CONDITIONALS - SUMMARY/INTRODUCTION

PRESENT AND FUTURE

if + PRESENT SIMPLE + will, shall
unless + PRESENT SIMPLE + will, shall
even if + PRESENT SIMPLE + will, shall
if + PRESENT SIMPLE + may, might, must, needn´t, ought to, should, can, be able to

if + PRESENT SIMPLE + PRESENT SIMPLE
unless + PRESENT SIMPLE + PRESENT SIMPLE
even if + PRESENT SIMPLE + PRESENT SIMPLE

if + will (STRESSED)
if + will (UNSTRESSED)
if + should
unless + should
even if + should




Examples: 
If I go out tomorrow, I´ll post the letters for you.
If John goes, he will pay the bill.
Bob will learn English if he goes to class.
If Peter goes to New York next week, he will go by air.
If I find your wallet, I´ll let you know
If you don´t forget me, I shan´t forget you.
You won´t catch the bus if you don´t hurry.
If dad doesn´t go out, I´ll talk to him.
If you hurry, we won´t be late for school.

I´ll miss the bus unless I run. = I´ll miss the bus if I don´t run.
I´ll work only if he pays me. = I won´t work unless he pays me.
I´ll come only if he calls me. = I won´t come unless he calls me.

Peter won´t catch the bus even if he runs.
(He will not catch the bus)
Peter won´t catch the bus unless he runs.
(He will catch the bus - if he runs.)
Even if you give me a hundred pounds I won´t tell you.
Even if they hurt me I won´t help them.
Even if they put me in prison I won´t help them.

If you drop this football (this stone/this log) it won´t break.
If you drop this glass (this radio/this camera) it will break.
If you drop this pen it may break.
If you drop this box it might break.

If you go out tonight, you should put a coat on.
If you go out tonight, you must put a coat on.
If you go out tonight, you ought to put a coat on.

If you go out tonight, you may (permission) wear my coat.
If you go out tonight, you can (permission) wear my coat.

If you don´t go out tonight, you needn´t wear a coat.

Can (ability) becomes will be able to
If you study hard, you will be able to speak English very well soon.

If you go out, you must take the umbrella.
If you go out, you should take the umbrella.
If you go out, you ought to take the umbrella.
If you go out, you needn´t take the umbrella.
If you go out, you may take the umbrella.
If you go out, you can take the umbrella.



PAST

if + PAST PERFECT + would have PAST PARTICIPLE
                                     should have PAST PARTICIPLE
                                     could have PAST PARTICIPLE
                                     might have PAST PARTICIPLE

if only + PAST PERFECT + would have PAST PARTICIPLE
if only + PAST PERFECT (exclamation)
even if + PAST PERFECT + would have PAST PARTICIPLE
unless + PAST PERFECT + would have PAST PARTICIPLE
if + PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS + would have PAST PARTICIPLE
if it hadn´t been for (the fact that)
but for (the fact that)
if + PAST SIMPLE + PAST SIMPLE


NON-PAST

if + PAST + would
if + were + would
if + were to + would
if only + PAST + would
if only + PAST (exclamation)
even if + PAST + would
if it weren´t for (the fact that)
but for (the fact that)


MISCELLANEOUS

as if
suppose / supposing / what if / say

a. if = if it is a fact that
b. if = althought, whereas
c. if in modifying clauses
d. if in short phrases
e. if in fixed expressions 


Source: CONDITIONALS - Longman Elements of English Series - by G. Abbott

At / On / In (time)

Compare at, on and in:
- They arrived at 5 o´clock.
- They arrived on Friday.
- They arrived in October.
- They arrived in 1968.


We use

at for the time of day:

at 5 o´clock     at 11.45     at midnight     at lunchtime     at sunset etc

on for days and dates:

on Friday / on Fridays     on 12 March 1991     on Christmas Day     on my birthday


in for longer periods (for example, months, years, seasons):

in October     in 1968     in the 18th century     in the past     in (the) winter     in the 1970s
in the Middle Ages     in the future


We use at in these expressions:

at night                                                       I don´t like going out at night.
at the weekend / at weekends                  Will you be here at the weekend?
at Christmas / at Easter                            Do you give each other presents at Christmas?
at the moment / at present                        Mr Benn is busy at the moment / at present.
at the same time                                        Liz and I arrived at the same time.


