- Introducing Yourself and Others
- Talking about Abilities
- Talking about Activities You Like and Dislike
- Ordering in the Restaurant
- Refusing food politely
- Direction
- Making Request
- Apologizing
- Giving Advice
- Expressing Opinions, Agreeing, and Disagreeing
- Giving and Accepting Compliments
- Making Invitations
- Giving and Understanding Instructions
- Bargaining
- Showing Interest
- Asking for Repetition
- Opening a Phnoe Conversation
- Expressing Frustration
- Saying You Don't Understand
- Asking for Help or a Favor
- Politely Interrupting an Action
- Politely Interrupting a Speaker
- Contradiction Politely
- Interjection
- Talking about Like and Dislike
- Express Interest or Surprise
- Introducing Surprising Information
- Expressing Disbelief or Skepticism
- Answering Negative Tag Question
- Acknowledging a Mistake
Introducing Yourself and Others
| Functions | Expression |
| | Speaker A | Speaker B | Speaker C |
| Introduction others | Sharon, this is my friend Kim | Nice to meet you. | Hi, Kim |
| Linda, I'd like you to meet my roommate, Evan. | Good to see you, Evan. | You, too. |
| Mom, I'd like to introduce you my teacher, Mr Daunders. | Pleasure to meet you. | Same here. |
| Introducing yourself | Hi, I'm Judy. I am your neighbor in 168. | Nice to meet you. | |
| My name is Denise. | Hi Denise. I'm Ricardo. |
To Top Talking about Abilities
| You can use can and can't to talk about abilities. |
| For example: Ming can ski, but she can't swim. |
| Here are some other expressions for talking about abilities: |
| I'm (not) able to ... |
| I (don't) know how to ... + verb |
| I wish I could ... |
| I'm (not) good at ... + verb + ing |
| I'm not really good at ... |
To Top Talking about Activities You Like and Dislike
| Like | Dislike |
| I like / Love to dance/dancing | I dont't like / dislike / hate to cook / cooking |
| I enjoy dancing | |
| | I'm not crazy about + (noun) |
| It's OK / all right / fun / good / great / wonderful | I don't care for + (noun) |
| I'm crazy about + (noun) | It's awful / terrible |
| | I can't stand it |
To Top Odering in a Restaurant
| Server's question | Customer's Responses |
| | Ordering: |
| Are you ready to order? | I'll have (bean and rice). |
| May I take your order? | I'd like (a steak). |
| Do you want (an appetizer)? | I'll try (the egg rolls)? |
| Would you like (soup) or (salad)? | May I please have (a glass of wine)? |
| Do you prefer (french fries) or (a baked potato)? | |
| What would you like (to drink)? |
| Would you like (a drink)? |
| | Asking for information: |
| Do you have (tofu)? |
| What kind of (salad dressing) do you have? |
| Dose that come with (a vegentable)? |
To Top Refusing Food Politely
| Offering food to someone | Refusing food politely |
| Would you like some______? | Thanks, but I getting full. |
| Would you like to try some______? | Thanks, but I have enough. |
| Why don't you have some (more)______? | I'm really full, thanks. |
| Have some (more) ______? | It's delicious, but I really can't eat more. |
| | It looks wonderfull, but I can't eat any more |
To Top Direction
| Asking for Direction | Giving Direction |
| Could you tell me where ... is? | Go straight. |
| Where is ... ? | Go straight for two block on Lennox Avenue. |
| Do you know how to get to ...? | Go pass (the market) |
| How do I get to ... ? | Go north / south / east / west. |
| I'm trying to find... | Turn right / left. |
| I'm Looking for ... | Make a right / left |
| | Cross the street. |
| You'll see it on your right. |
To Top Making Request
| Level | Making requests | Answering requests |
| | | Yes | No |
| Polite | Could you ...? | Sure, no problem. | I'm sorry, I can't |
| | Can you please ... ? | I'll happy to do it. | I'm sorry, but that impossible |
| Would you mind Verb+ing ... ? (= Is it a problem for you?) | I don't mind (= It's not a prolblem) | Absolutely not. |
| How about Verb+ing ... ? | Okay, that's no problem | No way |
| I need you to ... ? | | |
| Strong | I want you to ... |
To Top Apologizing
| Type | Apologizing | Responding |
| Informal | Oops. Excuse me. | That's okay. |
| | Sorry | That's allm right. |
| I'm very sorry. | No problem. |
| It was my fault. | Don't worry about it. |
| I apologize. | Forget about it. |
| Formal | Please forgive me. | I forgive you |
To Top Giving Advice
| Asking for Advice | Giving Advice | Accepting Advice | Rejecting Advice |
| What should I do? | You should / ought to ... | thank for the advice. | Thanks, but I don't think that a good idea. |
| What do you think I should / ought to do? | You'd better ... | That sound like a great idea. | Thanks, I'll think about it. |
