will you let me speak? You are not the only person here.
Wont you let me give an opinion?
Wont you let me give my own opinion? I demand the right to speak.
Will you shut up for a minute, please?
Will you shut up for a minute, please? Dont you see everyones fed up?
Cant you be quiet?
Cant you be quiet for a moment, for goodness sake?

AVOID INTERRUPTION
Perhaps we could leave that for later on?
Perhaps we could leave that for some other moment.
Will you let me finish?
Will you let me finish? You can object when your turn comes up.
Id rather go on with
Id rather go on with the current subject as were a bit pressed for time.
Would you so be so kind as to let me finish?
Would you be so kind as to let me finish? I never interrupted your speech.
Would you mind not interrupting?
Would you mind not interrupting all the time?

ALLOW INTERRUPTION
Lets hear
Lets hear what Virginia has to say.
You may speak
Of course you may speak, Sylvie.
Please go ahead.
Please go ahead, Diana. What is so urgent?
Wed be delighted
Wed be delighted to hear your doubts, Paul. Please go ahead.

Youre not interrupting


Youre not interrupting at all. Everyone is free to share their opinions.
CHECK FOR CONSENSUS
Do we agree?
Do we agree that suing Dynacore is the only solution?
Do we all share?
Do we all share the same belief?
Are you all with me?
Are you all with me? We need unanimity to approve this rule.
Is there anyone who?
Is there anyone who has a different point of view?
Shall we pass?
Shall we pass the motion? Good.
AGREE WITH OPINIONS
Exactly!
Exactly! You couldnt have used better words.
That's how I feel
Thats exactly how I feel as well.
I have to agree
I have to agree with you. There seems to be no other possibility.
I never thought about it that way before
I never thought about it that way before. Its an excellent idea.
Youve found
I think youve found the right solution.
DISAGREE PARTIALLY
I see your point of view, but
I can see your point of view, but winter is very cold in Montreal.
You might be right. However
You might be right. However, how can we tell for sure?
You have a good point, though
You have a good point, though Anthony is also right.
You could say that, but
You could say that, but who buys ice cream in winter?

Up to a point I agree. Nevertheless


Up to a point I agree. Nevertheless, I feel James has a sounder approach.

DISAGREE STRONGLY
I dont agree
I dont agree with you at all.
Youre not right.
Youre not right. Everything you said is wrong.
Its not what I believe
Its not what I believe and I will not back you.
I dont think so
I dont think so. Why dont you change strategy?
Thats not such a good idea
Thats not such a good idea. Fiona tried it and it never worked.
49. DISAGREE LESS STRONGLY
Ive got another
Ive got another point of view.
I wouldn't do that
I wouldnt do that. I would never sell a car to buy a motorcycle.
I'm afraid I cant see it
Im afraid I cant see it that way.
Don't get me wrong
Dont get me wrong but no one here shares your views.
Im not so keen
Im not so keen on your strategy. It seems too complicated.

DISAGREE POLITELY
I don't mean to be rude
I dont mean to be rude but Bahia is north of Rio, not south.
This may sound
This may sound offensive but it is not my intention to hurt anyone.
Correct me if I'm wrong
Correct me if Im wrong but I think cell phone sales have remained flat.
I hate to bring this up
I hate to bring this up, but Brigitte never studied Marketing.

Theres another way


Theres another way round this. Why not try the Beta system?
51. SOFTEN DISAGREEMENT
Im afraid
Im afraid your models are a bit dated.
Im sorry
Im sorry but I cant agree with you.
Even though I respect your
Even though I respect your position I must dissent.
I know youve tried your best
I know youve tried your best, but your assumptions are wrong.
Its a great idea
Its a great idea but we theres another way to do it.

EXPRESS RESERVATION
I have some reservations
I have some reservations. How much is all this going to cost?
Maybe we should reflect
Maybe we should reflect on this a bit more.
Im worried
Im rather worried about the rate of return.
I cant help
I cant help feeling that weve forgotten something.
Id like to express my doubts
Id like to express my doubts. You dont even have a business plan!
GIVE INSTRUCTIONS - START
Before beginning
Before beginning make sure the mains are turned off.
The first step
The first step is find out where the short-circuit happened.
I would start by
I would start by analysing the charts.
Well set off
Well set off by working at the far end of the garden.

To begin with
To begin with, write a business plan.
GIVE INSTRUCTIONS - CONTINUE
After that
Immediately after that you should ask for an appointment with Dr Thayne.
The following stage
The following stage is to make sure you have enough cash.
The next thing
The next thing will be to ask Horace to help you.
Once you've
Once youve gone through the first step you must tackle the second one.
When that is over
When the introduction is over youll be ready to continue with the rest.
GIVE INSTRUCTIONS
FINISH
The last stage
The last stage is the easiest.
At the end
At the end you should check that the cables are well connected
To finish
To finish you just need to turn the switch on.
The closing step
The closing step is the easiest. Just lock the latch.
Well wrap up
Well wrap up the whole process by resetting the system.

INTRODUCE GOOD NEWS


I am delighted
I am delighted to inform you that youve won the first prize.
We are pleased
We are pleased to announce that ClaraVision will be our new ad agency.
Youll be thrilled
Youll be trilled to hear that Gretel is returning next week.
Its a pleasure

Its a pleasure to let you know that our company has grown substantially.
I have good news
I have good news. Hopper has accepted our proposal!
INTRODUCE BAD NEWS FORMALLY
We regret to
We regret to inform you that your programme has been discontinued.
I'm sorry
Im sorry but I have to let you know that we will not participate.
I'm afraid it
Im afraid it wont be possible for us to finance your venture.
Unfortunately
Unfortunately we are not allowed to take on such high risk.
After careful consideration
After careful consideration we have decided not to publish your novel.
INTRODUCE BAD NEWS INFORMALLY
I have some bad news
I have some bad news for you. Hans is leaving.
I hate to tell you
I hate to tell you this, but theyve given your project to Enid.
I don't know how to say
I dont know how to say this, but Heather insisted I should.
I feel sorry
I feel sorry but theres little we can do.
Its a shame
Its a shame but nobody will be there to receive you.
EXPRESS CONDOLENCE
I was sorry to hear
I was sorry to hear about Mr Sloan. He will be missed by all of us.
Id like to extend my sympathy
Id like to extend my sympathy to you and to your family.
We were sad to learn
We were sad to learn that Mrs Finn passed away.
Id like to express my bereavement
Id like to express my bereavement for the loss of such a valued person.

My condolence
Our condolence over the death of such an esteemed member of your team

60.

COMPLAIN
STRONGLY

Id like to file a complaint


Id like to file a complaint with your
manager.
Im not satisfied
Im not at all satisfied with your attitude.
We deserve better
We deserve a better service.
Im not used to
Im not used to such impolite behaviour.
I'm sorry to have to
Im sorry to have to say this but food today
wasnt good at all.

COMPLAIN LESS STRONGLY


I dont want to sound critical but
I dont want to sound critical but your employees should be better trained.
I'm sorry to bother you
Im sorry to bother you but I must tell you something you wont like.
Excuse me if I seem out of line
Excuse me if I seem out of line but I think you should change your attitude.
There may be a misunderstanding
There may have been a misunderstanding. I said ham, not jam!
Don't get me wrong
Dont get me wrong but I do believe you should improve the packaging.

REPLY TO A COMPLAINT
We are sorry
Id like to say we are sorry for the inconveniences. Heres your refund.
Id like to apologise
Id like to apologise for Jims behaviour. We will take disciplinary action.
I regret
I regret to inform you that we cannot return your money.
Well do our best to settle the matter
Well do our best to settle the matter to your satisfaction, sir.
Well solve this affair
Well solve this affair once and for all. Please come with me.

EXPRESS SOMETHING SURE


Surely
This will surely happen.
Definitely
Daphne will definitely replace Ethel next month.
Without any question
There is no question that Dynacore will be taken over by Riversoft.
Doubtlessly
The building will doubtlessly be finished this November.
Certainly
We will certainly increase our turnover within the next quarter.
EXPRESS SOMETHING PROBABLE
Probably
It will probably take place next summer.
Likely
The festival is not likely to happen.
It seems
It seems that Sean will be joining us after all.
Apparently
Apparently the prototype will be ready by Monday.
On the face of it
On the face of it, everything seems to be running smoothly.

EXPRESS SOMETHING POSSIBLE


Possible
It is, of course, possible to give you a discount if you increase volume.
Conceivably
Can we conceivably believe that you will not make another mistake, Tom?
Feasible
The project is perfectly feasible. We only need financing.
Viable
We do agree that it is viable. Now, is it possible with only three men?
Doable
The plan is doable. Ask Mr Danton, who has all the figures.
EXPRESS SOMETHING IMPROBABLE
Improbable
It is improbable that she will finish before the deadline.
Doubtful
Success seems doubtful. Who would back this adventure anyway?
Unlikely
A deal looks unlikely.
I have my doubts
I have my doubts about this business ever happening.
Im unsure
Im unsure. There are less than thirty percent chances of winning.
EXPRESS SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE
Impossible
Its impossible for Greg to arrive on time. His plane is delayed in Paris.
Undoable
This project is just undoable. Who drew the plans?
Out of the question
Buying a new car is out of the question. Why dont we lease one?
Unreachable
The goals Rachel set are unreachable.
Unattainable
Total quality will be unattainable without a well-trained workforce.

ADD FURTHER INFORMATION


In addition
In addition, Id like to mention that Saras generally right.
We might also
We might also deduce that bonuses will be affected too.
As well
Corn, as well as wheat, is produced in Brazil.
Furthermore
Furthermore, they insisted we should join them.
Moreover
Moreover, the fine must be paid within seven days.
PROVIDE MORE DETAIL
To elaborate
To elaborate on what Ms Finch exposed we will use a chart.
Here I have further information
Here I have further information. As you see, the weather has changed.
Let me expand
Let me expand on Robbies plan. It will entail a drastic change.
Let me tell you a little more
Let me tell you a bit more about Dynacore. Theyre not so reliable.
What's more
Whats more, ClaraVision will also promote our merchandise.
GENERALISE
On the whole
On the whole, we cant really say A is better than B.
In general
In general people prefer longer, less expensive holidays.
By and large
By and large, the process was successful.
All things considered
All things considered, the match didnt turn out so badly.
Broadly speaking
Broadly speaking, women follow fashion more closely than men do.

DESCRIBE CURRENT PROJECTS


We are working on
Were now working on the new model.
We have started the process of
We have started the process of designing another prototype.
The projects under development
The projects under development are secret so we will not discuss them.
We are involved in
We are already fully involved in phase B.
We remain occupied with
We remain occupied with the installation of the wiring system.
DESCRIBE FLUCTUATION
Fluctuate
Stock prices fluctuated throughout the session.
Unstable
The system is unstable and it might crash any minute.
Irregular
Growth patterns are irregular in Europe.
Erratic
His behaviour is erratic. Hes happy one day and sad the next.
Vary
Figures vary all the time. Its impossible to draw a working model.
DESCRIBE STABILITY
Stable
Prices will be stable for the whole season.
Remain unchanged
Nothing remains unchanged for very long.
Steadily
If we are lucky, sales will move steadily for the next couple of months.
Constant
If the number of unemployed people remains constant we will face trouble.
The same
Things are the same as one year ago. Does nothing ever change here?

DESCRIBE INCREASE
Increase
Salaries should increase according to productivity.
Improve
Sales have improved and reached almost a million.
Raise
The government need to raise taxes to lower the deficit.
Rise
If inflation rises we will need to raise our prices.
Go up
The rates will not go up until the Central Bank decides they should.
DESCRIBE GRADUAL INCREASE
Accumulate
We have accumulated around ten percent.
Escalate
Costs have escalated by a very small factor.
Accrue
Interest has accrued in my savings account.
Grow
The economy will grow this year.
Develop
Sales have developed more slowly than we had expected.
DESCRIBE SUDDEN INCREASE
Boost
The advertising campaign boosted donations by twenty percent.
Shoot up
The cost of raw materials has shot up because of the increased demand.
Spring up
Absenteeism always springs up when theres an epidemic of flu.
Surge
Interest rates surged to twenty-five percent because of inflation fears.
Multiply
We need to multiply output by two within the next semester.

TALK ABOUT CAUSES


Caused by
The decrease in productivity was caused by lack of innovation.
Result from
The fall in passengers resulted from a misguided marketing policy.
Due to
Our failure was due to disorganization.
Conclusion
Her success was the logical conclusion of hard work.
Bring about
The change was brought about by our mistakes last year.
TALK ABOUT CONSEQUENCES
Lead to
The rise in sales led to more R&D.
Result in
Our failure resulted in the loss of the contract.
Mean that
Rachels decision to fire David means that I have to work harder.
Imply that
If she arrives late every day it implies that shes not happy with her job.
Entail that
Lengthening the lunch hour will entail hiring at least one more worker.
WARN ABOUT CONSEQUENCES
Unless we
The company wont survive, unless we stop the problem now.
If we dont
If we dont audit our accounts we will face problems with the shareholders.
Only if
Ill give you both my support only if you promise to solve your differences.
Watch
Watch your cash flow and be careful with bank clearing dates.
Otherwise
She needs to be there today. Otherwise, well lose the contract.

CONVINCE
Im convinced
Im convinced this is the best way to do it.
I assure you
I assure you our machine will work in every type of weather.
There is no doubt
There are no doubts Sandra is the best candidate.
You have my personal guarantee
You have my personal guarantee this will not happen.
Id like to reassure you
Id like to reassure you. Every aspect of the operation has been revised.

DESCRIBE ADVANTAGES
It will help you
This programme will help you keep your accounts more easily.
It will improve
The stationary bicycle will improve your health.
The benefits are
The benefits to the company are twofold: lower cost and better yield.
It will allow you
Our cleaning service will allow you to have every morning to yourself.
It stands out
The GRS stands out among its competitors because its less noisy.
GET PEOPLE TO ACT
Nows the time to apply
Nows the time to apply what we have learnt.
Wed better move before
Wed better move before the competition does.
Lets get going
Lets get going. Time is golden.
We must act now
We must act now if we want immediate results.
Tomorrow will be too late
Tomorrow will be too late. Today is the beginning of a new life.

PROPOSE SOLUTIONS
Maybe we should
Maybe we should call Gerald
How about
How about setting up a meeting with their purchasing department?
Why dont you
Why dont you call the help line?
The best way is to
The best way to find a job is to look for one!
I would
I would change your old computer for a newer one.
EXPLORE OPTIONS
Let's look at
Lets look at option A.
Why dont we consider?
Why dont we consider Ninas suggestion?
How about?
How about this last alternative? Shall we review it?
We have several choices
We have several choices. Managua, Shanghai or Hanoi.
We could either
We could either invest in gold or silver.
PROPOSE WHAT IS NEEDED
You might need
You might need an architect to sign the blueprints.
It would be a good idea
It would be a good idea to take a couple of spare ropes.
It might be better
It might be better to include a colour photograph along with the letter.
You would better add
Youd better add another person to the team.
You shouldnt forget
You shouldnt forget to carry your passport.

REQUEST WHAT IS NEEDED


We need
We need at least $10,000 for the next round of financing.
We cant do without
We cant do without Edith. Shes our leader!
It is essential
Working all night is essential. We wont meet targets otherwise.
It is compulsory
Wearing a tie is compulsory at this office.
We require
We require a deposit of at least twenty percent of the final price.
RECOMMEND A PERSON OR FIRM
Recommend
I can surely recommend ClaraVison. Theyre a reliable agency.
Put in a good word
Of course I can put in a good word for Kate. She is a brilliant teacher.
Say good things
I can only say good things about DT. Its an excellent detergent.
Vouch for
Yes, Ill vouch for Jacqueline. Why do you want to know about her?
Endorse
Yes, Im ready to endorse Miss Low. Shes an exemplary worker.

RECOMMEND AN ACTION
We urge you to
We urge you to continue with the programme.
We recommend you
We recommend you prepare your managers for a shakeout.
We think you should
We think you should confront gossip with facts.
You ought to
You ought to conduct quality audits every year.
If I were you
If I were you Id keep my mouth shut.

DESCRIBE A PRODUCT
Let me describe
Let me describe our latest engine.
Can I tell you?
Can I tell you about our schools services? We teach English.
Here you can see
Here you see why we call the TXR our star drier.
This model
This particular model was designed by our people in Geneva.
It is priced
It is priced at $ 3,499 and we pay for shipping!
DESCRIBE FEATURES OF A PRODUCT
It is made of
It is made of wood and aluminium.
It features
The team features two Nobel Prize winners.
It comes with
It comes with a calculator and a pocket translator.
It measures
It measures ten feet in width, two in height and one in depth.
It weighs
It weighs close to a ton.
REFER TO WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
If we go back
If we go back to the chart well see how fabric design has changed.
As I said before
As I said before, its never too late to start exercising.
Returning to point one
Returning to point one, fixed assets are undervalued in you accounts.
As has already been mentioned
As has already been mentioned, we cannot guarantee supply.
As you no doubt remember
As you now doubt remember, we started this chat with a quote by Drucker.

SUMMARISE
To sum up
To sum up, we are in deep trouble.
To recapitulate
To recapitulate, this has been our best year ever.
The conclusion is
The conclusion is that all our efforts have finally proven successful.
In a few words
In a few words, Karen would like to congratulate you all.
It all boils down
It all boils down to a simple truth: money brings money.
FINISH A SPEECH
Id like to conclude
Id like to conclude by thanking everyone.
Let me end
Let me end by reminding you that we are at the top because of your work.
Ill finish
Ill finish with the words of Julius Caesar: Veni, vidi, vici.
Finally
Finally, I want to say Im delighted to have had the chance to meet you.
To conclude
Before concluding, Id like to invite Alice to say a few words.
CLOSE A MEETING
Thats all
Well, thats all for today. Any comments?
Could we make a decision right away?
Could we make a decision right away? Im hungry!
Well have to leave it for now
Well have to leave it for now. I have another appointment.
Time to finish!
Time to finish! Does anyone need a ride back to the hotel?
Shall we call it a day?
Shall we call it a day? We can adjourn the meeting till tomorrow.

CLOSE A CONVERSATION
It's been nice to talk to
It's been nice to talk to you, Alexandra.
I enjoyed meeting you
I really enjoyed meeting you, Mr Brown.
I have to leave
Im afraid I have to leave now. Im double-parked!
We have to move on
We have to move on, sorry!
Its getting late
Its getting late. We should be going home now.
SAY THANKS
Thanks
Thanks for everything.
Thank you
Thank you for your kind cooperation.
Im thankful for
Im thankful for all your efforts.
I appreciate
I appreciate your interest in my situation.
Im grateful for
Im grateful for your support in securing the bank loan.
THANK PEOPLE FOR COMING
Thank you
Thank you for coming.
Its been a pleasure
Its been a pleasure to meet you.
Ive been delighted to
Ive been delighted to be able to speak to you.
Id like to show my thanks
Id like to show my thanks by inviting you to my house for drinks.
I have enjoyed
I have enjoyed your company today.