Note that we usually ask "What time....?" (not usually "At what time...?")
* What time are you going out this evening?

We say:
in the morning(s)     in the afternoon(s)     in the evening(s)
I´ll see you in the morning.                            Do you work in the evenings?

but on Friday morning(s)      on Sunday afternoon(s)     on Monday evening(s) etc
I´ll be at home on Friday morning
Do you usually go out on Saturday evenings?


We do not use at / on / in before last / next / this / every
I´ll see you next Friday.
They got married last March.


In a few minutes / in six months etc = a time in the future
The train will be leaving in a few minutes. (from now)
Jack has gone away. He´ll be back in a week.
She´ll be here in a moment.


You can also say in six months´ time, in a week´s time etc
- They are getting married in six months´ time. (or ... in six months.)

We also use in... to say how long it takes to do something:
- I learnt to drive in four weeks. (it took me four weeks to learn)

Source: English Grammar in Use - Raymond Murphy

MEETINGS - USEFUL LANGUAGE

CHAIRPERSON
Beginning the meeting
Can we start please?
Right, let´s begin.

Stating the aim
The main aim of the meeting is to...
The purpose of this meeting is to...

Asking for comments
What do you think?
How do you feel about this?

Changing the subject
Let´s move on now to...
The next item on the agenda is...

Clarifying
What do you mean by...?
Sorry, I don´t quite understand.

Summarising
OK, let´s summarise.
Right, let´s recap...

PARTICIPANTS
Giving opinions
I think...
I´m in favour of...

Making suggestions
Perhaps we should...
We could...

Agreeing 
I think you´re right.
I (totally) agree.

Disagreeing
I don´t know about that.
(I´m afraid) I don´t agree.

Interrupting
Hold on (a moment).
Can I say something?


Interrupting and Clarifying
Interrupting
Could I say something?
Could I just comment on that?
Hold on a minute.
Sorry to interrupt but...

Clarifying
How do you mean exactly?
What exactly do you mean by...?
Are you saying...?
So what you´re saying is that...


Taking part in meetings
Interrupting
Hold on...
Could I just say something?
Sorry, but...

Asking for opinions
How do you feel about...?
What do you think?
What´s your opinion?

Giving opinions
I think...
In my opinion...

Agreeing
That´s true
I agree

Disagreeing
I´m sorry, I don´t agree.
I´m afraid I don´t agree.
Maybe, but...

Making suggestions
I think we should...
How about...?
Why don´t we...?

Rejecting suggestions
I don´t think it´s a good idea.
I´m not keen on it.


Managing meetings
Starting
OK, let´s go down to business.
Right, can we start please?

Asking for reaction
How do you feel about...?
What do you think?

Dealing with interruptions
Could you let her finish please?
Could you just hang on a moment please?

Keeping to the point
I´m not sure that´s relevant.
Perhaps we could get back to the point.
Let´s leave that aside for the moment.

Speeding up
I think we should move on now.
Can we come back to that?

Slowing down
Hold on, we need to look at this in more detail.
I think we should discuss this a bit more.

Summarising
OK, let´s go over what we´ve agreed.
Right, to sum up then...


Stating aims
Our main purpose will be to explore your views.
The aim of this meeting is...

Disagreeing
I don´t agree.
Point taken, but surely... is an important factor?
I really can´t agree with you there.

Asking for opinions
Stefan, what do you think?
Stefan?

Agreeing
I agree with Max.
I think so too.

Deawling with interruptions
Can I finish the point?
Let Stefan finish please, Max.

Giving opinions
I really think we need a report.
Shouldn´t we have more information?
We feel... is the best way to...

Requesting action
Can you arrange a meeting?
Would you prepare a short report please?

Asking for clarification
Can you explain it a bit more clearly?
What exactly do you mean?
Can I get this clear?

Stating objectives
The purpose of the meeting this morning is...

Encouraging contributions
Anything goes...

Making suggestions
I think we could send out glossy brochures...

Agreeing
Yes, that´s a good idea.