| What do you suggest / recommend / advice? | Try to ... | Thanks. I'll do that. | Thanks, but I'm not sure. |
| Should I ________? | Why don't you ... | | |
| Can you give me some / any advice? | I advise you to... |
To Top Expressing Opinions, Agreeing, and Disagreeing
| Expressing Opion | I think (that) ... |
| I feel ... |
| I believe ... |
| In my view, ... |
| In my opinion ... |
| Agree | I agree (with you). |
| That's true. |
| I feel the same way. |
| You're (absulutely) right. |
| You can say that again. |
| Yeah! that right |
| That's for sure. |
| That's a good point. |
| That's my opinion, too. |
| Not Sure | I don't have a strong opinion about that. |
| I think it depends (on something). |
| Disagree | I disagree (with you). |
| I don't think so. |
| I don't agree |
| I have a different opinion. |
| I'm a fraid we don't see eye to eye. |
| I'm not sure. |
| I don't feel the same way. |
| That's wrong |
| No way! |
| Are you kidding? |
| That's crazy! |
| Oh, come on! (very informal) |
To Top Giving and Accepting Compliments
| Example of compliments | Example of accpeting compliments |
| Maria, your English is really improving. | Thanks. You're very kind. |
| Excuse me. Who cut your hair? I really like it. | Thank you. So do you. / You do too. |
| You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Johnson | |
| I love the way you sing, Henry. |
To Top Making Invitations
| Inviting | Accepting invitations | Refusing invitaions |
| Would you like to ...? | I'd love to ... | I'd love to, but ... |
| Do you want to ...? | I'd be delighted to ... | I'm sorry but ... |
| Why do you / we ...? | That sounds great! | I wish I could, but ... |
| Are you free ...? | Thank you for the invitation. | Thanks, but ... |
| | Thanks for asking, but ... |
To Top Giving and Understanding Instructions
| When giving instructions, use signal words to make sure your explanation is clear: | - First .. |
| - Second .. |
| - Then ... |
| - Next ... |
| - After that ... |
| - Finally ... |
| - The last step is ... |
| Asking questions to make sure your listener understood you: | - Is that clear? |
| - Did you get that? |
| - Are you following me? |
| When following instruction, listener ask for clarification: | - I'm lost. |
| - I didn't get that. |
| - Wait. Can you say that again? |
| - Would you repeat that? |
To Top Bargaining
| Buyer | Asking about price | How much is it? |
| How much do you want for it? |
| Try to get a lower price | Can you go lower? |
| Is that your best price? |
| Will you take (five) dollars? |
| How about (five) dollars? |
| Decide | I'll take it. |
| Let me think about it. |
| I'll pass, but thanks anyway. |
| Seller | Describe the Price | It's a fair price. |
| It's a bargain. |
| It's a steal. |
| Hold the price | That's the best I can do. |
| The price is firm. |
| Take it or leave it. |
| Give lower price | I might take a little less. |
| Make me offer. |
| Decide | So, what do you think? |
| What do you say? |
To Top Showing Interest
When people are talking, they want to show that they are listening and they are interested in the conversation. English speakers do this by making eyes contact, by nodding thier heads (moving head up and down to show agreement or to mean "yes"), and by using words and phrases that encourage the other speaker to continue.
Here are some expressions for showing interest: |
| Really? | Oh? |
| Yeah? | Oh yeah? |
| I see. | Mmmm-Hmm. |
| And? | Well? |
| Oh no! | |
To Top Asking for Repetition
| Expression | Type |
| I beg you pardon? | Formal |
| Would you mind repeating that? | |
| Could you please repeat that? |
| What did you say? |
| Say it again, please? |
| Pardon (me)? |
| Excuse me? |
| Sorry? |
| What? |
| Huh? | informal |
To Top Opening a Phnoe Conversation
| Function | Expressions |
| A caller asks to speak to a person: | Can / Could / May I speak to ________? |
| Is ______ there? |
| I'd like to speak to ______. |
| The person identifies himself or herself: | Speaking. |
| This is he / she. |
| This is _____. |
| The caller identifies himself or herself: | My name is ______ . [used by strangers talking for the first time] |
| This is ______ . [used when people know each other] |
| The caller gives a reason for calling: | I'm calling about ... |
| I'm calling because ... |
| Let me tell you why I called. |
To Top Expressing Frustration
"Frustration" is the way people feel when they cannot get what they want, even after attempts. For example, supposes your neighbor's dog wakes you up every night. You complain to your neighbor many times, but the situation not improve. In this situation you will feel frustrated.