THANK FOR LETTING YOU SPEAK


Thank you, John.
Thank you, John. I want to stress on the fact Jo is irreplaceable.
Thanks for allowing me
Thanks for allowing me to speak at this forum.
Thanks for calling on
Thanks for calling on me. Its a great chance to share my ideas.
I appreciate the opportunity to address
I appreciate the opportunity to address such a distinguished group.
Its a pleasure to
Its a pleasure to be able to talk about the MX project.
SAY BYE FORMALLY
Good night
Good night, everyone.
Goodbye
Goodbye. Please send my regards to Miss Burkes.
It was nice to
It was nice to talk to you.
Its been a pleasure to
Its been a pleasure to get to play golf with you.
Hope we meet
Hope we meet again before next summer.
SAY BYE INFORMALLY
See you
See you later.
Take care
Take care. Till tomorrow.
Cheers
Cheers. Give my love to Jeannette.
Bye
Bye Charlie.
So long
So long. Lovely to see you again.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF FORMALLY


Id like to introduce myself
Id like to introduce myself. Im Rajankumar Gupta from
Let me introduce myself
Let me introduce myself. Rajankumar Gupta
How do you do?
How do you do? My name is Rajankumar Gupta. I run the QA department.
Nice to meet you
Nice to meet you. NOP. We spoke on the phone last week,
I'm delighted to meet you
Im delighted to meet you. My name is Jeffers.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF LESS FORMALLY
Im
Im s cousin.
Hi
Hi. Nice to meet you. Im Rajan but everyone calls me Raj.
Hello
Hello. Rajankumar Gupta from QA.
Jack
Rajankumar Gupta, from Mumbai.
My name is
My name is Liz, Liz Trevor.
REPLY TO A FORMAL INTRODUCTION
Nice to meet you
Nice to meet you, Colonel Wrigley.
Pleased to meet you
Pleased to meet you, Angela. Im Dr Slithers.
Im delighted to meet you.
Im delighted to meet you. Welcome to London.
How do you do?
How do you do? Have you had a good trip?
Its an honour
Its an honour, Ambassador.

REPLY TO AN INFORMAL INTRODUCTION


Hi
Hi. Im Sam.
Hello
Hello. Andrew Damson.
Good to meet you too
Good to meet you too. Im Sarah.
Lovely to meet you
Lovely to meet you. Would you like a drink?
How are you?
How are you? Its good to get to know you at last!
INTRODUCE YOURSELF BEFORE A SPEECH
I am
I am Dr. Jack Smith from Barcelona. I work at our R&D facility.
Id like to introduce myself
Id like to introduce myself. I am Steve Platt, Chief of Maintenance.
Let me introduce myself
Let me introduce myself. Tom Salinger.
My name is
My name is John Styles. I run Riversofts European operations.
Im called
Im called Roberta Woodall. Robbie to my friends.
INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THE PUBLIC
This is
This is Amy Stevens.
May I introduce?
May I introduce Sally Young? Sallys our PR officer.
Let me introduce
Let me introduce John Oats. He will be joining our sales team.
Id like you to meet
Id like you to meet Dr Li. Shes the Head Surgeon at BC Hospital.
Have you already met Maria Jones?
Have you already met Maria Jones? She runs the Moscow office.
SAY HELLO
Hi
Hi, John.

Hello
Hello. May I come in?
How are you?
How are you, Betsy?
Good morning
Good morning, Mr Hendricks.
Nice to see you
Nice to see you again, Paul
SIGNAL THE START OF A SPEECH
Right. Shall we start?
Right Ladies and Gentlemen. Shall we start with our presentation?
OK. Lets get going.
OK everybody. Lets get going. We only have twenty minutes.
Right then. We are ready
Right then. We are ready. The first point in the agenda is cost-cutting.
Is everybody already here?
Fine. Is everybody here? Lets get on then.
Time to begin
Well, time to begin. Well set off with an outline.
START A MEETING
Let's get started
Lets get the meetings started. John, would you like to begin?
We need to discuss
We need to discuss whether the campaign is aimed at the right target.
We will to talk about
We will talk about the hazards involved in our Gulf of Mexico drilling.
What brings us here?
What brings us here today? The hope of finding solutions.
We will study
We will carefully study all the projects that were brought forward.
INTRODUCE A SUMMARY
To put it briefly
To put it briefly, we have a problem with sales.
In a few words
In a few words, Chandler is leaving the company.

In a nutshell
In a nutshell, the contract will be finished next month.
To summarise
To summarise, we face an imminent strike in our Heathrow facilities.
It all comes down to
It all comes down to Sams behaviour at the warehouse.
EXPLAIN YOUR PURPOSE FORMALLY
The reason
The reason I travelled here is to discuss productivity.
My aim
My aim now is to increase sales in Britain.
What Id like
What Id like to do is appoint a new CFO.
My objective
My objective is to reduce advertising costs by at least ten percent.
We intend
We intend to redefine our marketing campaign.
12. EXPLAIN YOUR PURPOSE INFORMALLY
I want to
I want to let you know Ill stand by you.
Id just like to
Id just like to tell you that well do what we can.
Im here to
Im here to talk about plant organization.
Were going to
Were going to spend all day reviewing our techniques.
Ill put it simply.
Ill put it simply. We must decide on what to do about Alex.
PRESENT THE FIRST ITEM
Lets start by the beginning
Lets start by the very beginning. France is our top priority.
First things first
First things first. Now well discuss this weeks problem.
Item one
Item one in our agenda will be corporate responsibility.

Point A
Point A is our relationship with the government.
The opening issue
The opening issue today is worker benefits.
PRESENT THE NEXT ITEM
Lets move onto
Let's move onto item two.
We can now
We can now discuss the next topic.
We need to go on
We need to go on. Chapter B deals with economics.
The next item
The next item on my list will only take a few minutes.
Shall we continue?
Shall we continue? The second subject concerns our own future.
PRESENT EVIDENCE FORMALLY
Id like you to see
Id like you to see this graph.
Let me show you
Let me show you our new product line.
Please observe
Please observe how the new design is more aerodynamic.
If you watch
If you watch this video closely youll see it was filmed lat year.
Have a look
Have a good look at this chart.
PRESENT EVIDENCE LESS FORMALLY
Look here
Just look over here. This is the new tractor.
Can you see?
Can you see Joe? Hes the third from the left.
Watch this
Watch this scene. Can you spot our product in the background?
We want you to see
We want you to see the difference from the old to the new edition.

Here you have


Here you have the first picture of my wedding.
PRESENT DATA IN ORDER
Firstly
To start with
Initially
In first place
Let us begin by

Secondly
Then
Next
Following on from
Afterwards

To end
To conclude
Finally
To finish
Last but not least

Firstly, secondly and to end


Firstly well tackle costs; secondly well view the balance sheet and, to end, well
discuss this years sales.
To start with, then and to conclude
Henry will start with a presentation. Then hell answer questions and, to conclude, we
will walk round the grounds so you can see the building.
Initially, next and finally.
We had initially planned to visit France. The next idea was to go to Spain
though we finally travelled nowhere.
In first place, following on from and to finish
In first place, we never asked her to represent us so following on from that we decided
to take her to court. Anyhow, we finished it all by reaching an agreement.
Let us begin by, afterwards and last but not least
Let us begin by setting the goals. We can talk about the budget afterwards and last but
not least name a project coordinator.
PRESENT APPARENTLY CONTRASTING DATA
Although A seems fine, B is better
Although your proposal seems fine, Johns is better.
In spite of the evidence, Id like to say
In spite of the evidence, Id like to say that you could be wrong.
We could opt for A. On the other hand
We could opt for option A. On the other hand, option B is also interesting.
I like your idea. However, I prefer
I like your new idea. However, I prefer to continue with the same plan.
Instead of praising
Instead of praising Jim we should be worrying about his future.
ASK FOR INFORMATION
Could you please?
Could you please give me all the data you have?
Would you mind?

Would you mind informing me of the consequences?


I wonder if you could
I wonder if you could hand me the fact sheet on Dynacore.
What do you know about?
What do you know about Peters background?
Do you have?
Do you have any information on the Lambeth Square project?
ASK FOR EVIDENCE
Could you provide?
Could you provide us with the hard facts?
Why dont you?
Why dont you give us an example?
Can you illustrate that?
Can you illustrate that with a real-life case?
What evidence?
What evidence do you have?
How will you back that up?
How will you back up your proposal?
ASK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May we have?
May we have further details?
Could you elaborate on?
Could you elaborate on how you intend to make this work?
Is there any additional?
Is there any additional aspect to consider before we vote?
We need more
We need more data. One projection is just not enough.
Could you provide?
Could you provide some extra information on the touch-screen market?
ASK FOR FURTHER DETAILS
Could you add?
Could you add more details to the second point, please?
Could we have more particulars?
Could we have more particulars on your experience is mecatronics?
Could you give us further details?

Could you give us further details on this scheme?


What else?
What else can you add to convince us better?
Any more information?
Do you have any more info or have you already shown us everything?
ASK ABOUT MEALS
Is it included in the price?
Is breakfast included in the price?
What time?
What time is dinner served?
Do you have a special menu?
Do you have a vegetarian menu at the restaurant?
Jim is intolerant to gluten
Jim is intolerant to gluten. Is there anything for people with celiac disease?
Im allergic to
Im allergic to nuts. Do you have any nut-free ice cream?
ASK HOW TO CONTACT
Could I contact you?
Could I contact you at the agency later on?
How do I get in touch with you?
How do I get in touch with you if I have a problem with the system?
How can I reach you?
How can I reach you at the weekend? I dont have your home number.
Whats your?
Whats your e-mail?
Could I have your?
Could I have your office address please?
ASK FOR CLARIFICATION
What do you mean?
What do you exactly mean when you say taxes will be raised?
Could you clarify?
Could you clarify whether coffee is or isnt good for you?
I didnt understand
I didnt quite understand that last step. Could we go over it again?

Could you explain?

Could you explain to me how that is going to work?


I don't follow you
I just dont follow you. Why do you insist on discontinuing the line?
ASK FOR INSTRUCTIONS
How do you?
How do you operate this machine?
What is the best way?
What would you say is the best way to start this letter?
Can you show me?
Can you please show me how to fill this form?
Do you know?
Do you know anything about taxes? Could you help me fill out my return?
How should I go about it?
How should I go about asking for a raise? Shall I speak to Jack first?
ASK FOR QUESTIONS
Would you like to ask?
Would you like to ask anything?
Do you have any query?
Do you have any query on my presentation?
Is it clear?
Is everything clear?
Im ready to answer
Im ready to answer any question you might have.
Is there anything youd like?
Is there anything else youd like me to explain?
ASK SOMEONE TO SPEAK
Would you like to come to the stand?
Lenny, would you like to come over to the stand?
Allow me to give the floor to
Allow me to give the floor to our next speaker.
I would like to invite
Id like to invite Reverend Reynolds to give us his opinion.
Id like to call on
Id like to call on Dr Richards. Are you here, Doctor?
I believe someone would like to make a point.

I believe James would like to make a point. What is it, James?

ASK SOMEONE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS


Could you reply to that?
Edith, could you reply to that, please?
Would you care to question?
Would you care to question Mr Jones? Hes better qualified.
Id rather she answered to that
Id rather Lorna answered to that. Would you mind, Lorna?
Why dont we ask?
Why dont we ask Peter? He is the expert in shipping.
Lets address this query to
Lets address this query to Sam. Are you ready, Sam?
ASK FOR OPINION
Can we get your input?
Can we get your input, Alex?
How do you feel about?
How do you feel about lengthening the contract?
Whats your opinion?
Whats your opinion on wearing loafers to the meeting?
What do you think?
What do you think we should do with the Carnegie affair?
Do you have any suggestions?
Do you have any suggestions for this committee?
ASK ABOUT A COMPANY
What does your company do?
What exactly does your company do?
What are your main products?
What are your main products in the detergent category?
Which do you specialize in?
Which sector do you specialise in?
Which services do you provide?
Which services could you provide for us?
Where are you located?
Where are your headquarters located in Europe?

ASK ABOUT A PRODUCT OR SERVICE


Could you give me some information?
Could you give me some information on your services?
What can you tell me about?
What can you tell me about this dynamo?
What features does it have?
What features does this hydraulic press have?
What are the specifications?
What are the specifications of the switchboard?
Where can I buy it?
Where can I buy the MXC lava lamp?
ASK ABOUT PRICE
Whats the price?
Whats the price for one thousand units?
How much does it cost?
How much does the whole system cost?
What do you charge?
What do you charge for a hundred grams?
Could you give me your fees?
Could you give me your fees for the high season, please?
What are you asking for this?
What are you asking for this vase? It cant be very much
ASK ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY
Who is in charge?
Who is in charge of operations?
Who is running?
Who is running the Saudi Arabia division now?
Who is accountable for this?
Who is accountable for this mistake?
Who will be blamed?
Who will be blamed? Im sure it will be me!
Under whose responsibility?
Under whose responsibility was the test conducted?

ASK SOMEONE TO WAIT


Would you mind waiting?
Would you mind waiting outside, please? Theres a couch by the window.
Could you hold on?
Could you hold on? Ill finish this and shall be with you in a minute.
Just a second, please
Just a second, please. Yes, how can I help you?
Could you remain?
Could you remain here for minute, please? Ill get the manager.
Just hang around
Just hang around for a while. Ill try to sneak you in through the back door.
ASK ABOUT WAITING TIMES
How long will?
How long will it be before you fix the leak?
Is he going to take a long time?
Is the Doctor going to take a long time?
How delayed?
How delayed is the flight?
Do you think we should wait?
Do you think we should wait? Its eleven and nothing has happened yet.
When will?
When will the speech end? Im tired of sitting here!
ASK ABOUT DELIVERY TIMES
When could we receive?
When could we receive the goods?
What are your shortest delivery times?
What are your shortest delivery times for Madagascar?
How long will it take to arrive?
How long will it take to arrive at our factory?
When can we count on having it?
When can we count on having it ready for shipping?
Could we get it by?
Could we get it into port by next Tuesday?
ASK ABOUT PAYMENT TERMS

What are your payment conditions?


What are your standard payment conditions?
Could we talk about payment terms?
Could we talk about payment terms later? Im in a hurry now.
How do you normally get paid?
How do you normally get paid? We generally send a cheque.
Would a letter of credit be all right?
Would a letter of credit be all right? Its the best method.
What about paying in instalments?
What about paying in instalments? We do need some financing.
ASK FOR PAYMENT
When is your next payment date?
When is your next payment date? I cant wait forever.
When will my cheque be ready?
When will my cheque be ready? On Monday?
According to our records
According to our records you still owe us 4,500.
Your instalment is past due
Your monthly instalment is past due. Do you have any problem?
When shall I pass by to collect?
When shall I pass by to collect? I do need the cash.
ASK FOR A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
What does it look like?
What does the building look like?
How big is it?
How big are the offices?
How much does it weigh?
How much does this container weigh?
How high is it?
How high is the whole structure?
Whats it made of?
What are the pens made of? Metal or plastic?

ASK ABOUT FACILITIES

What does it include?


What does the rental contract include?
Is furniture provided?
Is furniture for the stand provided or do we have to bring our own?
Is there?
Is there a crane we could rent? Our machines are very heavy.
Do the facilities have?
Do the facilities have a parking lot?
What features?
What special features does the venue have?
ASK FOR DIRECTIONS
Where is?
Excuse me, where is the market?
How can I get?
How can get from Bloor Street to Lambeth Square?
Could you give me directions?
Could you give me direction to the Royal Albert Hall?
Whats the best way to get reach?
Whats the best way to reach London? On the M1 or the M40?
Which route do you recommend?
Which route do you recommend from Burlington to Boston?
ASK ABOUT ABILITIES
Could he?
Could he lead a team of ten experienced salesmen?
Are you able to?
Are you able to work under pressure?
How well do you?
How well do you know the UNIX system?
What about her?
What about her experience in public relations? Could she handle the press?
Do her skills include?
Do her skills include touch typing?
ASK FOR STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
What are their strengths?
What are their mains strengths? Marketing? We can beat them there.
What do you do best?

What do you do best? I need to know before I help you write your CV.
Dont they have any weak point?
Doesnt this team have any weak point? Are they all great players?
What is she good at?
What is Betsy good at? Selling. Shes a pro at that.
Arent they vulnerable at all?
Arent they vulnerable at all? What if we reduce all our prices?
ASK ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED
What do you need?
What do you need a new plotter for?
What are the requisites?
What are the requisites? For instance, can a foreigner buy property here?
What is required?
What documents are required for the whole importation process?
Is this necessary?
Is it necessary to spend so much money in new equipment?
Is it a must?
Is a coffee machine a must? Cant we just all have tea at the office?
ASK TO BORROW
Could you lend me?
Could you lend me $100? Im broke!
May I borrow?
May I borrow your ski clothes? Im going to Aspen this weekend.
Do you mind if I use?
Do you mind if I use the Jeep this evening?
Will you let me have?
Will you let me have your boat over the weekend?
I would need to use
I would need to use a Mac for the presentation. Do you have one?
ASK FOR PERMISSION Could I?
Could I have a look at the new designs?
May I?
May I use your washroom?
Do you mind?

Do you mind if we borrow your printer for a couple of hours?


Is it okay?
It is OK to bring Lenny with me the next time?
Would it be all right?
Would it be all right for Dan to use your car tomorrow?
ASK FOR HELP POLITELY
Could you help me?
Could you help me with this report?
Would you mind helping me out?
Would you mind helping me out? My math skills are not that good.
Could you possibly assist me?
Could you possibly assist me? I cant understand this ATM.
Can you spare a few minutes?
Can you spare a few minutes? I need a bit of support here.
Could I ask you for a favour?
Could I ask you for a favour? How does this programme work?
ASK FOR HELP LESS POLITELY
I could use your help.
I could use your help. Cant you see Im carrying heavy boxes?
I need some help
I need some help. I know you understand this better than I do.
Help!
Help! Can anyone explain Economics to me?
I need a favour
I need a favour. Do you see those books? Can you bring them down?
Could you lend me a hand?
Could you lend me a hand? I tried to fix this by myself but couldnt.
ASK ABOUT PROJECTS
What are your?
What are your current projects in the solar energy sector?
What are you developing?
What is the R&D department developing nowadays?
What are your initiatives?
What are your initiatives in the field?
What are you up to?

What exactly are you up to? A new type of windmill?


Have you come up with anything?
Have you come up with any exciting new idea recently?
ASK FOR THE PURPOSE
Why?
Why do we need another flavour? We already manufacture forty-one!
What can you use this for?
What can consumers use this product for?
What does it do?
What does this new engine do that makes it more efficient?
What the purpose?
Whats the purpose of hiring new salespeople if demand is slow?
Could you explain the object?
Could you explain the object of calling for yet another meeting?
ASK ABOUT JOBS
What do you do?
What do you do? Im a teacher.
What business are you in?
What business are you in? Stocks? Bonds? Mutual funds?
Whats your line of work?
Whats your exact line of work? All I know is that youre an engineer.
Whats your job?
Whats your job? Are you in the advertising world too?
Where do you work?
Where do you work? Also at Dynacore? Well, this is a coincidence!
ASK ABOUT PRESENT ACTIVITIES
What's up?
Whats up? Why have the lines stopped production?
What's happening?
Whats happening in Detroit? Havent they finished the assignment yet?
What are you working on?
What are you working on now? Still on the MRT routine?
Anything new?
Anything new in the merchandising world?
Whats the current situation?