Expressing enthusiasm
That´s great!

Source: MARKET LEADER - Longman

NEGOTIATING - USEFUL LANGUAGE

Negotiating - Dealing with problems
EMPLOYEE                                                    MANAGER
Describing the problem                                   Responding
There´s too much...                                            I´m sorry, but...
There isn´t enough...                                           I understand but...

Emphasising the problem                                Explaining the reasons
It´s really important...                                          The problem is...
We need to...                                                      The reason is...

Making suggestions                                         Responding
Why don´t you...?                                               OK. I´ll think about it.
We could...                                                         All right. I´ll get back to you.


Negotiating - reaching agreement
Stating aims
We´d like to have it in a month´s time.
We must have delivery by the end of next week.

Making concessions
If I have to finish in one month, I´ll need to have an extra designer.
That could be all right - as long as I get some money in advance.

Rejecting suggestions
We´d prefer to pay you a fixed amount.

Bargaining
How about paying me half when I start the work?

Focussing the discussion
Let´s talk about the time for setting up the website.


Negotiating - dealing with conflict
Calming down
I understand what you´re saying.
I can see your point of view.
Well, I know/see what you mean.
Why don´t we come back to that later?
Let´s have a break and come back with some fresh ideas.
You don´t have to worry about...

Creating solutions
A compromise could be to...
How about if...
What if...
Let´s look at this another way.
Another possibility is...

Closing a negotiation
Let´s see what we´ve got.
Can I go over what we´ve agreed?
Let´s go over the main points again.
OK, I think that covers everything.
We´ve got a deal.
Fine. Right. That´s it then.


Negotiating techniques
Starting
Could we begin now please?
OK, let´s get started, shall we?

Exploring positions
What do you have in mind?
How would you feel about a bigger discount?

Making offers and concessions
If you order now, we´ll give you a discount.
We´d be prepared to offer you a better price if you increased your order.

Checking understanding
When you say there are delivery problems, what do you mean?
Have I got this right? You said a discount on an order of 1000.
If I understand you correctly...

Refusing an offer
I´m sorry, we can´t accept that.
I´m not sure about that.

Accepting an offer
I think we can agree to that.
That sounds reasonable.

Playing for time
I´d like to think about it.
I´m sorry, but I´ll have to consult my colleagues about that.

Closing the deal
That´s it, then. I think we´ve covered everything.
Great! We´ve got a deal.

Diplomatic way to express yourself in negotiations
I think we should talk about price first.
I´m afraid we can´t give you any credit.
Could you give me a discount?
Unfortunately, I can´t lower my price.
I wonder if you could alter the specifications.
Your price seems rather high.


Signalling
I´d like to make a suggestion. I think we should leave this point and come back to it later.
I want to ask a question. How are we going to pay for this?

Checking understanding
Sorry, could you repeat that?
Are you saying you don´t have that quantity in stock?
So what you´re saying is you will...

Summarising
Can we just summarise the points we´ve agreed so far?
OK, so we´re agreed. You´ll pay for delivery and get everything to us by the end of June.


Reaching agreement
Asking for opínions
Does sanybody have any strong feelings about...?

Giving opinions
Well, unfortunately, I think we´ll probably have to...

Disagreeing
Well hold on...

Agreeing
I think I´d agree with you there...

Making suggestions
What about if we...?

Emphasising
I keep going on about this, but...

Summarising
Can I just clarify that...


Resolving conflict
Expressing your feelings
My main concern is...

Making suggestions
One thing you could do is...

Expressing satisfaction
Yes, that would be very helpful...

Expressing dissatisfaction
I don´t think that would do much good.

Agreeing action
OK, this is what we´ll do.

Showing sympathy
I know how you feel.

Stating common goals
We´ve got the same objective.

Identifying the real problem
What´s really bothering you?

Resolving the conflict
How do you think we should deal with this?

Reviewing the situation
Let´s meet next week and see how things are going.


Open questions
Why do you need a loan.

Closed questions
Do you have any other backers?

Softening phrases
I´m sorry we can´t go that high.

Signalling phrases
I´d like to make a proposal. I think we should...

Summarising
Let´s see what we´ve got so far.


