Professional Documents
Culture Documents
you? Regret
Requests Quite well, thanks. I'm afraid it's true.
Will you please pass me / Have a good time. I'm very sorry about
help me ... that.
Will you come in, please?
Here you are. What a pity.
After you.
With pleasure. What a shame.
Excuse me, I'll lead the
I'd like ... way. That's bad luck!
Could / Would you help This way, please. I'm sorry to say he
me? didn't come.
May I come in?
Give it to me, please. I'm afraid I can't be of
I'm sorry to hear that. any help.
Will you come ..., please?
Give them my kind regards. I'm deeply sorry.
Stop it.
Satisfaction
Go ahead. Sympathy
Very good. Great.
Look here. Splendid. Please accept my
May I ask you to do me a condolences.
That's fine.
favour?
I'm glad to hear that. I share your distress.
Excuses It's good to see you Accept my deapest
again. condolences.
I'm sorry.
I'm glad about that. I'm so sorry for him.
Excuse me, please.
I'm sorry to be late. He's lucky!
• I got to go now.
like, such as, and that sort of thing • I’ll be leaving from the office in 20 minutes.
• How about we jet off to the shops now?
• I like music such as opera, choral music, and • I’m afraid I have to head off now.
classical music. • Let’s get off work early.
• I really love modern music like house, rap,
reggae, and hip hop. How to interrupt
• Actually…
• Excuse me…
After one or two examples, we can use an • I’m sorry, but…
expression meaning ‘et cetera’. • I just want to say…
• May I interrupt here?
• I’m fond of opera, and that sort of thing. • Do you mind if I say something?
• I like jazz, rock, and that sort of thing.
Introducing paraphrasing
o So you mean….
Showing a lot of interest o What you mean is…
o What you’re saying is…
o Wow! o So what you mean to say is…
o Really? o Let me get this clear…
o (That’s) interesting! o Let me get this straight,…
o (That’s) fantastic
• Good-bye
• Stay in touch.
• It was nice meeting you.
• I hope to see you soon.
Phone greetings
more informal
identifying the listener Is that Bruno Zola? Is that Bruno? Are you
Could I speak to Bruno Bruno?
Zola, please? Is that you, Bruno?
saying who you are (Yes,) speaking. Yes (it is).
introducing yourself My name’s Elena Luma. It’s Elena. I’m Elena.
This is Elena. Here is Elena.
When you phone for information, you can often end with phrases like this:
Thanking someone
• Thanks.
• Thank you.
• Thanks a lot.
• Thank you very much.
• Thank you very much indeed.
• It was very kind of you.
• I appreciate your help.
• You’ve been very helpful.
• Thanks anyway.
• Thank you for (looking).
• Thanks for (trying).
• It doesn’t matter. Thanks.
• Never mind. Thanks.
Responding to thanks
Wrong: Would you mind posting this letter for me ? Yes, certainly.
American Style: Would you mind mailing this letter for me ? Of course not. OR ( Not at all )
Wrong: The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's about eleven now, Hurry up!
American Style: The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's nearly ( almost ) eleven now, Hurry up!
Wrong: I wanted to go to Europe last summer, but it was too expensive so I gave up to go.
American Style: I wanted to go to Europe last summer, but it was too expensive so I gave up the idea.
Wrong: You'll have a cold if you sleep with your window open.
American Style: You'll catch a cold if you sleep with your window open.
PROVERBS
Children usually learn more from the examples set by their elders than from what they are told ; a person's
character is judged by the thing she does and not by what he says; actions give evidence or proof of.
One should not do an incomplete or imperfect job - certain tasks must not be left half done; they must be done
away with immediately.