Whats the current situation in the metrology field?


ASK ABOUT THE FUTURE
What are your plans?
What are your plans for next year?
Whats your projection?
Whats your projection on developments in the field?
Whats your forecast?
Whats your forecast for this coming season?
What do you expect?
What do you expect will happen once Murphy takes office?
What do you anticipate?
What do you anticipate? Will the new model outsell the old one?
ASK FOR A SUBSTITUTE
Could you replace me?
Could you replace me tomorrow? Ive got an appointment with the dentist.
Would it be possible for you to take over?
Would it be possible for you to take over from me? I dont feel well.
You might have to stand in for
You might have to stand in for Colum. He has to travel to Ireland.
We need a substitute
We need a substitute teacher for a few days. Could you come in?
Can you take my place?
Can you take my place for an hour? Im meeting Ian at the station.
ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION
Could you explain?
Could you explain your reasons for delivering the goods late?
How can you justify?
How can you justify this price increase?
I don't understand why
I dont understand why we always have problems with quality.
Why is it that?
Why is it that youre charging us a commission?
How come?
How come your cheque always gets lost in the post?
ASK FOR REPETITION

Sorry, I didn't catch that


Sorry, I didnt catch your last sentence. Its too noisy here.
I missed that. Could you repeat it, please?
I missed your explanation. Could you repeat it, please?
Pardon?
Pardon? I didnt get what you said about Harvey.
Excuse me
Excuse me. Could you read that once again please?
What did you say?
What did you say? I think I understood you wrongly.
What was that again?
What was that again? Im afraid Im a bit deaf.
ASK FOR SOLUTIONS
What should we?
What should we do now?
How can we work it out?
How can we work it out? Do you think you have the answer?
Whats the way?
Whats the best way to solve this crisis?
What is the solution?
What is the solution? Shall we reset the system?
How do we?
How do we fix the engine?
ASK FOR CONFIRMATION
Do you actually mean that?
Do you actually mean that Dynacore will be taken over?
Is it true that?
Is it true that Jo is leaving?
Are you certain about this?
Are you completely certain that these figures are right?
Is it sure?
Is the takeover sure?
Are you one hundred percent positive?
Are you one hundred percent positive? If so, well buy the stock.

ASK TO COMMENT
Could I make a point here?
Could I make another point here? Apart from expensive, the car is ugly.
Id like add
Id like to add that Malone has generally been right in his forecasts.
Could I say something?
Could I say something about Hughs proposal?
May I interrupt?
May I interrupt you for a minute, Jessica?
Id like to make a comment.
Id like to make a quick comment. We need to finish in ten minutes.
ASK FOR CONTRIBUTION FROM OTHERS
What do you think?
What do you think about this proposal?
Would you like to add?
Would you like to add anything, Cynthia?
Has anyone else got anything?
Has anyone else got anything to contribute?
Are there any more?
Are there any more comments?
How do you feel?
How do you all feel about this issue?
ASK FOR PRONOUNCEMENT
Where do you stand?
Where do you stand regarding Liams attitude? Are you for or against him?
Whose side are you on?
Whose side are you on? Ours or theirs?
Who do you intend to back?
Who do you intend to back? Frank or Russ?
Which one do you agree with?
Which line of thought do you agree with, Malcolm?
Make up your mind, please.
Make up your mind, please. You have to choose between Eric and me.
CORRECT MISUNDERSTANDING
Theres a misunderstanding
Im afraid theres been a misunderstanding. I said Mrs Figgs, not Mrs Pigs.

This isnt what I meant


This isnt quite what I meant. Sales diminished but didnt plummet.
I dont think youve understood
I dont think youve actually understood me. I am not against you.
It was not my intention
It was not my intention to offend you. I am sorry.
Im sorry about the confusion
Im sorry about the confusion. I thought Taylor was only a womans name.
CORRECT WHATS WRONG
That is not right
Sorry, that is not quite right. Toronto is not the capital of Canada.
Its wrong
Its all wrong. Cant you see the formulas incorrect?
Youve made a mistake
Youve made a mistake so its your turn to set matters right.
That needs correction
Those figures need correction. We need to add variable costs.
This is different to
This is different to what we had agreed. You must change it.
KEEP A MEETING IN ORDER
We cant all speak at once.
We cant all speak at once. Heather, you start.
Lets concentrate on
Lets concentrate on the agenda for the day.
Shall we take turns?
Shall we take turns? We can vote one by one.
Please lower your voice.
Please lower your voice. You wont convince anyone by shouting.
Will you let Maria speak?
Jason, will you let Maria speak? She has important things to say.
KEEP A MEETING IN TRACK
Thats another subject
Finance is another subject altogether. Now well just talk about sales.
We cant discuss that issue
We cant discuss that issue today. Its not on the agenda.

That's outside the scope


Thats outside the scope of our meeting so well leave it for now.
Let's get back on track
Lets get back on track. Were wasting too much time.
Were digressing
Were digressing. I want to stick to the main subject.
COME BACK TO A TOPIC
Now, where were we?
Now, where were we? Yes, prime time ratings.
What were we saying?
What were you saying when Carol interrupted us?
As I was explaining
As I was explaining before lunch, higher prices dont always deter buyers.
Return to
Lets return to point five: Clay Corporation.
This leads us back to
This leads us back to the subject we were discussing yesterday.
POSTPONE AN ISSUE
Well defer
Well defer the matter till we have all relevant information.
Lets leave
Lets leave this issue aside for the time being.
Its too late to
Its too late to discuss advertising today. Well have more time tomorrow.
Shall we leave it for?
Shall we leave the final decision for this afternoons session?
Lets postpone
Lets postpone the discussion till everyone has arrived.
FOCUS ON THE MAIN ISSUE
The major
The only major problem we need to solve is absenteeism.
Our primary concern is
Our primary concern isnt only increased sales but better quality as well.
What is the real issue?
Whats the real issue? Managers are not committed to their jobs.

The most important


The most important hurdle of this negotiation is to convince Mr Lewis.
We really need
We really need to look after our workforce.
EMPHASISE ON A POINT
This is a key issue
Labour relations are a key issue now.
Id like to emphasise on
Id like to emphasise on point three of my presentation.
This is highly significant
Norahs attitude is highly significant. Shes certainly against us.
This is vital
Turning a profit this year is vital if we wish to survive.
Its imperative
Its imperative to solve this problem now.
PLAY DOWN A POINT
This is a minor issue
This is a minor issue. Price is the main concern.
This is of secondary importance
This is of secondary importance if we compare it with our real problem.
Who cares?
Who cares about PR when the whole business is in danger?
Its irrelevant
His view is irrelevant, completely worthless.
Its not significant
This matter is not significant at all. Lets move onto what is crucial.
72. SLOW DOWN A MEETING
Before we move on
Before we move on I believe we should hear Jackies point of view.
Wait a minute
Wait a minute. We haven't discussed the forecast yet.
Shouldnt we postpone?
Shouldnt we postpone the decision till Lindsay is back from her office?

Not so fast
Not so fast. We havent finished our coffee yet!
Take it easy
Take it easy. Whats the hurry? We have the whole weekend ahead of us.
73. MOVE THE MEETING FORWARD
Shall we proceed onto the next point?
Shall we proceed onto the next point? There are ten items on the agenda.
We need to solve it today
We do need to solve it today. Tomorrows Sabbath in Israel.
Let's move on
Lets move one. Time is money.
I dont have all morning
I dont have all morning. Make up your minds now!
Hurry up
Hurry up please. We cant waste more time on this.
74. CHANGE TOPICS FORMALLY
Incidentally, may I mention that?
Incidentally, may I mention that Hutchinson called today?
An alternative to consider
An alternative point to consider is the effect of this decision on our image.
While we are on the subject
While we are on the subject, Id like to inform you that Jo is ill today.
On quite another matter
On quite another matter, battery life is still a major concern.
Could we now deal with?
Could we now deal with our plans for the Geneva summit?
75. CHANGE TOPICS LESS FORMALLY
By the way
By the way, it rained quite a bit yesterday.
Can we move onto?
Can we move onto our plans for dinner?
To bring up something else
To bring up something else, Max came to the office yesterday.

Now is time to
Now is the right time to talk about the new site. Tomorrow will be too late.
Theres another issue we have to deal with
Theres another issue we have to deal with losses in the chemistry area.
76. CHANGE TOPICS INFORMALLY
I dont want to
I dont want to talk about football anymore. What are the plans for tonight?
It has just crossed my mind
It has just crossed my mind that Billy wont be able to come.
Changing subject
Changing subject, did you see Dudley yesterday?
Before I forget
Before I forget, how did Jack and Edith get on?
Weve had enough
Weve had enough of you talking about golf. Whats the next point?
77. INTERRUPT VERY POLITELY
Er
Er, I think Joan is already here.
Sorry
Sorry, I never meant that.
Actually
Actually it was Geraldine who arrived late.
Excuse me
Excuse me, that seems taking matters too far.
May I have a word?
May I have a word? Nothing will stop the Mirror from running the story.
78. INTERRUPT POLITELY
Can I make a comment?
Can I make a comment? Mike was never involved in this.
May I come in here?
May I come in here? In fact, new laptops tend to be lighter, not heavier.
May I interrupt?
May I interrupt? I do have something relevant to disclose.
Could I say something?
Could I say something? If we want lower costs we need other suppliers.

Sorry to interrupt
Sorry to interrupt, but someones phone is ringing.
79. INTERRUPT STRONGLY
Please listen to me
Please listen to me. It is important.
Do you mind if I jump in here?
Do you mind if I jump in here? I have to leave in five minutes.
I don't mean to intrude, but
I dont mean to intrude, but Stephen is not exactly reliable.
Can I add something?
Can I add something? WTR Ltd should be able to supply us.
What are you trying to say?
What are you trying to say? I never accepted a gift from a client.
80. INTERRUPT VERY STRONGLY
What are you getting at?
What are you getting at? Cant you see youll only cause trouble?
Will you let me speak?
Will you let me speak? You are not the only person here.
Wont you let me give an opinion?
Wont you let me give my own opinion? I demand the right to speak.
Will you shut up for a minute, please?
Will you shut up for a minute, please? Dont you see everyones fed up?
Cant you be quiet?
Cant you be quiet for a moment, for goodness sake?
81. AVOID INTERRUPTION
Perhaps we could leave that for later on?
Perhaps we could leave that for some other moment.
Will you let me finish?
Will you let me finish? You can object when your turn comes up.
Id rather go on with
Id rather go on with the current subject as were a bit pressed for time.
Would you so be so kind as to let me finish?
Would you be so kind as to let me finish? I never interrupted your speech.
Would you mind not interrupting?
Would you mind not interrupting all the time?

82. ALLOW INTERRUPTION


Lets hear
Lets hear what Virginia has to say.
You may speak
Of course you may speak, Sylvie.
Please go ahead.
Please go ahead, Diana. What is so urgent?
Wed be delighted
Wed be delighted to hear your doubts, Paul. Please go ahead.
Youre not interrupting
Youre not interrupting at all. Everyone is free to share their opinions.
83. CHECK FOR CONSENSUS
Do we agree?
Do we agree that suing Dynacore is the only solution?
Do we all share?
Do we all share the same belief?
Are you all with me?
Are you all with me? We need unanimity to approve this rule.
Is there anyone who?
Is there anyone who has a different point of view?
Shall we pass?
Shall we pass the motion? Good.
84. AGREE WITH OPINIONS
Exactly!
Exactly! You couldnt have used better words.
That's how I feel
Thats exactly how I feel as well.
I have to agree
I have to agree with you. There seems to be no other possibility.
I never thought about it that way before
I never thought about it that way before. Its an excellent idea.
Youve found
I think youve found the right solution.

85. DISAGREE PARTIALLY


I see your point of view, but
I can see your point of view, but winter is very cold in Montreal.
You might be right. However
You might be right. However, how can we tell for sure?
You have a good point, though
You have a good point, though Anthony is also right.
You could say that, but
You could say that, but who buys ice cream in winter?
Up to a point I agree. Nevertheless
Up to a point I agree. Nevertheless, I feel James has a sounder approach.
86. DISAGREE STRONGLY
I dont agree
I dont agree with you at all.
Youre not right.
Youre not right. Everything you said is wrong.
Its not what I believe
Its not what I believe and I will not back you.
I dont think so
I dont think so. Why dont you change strategy?
Thats not such a good idea
Thats not such a good idea. Fiona tried it and it never worked.
87. DISAGREE LESS STRONGLY
Ive got another
Ive got another point of view.
I wouldn't do that
I wouldnt do that. I would never sell a car to buy a motorcycle.
I'm afraid I cant see it
Im afraid I cant see it that way.
Don't get me wrong
Dont get me wrong but no one here shares your views.
Im not so keen
Im not so keen on your strategy. It seems too complicated.

88. DISAGREE POLITELY


I don't mean to be rude
I dont mean to be rude but Bahia is north of Rio, not south.
This may sound
This may sound offensive but it is not my intention to hurt anyone.
Correct me if I'm wrong
Correct me if Im wrong but I think cell phone sales have remained flat.
I hate to bring this up
I hate to bring this up, but Brigitte never studied Marketing.
Theres another way
Theres another way round this. Why not try the Beta system?
89. SOFTEN DISAGREEMENT
Im afraid
Im afraid your models are a bit dated.
Im sorry
Im sorry but I cant agree with you.
Even though I respect your
Even though I respect your position I must dissent.
I know youve tried your best
I know youve tried your best, but your assumptions are wrong.
Its a great idea
Its a great idea but we theres another way to do it.
90. EXPRESS RESERVATION
I have some reservations
I have some reservations. How much is all this going to cost?
Maybe we should reflect
Maybe we should reflect on this a bit more.
Im worried
Im rather worried about the rate of return.
I cant help
I cant help feeling that weve forgotten something.
Id like to express my doubts
Id like to express my doubts. You dont even have a business plan!
91. REASSURE
Theres no cause for concern
Theres no cause for concern. The pilot is very experienced.

Let me assure you


Let me assure you that your money is safe at our bank.
We have no fears
We have no fears. Our team will win.
There will be no problem
There will be no problem. Ive made bookings for every night.
Nothing can go wrong
Nothing can go wrong, Mr Murphy. Everythings under control.
92. OFFER COMPROMISE
Only if
Were ready to go along only if Wren leads the project.
On condition that
Well keep the factory open on condition there are no more strikes.
Unless
They wont let us import the machine, unless we can prove we need it.
Provided
The product is guaranteed, provided you make regular use of it.
As long as
We will accept as long as you sign all the papers today.

93. REPEAT IN OTHER WORDS


In other words
In other words, he is not fit enough to run the business.
What I mean is
What I mean is that production cant increase without overtime.
What I'm trying to say
What Im trying to say is that, unfortunately, well have to pay a fine
What I wanted to explain
What I wanted to explain was that the auditors were misinformed.
Let me put this another way
Let me put this another way: you are not welcome in this club.
94. CHECK UNDERSTANDING FORMALLY
Do you understand?
Do you understand what I mean?

Do you know?
Do you know what Im saying?
Can you see?
Can you see what Im trying to get at?
Have I made that clear?
Have I made that clear enough?
Are you following?
Are you following me?
95. CHECK UNDERSTANDING INFORMALLY
Do you get the picture?
Do you now get the picture? Its not so difficult after all.
Are you with me?
Are you with me? I thought you were not listening.
Is it crystal clear?
Is it crystal clear? You dont have any doubt, do you?
Got it?
Got it? Its very easy once youve heard the explanation.
Have you figured it out?
Have you figured it out? I can re-read the formula if you wish.
96. SHOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND FORMALLY
I see
I see. First you lift the lever and then you turn the knob.
I understand
I understand. Assets and liabilities must all add up.
Thats clear
Thats clear, Susanne. No need to repeat it.
I get it
I get it. Algebras so logical.
Ive grasped
Ive grasped the explanation from beginning to end.
97. SHOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND INFORMALLY
I follow you
I follow you. It isnt very hard.

I get the picture


I get the picture. You walk in first and Ill go in afterwards.
Understood
Understood. Whats next?
I catch it
I catch it. It isnt difficult at all.
Clear
Clear as water. Lets go on.
98. SHOW THAT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND FORMALLY
I don't understand
Sorry, I dont understand anything you say.
What do you mean?
What do you mean when you say time is just another dimension?
I cant follow you
I cant follow you. Could you speak more slowly, please?
I'm not sure I get what you mean
Im not sure I get what you mean. Is branding part of promotion?
Let me check if I heard you correctly
Let me check if I heard you correctly. Jack is selling his company?
99. SHOW THAT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND INFORMALLY
I don't get it.
I dont get the advantage. What makes it different to ours?
I'm not following you
Im just not following you. I always get lost when you speak about rugby.
What was that?
Sorry, what was that? I wasnt paying attention.
I cant get the hang of
I cant get the hang of this game. Bridge is so complicated!
Its double Dutch to me
Its double Dutch to me. Youd better explain it to Pauline.

100. GIVE INSTRUCTIONS - START


Before beginning
Before beginning make sure the mains are turned off.

The first step


The first step is find out where the short-circuit happened.
I would start by
I would start by analysing the charts.
Well set off
Well set off by working at the far end of the garden.
To begin with
To begin with, write a business plan.
101.

GIVE INSTRUCTIONS - CONTINUE

After that
Immediately after that you should ask for an appointment with Dr Thayne.
The following stage
The following stage is to make sure you have enough cash.
The next thing
The next thing will be to ask Horace to help you.
Once you've
Once youve gone through the first step you must tackle the second one.
When that is over
When the introduction is over youll be ready to continue with the rest.
Giving Instruction -Finish
The last stage
The last stage is the easiest.
At the end
At the end you should check that the cables are well connected
To finish
To finish you just need to turn the switch on.
The closing step
The closing step is the easiest. Just lock the latch.
Well wrap up
Well wrap up the whole process by resetting the system.
103.

INTRODUCE GOOD NEWS

I am delighted
I am delighted to inform you that youve won the first prize.

Its a pleasure
Its a pleasure to announce that ClaraVision will be our new ad agency.
Youll be thrilled
Youll be trilled to hear that Gretel is returning next week.
Im very pleased
Im pleased to let you know that our company has grown substantially.
I have good news
I have good news. Hopper has accepted our proposal!
104.

INTRODUCE BAD NEWS FORMALLY

We regret to
We regret to inform you that your programme has been discontinued.
I'm sorry
Im sorry but I have to let you know that we will not participate.
I'm afraid it
Im afraid it wont be possible for us to finance your venture.
Unfortunately
Unfortunately we are not allowed to take on such high risk.
After careful consideration
After careful consideration we have decided not to publish your novel.
105.

INTRODUCE BAD NEWS INFORMALLY

I have some bad news


I have some bad news for you. Hans is leaving.
I hate to tell you
I hate to tell you this, but theyve given your project to Enid.
I don't know how to say
I dont know how to say this, but Heather insisted I should.
I feel sorry
I feel sorry but theres little we can do.
Its a shame
Its a shame but nobody will be there to receive you.
106.