Source: MARKET LEADER - Longman

PRESENTATIONS - USEFUL LANGUAGE

Presenting a product


Buyer
Asking for information
Can you tell me about...?
I´d like some information about...

Target Market
Who is it for?

Colours
What about colours?

Features
Does it have any special features?

Price
How much is it / are they?

Delivery
What about delivery?

Seller
Of course. What would you like to know?
Our most popular model is...
It´s for people with / who...
It comes in four colours.
It has an unusual design.
It´s easy to use.
The trade price is...
We can deliver within three days.


Starting a presentation
Greeting
Good morning / afternoon. I´m...
Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again.

Topic
My subject today is...
I´d like to talk to you about...
I´m going to talk about...

Plan
There are three parts to my presentation.
My presentation is in three sections.
Firstly,...
Secondly,...
Finally....


Presenting your company
Outlining the presentation
First, I´ll give you some basic information.
Secondly, I´ll talk about our stores in other countries.
Next, I´ll talk about career opportunities.
Last of all, I want to look at our future plans.

Introducing new information
Here´s some basic information.
Let me add a few figures.
Let´s have a look at some statistics.
What are our strengths?

Ending the presentation
To conclude, I want to tell you about our future plans.
Finally, a few words about our new project.
Thanks very much for listening to my talk.
Thanks for coming to my presentation.


Presenting a product
Introducing the product
This is our new product.
I´m going to tell you about our new product.

Describing the product
Let me tell you about its special features.
It´s made of leather / wood / steel / aluminium.
It weighs just 2.3 kilos.
Ot comes in a wide range of colours.

Stating the product´s uses
It´s ideal for travelling.
It´s designed to be used with any type of material.

Mentioning selling points
It has several special features.
A very useful feature is the energy-saving design.
Another advantage is its very small size.

Inviting questions
Does anyone have any questions?
Would anyone like to ask a question?


Starting presentations
Introducing yourself
- On behalf of myself and Focus Advertising, I´d like to welcome you. My name´s Sven Larsen.
- Hi, I´m Dominique Lagrange. Good to see you all.
- Good morning everyone.
- Let me introduce myself. My name is...
- I´m a specialist in...

Structuring the presentation
I´m going to divide my talk into four parts.
First I´ll give you...; after that...; finally...

Introducing the topic
- This morning, I´d like to outline the campaign concept we´ve developed for you.
- I´m going to tell you about the ideas we´ve come up with for the ad campaign.

Changing the topic
Right, let´s now move on to...
OK, I´ll now look at....

Giving background information
- I´ll give you the background and talk you through the results of the market study.
- I´ve divided my presentation into three parts.
- Let´s start with the background.

Referring to the audience´s knowledge
As you know...
As you are aware...

Inviting questions
- If you have any questions, please don´t hesitate to interrupt me.
- If you´re not clear about anything, go ahead and ask any questions you want.
- If you have any questions, don´t hesitate to ask.
- I´ll be glad to answer any questions (at the end of my talk).

Concluding
To sum up...
So to summarise...

Referring to visuals
If you look at the graph...
Could I draw your attention to the chart?
If you take a look at the first year, you´ll see.

Ending
Thanks very much. Any questions?
Well, that´s all I have to say. Thank you for listening.

Commenting
I think that´s interesting because...

Emphasising
I´d just like to highlight...

Involving the audience
OK, what is Smarterwork?


Summarising in presentations
Referring back
As I mentioned earlier in my presentation...
So as you were saying a few minutes ago...

Making points in threes
You really have to plan carefully, be rigorous in your analysis and be flexible...
It´s a long process. It´s expensive. It can also be very profitable.

Asking rhetorical questions
What are the advantages of the merger?
But what are the sort of things that the experts forget generally?

Ordering
Firstly..., the..., finally...
There are three things in my mind and the first thing is...

Using emotive language
Beware of the sycophants in your organisations...
It is a commercial suicide...

Repetition
They´re going to be sayng Yes! Yes! Yes!
It won´t work. It just won´t work.

Exemplifying
For instance...
.... for example, caring as their primary task.

Asking for feedback
Is there any area I haven´t covered?
What´s missing?