Here are some sentence mean that a speaker is frustrated. - My roommate isa total slob! She never cleans up after herself! I am fed up with her mess!
- Mother (to fight children): I've had it with your fighting! Go outside right now. I want some quiet in here!
- Student: I've been working on this physics problem for three hours. I'm sick of it!
|
To Top Saying You Don't Understand
If you don't understand your partner, use one of those expression: - I don't understand.
- I'm confused.
- I don't get it.
- I'm lost.
- I'm in the dark.
- I didn't catch that.
- I'm not following you.
|
To Top Asking for Help or a Favor
| Asking for a favor | Responding |
| | Yes | No |
| Can / Could you do me a (big) favor? | Sure / Yes / Okay / Yeah / Of course. | I'm sorry, but ... |
| I'd like to, but ... |
| I wish I could, but ... |
| Can / Could I ask you for a favor? | No problem. | I really can't. |
| I'd be glade to. |
| What you need? |
| Will / Can / Could you (please) + Verb? | | Let me think about it. |
| Could you give / lend me a hand (with something)? |
| Can / Could you help me (with something)? |
| Would you mind + Verb + ing ? | Not at all. (speaker don't mind doing something OR they agree to do it) | |
To Top Politely Interrupting an Action
- Excuse me (for interrupting), but ... (I have a message for you).
- I'm sorry to interrupt you, but ...
- I hate to interrupt, but ...,
- Pardon me, but ...
- May I interrupting?
- Am I interrupting? (RUDE)
- Can / May I interrupt?
- Do you mind if I interrupt?
|
To Top Politely Interrupting a Speaker
- Can / Could / May I say something here?
- I'd like to say something.
- Wait (a minute). I have a question.
|
To Top Contradiction Politely
| Polite | Well, you might think ... but actually ... |
| Well, actually ... |
| It's true that ... but ... |
| Well, as a matter of fact, ... |
| No, that wrong. |
| That's not true. |
| Rude | You're wrong. |
| What are you talking about? |
| That's rediculous. |
To Top Interjection
| Interjections | Meaning |
| uh-huh! | Yes. |
| uh-uh! | No. |
| oh-oh! | I made a mistake. |
| Something is wrong . |
| huh? | What? |
| oops! | I dropped something. |
| I made a mistake. |
| ouch! | That hurts! |
To Top Talking about Like and Dislike
| Like very much | Like a little | Dislike very much | Dislike a little | Neutral |
| It's fantastic / wonderful / great / terrific / cool / supper / awsome | It's nice / OK / all right / not bad | It's terrible / horrible / disgusting / awful / gross | I don't care for it | It's OK. |
| I love it. | I like it. | It stinks. | I don't like it. | It's so so. |
| I'm crazy about it. | I prefer ______ . | I can't stand it. | I'm not crazy about it. | I don't care one way or another. |
| Cool! | | I hate it. | | I can take it or leave it. |
| | Yuck! | |
| Ick! |
To Top Express Interest or Surprise
| Interested in what someone is saying | Surprised by something you hear |
| That's (really) interesting | (That's) incredible! |
| That's an interesting / great / nice story | (That's) unbelievable! |
| | (That's) amazing! |
| | I can't believe it. |
| | I'm shocked. |
To Top Introducing Surprising Information
Sometimes special phrases are used to introduce information that may be surprising or unexspected to listener. The expressions below are used for introducing surprising information - It's weired / strange / funny, but ...
- Surprisingly
- Oddly enought
|
To Top Expressing Disbelief or Skepticism
| Expression | Politeness |
| That's hard to believe. | More Polite |
| I don't believe that. | |
| You're joking / Are you joking? |
| You're kidding / Are you kidding? |
| Nonsense! |
| (That's) baloney! (slange) |
| Give me a break! (slange) |
| That's rediculous / absurb / crazy / silly. | Less Polite |
To Top Answering Negative Tag Question
| Question | Answer | Meaning |
| It's not your birthday today, is it? | No, it's not | It is not the listener's birthday. The speaker was correct. |
| It's not your birthday today, is it? | Yes, it is. | It is listener's birthday. The speaker was wrong. |
| You are not a thife, aren't you? | Yes, I am. | The listener is a thife. Then the listener will go to police office. |
| *** It is not like Khmer style! "Yes" mean something that positive. "No" mean something that negative. Khmer style will answer "Yes, I am not a thief". |
To Top Acknowledging a Mistake
| Expression | Meaning |
| I goofed (up) (on something). | |
| I screwed up (something). | |
| I messed up. | |
| I put my foot in my mouth. | I said something rude or improper |
| I made a fool of myself | I embarrassed myself by acting foolishy |
To Top 