EXPRESS CONDOLENCE

I was sorry to hear


I was sorry to hear about Mr Sloan. He will be missed by all of us.

Id like to extend my sympathy


Id like to extend my sympathy to you and to your family.
We were sad to learn
We were sad to learn that Mrs Finn passed away.
Id like to express my bereavement
Id like to express my bereavement for the loss of such a valued person.
My condolence
Our condolence over the death of such an esteemed member of your team
107.

COMPLAIN STRONGLY

Id like to file a complaint


Id like to file a complaint with your manager.
Im not satisfied
Im not at all satisfied with your attitude.
We deserve better
We deserve a better service.
Im not used to
Im not used to such impolite behaviour.
I'm sorry to have to
Im sorry to have to say this, but food today wasnt good at all.
108.

COMPLAIN LESS STRONGLY

I dont want to sound critical but


I dont want to sound critical but your employees should be better trained.
I'm sorry to bother you
Im sorry to bother you but I must tell you something you wont like.
Excuse me if I seem out of line
Excuse me if I seem out of line but I think you should change your attitude.
There may be a misunderstanding
There may have been a misunderstanding. I said ham, not jam!
Don't get me wrong
Dont get me wrong but I do believe you should improve the packaging.
109.

REPLY TO A COMPLAINT

We are sorry
Id like to say we are sorry for the inconveniences. Heres your refund.

Id like to apologise
Id like to apologise for Jims behaviour. We will take disciplinary action.
I regret
I regret to inform you that we cannot return your money.
Well do our best to settle the matter
Well do our best to settle the matter to your satisfaction, sir.
Well solve this affair
Well solve this affair once and for all. Please come with me.
110.

EXPRESS SOMETHING SURE

Surely
This will surely happen.
Definitely
Daphne will definitely replace Ethel next month.
Without any question
There is no question that Dynacore will be taken over by Riversoft.
Doubtlessly
The building will doubtlessly be finished this November.
Certainly
We will certainly increase our turnover within the next quarter.

111.
EXPRESS SOMETHING PROBABLE
Probably
It will probably take place next summer.
Likely
The festival is not likely to happen.
It seems
It seems that Sean will be joining us after all.
Apparently
Apparently the prototype will be ready by Monday.
On the face of it
On the face of it, everything seems to be running smoothly.
112.

EXPRESS SOMETHING POSSIBLE

Possible
It is, of course, possible to give you a discount if you increase volume.

Conceivably
Can we conceivably believe that you will not make another mistake, Tom?
Feasible
The project is perfectly feasible. We only need financing.
Viable
We do agree that it is viable. Now, is it possible with only three men?
Doable
The plan is doable. Ask Mr Danton, who has all the figures.

113.

EXPRESS SOMETHING IMPROBABLE

Improbable
It is improbable that she will finish before the deadline.
Doubtful
Success seems doubtful. Who would back this adventure anyway?
Unlikely
A deal looks unlikely. Neither party wants to give in.
I have my doubts
I have my doubts about this business ever happening.
Im unsure
Im unsure. There are less than thirty percent chances of winning.
114.
EXPRESS SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE
Impossible
Its impossible for Greg to arrive on time. His plane is delayed in Paris.
Undoable
This project is just undoable. Who drew the plans?
Out of the question
Buying a new car is out of the question. Why dont we lease one?
Unreachable
The goals Rachel set are unreachable.
Unattainable
Total quality will be unattainable without a well-trained workforce.
115.

ADD FURTHER INFORMATION

In addition
In addition, Id like to mention that Saras generally right.

We might also
We might also deduce that bonuses will be affected too.
As well
Corn, as well as wheat, is produced in Brazil.
Furthermore
Furthermore, they insisted we should join them.
Moreover
Moreover, the fine must be paid within seven days.
116.

PROVIDE MORE DETAIL

To elaborate
To elaborate on what Ms Finch exposed we will use a chart.
Here I have further information
Here I have further information. As you see, the weather has changed.
Let me expand
Let me expand on Robbies plan. It will entail a drastic change.
Let me tell you a little more
Let me tell you a bit more about Dynacore. Theyre not so reliable.
What's more
Whats more, ClaraVision will also promote our merchandise.
117.

GENERALISE

On the whole
On the whole, we cant really say A is better than B.
In general
In general people prefer longer, less expensive holidays.
By and large
By and large, the process was successful.
All things considered
All things considered, the match didnt turn out so badly.
Broadly speaking
Broadly speaking, women follow fashion more closely than men do.
118.
DESCRIBE CURRENT PROJECTS
We are working on
Were now working on the new model.

We have started the process of


We have started the process of designing another prototype.
The projects under development
The projects under development are secret so we will not discuss them.
We are involved in
We are already fully involved in phase B.
We remain occupied with
We remain occupied with the installation of the wiring system.

119.

DESCRIBE FLUCTUATION

Fluctuate
Stock prices fluctuated throughout the session.
Unstable
The system is unstable and it might crash any minute.
Irregular
Growth patterns are irregular in Europe.
Erratic
His behaviour is erratic. Hes happy one day and sad the next.
Vary
Figures vary all the time. Its impossible to draw a working model.
120.

DESCRIBE STABILITY

Stable
Prices will be stable for the whole season.
Remain unchanged
Nothing remains unchanged for very long.
Steadily
If we are lucky, sales will move steadily for the next couple of months.
Constant
If the number of unemployed people remains constant we will face trouble.
The same
Things are the same as one year ago. Does nothing ever change here?
121. DESCRIBE INCREASE
Increase
Salaries should increase according to productivity.

Improve
Sales have improved and reached almost a million.
Raise
The government need to raise taxes to lower the deficit.
Rise
If inflation rises we will need to raise our prices.
Go up
The rates will not go up until the Central Bank decides they should.
122.

DESCRIBE GRADUAL INCREASE

Accumulate
We have accumulated around ten percent.
Escalate
Costs have escalated by a very small factor.
Accrue
Interest has accrued in my savings account.
Grow
The economy will grow this year.
Develop
Sales have developed more slowly than we had expected.
123.
DESCRIBE SUDDEN INCREASE
Boost
The advertising campaign boosted donations by twenty percent.
Shoot up
The cost of raw materials has shot up because of the increased demand.
Spring up
Absenteeism always springs up when theres an epidemic of flu.
Surge
Interest rates surged to twenty-five percent because of inflation fears.
Multiply
We need to multiply output by two within the next semester.
124.
DESCRIBE FALL
Fall
The accident rate fell substantially the last decade.

Decline
No one can stop the decline of newspaper advertising.
Descend
When will the cost of steel descend?
Climb down
Profits will continue to climb down if we dont control expenses.
Decrease
The decrease in productivity is due to mismanagement.
125.

DESCRIBE GRADUAL FALL

Diminish
If we diminish the amount of this component we might get a better mixture.
Weaken
Demand will surely weaken once everyones heard the news.
Shrink
Advertising income will continue to shrink in the near future.
Wane
Roberts influence in the company will wane once people get to know him.
Slip
Why did revenue slip in the third quarter?
126.

DESCRIBE SUDDEN FALL

Dive
If the price of copper dives further well be out of business.
Plunge
Look at the curve. Deliveries plunged in May but recovered in December.
Plummet
Our reputation will plummet if the press find out that we made a mistake.
Sink
Can fees sink any deeper? I dont think so.
Collapse
The market has collapsed and it wont improve for a while.
127.

DESCRIBE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS

If we choose
If we choose option A we could face problems with the workforce.

If you select
If you select the second alternative Ill leave the company.
By picking
By picking Model H instead of X well assure a supply of spare parts.
If we go with
If we go forward with Joels proposal we might face trouble later on.
Opting
Opting for any of the alternatives would be much better than doing nothing.
128.

TALK ABOUT CAUSES

Caused by
The decrease in productivity was caused by lack of innovation.
Result from
The fall in passengers resulted from a misguided marketing policy.
Due to
Our failure was due to disorganization.
Conclusion
Her success was the logical conclusion of hard work.
Bring about
The change was brought about by our mistakes last year.
129.

TALK ABOUT CONSEQUENCES

Lead to
The rise in sales led to more R&D.
Result in
Our failure resulted in the loss of the contract.
Mean that
Rachels decision to fire David means that I have to work harder.
Imply that
If she arrives late every day it implies that shes not happy with her job.
Entail that
Lengthening the lunch hour will entail hiring at least one more worker.

130.

WARN ABOUT CONSEQUENCES

Unless we
The company wont survive, unless we stop the problem now.
If we dont
If we dont audit our accounts we will face problems with the shareholders.
Only if
Ill give you both my support only if you promise to solve your differences.
Watch
Watch your cash flow and be careful with bank clearing dates.
Otherwise
She needs to be there today. Otherwise, well lose the contract.
131.

CONVINCE

Im convinced
Im convinced this is the best way to do it.
I assure you
I assure you our machine will work in every type of weather.
There is no doubt
There are no doubts Sandra is the best candidate.
You have my personal guarantee
You have my personal guarantee this will not happen.
Id like to reassure you
Id like to reassure you. Every aspect of the operation has been revised.
132.
DESCRIBE ADVANTAGES
It will help you
This programme will help you keep your accounts more easily.
It will improve
The stationary bicycle will improve your health.
The benefits are
The benefits to the company are twofold: lower cost and better yield.
It will allow you
Our cleaning service will allow you to have every morning to yourself.
It stands out
The GRS stands out among its competitors because its less noisy.
133.

GET PEOPLE TO ACT

Nows the time to apply


Nows the time to apply what we have learnt.
Wed better move before
Wed better move before the competition does.
Lets get going
Lets get going. Time is golden.
We must act now
We must act now if we want immediate results.
Tomorrow will be too late
Tomorrow will be too late. Today is the beginning of a new life.

134.

PROPOSE SOLUTIONS

Maybe we should
Maybe we should call Gerald
How about
How about setting up a meeting with their purchasing department?
Why dont you
Why dont you call the help line?
The best way is to
The best way to find a job is to look for one!
I would
I would change your old computer for a newer one.
135.

EXPLORE OPTIONS

Let's look at
Lets look at option A.
Why dont we consider?
Why dont we consider Ninas suggestion?
What about?
What about this last alternative? Shall we review it?
We have several choices
We have several choices. Managua, Shanghai or Hanoi.
We could either
We could either invest in gold or silver.

136.

PROPOSE WHAT IS NEEDED

You might need


You might need an architect to sign the blueprints.
It would be a good idea
It would be a good idea to take a couple of spare ropes.
It might be better
It might be better to include a colour photograph along with the letter.
You would better
Youd better add another person to the team.
You shouldnt forget
You shouldnt forget to carry your passport.
137.

REQUEST WHAT IS NEEDED

We need
We need at least $10,000 for the next round of financing.
We cant do without
We cant do without Edith. Shes our leader!
It is essential
Working all night is essential. We wont meet targets otherwise.
It is compulsory
Wearing a tie is compulsory at this office.
We require
We require a deposit of at least twenty percent of the final price.
138.

SUGGEST STRONGLY

You should
You should just sell the whole division!
You must
You must act now if you dont want to regret it later.
You ought to
You ought to take disciplinary measures.
Youd better
Youd better listen to my advice.
I suggest
I suggest you deposit our money immediately.

139.

SUGGEST GENTLY

I guess you might


I guess you might be better off without her.
Why dont we try?
Why dont we try to find another supplier?
Maybe we should
Maybe we should cut R&D spending.
We could
We could attempt to call her. She might be available now.
How about
How about only translating the introduction?
140.

SUGGEST PREFERENCE

Id rather
Id rather buy a Harley Davison than a Kawasaki.
I prefer
I prefer to invest in gold.
I would favour
I would favour Owenss proposal over Richards.
As opposed to
Id open a branch in Vietnam as opposed to one in Cambodia.
Im keener on
Im keener on reducing bonuses than on firing people.
141.

SUGGEST AN ALTERNATIVE

Not everything has been said


Not everything has been said. We also need to consider wind power.
Theres another alternative
Theres another alternative: not doing anything.
The third possibility
The third possibility implies a more drastic change.
Other options
Other options include sowing wheat, corn or barley.
No one thought of
No one thought of relocating the office to Monterrey. Why?

142.

ACCEPT SUGGESTIONS

We accept
We accept your conditions, Mr McCoy.
We have chosen
We have chosen Bettys specifications because they suit the product.
We have selected
We have selected the second paragraph only.
We will adopt
We will adopt the necessary measures, as proposed in the last meeting.
Well go along with
Well go along with your plan, Lucca. I hope it works out!
143.

DISCARD SUGGESTIONS

We eliminate
Weve decided to eliminate the fifth clause. Its too problematic.
We have rejected
We have rejected all solutions put forward. What shall we do now?
We must rule out
We must rule out the expansion plan for the moment.
We refuse
Well refuse any idea that implies noncompliance with the law.
We discard
We discard buying another truck. One is more than enough.
144.

EXPRESS AN OPINION FORMALLY

We consider
We consider Tonga to be a safe destination for our cruisers.
It is our view
It is our view that only research can bring success to this laboratory.
My opinion is
My opinion is clear. Its either her or me.
I am convinced
I am convinced of Dynacores trustworthiness,
We are certain that
We are certain that the new variety of maize will yield higher crops.

145.

EXPRESS AN OPINION LESS FORMALLY

The way I see it


The way I see it, Wayne should have never confronted his boss.
I think
I think youre all wrong in your forecasts.
I believe
I believe computers will never replace handheld calculators.
I would say
I would say Champagne has a wider market than Cava.
It seems that
It seems that well have to reprimand Mr Banks. Hes late again!
146.

COMMENT ON AN OPINION

Regarding what
Regarding what you say, I want to add we will never allow discrimination.
On hearing your words
On hearing your words I recalled what our Chairman used to repeat.
Your point of view
Your point of view is only shared by a few.
Her ideas
Her ideas lack accuracy. Approximate figures? We need exact figures!
Id like to make a comment
Id like to make a comment on your opinion.
147.

SUPPORT YOUR IDEAS WITH EXAMPLES

Let me illustrate
Let me illustrate this with a picture of the product.
For example
For example, John couldnt start the engine last Friday.
For instance
Any liquid water for instance can be used to dilute this powder.
Let me show you a real
Let me show you a real situation. Here youll see Will using the product.
Heres a case in point
Heres a case in point. AST needed a designer and we found one for them.

148.

SUPPORT SOMEONE

I agree
I agree with Damian. Lets close the deal.
I recommend
I recommend we follow Stuarts option.
See eye to eye
We all see eye to eye with each other. Good.
Have the same opinion
I have the same opinion as McAllister.
Share point of view
I do share your point of view, Mr Page.
149.

SUPPORT ON CONDITION

My initial reaction is favourable


My initial reaction is favourable. However, we need to know Als opinion.
Putting aside some reservations, Id
Putting aside some reservation related with terms of payment, Id agree.
Ill support it on condition
Ill support your plan on condition you get at least two more investors.
I would share
I would have shared your idea if you had already checked it out.
Only when
Ill recommend your program only when we see the details.
150.

CHALLENGE AN OPINION

I wonder if that is justified


I wonder if that is justified in light of the latest events.
I dont think youve taken it into account
I dont think youve taken VAT into account.
Have you considered?
Have you considered the implications of all this?
What if?
What if the government changes?
Id like to question
Id like to question your estimate. Is it one-hundred percent reliable?

151.

DENY SUPPORT POLITELY

Initially it seemed a good idea but


Initially it seemed a good idea but I think we need to think more about it.
Im not sure
Im not so sure about the feasibility of the project.
Im not totally convinced
Im not totally convinced we can do it with todays technology.
Its not certain
Its not certain that it will work immediately, is it?
Im not absolutely confident
Im not absolutely confident. Have you done any more research?
152.

DENY SUPPORT LESS POLITELY

I would eliminate
I would eliminate options nine and ten. Theyre a waste of time.
We should reject
We should reject Wandas scheme to gain market share. Its dishonest.
We must rule out
We must rule out Vanessas idea. We just dont have the money.
We ought to discard
We ought to discard buying Dynacore. The board wont approve it.
Lets refuse
Lets refuse any option that implies breaching the law.
153.

RECOMMEND A PERSON OR FIRM

Recommend
I can surely recommend ClaraVison. Theyre a reliable agency.
Put in a good word
Of course I can put in a good word for Kate. She is a brilliant teacher.
Say good things
I can only say good things about DT. Its an excellent detergent.
Vouch for
Yes, Ill vouch for Jacqueline. Why do you want to know about her?
Endorse
Yes, Im ready to endorse Miss Low. Shes an exemplary worker.

154.

RECOMMEND AN ACTION

We urge you to
We urge you to continue with the programme.
We recommend you
We recommend you prepare your managers for a shakeout.
We think you should
We think you should confront gossip with facts.
You ought to
You ought to conduct quality audits every year.
If I were you
If I were you Id keep my mouth shut.
155.
DESCRIBE A PRODUCT
Let me describe
Let me describe our latest engine.
Can I tell you?
Can I tell you about our schools services? We teach English.
Here you can see
Here you see why we call the TXR our star drier.
This model
This particular model was designed by our people in Geneva.
It is priced
It is priced at $ 3,499 and we pay for shipping!
156.

DESCRIBE FEATURES OF A PRODUCT

It is made of
It is made of wood and aluminium.
It features
The team features two Nobel Prize winners.
It comes with
It comes with a calculator and a pocket translator.
It measures
It measures ten feet in width, two in height and one in depth.
It weighs
It weighs close to a ton.

157.
REFER TO WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
If we go back
If we go back to the chart well see how fabric design has changed.
As I said before
As I said before, its never too late to start exercising.
Returning to point one
Returning to point one, fixed assets are undervalued in you accounts.
As has already been mentioned
As has already been mentioned, we cannot guarantee supply.
As you no doubt remember
As you now doubt remember, we started this chat with a quote by Drucker.
158.

SUMMARISE

To sum up
To sum up, we are in deep trouble.
To recapitulate
To recapitulate, this has been our best year ever.
The conclusion is
The conclusion is that all our efforts have finally proven successful.
In a few words
In a few words, Karen would like to congratulate you all.
It all boils down
It all boils down to a simple truth: money brings money.
159.

FINISH A SPEECH

Id like to conclude
Id like to conclude by thanking everyone.
Let me end
Let me end by reminding you that we are at the top because of your work.
Ill finish
Ill finish with the words of Julius Caesar: Veni, vidi, vici.
Finally
Finally, I want to say Im delighted to have had the chance to meet you.
To conclude
Before concluding, Id like to invite Alice to say a few words.
160.

CLOSE A MEETING

Thats all
Well, thats all for today. Any comments?
Could we make a decision right away?
Could we make a decision right away? Im hungry!
Well have to leave it for now
Well have to leave it for now. I have another appointment.
Time to finish!
Time to finish! Does anyone need a ride back to the hotel?
Shall we call it a day?
Shall we call it a day? We can adjourn the meeting till tomorrow.
161.
CLOSE A CONVERSATION
It's been nice to talk
It's been nice to talk to you, Alexandra.
I enjoyed meeting you
I really enjoyed meeting you, Mr Brown.
I have to leave
Im afraid I have to leave now. Im double-parked!
We have to move on
We have to move on, sorry!
Its getting late
Its getting late. We should be going home now.
162.