Source> MARKET LEADER - Longman

TELEPHONING - USEFUL LANGUAGE

Answering
Hello. This is Carl Fischer.
Good morning. Marta Gomez speaking.
Hello. Datatech Ltd.

Apologising
I´m very sorry about that.
I´m sorry to hear that.

Getting details
Can you give me some more information?
Which model is it?

Finding solutions
We can give you a refund.
I can talk to the manager.
We can send you a new one.

Getting through
Can I speak to Janet Porter, please?
Can he call me back, please?

Stating the problem
I´ve got a problem with...
There are some problems with...

Giving details
The invoice is incorrect.
There´s a piece missing.
It´s the wrong part / model / item.

Finishing a conversation
Thank you.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for calling.


Making contact
Making calls
Could I speak to Laurie Thompson, please?
Yes, this is Ernesto Badia from KMV.
I´m calling about...
Could you tell him/her that I rang?
Could you ask him/her to call me back?
May I ask your name?
Could I have the sales department, please?
My name is Julio Blanco.

Receiving calls
Who´s calling, please?
Could you tell me what it´s about?
May I ask the purpose of the call?
I´ll put you through.
Can you hold?
I´m afraid there´s no answer. Can I take a message?

Making excuses
I´m sorry, he´s in a meeting.
I´m afraid she´s not available.

Stating your purpose
I´m calling about your invoice.
I´m returning his call.
The reason I´m calling is...

Messages
Would you like to leave a message?
Can I leave a message?

Checking
Could you spell that?
Can I read that back to you?

Asking for information
Could I have your name?
Can I take your number?

Showing understand
Right.
OK. That´s fine.

Promising action
I´ll make sure he gets the message.
I´ll tell her when she gets back.


Exchanging information
Checking information
Sorry, did you say...?
Sorry, I didn´t catch that.
Could you repeat that, please?
Let me read that back to you.

Asking for information
Could you give me a few details?
What about the new range? (of shampoo)
Did she say when she´d like to meet?

Finishing a conversation
OK, that´s it.
Thanks very much. That was very helpful.
I must go now.
I think that´s everything.


Making arrangements on the telephone
Making arrangements
Could we meet on Monday at 10.30?
Are you free sometime next week?
How about next Friday?
What about April 10th?
Would Wednesday at 2pm suit you?
Is 11.15 convenient?

Responding
That´ll be fine.
That´s OK.
No sorry, I can´t make it then.
My diary´s rather full that day / week.
Sorry, I´ve already got an appointment at that time.


Telephone complaints
COMPLAINING
Making the complaint
I´m ringing to complaing about...
I´m sorry, but I´m not satisfied with...
Unfortunately there´s a problem with...

Explaining the problem
The CD player doesn´t work.
There seems to be a problem...
We haven´t received the...

Insisting
It really isn´t good enough.
I´d like to know why...

Threatening
If you don´t replace the product, I´ll complain to the manager.
If you don´t deliver on time, we´ll have to contact other suppliers.

DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS
Showing understanding
Oh, dear! Sorry to hear that.
Mmm, I see what you mean.
I´m sorry about the problem / delay.

Getting the facts
Could you give me some details please?
What happened exactly?
What´s the problem exactly?

Making excuses
It´s not our policy to replace items.
It´s not our fault that it hasn´t arrived.
I´m afraid that´s not quite right.

Promising action
OK, I´ll look into it right away.
I promise you I´ll check the details and get back to you.


Problem solving on the phone
Stating the problem
I wonder if you can help me. I´ve got a problem...
There seems to be a problem. We haven´t received...

Offering to help
How can I help?
I´ll look into it right now and get back to you.

Apologising / showing understanding
I´m really sorry about that. I do apoolise...
I understand how you feel.

Making suggestions
Perhaps we could...
Would it be possible to...?

Requesting action
Could you look into the matter?
Please can you check with...