SAY THANKS

Thanks
Thanks for everything.
Thank you
Thank you for your kind cooperation.
Im thankful for
Im thankful for all your efforts.
I appreciate
I appreciate your interest in my situation.
Im grateful for
Im grateful for your support in securing the bank loan.
163.

THANK PEOPLE FOR COMING

Thank you
Thank you for coming.
Its been a pleasure
Its been a pleasure to meet you.
Ive been delighted to
Ive been delighted to be able to speak to you.
Id like to show my thanks
Id like to show my thanks by inviting you to my house for drinks.
I have enjoyed
I have enjoyed your company today.
164.

THANK FOR LETTING YOU SPEAK

Thank you, John.


Thank you, John. I want to stress on the fact Jo is irreplaceable.
Thanks for allowing me
Thanks for allowing me to speak at this forum.
Thanks for calling on
Thanks for calling on me. Its a great chance to share my ideas.
I appreciate the opportunity to address
I appreciate the opportunity to address such a distinguished group.
Its a pleasure to
Its a pleasure to be able to talk about the MX project.
165.

USE THESE WORDS WHEN YOU NEED TIME TO THINK

Really
Of course
Surely

Well
Undoubtedly
Certainly

Clearly
OK
Luckily

Really, well & clearly


Really, I dont know what to say about, well, Lee is clearly wrong.
Of course, undoubtedly & OK
Of course, I undoubtedly believe that, OK, we need to change.
Surely, certainly & luckily
Surely, certainly, education needs to improve though, luckily, not at this school.

166.

USE THESE PHRASES WHEN YOU NEED TIME TO THINK

Thats an interesting question

Well, thats an interesting question. Tom, would you care to answer it?
Im glad you asked that
Im certainly glad you asked that. What do you think?
Youve raised an important point
Undoubtedly, you have raised a very important point.
That is a complex issue
That is a complex issue. Luckily we have an expert here. Linda?
Let me tell you that
Let me tell you that you are clearly on the right way.
167. OFFER HELP FORMALLY
Is there anything I can do?
Is there anything I can do for you?
Would you like some help?
Would you like some help with the setup?
May I offer my assistance?
May I offer my assistance? I do have experience with foreign trade.
If we can aid you
If we can aid you in any way we will.
Im at your disposal
Im at your disposal. Just tell me what you need.
168. OFFER HELP LESS FORMALLY
Shall I help you?
Shall I help you? Here, give me those boxes.
Do you need any assistance?
Do you need any assistance with the wiring?
Just ask if you
Just ask if you want anything.
Can I lend you a hand?
Can I lend you a hand with the wheelbarrow?
We would be happy to
We would be happy to help you anytime.
169. REPLY YES TO AN OFFER OF HELP
That would be great
Thanks, that would be great.

Much obliged
Thank you, much obliged.
It is so kind
Thanks, its so kind of you to offer.
Im grateful
Thanks, Im grateful for your help.
I appreciate it
Thank you, I appreciate your collaboration.
170. REPLY NO TO AN OFFER OF HELP
Im OK
Thanks but Im OK.
Ill call you if I need
Thanks. Ill call you if I need anything.
Not for the moment
Thanks, not for the moment.
I think Ill manage
Thank you. I think Ill manage by myself.
Theres no need
Theres no need. Thank you anyway.
171.

REPLY YES TO A REQUEST FOR HELP

Of course
Of course. What do you need?
No problem.
No problem. Where shall I push?
Sure
Sure. Its always a pleasure to help you.
I'd be glad to
Id be glad to be of assistance. What is the problem?
My pleasure
My pleasure, Madam. Are these the boxes you need to lift?
172. REJECT A REQUEST FOR HELP POLITELY
I'm busy now
Sorry, Im busy right now.

Im afraid I cant
Sorry, Im afraid I just cant.
I wouldnt be of much assistance
Sorry, I wouldnt be of much assistance. I cant understand computers.
Its out of my reach
Sorry, this is out of my reach. You need someone whos taller.
Id like to but I cant see how I can
Id like to but I cant see how I can be of any help. Sorry!
173. REJECT A REQUEST FOR HELP LESS POLITELY
No
No. Im not your servant!
No way
No way. You never help me.
Forget it
Forget it. I wont do it.
Why should I?
Why should I? Its none of my business.
Not in a hundred years
Not in a hundred years. You got into it alone; you get out of it alone!
174. REPLY YES TO A REQUEST TO BORROW
My pleasure
My pleasure. How much do you need?
Sure, go ahead
Sure, go ahead. Here are the keys for the Jeep.
Help yourself
Help yourself. Which tools will you need?
Of course
Of course. Just make sure you return everything in order.
No problem
No problem. Ask Sam to give you one.
175. REPLY NO TO REQUEST TO BORROW
I need it myself
Sorry, I need the van myself.
I am not allowed to
Sorry, I am not allowed by IT to lend my computer to anyone.

We dont have
Im sorry but we dont have what you need.
Its against regulations
Sorry, its against regulations for tools to leave the workshop.
Im afraid I cant afford
Im afraid I cant afford to lend you any money. Im also broke!
176.

REPLY EVASIVELY

Its rather hard


Its rather hard to decide on that right now.
Im afraid
Im afraid we do not have enough information yet.
Im in no position to
Unfortunately I am in no position to comment on that issue.
Its a secondary matter
I believe this is a secondary matter. The actual problem lies in Mumbai.
We dont have enough time
I dont think we have enough time to deal with that today.
177.

REPLY YOU DONT KNOW

I dont know
Im sorry but I just dont know what you are talking about.
I cant tell
Im afraid I cant tell the difference between a lion and a lioness.
I can't answer
Unfortunately I cant answer that question. I do not have authorization.
Its not within the scope
Your question is not within the scope of this meeting so I cant reply.
I am not allowed
I am not allowed to discuss salaries in public.
178.
REPLY YOULL ANSWER LATER
Can I get back to you?
Can I get back to you on that? I have to check some facts.
We'll come to that later
Well come to that later, when Hank makes his presentation.

Can we save that until?


Can we save that till this afternoon? Ill have more time then.
Well tackle it
Well tackle the advertising budget in our next meeting.
Lets leave that
Lets leave that for the time being. We have more urgent matters today.
179.

INVITE SOMEONE FORMALLY

Would you like to?


Would you like to visit the factory workshop?
Are you free on?
Are you free on Monday? I know a fantastic restaurant.
Id like to invite you to
If you have time, I'd like to invite you to our presentation.
Would you care to join?
Would you care to join us for drinks tonight?
We'd be delighted
Wed be delighted to have you as a guest at our weekend cottage.
180.

INVITE SOMEONE LESS FORMALLY

Do you want?
Do you want to go for a coffee?
How about?
How about a glass of wine down at the bistro?
What do you say to?
What do you say to dinner and a movie tonight?
Would you come along?
Would you come along if we organised a skiing trip?
Why dont we?
Why dont we quit work now and take a stroll in the park?
181.

ACCEPT AN INVITATION FORMALLY

That would be wonderful


That would be wonderful, thank you very much.
It sounds perfect
It sounds perfect. Will casual clothes be fine?

How kind
How kind of you. Of course well be there.
Id be delighted
Id be delighted to accompany you.
Its so nice
Its so nice of you to ask. Of course Im coming.
182.

ACCEPT AN INVITATION LESS FORMALLY

Sounds good
Sounds good. Shall I bring the wine?
I'd love to
Sure, Id love to come to the concert.
Good idea
OK, good idea. Can I also ask Sam?
All right
All right. Is half-past eight fine?
Great
Great. Ill wear my new dress.
183.

DECLINE AN INVITATION FORMALLY

I don't think
I dont think Ill be able to come. Sorry!
Thanks for asking but
Thanks for asking but I just cant handle Thursday evening.
Im already committed
Sorry but Im already committed. Theres a trade fair I have to attend.
I have a previous engagement
Unfortunately I have a previous engagement. Would Friday be fine?
It doesnt suit me
Sorry but next week doesnt suit me right. Could we leave it for later?
184.
DECLINE AN INVITATION LESS FORMALLY
Cant make it
Cant make it, sorry!
Id rather not
Id rather not. I cant stand ballet.
No can do

No can do; I have a wedding on Saturday.


Its impossible
Its impossible. Im fully booked.
Its out of the question
Its out of the question. Im not at all interested in dating Hubert.
185.

THANK AFTER AN INVITATION

Thanks for your hospitality


Thanks for your hospitality. You made us feel at home.
I enjoyed
I enjoyed the party. Thanks a lot!
It was wonderful
It was wonderful to be here. Thank you.
What a pleasure
What a pleasure it was to have dinner at your club. Thank you so much!
I loved
I loved seeing you all. Thank you for a delightful night.
186.

GRANT PERMISSION

Sure
Sure. Youre free to do as you wish.
Fine
Fine. Just be careful with the machinery when you walk by.
Go ahead
Go ahead. Smoking is permitted here.
No problem
No problem. Just tell the warehouse manager I gave you permission.
Help yourself
Help yourself. How many nails do you need?
187.DENY PERMISSION
Sorry but no
Sorry but we wont let you wear a bathing suit in the dining room.
I cant let you
I just cant let you through.
The answer is no

The answer is definitely no.


We cant give you permission
Regrettably, we cant give you permission to fly out on Monday.
Well have to deny
Im afraid well have to deny authorisation to work at night.
188.

APOLOGISE

I'm sorry
Im sorry. It wont happen again.
Please accept my apologies
Please accept my apologies. I wasnt paying attention.
I didn't mean to
Im sorry. I didnt mean to call you a fool, Ms Garca.
I regret
I regret having you sent to Moldavia, Steven. Will you ever forgive me?
I would like to apologise
I would like to apologise for our companys lack of transparency.
189.

PROHIBIT

Prohibit
Smoking is prohibited in the whole building.
Ban
Guns should be banned in this county.
Forbid
It is forbidden for the staff to discuss company matters outside the office.
Not allow
Im afraid we are not allowed to wear jeans at work.
Not permit
Regulations state that dogs are not permitted at the hospital premises.
190.

CONGRATULATE

Well done!
Well done! Im sure youll be a brilliant ambassador.
Congratulations
Congratulations on your promotion to division manager.
Im happy to

I was happy to hear that the deal went through.


Youre the best!
Youre the best! No one could have done it better than you.
Id like to compliment
Id like to compliment you on this years results. Theyre excellent.
191.
REPRIMAND
Unfortunately I have to tell you off
Unfortunately I have to tell you off. Your work is substandard.
We are not satisfied
We are not satisfied with your performance, Samuel.
Reprimand
Reprimands for unauthorised strikes will involve suspensions.
I am disappointed
I am disappointed at your behaviour. Well take disciplinary measures.
No one is pleased
No one is pleased with the results and you are all to blame.
192.

GIVE A VERBAL ORDER

Would you please?


Would you please call Cynthia?
Could you?
Could you replace Lola until Wednesday?
Would you mind?
Would you mind coming to my office now?
Please
Please start the project as soon as possible.
Do it
Do as Ive told you.
193.
TRANSMIT A VERBAL ORDER
She has instructed us
The boss has instructed us to finish our shift at six today.
He has directed you
Mr Carpenter has directed us to paint the wall blue.
Theyve ordered you
Theyve ordered you to prepare the presentation. Im leaving now!
He has commanded we should
The captain has commanded we should wait here till he comes back.

Say you should


Belinda says you should bring her a cup or hot coffee and a muffin.
194.
ACCEPT A VERBAL ORDER
Of course
Of course. When do you need it for?
Will do
Will do, madam. Ill start right now.
No problem
No problem. Where do you keep the tools?
Certainly
Certainly. Id be delighted to head the team.
Sure
Sure. Is there anything else I can do for you?
195.

REJECT A VERBAL ORDER

No way
No way. Look for someone else.
Why should I?
Why should I? Its not my job.
Of course not
Of course not. Youre not my boss.
I refuse to
I refuse to work overtime. Ill contact the trade union.
I will not do that
I will not do that. Its dangerous.
196.
BOOK
Would you have that free?
Would you have a meeting room free for tonight please?
Id like to book
I'd like to book the hall for our Annual General Meeting.
Id like to reserve
Id like to reserve some booth space, if theres still any vacant.
Could you set aside?
Could you set aside stand eleven for us? Ill send you the deposit today.
We would need

We would need at least three thousand feet of floor space.


197.
SET A DATE FOR THE NEXT MEETING
We'll meet you again
Well meet you again on Friday.
See you next week
See you next week. Same time, same place.
I'll have my secretary schedule
Ill have my secretary schedule another appointment for October.
Sunday morning, then
Sunday morning, then. Well come by right after breakfast.
Its all set
Its all set then. Ten at night near the pier.
198.

REFER TO FUTURE RELATIONSHIP

We look forward to
We look forward to a successful relationship when you settle in China.
It would be a pleasure
It would be a pleasure to enter into a joint-venture with your company.
I would be happy for
I would be happy for any opportunity to supply your corporation.
Our boss would be delighted
Our boss would be delighted to do business with you.
We are open
We are fully open to any type of collaboration with your partnership.
199.

EXPRESS YOUR WISH TO FOLLOW UP

I'll give you a call


Ill give you a call sometime after the convention.
Why dont I send you an e-mail?
Why dont I send you send you an e-mail once a decision has been made?
I look forward to
I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe in Taipei next year?
Let me give you my
Let me give you my business cards. You can get hold of me at any time.
We'll keep in touch
Well keep in touch on Facebook.

200.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

I'd like to make an appointment


Id like to make an appointment with Captain Terrence.
I'd like to schedule a meeting
Id like to schedule a meeting with the boss. Is he in tomorrow?
Is she available?
Is the lawyer available next Wednesday?
Does he have any opening?
Does OSullivan have an opening this week? I only need five minutes.
Does she have any time?
Does the engineer have any time today? I can handle most of the morning.
201.
TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE
Our plans
Our plans include buying another Airbus to start serving Yokohama.
I anticipate
I do anticipate problems if the Minister continues with her policies.
We forecast
We forecast two-digit inflation.
I expect
I expect our department to be downsized after the merger.
I anticipate
I anticipate a satisfactory Christmas campaign this winter.
202.

WISH GOOD LUCK

Good luck
Good luck and have lots of fun.
Hopes of the best
Hopes of the best in your mission.
Our best wishes
Our best wishes for success in your new career.
May it run well
May the course run well.
Break a leg
Break a leg! Im sure youll be superb at the performance tonight.

203.

BRING UP A TOPIC

Can I talk to you for a second?


Can I talk to you for a second? Something needs our immediate attention.
Do you have a minute?
Do you have a minute for me?
Got some time?
Got some time? Sandra and I would like to thank you for what you did.
Theres something I need to tell you
Theres something I need to tell you privately.
Id like to have a word with you
Id like to have a word with you. Theres a problem in Tower Seven.
204.
OFFER SOMETHING
Would you like some pie?
Would you like some more apple pie? Its home made.
How about?
How about a glass of wine?
What will you have?
What will you have today, sir?
Can I get you anything?
Can I get you anything else?
Would you care for?
Would you care for some tea?
205.

CONFIRM

I would like to confirm


I would like to confirm your appointment with Dr McCall.
Could you please verify?
Could you please verify if this source is reliable?
Can this be corroborated?
Can this information be corroborated?
Can you assure?
Can you assure me that this rumour is absolutely false?
Is it firm?
Is your order firm? We will need a deposit then.
206.

NOTIFY

I would like you to know


I would like you to know that weve decided to change suppliers.
We want to notify you
We want to notify you that Celina Smith is no longer our representative.
I have to inform you that
I have to inform you that your project has been rejected.
I have to give you notice
Ill have to give my tenant notice to leave the flat by the end of May.
Its my duty to tell you that
Its my duty to tell you that we follow strict non-discrimination policies.

207.

EXPLAIN

Id like to explain
Id like to explain what happened. The duct exploded and the oil escaped.
Let me tell you why
Let me tell you why I arrived late to the appointment.
It happened because
It happened because quality control is in the wrong hands.
The reason is
The reason for all the turmoil is that taxes have increased.

It was caused by
The mistake was caused by a faulty transmission line.
208.

EXPLAIN THEY MUST WAIT

He will be late
The Doctor will be late today, unfortunately.
Its delayed
The plane is delayed in Boston because of a snowstorm.
Youll have to wait
Youll have to wait for at least an hour. Theres a long queue.
Itll only be a minute
Itll only be a minute. Hes just about to arrive.
Cant say how long
Im afraid I cant really say how long this will take.

209.

EXPLAIN THAT SOMEBODY'S NOT AVAILABLE

He's not in
Sam is not in today.
He's not available
Rebecca is not available now, Im afraid.
I cant see her at her desk
I cant see Elizabeth at her desk. Do you wish to wait for her?
He's busy
Hes busy at the moment.
He will be out
Don will be out the whole afternoon.
210.

EXPLAIN YOUR JOB

I work at
I work at General Motors.
I work in
I work in the aviation business.
I work for
I work for the government. I collect taxes.
My line of work includes
My line of work includes selling houses and offices too.
Im a
Im an Economist. Ive just joined the World Bank.
211.

PLACE AN ORDER

Id like to place an order


Id like to place an order for twenty condensers.
Id like to purchase
Id like to purchase three tons of each metal.
Do you have any in stock?
Do you have any linseed oil in stock?
Could we buy?
Could we buy another tractor?
Can you sell us?
Can you sell us twenty dynamos and three rotors?

212.

ACCEPT AN ORDER

We are delighted
We are delighted with your order. How much sugar do you need?
Of course
Of course. The delivery will be at your factory on Wednesday.
Perfect
Perfect. The total is 35,500 FOB.
Fine
Fine. Ill pass your order to our production department.
Certainly
Certainly. Its always a pleasure to work with you.
213.

REJECT AN ORDER

We cant take it
Unfortunately we cant take your order. These articles are out of stock.
Well have to reject
Well have to reject that. Our CFO says your credit has run out.
We cant fill it
Sorry but we cant fill it today. Maybe tomorrow well have enough.
We are no able to accept
Its a pity but we are not able to accept requests from your company. Sorry!
Its not possible
Its not possible to sell you these bolts because they are not made anymore.
214.

CANCEL AN ORDER

Id like to cancel
Id like to cancel order No 277/34.
Can we stop?
Can we stop our most recent order? We made a mistake with the colour.
Ill withdraw
If you do not give us the customary discount Ill withdraw our order.
I want to revoke
I want to revoke all our outstanding orders.
Are we in time to call off?
Are we in time to call off our last request? I would like to change the size.

215.

SAY BYE FORMALLY

Good night
Good night, everyone.
Goodbye
Goodbye. Please send my regards to Miss Burkes.
It was nice to
It was nice to talk to you.
Its been a pleasure to
Its been a pleasure to get to play golf with you.
Hope we meet
Hope we meet again before next summer.
216.

SAY BYE INFORMALLY

See you
See you later.
Take care
Take care. Till tomorrow.
Cheers
Cheers. Give my love to Jeannette.
Bye
Bye Charlie.
So long
So long. Lovely to see you again.
217.
ANSWER THE PHONE FORMALLY
Sydney Rubber Co.
Young speaking.
Paul Lewis.
Good morning. Can I help you?
Extension 107.
218.
ANSWER THE PHONE INFORMALLY
Hello.
Yes?
Hi.
Sally, is that you?
Morning.
219.
ASK FOR SOMEONE ON THE PHONE
May I speak to Chris?
I'd like to talk to Andy.
Could you put me through to Sid?

Is that you, Karen?


Is Maria May in?
220.

ASK FOR CALLERS INFORMATION

Who's calling, please?


Who's speaking?
Whats your name, please?
Where are you calling from?
Who gave you our number?
221.
ASK FOR THE PURPOSE OF A CALL
What is it about, sir?
Can you please tell me why you need to speak to him? What shall I say is
the purpose of your call?
Why are you phoning our factory, madam?
Youll have to explain the reason of your call before I put you through.
222.
SAY SOMEONE IS NOT AVAILABLE
He's not in today.
He's not available now.
Tims outside the office.
He's busy at the moment.
I cant see where he is.
223.
EXPLAIN WHY SOMEONES NOT IN
I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment.
Unfortunately, Mr Samuelson will be out of the office all day. I cant see Amber at
her desk. Do you want me to look for her?
I dont know where Rebecca is right now.
Linda is not in today. She took the day off.

Explain the Line is Busy


I'm afraid the line's engaged. The line is
busy.
Shes now talking to someone else.
Sorry but I cant get through to her extension.
Her voice mail message keeps on coming through. She must be talking.
225.

CONNECT SOMEBODY

I'll connect you.


I'll put you through. Hold on please.
Ill put your call through to Mr Hynes immediately.
Hold on please. You can speak now.
Ill pass your call onto his extension.
226.

ASK SOMEBODY TO HOLD ON

Hold on, please.


Can you wait, please?
Hold the line, please.

Could you wait a moment?


Just a minute, please
227.

WRONG NUMBER OR NAME!

I'm afraid we don't have a Mrs Campanella at this company. There's nobody here by
that name.
I think youre trying to reach someone else.
You've dialled the wrong number.
Are you sure you have the right number?
228.

LEAVE A MESSAGE

Could you ask her to call me back, please?


Would you take a message, please? Have you got a pen? Could you leave Charles
a note on his desk?
Could you tell him I called?
Would you mind letting Mr Jones know that I will be late for the meeting?
229.

OFFER TO TAKE A MESSAGE

Can I take a message?


Would you like to leave a message?
Would you like me to write a note for him?
Shall I ask her to return your call?
Should I tell Mrs Lamb that you phoned?
Ask for spelling
Would you mind spelling that for me, please?
Could you spell it, please?
Sorry, how do you spell the name of your company?
Is that double m double s?
Is that B for Bravo or V for Victor?
Ask for Repetition
Could you repeat that please?
Sorry, I didn't catch your last name.
Could you explain the end of the story again, please?
I missed the last figures. What were they?
Pardon, what was that about Karen?
232.

RECTIFY WHAT WAS SAID

Theres a misunderstanding
That isnt what I meant.
I dont think youve understood
I didnt say blue. I said green.
I think you heard me wrong.
EXPLAIN A PROBLEM WITH SOUND
The line is bad. Could you speak up please?
Theres a background noise.
The signal is weak. Im almost out of range.

I'm afraid I can't hear you.


Coverage is not very good here.
DESCRIBE OTHER PROBLEMS
My batterys almost flat.
I need to charge the phone.
Im running out of credit. Im on a pay-as-you-go plan.
Its too noisy here. Ill go outside.
Cant speak now. Im driving.
ASK WHERE SOMEONE IS
Do you know where I can find Simon?
Is he still abroad?
Can you tell me where I could reach Lou?
Is she going to be long?
Do you know when theyre due back?
236.

CHANGE TO ANOTHER SUBJECT

Incidentally, Rosemary called today.


On quite another matter, Mark does seem to be interested. By the way, who won
the match yesterday?
Id rather not talk about that.
It has just crossed my mind that I wont be able to phone you next week.
Before I forget, how did you arrive back home?
Interrupt
Sorry, I have to leave you right now.
Actually, it was Dan, not Sam.
Could I say something?
Sorry to interrupt, but the other phone is ringing.
Please listen.
Avert Interruption
Will you let me finish?
Let me go on.
Why do you keep on interrupting me?
Cant you wait till Im done?
Stop butting into my conversation, please.
239.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Im calling to make an appointment. Im phoning


to schedule a meeting.
Will Sandrine be available for an interview on Monday?
Im calling to ask if Mr Gardiner has any opening next week. Does she have any
time free this afternoon?
240.

PLACE AN ORDER

Im calling to place an order.


Im contacting you because wed like to purchase ten units.
Mr Jenkins has told me to ask you if you have any pins in stock.
Im phoning to ask if we can buy another set of pliers.

I wonder if you could sell us twenty copies of your new book.


241.

ACCEPT AN ORDER

We are delighted with your order. Ill just make a note. Of course. Can you
confirm that by e-mail, please?
Perfect. Well deliver it by truck.
Fine. Ill pass your request to our production department.
Certainly. Its always a pleasure to work with you.
242.

REJECT AN ORDER

Unfortunately we cant take orders by phone. Could you e-mail us? Well have to reject that.
We dont work tomorrow!
Sorry but we cant fill it today. Monday should be OK.
Its a pity but I am not allowed to take orders. Why dont you speak to Ed? Its not possible to sell you
these glasses. We have new models now.
243.

CANCEL AN ORDER

Im phoning to cancel all outstanding orders.


Who do I have to speak to if I want to stop an order?
My boss says we will withdraw the order if we dont get a discount. Im calling because Rob
wants to stop our order.
Are we in time to call off our last order?
244.
THANK SOMEONE FOR CALLING
Thanks for calling.
Its been very nice to talk to you.
It has been a pleasure to speak with you.
Youre welcome to call back anytime.
Its been lovely to chat with you.
245.

POSTPONE A CALL

Ill call you back.


Will you be there in an hour? Why dont you ring me then? Its a bit late now. Ill
give you a buzz tomorrow morning. Shall we leave it for now? I have many things to
do.
Ill get back to you later on.
246.
SET A DATE FOR THE NEXT CALL
We'll talk to each other again tomorrow.
Call you next week same time.
I'll have my secretary schedule our next call.
Friday morning, then.
Ill phone you at nine.
247.
EXPLAIN YOU HAVE TO CUT OFF
Sorry but I have another call coming in.
Sorry but I have to leave you. The boss has just walked in.
Sorry but theres a funny noise in the line. Bye. Im afraid I have to
cut off. Talk to you.

I cant speak now. Ill return your call later.


248.
CLOSE A PHONE CONVERSATION
It's been nice talking to you, Alexandra.
I really enjoyed our chat.
Its a pity we have to cut off!
I have to keep on working. Sorry!
I think Ive said everything there is to say.
249.

SAY GOODBYE

Talk to you.
Goodbye.
Bye.
See you.
So long.
250.

SAY THAT SOMEONE PHONED

Mr Goodman phoned this morning.


Gus from Letterman wants to talk to you. Cynthia said shell
be expecting your call.
I have a message for Mr Freeman from Jules.
Would you mind returning Huberts call? He said it was urgent.
Thats right.
Correct
No, thats not right.
No, thats not correct.
Are you unhappy?
Is he sick?
Are we winning?
Are they leaving?
Yes, I am.
Yes, he is.
Yes, we are.
Yes, they are.

Are you unhappy?


Is he sick?
Are we winning?
Are they leaving?

No, Im not./No, I am not.


No, hes not./No, he isnt./No, he is not.
No, were not./No, we arent./No, we are not.
No, theyre not./No, they arent./No, they are not.

Do you eat meat?


Does he like school?
Do we wait in line?
Do they live here?

Yes, I do./No, I dont./No, I do not.


Yes, he does./No, he doesnt./No, he does not.
Yes, we do./No, we dont./No, we do not.
Yes, they do./No, they dont./No, they do not.

I just arrived.
They just finished.
We just ate.
He just called.

I have just arrived.


They have just finished.
We have just eaten.
He has just called.

What do you do?


What does he do?
What does she do?
What do they do?

Im a lawyer.
Hes a painter.
Shes a banker.
Theyre professors.

What does he do?


What do you do?

Hes the president of ABC Enterprises.


Im the school secretary (the only one).

What do you do?


What does he do?
What does she do?
What do they do?

I work for a large firm.


He drives a delivery truck.
She works at Atlas Bank.
They teach French at Loyola.

Thanks so much for fixing my tire.


No problem.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you very much for helping us. Youre welcome.
Any time.
Do you like ice cream?
Do you like to go shopping?
Would you like to dance?

Yes, I love it!/No, I dont like it.


Yes, I love it!/No, I dont like to.
Id love to!/Im sorry; I promised someone else.

Who is she?
Tell me who she is.
What are you doing? Tell me what you are doing.
What do you do?
Where do they go?
When does he get in?

Tell me what you do.


Tell me where they go.
Tell me when he gets in.

Dont tell me youre sick! (Im afraid youre sick!)


I tell you, the dorm is really gross!
He always tells (me) the truth.
What did he say to you?/What did he tell you?
You could/might say indicates a suggested conclusion.
You could say shes in love.
You might say the cafeteria food is gross.
At last Ive found them!
Ive found them at last!
So this is your new car. Will you take me for a ride?
So youre getting married! Congratulations!
To be honest with you
Grab a bite
I cant wait to get there. Im so excited.
To be like
Whats his wife like?
Whats your new house like?
Ill go to the store for you.
Well wash the dishes.

Is she nice? Yes, shes very nice.


Its big, with four bedrooms and three baths.

Well
Basically
Actually the truth is
Really
Hardly ever
At least
What about you
I mean
In the first place
Come on
Before you know
As soon as
Used to
Try
There is /There are(Location)
Ill Bet
No way
On the
Trendy
The thing is
A step in the right direction
Be about it
Which remind me
Me , too
In/on/at to indicate events
Can you help me ?
Wiil you please ?
Please will you ?
Could you
Could you please ?
Would you
Would you please ?
Would you mind
Can I help you ?
How can I help you ?
What can I do for you ?
Is there any way I can help you ?
Is there anything I can do for you?
Is there anything I can do to help?
let me know if I can help you.
Ill be glad to help you.

How was school?:


I did great on the test:
I feel great
What a relief!
Enjoy lifeIt is a piece of cake
It looks inviting
It is delicious
Go ahead!
So do I:
Be crazy about something:
In the afternoon
Get home from school
Dont worry!
Lets not overdo it
No more, no less
It is a deal
It has been a long time since
Do you need any help?
Leave the cooking to me:

Just kidding!
May I help you?
Have problems with
Let me connect you to
One moment please
What kind of problems are you having?
I am not sure
Display the different features
That will be extra
Covered by warranty
About fifteen months ago
Insurance coverage
Options
Otherwise
Send out a reminder
Confirm the appointment
Accept credit card payment
Need services
Thank you for your help
Have a nice day!
Isnt it neat?
Keep on dreaming
Cost a fortune
Set high expectations
Heavy traffic
Arrange my schedule
Start the tradition
It sounds like fun
Sit in the shade
Food stand
Nothing for me
Save my appetite for the steak
For the last time
I am doing fine
Save me a seat
Get together
It sounds like a good idea
Beforehand
Come up with
She is in town
Bring someone along
What is she doing these days?
Have a good rapport with
Once the routine is set
Look forward to
A variety of things
It is around the corner
EXPRESSIONS
The atmosphere is nice
I will most likely be working
The schedule is neither convenient nor easy

Hopefully it will be easy


Hang out at home
Plan a trip
There are pretty good conditions for skiing
Stay at someones place
For the duration of the trip
In case my schedule permits
You are welcome to join us
Give someone an update
EXPRESSIONS
Have an appointment with
Pull somebodys record
In the meantime
Have a seat, please
Here we are
Persistent cough
Upset stomach
Symptom
Long before
Take somebodys vital signs
The doctor will be with you in a moment
run a fever
Physical checkup
Diet
Suffer from insomnia
Change of ownership
It looks like
Sleeplessness
It may solve your problems
If the symptoms persist
Give a prescription
Be allergic to
Not to my knowledge
Blood test
Stop by the laboratory on the way out
Draw somebodys blood
The results will be available in two weeks
Dont stress yourself!
EXPRESSIONS
Go grocery shopping
Leave for work
I guess I can
I am done with my homework
Enough for the whole week
Frozen food
I want to see how it tastes
Run out of something
By the time
Take care of something
Right!
Marinate
Cut down on our intake of sugar

Loaf of bread
Besides
Dont tempt me!
You need to get going
Shopping cart
I am all set to go
I will be back
It would be wise to
Subject matter
Lend a hand to
What is up?
Accidentally
Broken into pieces
How clumsy of you!
How did she take it?
Me neither
Dont worry!
Have you thought about
Who says that
I dont see anything wrong with it
Do you mind to
I am sure
Complicate
Used to be
Have free time
Finish in no time

EXPRESSIONS
Look at different options
Live on a tight budget
Watch every dime
Work full-time
Work part-time
Cut down on
Start the process
It is beyond my reach
That could solve our problem:
Talk over
Come up with some set of rules
It is my turn to
Have somebody over
Take a look at something
EXPRESSIONS
Pass the salt, please
Here you are
Would you mind if
On our way to
I would be glad to
May be some other time
That would be great

What would you recommend?


Just a moment, please
A very clever suggestion:
Would anybody care for some?
Certainly
A fast reader
A slow reader
Finish in no time
On the other hand
At your earliest convenience
Catch a movie
So am I

It is good to see you


Same here
It has been a long time since I last saw you
Recruit somebody
Heavy work-schedule
I did not make it
Besides, the job market is pretty good
Look closely
Do some homework
Come up with a solution
If/When the situation arises
I need to work on that question
Give a bad impression
Good decision!
You are well prepared
Find a good job in no time:
I need to run
EXPRESSIONS
I am so glad
Lets start the interview
First of all
As soon as possible
Entry-level position
Work closely
On a daily basis
I am willing to
That is great!
Work part-time
What are you looking for in a job?
Put into practice
Hard-working person
Fast learner
I get along fine with everybody
I do not mind
Work long hours
I can handle the situation
Have an opportunity

Nice meeting you

Accommodate
I better give a copy to
Run on a tight schedule
As soon as possible
Work overtime
Appreciate
Quick response
Jump through hoops
It pays to
Please people
Take pride in a job well done
Everything is set
Thanks for your help
You will do fine
Coaching people
Lead to victory
Build a good team
It is not quite the same
Yes, it is in a way
It will be chaos
Job requirement
Work environment
If the need arises
Motivate people
Put in extra effort
Reinforce
Sell your ideas
Convince people of their value
Set yourself out as an example
Be alert of changes
Thanks for the note of confidence
EXPRESSIONS
Strike a conversation
Break-time
Deliver very good seminars
Well-known
Knowledgeable in the subject matter
Tons of information
How to deal with
Attend a seminar
I am very interested in
Be promoted to the position of Manager
It is the reason why I am here
Sign up
Manage a staff of ten people
Pull ones hair out

Create harmony
Cooperation
Workload
Run out of time
Free time
Business trip
Produce
Office equipment
Specialize in
Be affected by
Keep ones mind sharp
Sitting idle
Business should pick up
Bring out the best
Get back to ones seat

EXPRESSIONS
Come over to somebodys house
Upcoming exam
I am not confident about
Be adequately prepared
Work ones way up
You got it!
Good job!
Precisely
Quiz somebody
Thats correct!
Feel good about something
Take a break
School of thoughts
It might be better to
As part of the exam
Putting ones thoughts on paper
Overcome a problem
Have a tendency to
Anxiety
Try to relax and take it easy:
I cant help it
Have a clear mind
EXPRESSIONS
It was so boring
I am done for the day
Since early this afternoon
The legal system
Characters of the novel
Old beyond his years
Streetwis
Sense of humor
Entertaining
Give an insight on
Somber

Serious tone
Put a lot of emphasis on
Have a collection of
Have free time
Fascinating
Expertise
Writers block
Weave all sorts of stories
Have it in me
My mind is completely blank
EXPRESSIONS
Are we almost there yet ?
Not quite!
Reach somebodys house
I suppose I can wait until
What is so special about
The focus
Survive
Show their appreciation
Appreciate somebody
Business trip
Make it to somebodys house on time
Pick up somebody at the airport

1. Good morning !
2. Good afternoon!
3. Good evening!
4. Good night!
5. Good day !
6. Wish you a good day
7. Wish you a good afternoon!
8. Wish you a good evening!
9. Wish you a good night!
10. Wish you a good day!
11. Wish you a good morning!
12. Wish you a good afternoon!
13. Wish you a good night!
14. Wish you a good day!
15. Have a good morning
16. Have a good afternoon.
17. Have a good evening.
18. Enjoy a good night.
19. Enjoy a good day.
20. Sweet dream!
21 I wish you sweet dreams.
22. Have/Enjoy sweet dreams.
23. Good bye/ Bye!

24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

I say a good bye to you.


Let me leave you.
Ta-ta! to you.
I say a ta - ta to you.
Let me leave you.
Cheerio!
I say a cheerio to you.
Let me leave you.

GREETINGS
3
32 Many happy returns of the day/your birthday!
33 I wish you many happy returns of the day / your birthday.
34 Enjoy many happy returns of the day/ your birthday.
35 Wish you a comfortable and safe journey!
36 I wish you a comfortble and safe journey!
37 Enjoy a comfortable and safe journey.
38 Happy married life!
39 Wish you a grand succes in your examinations!
40 Wish you a grand victory!
41 Wish you a good eating!
42 Wish you a great prosprity in your newly built house!
43 Wish you happy times abroad!
44 Wish you a record yield!
45 Wish you grand promotions in future!
46 Wish you a joyous picinic!
47 Wish you a nice outcome in the business conference!
48. Wish you get over your troubles!
49. Wish you a speedy recovery from illness!
50. May you prosper in life!
51. I pray to God that you may prosper in life.
52. Let God bless you that you may prosper in life
53. God give you courage and strength to over come the
sudden shock in your father's death!
54. I pray to God that He may give you courage and strength
to over come the sudden shock in your father's death.
55. Let God give you courage and strength to overcome the
sudden shock in your father's death.
56. May his soul rest in peace!
57. I pray to God that He may bless your child with a good
education
4
58. Let God help his soul rest in peace.
59. God bless your child with a good education!
60. I Pray to God that He may bless your child with a good
education.
61. Let God bless your child with a good education.
62. May you get along cheerfully!

63. I wish that you may get along cheerfully.


64. Get along cheerfully.

Commands
i. Get out.
ii. Shut up
iii. Quit my room.
iv. Sit Down.
v. Go straight.

Orders :
i. Go and get me water.
ii. Shoot the enemy.
iii. Bring my bycle at once.
iv. Stand in a line.
v. Keep quiet.

Requests
i. Please sing a song.
ii. Kindly allow her in.
iii. Please get seated.
iv. Please listen to me.
v. Kindly shut the door.

Pleadings
i Advise me Mr. Lawyer.
ii. Help me get acquitted.
iii. Allow me to plead please.
iv. Render Service to the poor.
v. Help the needy

Suggestions
i Read well.
ii. Work hard.
iii. Marry only once.
iv. Be regular.
v. Do not postpone your work.

Expression for offering help:


Format:
Would you like me to do it for you?
Shall I do it for you?
Informal:
Can I do it for you?
How about my doing it for you?
Ill do it for you.
n Responding to offer of help:
Positive responses:

Thats very kind of you.


Thanks a lot.
Negative responses:
No, dont bother.
No, thanks. I can manage.

Agreeing in English
"I think you're right."
"I agree with you."
Strong agreement
"I couldn't agree with you more."
"You're absolutely right."
"I agree entirely."
"I totally agree."
Partly agreeing
"I agree with you up to a point, but"
"That's quite true, but"
"I agree with you in principle, but"
Disagreeing
"I'm not sure I agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't agree."
"(I'm afraid) I disagree."
"(I'm afraid) I can't agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't share your opinion."
Disagreeing strongly
"I don't agree at all."
"I totally disagree."
"I couldn't agree with you less."
The reply to this question is normally positive.
"Fine thanks, and you?"

"Fine thanks, what about yourself?"


"Not bad." Or "Can't complain."
Introducing people
What's your name?
Who are you?
My name is ...
I am ...
My friends call me ...
You can call me ...
Haven't we met (before)?
Yes, I think we have.
No, I don't think we have.
I think we've already met.
I don't think we've met (before).
This is ...
Meet ...
Have you met ...?
Yes, I have.
No, I haven't.
Yes, I think I have.
No, I don't think I have.
Hello, ... (name)
Nice to meet you. (informal)
Pleased to meet you.
How do you do? (formal)
Nice to see you.
Nice to see you again.
tend to
"I tend to agree with you."
(I agree with most of what you say.)
"I tend to go to bed early in winter." (I
normally go to bed early in winter.)
tend to
"I tend to agree with you."
(I agree with most of what you say.)
"I tend to go to bed early in winter." (I
normally go to bed early in winter.)
Generally speaking

"Generally speaking, more men than women use the internet."


In most cases
"In most cases, wars are caused by land disputes."
In some cases
"In some cases, English beaches are unsafe for swimming."
In a large number of cases
"In a large number of cases, obesity is caused by over-eating."
Mostly, often, sometimes
(These words go before the main verb, or after the verb to be)
"We are mostly concerned with costs."
"They mostly go to the cinema at weekends."
"Eating chocolate sometimes causes migraines."
"He is sometimes difficult to work with."
"English people often complain about the weather."
Making invitations
How to make and accept invitations in English.
"What are you doing next Saturday? We're having some people over for a
meal. Would you like to come?"
"Are you free next Thursday?"
"Are you doing anything next weekend?"
"Would you be interested in coming to the cinema with me tonight?"
"How do you fancy going out for a meal at the weekend?"
Accepting
"Would you like to"
"I'd love to, thanks."
"That's very kind of you, thanks."

"That sounds lovely, thanks."


Do you fancy coming to the cinema tonight?
"What a great idea, thanks."
Declining
"Would you like to come over for dinner on Saturday?"
"That's very kind of you, but actually I'm doing something else on Saturday."
"Well, I'd love to, but I'm already going out to the cinema."
"I'm really sorry, but I've got something else on."
"I really don't think I can - I'm supposed to be doing something else."
Making offers
Can I ?
Shall I ?
Would you like me to ?
Using these common English phrases - and being able to accept and reject
offers - will make you sound polite and helpful.
"Can I help you?"
"Shall I open the window for you?"
"Would you like another coffee?"
"Would you like me to answer the phone?"
"I'll do the photocopying, if you like."
Shall, can and will are followed by the verb without to.
Shall is more formal than can. Would you like is followed either by
a noun, or by the verb with to.
Responding to offers
"Can I help you?"
"Yes please. I'd like to know what time the train leaves."
"Can I help you?"

"No thanks, I'm just looking." (In a shop.)


"Shall I open the window for you?"
"Yes please. That would be very kind of you."
"Would you like another coffee?" "No
thanks." Or, "No thank you."
"Would you like another coffee?"
"Yes please, that would be lovely." Or, "Yes please, I'd love one."
"Would you like me to answer the phone?" "If you
wouldn't mind." Or, "If you could."
(Don't answer "Yes, I would", as this sounds like you expect someone
to do it for you.)
"I'll do the photocopying, if you like."
"It's OK, I can do it." Or, "Don't worry, I'll do it.
"Or, "Thank you, that would be great."
"What do you think will happen next year?"
"Next week is going to be very busy, I think."

"There won't be a rise in house prices next year."


"He isn't going to win the election."
Predictions based on what you know now
For example:
"Watch out! You're going to hit that car in front."
"It's going to be a lovely day today - not a cloud in the sky."
Asking someone to do something for you
"Could you open the door for me, please?"
"Would you mind opening the door for me, please?"
"Can you open the door for me, please?'
Asking if you can do something
"Can I use your computer, please?"

"Could I borrow some money from you, please?"


"Do you mind if I turn up the heating?"
"Would you mind if I turned up the heating?"
Hopes
I'm hoping for (noun) ("I'm hoping for a new cell phone.")
I'm hoping to get ("I'm hoping to get a new phone.")
I would like
I really want (Using "want" can be impolite unless you are talking
to a close friend or family member.)
Something I've always wanted is
I'd be delighted / over the moon if ("I'd be delighted if you gave me a
new watch.")
What I'd like more than anything else is
On my Christmas wish list is
Preferences
I'd rather have (noun) ("I'd rather have tickets to the opera.")
I'd rather you (simple past) ("I'd rather you saved your money.")
I'd prefer (noun) ("I'd prefer some money for the new house.")
I'd prefer it if you (simple past) ("I'd prefer it if you gave some money
to charity.")
.. would be more suitable / would be better
If I had a choice, I would go for
If it's all the same to you, . ("If it's all the same to you, I'd like some
book tokens.")
Suggestions in English

should
"You should try to practise English."
"You shouldn't translate too much."
Why don't you
"Why don't you join an English club?"
ought to
"You ought to read more."
If I were you, I'd
"If I were you, I'd watch more television."
"I suggest visiting the Eiffel Tower." (We should all go.)
"I suggest that you visit the Eiffel Tower." (I'm not going.)
OR use a noun
"I recommend the lasagne." (It's a very good dish to choose in this
restaurant.)
advise
"I advise you to buy a good dictionary."
"Let me give you some advice."
"She gave me a very useful piece of advice: to buy a good
dictionary."
"You could always"
"Have you considered"
"Perhaps we could"
"Do you think it's a good idea to"
Talking about fear
afraid: "Are you afraid of the dark?" frightened:

"Im frightened of spiders." scared: "Hes


scared of making mistakes."
feel uneasy: "I felt a bit uneasy when I walked home in the dark."
spooked: My cats are easily spooked before a thunderstorm. terrified:
She was absolutely terrified when she heard the
noise.
petrified: The building began to shake and we were all
petrified.
If you love something
"I love eating ice-cream."
"I adore sun-bathing."
If you like something a lot
"She's fond of chocolate."
"I like swimming very much."
If you like something
"He quite likes going to the cinema." "I
like cooking."
If you neither like nor dislike something
"I don't mind doing the housework."
If you don't like something
"She doesn't like cooking very much." "He's not
very fond of doing the gardening." "I dislike
wasting time."
If you really dislike something
"I don't like sport at all." "He
can't stand his boss."
"She can't bear cooking in a dirty kitchen." "I
hate crowded supermarkets."

"He detests being late."


"She loathes celery."
Things to remember
Dislike is quite formal.
Probable
bound to = certain: "They are bound to succeed!" sure to =
certain: "He is sure to win the championship."
likely to = probable: "We are likely to win the contract." definite =
sure: "He's a definite frontrunner for the job!" probable: "It's probable
that we will be on holiday around then." likely: "An election is likely next
year."
will definitely happen: "There will definitely be a storm later." will
probably happen: "They will probably take on more staff."
Possible
may: "We may be able to help you."
might: "There might be a holiday next month - I'm not sure." could:
"There could be a bug in the system."
8. is possible: "Do you think he will resign?" "Yes, that's
possible."
9. is unlikely: "It's unlikely that she will move."
will possibly: "She'll possibly tell us tomorrow."
probably won't: "They probably won't hear until next week."
definitely won't: "I definitely won't go to the party."
is highly unlikely: "It's highly unlikely that the company will expand."

Note: Be careful of the word order.


"Definitely" and "probably" come after "will" (in positive
sentences) and before "won't" in negative sentences.
Variations
You can add words to alter the strength of probability:
highly likely / unlikely (= very likely / unlikely)
quite likely / probable / possible (= more likely, probable or possible)
could possibly / probably
most definitely won't (= even more unlikely)

Talking about the weather


Some examples of conversation starters
"Lovely day, isn't it!"
"Bit nippy today."
"What strange weather we're having!"
"It doesn't look like it's going to stop raining today."
Attitude to weather
"Never mind - it's good for the garden."
If someone complains that it's too hot, you could hear:
"At least my tomatoes will be happy."
If the conversation has been about general bad weather, perhaps
someone will say:
"Well, I've heard it's worse in the west. They've had terrible
flooding."
Predicting the weather
We can make predictions about the weather, using a range of forms not just the "will" or "going to" form:
"I think it'll clear up later."
"It's going to rain by the looks of it."
"We're in for frost tonight."
"They're expecting snow in the north."
"I hear that showers are coming our way."
Human attributes
We also attribute human features to the weather, almost as if the weather
can decide what to do:
"The sun's trying to come out."
"It's been trying to rain all morning."

"It's finally decided to rain."


Types of family
nuclear family = mother, father and children: "The traditional British
family unit is a nuclear family."
single-parent / one-parent family = a family which only has one parent
(because the parents are divorced, or because one of the parents has
died): "There are more and more single-parent families in the UK."
immediate family = your closest relatives: "Only immediate family
members attended the funeral."
extended family = your entire family: "The wedding invitations were sent
to the entire extended family."
close-knit family = a family where the members have close
relationships with each other: "They are a close-knit family."
dysfunctional family = a family where the members have serious
problems with each other: "He comes from a rather dysfunctional
family."
blood relative = a relative connected to you by "blood" rather than
through marriage: "She's not a blood relative, but we're still very close."
Expressions with family
family gathering = a meeting / celebration of family members: "There's
a small family gathering next week."

family resemblance = where members of the family look / act similar:


"You can see a distinct family resemblance between the father and the
son."
to start a family = to start having children: "They want to wait a couple of
years before starting a family."
to run in the family = a characteristic that is common among family
members: "Baldness runs in his family."
to bring up / raise a family = to have and look after children: "It's
difficult to raise a family on one income."
a family car = a car big enough to transport a family: "The Volvo Estate is
a popular family car."
family-size = large quantity item: "We need to buy family-size packets
of biscuits!"
family-friendly = a policy that favours families: "This hotel is familyfriendly."
family doctor = a doctor who looks after general medical needs: "There
are a number of good family doctors in this area."
family man = a man who prefers to spend his time with his family:
"John is a family man."
family values = traditional ideas about what a family should be: "Some
political parties often emphasise family values and the importance of
marriage."
family name = surname: "What's your family name?"
Most people feel loyalty to their family, and will defend family members
saying "He / She's family". There's also a saying "Blood's thicker than
water" which means that your family ties are stronger than any other
relationships.
First of all, I (packed my suitcase)
Secondly, I . (made sure I had all my documents)
Previously (before that) .. I changed some money. Then
I (called a taxi for the airport)
Later (on) (when we were stuck in traffic, I realised) But before
al that (I had double checked my reservation)
Finally (I arrived at the wrong check-in desk at the wrong airport for a
flight that didn't go until the next day)

Words that describe behaviour


active = always doing something: "She's an active person and never
wants to stay in."
aggressive = being angry or threatening: "He's aggressive and starts
arguments."
ambitious = wanting to succeed: "He's ambitious and wants to lead the
company."
argumentative = always arguing with people: "He won't accept what you
say - he's argumentative and loves to disagree!"
arrogant = thinking you are better than anyone else: "He always behaves
as if nobody else's opinion is important - "I find him very arrogant."
assertive = being confident, so people can't force you to do things you
don't want to do: "It's important to be assertive at work."
bad-tempered = in a bad mood: "What's got into him lately? He's so
bad-tempered."

big-headed = thinking you're very important or clever: "I've never


met anyone so big-headed!"
bossy = telling people what to do all the time: "He's so bossy - he never lets
me do things the way I want to do them."
careless = not taking care: "He's a careless driver - "I'm sure he'll have
an accident."
caring = wanting to help people: "My boss is caring and often asks me
how things are going."
catty = saying nasty or spiteful things about other people: "I know
you don't like her, but calling her names is a bit catty."
cautious = being careful, so that you avoid mistakes: "He's cautious
about investing money in the stock market."
charming = pleasant and likeable: "What a charming man!"
cheeky = being rude or disrespectful: "It was a bit cheeky of him to ask for
more money."
clever = intelligent: "She's a clever student and picks things up quickly."
conceited = thinking you're very clever, or better than others: "He's so
conceited - he thinks everyone should admire him."
conscientious = doing something carefully, because you want to do it well:
"She's a conscientious student and always does her homework."
considerate = thinking and caring about others: "My neighbour brought
me flowers when I was in hospital - he's very considerate." ("That was
considerate of him.")
coy = pretending to be shy so that you don't have to give information:
"He's very coy about his qualifications - maybe he doesn't have any."
creative = someone who can make or design things, or can think of
solutions to a problem: "She's creative and artistic."

curious = wanting to know things: "I'm curious to find out what you think
of the situation."
deceitful = trying to make people think something, so that you get what
you want: "He lied to get this job - he's so deceitful."
docile = quiet and submissive: "She's a docile child and always does
what she's told."
dogmatic = wanting others to accept your ideas without discussion:
"He's a dogmatic politician and always thinks he's right."
domineering = trying to control other people: "He's loud and domineering
in the office - it's difficult to get him to listen to us."
enthusiastic = having a lot of interest in something: "He's an
enthusiastic supporter of equal rights."
excitable = someone who easily gets excited: "He gets very excitable
about politics - it's one of his passions in life."
extroverted = outgoing and lively: "She's extroverted and loves going out
with people."
faithful = being loyal to someone or something: "She's a faithful friend."
fickle = changing your mind and being unpredictable: "Politicians can be
fickle when it suits them!"
flaky = slightly unstable and unreliable: "She's a little flaky at times,
but otherwise she's a good worker."
full of himself = acting proud of yourself: "He was full of himself after he
got the promotion - it got annoying after a while."
funny = making other people laugh: "He can be extremely funny when he's
in the mood."

fussy = only liking certain things: "She's fussy about what she wears."
good-natured = kind and thoughtful: "She's good-natured and always
tries to help."
grumpy = someone who tends to be in a bad mood: "He's always grumpy in
the morning and never says 'hello'."
happy-go-lucky = not worrying about what might happen in the future:
"He's a bit happy-go-lucky and doesn't think about the future."
impulsive = doing things without thinking first: "If he sees something
he likes, he just buys it - he can be so impulsive at times!"
inconsiderate = not considering other people or their feelings: "It was a
little inconsiderate of him not to give you a get-well card."
introverted = opposite of extroverted: "He was introverted as a teenager,
but became more confident as he got older."
inventive = able to think up new ideas: "As head of Marketing, he can
often think of inventive ways to keep his customers happy."
irritating = annoying others: "He can be very irritating to work with."
jokey = making jokes: "You're in a jokey mood today, but we've got work
to do!"
jolly = happy and cheerful: "It was the weekend and everyone was in a
jolly mood."
kind = thoughtful and caring: "My neighbour is kind - she looked after my
cat when I was on holiday."
loud-mouthed = someone who talks a lot and often says offensive
things: "Don't worry about what he said - he's loud-mouthed at times."
loyal = someone who is faithful and stands by you: "His colleagues were
loyal to him when he was having problems with his boss."
manic = behaving in a slightly crazy way: "We're a bit manic at the
moment - we're rushing to finish the work before our deadline."
manipulative = trying to get people to do what you want, by influencing or
deceiving them: "She's very manipulative when she wants something."

moody = having unpredictable moods: "Some people think he's moody you never know if he's happy or grumpy."
nervous = uncomfortable with a situation: "I'm always nervous before an
exam."
old-fashioned = behaving or thinking in a way that isn't modern: "He's a
bit old-fashioned and thinks women shouldn't work."
opinionated = having strong opinions: "He's opinionated and dogmatic
- the last person you want to negotiate with."
passive = not assertive - doing what other people want you to do without
arguing: "He's passive at work, but domineering at home."
perfectionnist = someone who wants perfection: "Her boss is a
perfectionnist - no spelling mistakes are allowed."
persuasive = being able to persuade people to do things or to accept
your ideas: "He's a persuasive talker."
picky = only liking certain things or people: "She's picky about her
friends."
playful = someone who likes to play and have fun: "You're in a playful
mood today!"
pleasant = nice and polite: "The bank manager was pleasant to me
today."
polite = showing good manners: "She's polite and never forgets to say
'please' or 'thank you'."
pragmatic = being practical and aware of your limitations: "She's pragmatic
at work and only does what she can."
quick-tempered = getting angry quickly: "He was quick-tempered
when he was young, but he's more relaxed now."
reserved = keeping your ideas and thoughts to yourself: "He's reserved,
but polite."
rude = impolite: "He's very rude and never says 'please' or 'thank you'."

scatter-brained / scatty = someone who often forgets things: "Don't


you remember where you put your wallet? You're so scatter-brained!"
serious = not light-hearted: "He's a serious student and always does his
homework."
shy = quiet, because you are not very confident: "He's so shy and hates
saying anything to people he doesn't know."
sincere = saying what you believe (opposite of insincere): "He's sincere in
his beliefs."
slapdash = doing your work quickly and carelessly: "He's got a very
slapdash attitude - I doubt he'll ever become a lawyer."
slimy = trying to get what you want by being over-friendly: "That man is so
slimy - he makes me feel sick!"
sly = doing things in a secretive way: "You never know what he's up to he's sly and manipulative."
spiteful = trying to hurt other people because you didn't get what you
wanted: "If she doesn't get what she wants, she can be quite spiteful."
thoughtful = someone who thinks a lot: "He's a thoughtful person
and won't do anything unless he has considered the consequences."
thoughtless = not thinking about people or the consequences of your
actions: "I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude - he can be thoughtless at
times."
trustworthy = someone you can trust: "My accountant is really
trustworthy."
volatile quickly changing moods: "He's easily excitable and pretty volatile."
witty = being able to make other people laugh by what you say: "He's witty
and charming - the perfect person to invite to a party."
Rephrasing expressions
"What I meant to say was"
"Let me rephrase that"
"Let me put this another way"

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear"


Back to the beginning
If you're explaining something, and you realise that the other person
doesn't understand, you can use the following phrases:
"If we go back to the beginning"
"The basic idea is"
"One way of looking at it is"
"Another way of looking at it is"
If you forget the English word
If you forget the word you want to use, you can say:
"I can't find the word I'm looking for"
"I'm not sure that this is the right word, but" "What
I want to say is"
Giving advice in English
"If I were you, I would"
"Have you thought about"
"You really ought to" ('ought' is pronounced 'ort') "Why
don't you"
"In your position, I would"
"You should perhaps" "You
could always"
Examples
If someone says "I'm having problems learning English", you could
say:
"If I were you, I'd sign up for an English course."

"Have you thought about going to the UK for a couple of weeks?" "You
really ought to watch English television."
"Why don't you read more English books?"
"In your position, I would try and practise speaking English." "You should
perhaps look at the english-at-home.com website." "You could always get
a penpal."
Giving your opinion neutrally
"I think"
"I feel that" "In my
opinion"
"As far as I'm concerned" "As I
see it"
"In my view"
"I tend to think that"
Giving a strong opinion
"I'm absolutely convinced that"
"I'm sure that"
"I strongly believe that"
"I have no doubt that"
English expressions for asking someone's opinion
"What do you think?"
"What's your view?"
"How do you see the situation?"
Asking clerks or at help desks
(Hello.) Can / Could I have .. please? (Falling intonation)
(Good morning.) Can / Could you give / get me .. please?

(Good evening.) A table for two, please.


Interrupting people to ask them for something
Excuse me
19. Do you know if?
20. Do you have?
21. Do you accept . (credit cards)?
22. Is this the right way for. (the Post Office)?
23. Could you tell me if . (there's a Post Office near here)?
In more formal situations
Excuse me
25. Would you mind . (keeping an eye on my luggage?)
26. I wonder if you could . (move your suitcase a little.)
Say hello
A "hello" and a smile go a long way! Say "hello" at the beginning of your
request.
"Hello. (I'd like) a travel card, please."
In more formal situations, you can say "Good morning", "Good
afternoon" or "Good evening". (Remember, we only say "Good night" if
we're saying "Good bye" at the end of the day.)
"Good evening. We've booked a table for four."
Remember "please" and "thank you"
"Please" normally goes at the end of the sentence:
"Two tickets please."
"Can you give me directions to Oxford Street, please."
Say "thank you" after you have received something:
"Here's your change."
"Thank you."
You can use "Yes, please" or "No, thank you" in response to a question:
"Would you like salad with your pizza?" "Yes,

please" or "No, thank you."


Say "excuse me"
If you ask someone who is doing something else, remember to say
"excuse me":
"Excuse me, do yo have this dress in a smaller size?" (In a shop) "Excuse
me, do you know where the nearest bank is?" (On the street)
Structure of an example conversation
1. Clerk greets you
(Good morning.) How can I help you? What
can I do for you?
2. You ask for something
Hello. I'd like some information about
Can I have.
Three stamps for Europe, please.
3. Clerk asks you a question
Single or return?
Air-mail or surface mail?
4. You answer
Oh, er, single thanks.
Um, let me see. Air-mail please.
5. Clerk asks you if you need anything else
Will that be all?
(Is there) anything else?
6. You answer
Ah, actually I'd also like
No, that's it thanks / thank you.
Shock
I was shocked to hear
The news came as a complete shock.
We're all in complete shock.
Everyone's reeling from the shock of

It happened out of the blue.


Who could have predicted it?
I (just) can't get over .
We were completely taken aback by
I was just stunned by
Disbelief
I just can't believe
It's unbelievable.
I / You just can't imagine
Words can't describe (how I feel about / the terrible devastation etc)
There's no way it could have happened.
Saying how bad something is
It's so awful.
It's terrible / What terrible news. It's
a tragedy.
It's a catastrophe (pronounced "ca - tas - tra - fee" with the stress on "-tas")
This is the worst thing that could have happened.
Making comments
"No!" - to show surprise.
"I don't believe it!" - to show surprise.
"Wow!" - to show admiration or surprise.
"That's incredible / amazing / unbelievable" - to show great interest
in the subject of conversation.
"How awful / terrible" - to show sympathy with someone else's bad
news.
Asking questions
"Really?" - to show surprise.
"And you?" - when someone asks you how you are.
"Did you?" - can be used to encourage someone to tell their story.
For example, "I saw her last night", "Did you?" "Yes, she was with one of
her friends, and she."
27. book a double room (for two nights from Monday 2 August to)

28. book a table (for two at 9 pm tomorrow night)


29. book a flight (from London to Paris on Tuesday 10 November)
30. book seats (tonight for "Phantom of the Opera")

You can also reserve a room, a table or seats.


Responding to questions
How many people is the booking for?
It's for two people.
How would you like to pay?
Can I pay by credit card?
Can you spell your surname?
Yes, it's B - R - O - W - N.
Can you give me your credit card number and expiry date? Yes,
it's .
Travel bookings
What time do you want to leave / arrive / check-out?
I'd like to arrive in London by 6 pm.
Would you like to take advantage of our special insurance / extra facilities?
No thank you / Could you give me extra information?
Asking for more information
Does this price include all taxes? (for hotels and flights)
Is there a booking fee? (for flights, theatre tickets)
How much is the baggage allowance? (for flights)
Could you confirm my booking?
What time should I arrive? (for theatres, restaurants)
What time do I have to check in / do I have to check out? (for flights,
hotels)
Is there an ensuite bathroom? (for hotels)

Tips
Remember the essential information:
35. how many nights (at a hotel)
36. how many people (at a restaurant or the theatre)
37. what time (for a flight or at a restaurant)
38. how much does it cost (for a flight, theatre tickets or a hotel
room)
Research the vocabulary you need before you make a call:
36. what type of theatre seat you need
37. what type of hotel room you want
38. where you want to sit on the plane
Congratulations!
Well done!
Before an exam or something difficult
If someone has failed at something, you can say Bad luck!
Here's to Let's
drink to
Ladies and Gentlemen, "The Bride and Groom". Please
raise your glasses to
Writing to someone who has passed an exam
Well done! It's a fantastic result.
Congratulations on passing! You deserve it after so much hard
work.
Writing wedding cards
Congratulations! Wishing you many happy years together.
Wishing you the best of luck in your future together.

Writing in sad situations


In difficult situations you can write I was so sorry to hear that
.
If you are writing to the relatives of someone who has died,
you can also write
I was deeply saddened to
hear or
Please accept my deepest condolences on the death of
(You can replace "I" with "We", such as "We were very sad to hear
that")

In a job interview
"The most important thing for me is that the job is challenging."
"What's really important to me is being able to learn
something new."
"The most crucial thing for me is to be valued by my colleagues."
"The most vital thing is knowing that I am doing a good job."
"What really motivates me is learning about new ways of
doing something."
"I'm extremely interested in learning more about the market."
"In terms of priorities, I am most interested in getting results.
In addition, I would like to develop my marketing skills."
"As far as my priorities go, getting results is the most important."
"At the top of my list of priorities is feeling appreciated."
"The least important thing is salary."
General aches and pains
"I feel a bit under the weather."
"I'm not feeling very well."
"I think I'm going down with a cold. I've got a sore throat."
"I've got a slight headache." (Or toothache / stomach ache /

backache) Pronounced "ake" as in "cake".


"I'm not sleeping very well at the moment."
"I feel a little faint."
"I've got a nagging pain in my shoulder." (nagging = a pain that
won't go away)
"I've got a splitting headache - I hope it's not a migraine."
Sympathetic responses
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"You don't look very well."
"You look a little pale."
"Maybe you're going down with something. There's a bug going
around."
"Maybe you should go home and get some rest."
"Why don't you go home and have a lie-down."
Mild illness
"I have a bit of a stomach bug."
"I think I've got a bit of a
temperature." "I have a touch of
flu." (Flu = influenza)
"I've got a nasty cough." (pronounced "coff")
Don't worry if you don't understand everything
Asking to meet
"Are you available on the 17th?"
"Can we meet on the 16th?"
"How does the 3rd sound to you?"

"Are you free next week?"


"Would Friday suit you?"
"Is next Tuesday convenient for you?"
"What about sometime next week?"
Agreeing on a date
"Yes, Thursday is fine."
"Thursday suits me."
"Thursday would be
perfect."
Suggesting a different date
"I'm afraid I can't on the 3rd. What about the 6th?"
"I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it on Monday. Could we meet
on Tuesday instead?"
"Ah, Wednesday is going to be a little difficult. I'd much prefer
Friday, if that's alright with you."
"I really don't think I can on the 17th. Can we meet up on the
19th?"
Setting a time
"What sort of time would suit you?"
"Is 3pm a good time for you?"
"If possible, I'd like to meet in the morning."
"How does 2pm sound to you?"
Changing the arrangement
"You know we were going to meet next Friday? Well, I'm
very sorry, but something urgent has come up."
"I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to meet you after all. Can
we fix another time?"
"Something has just cropped up and I won't be able to meet you
this afternoon. Can we make another time?"

Telephone:
Who is calling?
Who does he/she want to speak to?
Does he/she get through?
If not, why not?
What will happen next?
Giving your name
Gail jones speaking.
This is Robert Smith from ABC Enterprises.
Hello, jane. It's Elena Gonzalez here.
Getting through to the right person
Could/Can I speak to Mark, please?
I'd like to speak to Ellen Baker, please.
I actually wanted to speak to Pat.
Is Pascal there at the moment?
Making the connection
Shall I put you through to him/her?
Can I just ask what it's about?
Cou ld you please hold?
just hang on a moment while I make the connection .
When the person isn't available
I'm afraid his/her line is engaged.
I'm afraid Pat isn't available at the moment.
I'm afra id she is in a meeting.
Can I take a message?
Would you like to call back later?

Opening the call


I'm calling about ...
I have a question about ...
I wanted to ask about ...
Are you the right person to ask?

Exchanging information
What was your question?
What would you like to know?
Could you tell me ... ?

Checking information
Would you like me to spe ll
Did you say ... ?
Sorry, I didn't catch that.
Let me just read that bac
Let me just check tha .

Taking a message
I'm afraid [name] isn't here at the moment.
Would you like to leave a message for her/him?
Let me just check (that) I've got that right.
Shall I tell [name] to call you back?
Does [name] have your number?
I'll make sure [name] gets your message.
I'll tell him/let him know that you called.

Leaving a message
This is [name]. I'm calling about ...
[name] asked me to call her/him (back).
I just wanted to check/confirm/ask if ...
Could you ask her/him to call me back?
I'll be in the office today until ...
Making an arrangement
I was wondering if you might have time to
meet next week.
What day/When would suit you?
Can we fix a meeting for Tuesday?
How about Monday morning?
Shall we say nine o'clock at my office?
Changing an appointment
I'm calling about our appointment.
I'm afraid something has come up.
Saying you will be late
I'm afraid my meeting has taken longer than I expected.
I might be a few minutes late.

I should be there by 3.15 at the latest, but I'll call you again if there are any more delays.
I wanted to ask you if we could postpone/bring forward our meeting.
Could we possibly rescheding
ule/cancel our appointment?

Explaining a problem
There seems/appears to be a problem with ...
I'm afraid there's a problem with ...
Unfortunately, you/we ...

Apologizing
I'm (really/very) sorry about that.
I have to say I'm extremely sorry about this.
Please accept my apologies.

Explaining what you will do


This is what I'm going to do.
I'll send/revise/prepare ...
I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.
Simple greetings
HI
Hello
Hello There
Hey
General greeting
How are you ?
Hows its going ?
Hows it been
How is everything ?
How have you been ?
Whats new ?
Whats up ?
Whats Happening ?
Whats going on ?

Welcoming someone who has returned


Welcome back
Welcome back strange
Where you have been

Where did you go


Expressing surprise at meeting someone
What a surpise to meet you here
What are you doing in the part of this town
What are you doing out of office
After you have greeted someone
We seem to keep running into each other
Havent we met before
Didnt we meet at that part last week
Im sorry I have forgotten your name
Concerning a journey or vaction
How was that
How did it go?
Did everything go ok?
Greeting:
When you meet people (formal) :
Good morning !
Good afternoon !
Good evening !
When you meet people (informal) :
Hello !
Hi !
Your name and company
My name is / Im
I work for (not am working for)
Im sales manager for (you are the only sales manager)
Im an account manager at (you are one of several ac_
count managers)
The company produces software / machines /
We develop (or: we market)
Im a freelance consultant / journalist.

Your work and responsibilities


Im responsible for European operations / I look after
I work in banking. (alternatives: marketing, sales, account_
ing, product development, research, HR etc.)
I manage a team of 8 people.
I support our sales team.
My job involves
I report to the Business Development Director.

How long you have been with your current company


I have been working for Whitehouse Electronics since
2003 / for 4 years.
I have worked at Whitehouse Electronics since 2003. (not
am working at)
I joined Whitehouse Electronics in 2003.

About you personally


In my free time I enjoy reading, cooking and playing the piano.
Outside of work I enjoy in_line skating and Nordic walking.
Im very keen on football and support our local team.
Im married with two children and live in Kiel.

On phone
Identifying yourself
Good morning / afternoon my name is from
This is Anton Mller from GBS in Munich.

Speaking to a particular person


Could I speak to Gill Morris please?
Could you put me through to
Please could I speak to
Is it possible to speak to your Managing Director please?

Purpose of the call


Im calling about (or: Im calling with regard to )
I would like to speak to someone about

Leaving a message
Please could you ask her/him to call me? My number is
Please could you let him/her know that I called?
I would appreciate it if someone could call me back as soon as possible.

The person you are trying to call is not there or is busy


When would be the best time to reach him/her?
When would it be convenient for me to call back?

To find out who is calling


Sorry, could/may I ask who Im speaking to please?
Im sorry; I didnt catch your name.
Please could you give me your name?
Who am I speaking to please?
May I ask whos calling

Getting to speak to the right person


I would like to talk to someone about
I have a technical question concerning
I need some general information about
Id like to speak to someone who can give more information about
Im not sure who I need to speak to, but I need some information about

Answering a call
Hamtek Autoteile, Peter Schneider speaking; how can I help you?
Good afternoon, Peter Schneider speaking.

Asking for clarification


Could you tell me what its about please?
May I ask what its concerning?
Could you give me a little more information?

Checking information
Im sorry; I didnt catch that. Please could you repeat it?
Please could you repeat that?
Im sorry; the line is very bad and I cant hear you very well.
Im sorry; I didnt catch your name. (Could you repeat it for me please?)
Please could you spell that for me?
May I just check that Ive understood you correctly? Is it a technical or sales enquiry?

Arranging to call back


Is it OK if I call you back in a few minutes/this afternoon /tomorrow?
Please can I give you a call back later?
Can I get back to you on that?
When would be the best time for me to call you back?
When is the best time to call her/him?

Keeping people waiting


Sorry to keep you waiting.
Thank you for holding.
Im sorry to have kept you waiting. How can I help you?
Would you mind holding the line while I get the file out?
Rather than keep you waiting, would it be OK if I call you back in a few minutes?
Peter Schneiders line is busy at the moment. Would you like to hold?
I would like to begin by asking everyone to introduce themselves.
Please do not use the loudspeaker on your phone. The background noise makes it
difficult to hear what is being said.
Sorry, Im having trouble hearing you please could you repeat that?
The line is very bad Im going to hangup and dial in again.
Sorry, could I ask the last speaker to identify himself again. Im not sure who was
speaking!
Has someone got their loudspeaker on, Im getting feedback.
Thanks for coming today; how was your journey?
Did you manage to find us OK?
How was your flight?
May I offer you a coffee before we start?
Can I get you anything before we start coffee, water ?
Hows the weather in Sweden at the moment?
Function Expression
1 Greetings
A very warm welcome to you all.
Firstly, Id like to thank everyone for coming.
Ill try and keep the meeting as brief as possible so that we can finish on time.
2 Making general comments
Just a few formalities before we begin
A couple of general points: ...
Please turn off your mobile phones, toilets are at the end of the corridor
Does anyone have a problem if we speak English?
3 Introductions
Before we start, let me begin by introducing myself
So that we all know who everyone is, can we quickly go round the table and introduce
ourselves
4 Explaining what the meeting is about
The purpose of todays meeting is to
This mornings meeting is about
We are here today to discuss
The aim of this afternoons meeting is to

5.Getting down to business


Does anyone have any questions before we start?
Does everyone have a copy of the agenda?
OK, lets get down to business.
Lets begin with the first item on the agenda, which is
Turning to the first item on today's agenda, we need to discuss
To start with, I'd like to discuss ...

During the meeting:


1 Keeping to the agenda
I think we should move on to the next point.
I think were getting sidetracked here.Can we please stick to the point?
Im not sure thats relevant to the issue in question. Perhaps we can discuss this outside
of the meeting?

2 Discuss something later on


That's a very good point, but can we talk about it at the end of the meeting?
I think thats really a separate issue.Can we leave that until the end?
I think youve made a very good point: can we come back to it later?
Can we deal with that off line?
3 Before a break
Just before we break for lunch, I'd just briefly like to talk about ...
Before we have coffee, can I just say
To finish off this morning's session, lets discuss item .
4 A new point
I think we also need to talk about
We also need to consider
5 Having your say
If I may just say something:
Could I just add that
I would just like to point out that
6 Getting agreement / reaching a decision
Lets try and reach agreement on this. Can I have a show of hands from those of you
who are in agreement with the proposal?
Are we all agreed that this is the right way forward?
Do I have everyones agreement on this?
Do we have consensus on this?
7 Bringing the meeting to a close
Just before we finish, does anyone have anything else they wish to raise?
I think weve covered everything and would suggest we now finish the meeting.
I think that's all we need to discuss this afternoon. Let's call it a day!

If you dont understand or follow something


Im sorry, but would you mind repeating that again please?
I didnt catch the last point you made: Please could you explain that again?
Would you mind explaining that again a little more slowly please?
Could you explain that in more simple terms please?
Is it possible for you to explain it again for the benefit of the nonnative English speakers
present?

Expressing agreement with / support for something or someone


I totally agree with
Im in total agreement with this proposal / idea.
I think its a really good idea.
I agree with Angela on this one.
I also think this is a good idea.
I dont see any problems

Expressing disagreement with / opposition to something or someone


I dont really mind either way on this one.
I think this proposal is OK, but I would like to see
Im not entirely happy with this. I like the idea, but
perhaps we should look at
Although I think this is a good idea, Im not convinced that this is the best way forward. It
may be better to
I dont think this is a good idea at all. My suggestion would be
Im not really in agreement with any of this. Why dont we look at
Im not in favour of this proposal at all.

Having your say


I would just like to add that
We need to talk about
I think its more important to consider
I think we are getting sidetracked here. Returning to the issue in question
In my opinion
I would like to point out that
Im sorry but I have to stop you there
Sorry to interrupt you, but
May I just stop you there for a moment?
May I just add something before you continue?

Indicating you would like to negotiate


Can we talk about the price / delivery date(s) / volume / quantity?
Do you have any flexibility with regard to price?
Is this offer negotiable?
I think there are one or two issues that we need to discuss.
How much room for negotiation is there?

Indicating you would like to negotiate


Can we talk about the price / delivery date(s) / volume /
quantity?
Do you have any flexibility with regard to price?
Is this offer negotiable?
I think there are one or two issues that we need to discuss.
How much room for negotiation is there?

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