Source: MARKET LEADER - Longman

USEFUL LANGUAGE - MISCELLANEOUS

Making bookings and checking arrangements
Receptionist: Hello. Capri Hotel. How can I help you?
                                  Caller:            I´d like to book a room from Tuesday 4th to Thursday 6th.
Receptionist: I can give you a single / double on the first floor.
                                  Caller:            How much is it per night?
Receptionist: Would you like smoking or non-smoking?
                                  Caller:            Is there a restaurant in the hotel?
Receptionist: So, that´s single room for two nights, the 4th and 5th.
                                 Caller:            Is there a car park?
Receptionist: Can I have your credit card details, please?
                                 Caller:            Can I pay with American Express / Mastercard / Visa?
Receptionist: What time do you expect to arrive?
                                 Caller:            It´s a Visa card. The number is... The expiry date is...
Receptionist: Could you repeat that, please?


Making arrangements
Asking
What time is good for you?
What´s a good day for you?
What time / day suits you?

Agreeing
I can make (time / day)
I can do (time / date)
(Day / time) is fine for me

Suggesting a different time / day
How about (time / day)?
Is (date / time) OK for you?

Declining
I´m afraid I can´t make (time / day)
I´m sorry I can´t do (time / date)

Apologising
I´m sorry I missed our meeting at / on (time / date)
Sorry I didn´t make it on time.

Giving an excuse
My flight was late.
The traffic was very bad.
I was ill.

Identifying problems and agreeing action
Identifying the problem
There´s a problem with...
The problem is ...

Suggesting action
We could / should / shouldn´t...
I think / don´t think we should...

Agreeing action
So, we´re going to...
I agree. We´ll...

Problem-solving
Stating options
We have a number of options.
There are several ways we could deal with this.

Balancing arguments
Let´s look at the pros and cons...
Let´s discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
On the one hand... On the other hand...

Changing your approach
Let´s look at this way.
Let´s look at this from a different angle.

Considering less obvious options
We could try...
It might be worth...

Discussing possible effects
Let´s think about the consequences of...
If we do this then...

Making a decision
The solution then is to...
The best way forward is to...

Stating future action
What we´ve got to do now is...
So the next thing to do is...


Interview skills
Interviewer
Experience
What did you learm from your last job?
What didn´t you like about your last job?

Candidate
I learned to...
Well, I had a problem with...

Interviewer
Skills
What are you good at?
Do you have any special skills?

Candidate
People say that I´m good at...
My main strengths are...

Interviewer
Future plans
What do you want to do in the future?
Where do you want to be in ten years´ time?

Candidate
My main aim is to...
I plan to be...
I hope to have...

Interviewer
Interests
What do you do in your free time?
What are your main interests?

Candidate
I really enjoy...
I spend a lot of time...


Participating in discusssions
Agreeing
You´re right.
I really like the idea.
Yes, that´s right.
I think I agree with you.
Exactly.
Good / excellent idea.

Disagreeing
(Sorry) I don´t agree with you.
I´m afraid I don´t agree.
Yes, but what about the cost?
I´m not sure I agree.
I really don´t agree. (strong disagreement)

Asking for an opinion
What do you think?
How do you feel about this?

Giving an opinion
I think...
In my opinion...
I think that we should ask the staff.
I feel that we have to consider the cost.
I´m sure / convinced / positive that people would like it.

Making a suggestion
Let´s...
How about...
We could offer staff a wider choice of food.
Why don´t we change the menus?
How about offering healthier meals?
What about having a no-smoking policy?
I think we should send out a questionnarire. (strong suggestion)


Decision-making
Asking for the facts
Can you bring us up to date?
Can you give us the background?
Where do we stand with...?

Making a suggestion
We should sell out as soon as possible.
Why don´t we sell out?

Disagreeing
I don´t agree with that at all.
I totally disagree.

Identifying needs
We´ve got to get more information.
We need more information about where we´re going wrong.

Agreeing
You´re absolutely right.
I totally agree with you.

Expressing doubt
I am worried about the store´s location.
I´m not sure about it.

Making a decision
The solution, then, is to keep the store going.
I think on balance we feel we should keep the store going.

Stating future action
So, the next thing to do is...
What we´ve got to do now is...

Leading a team
Stating goals
Our main objective is to...
Our aims will be to...

Highlighting factors for success
If we´re going to be successful, we ned to act quickly.
To succeed, we´ll have to take into account several factors.

Indicating priorities
Our first priority will be to contact our customers.
It´s also essential that we brief our suppliers.

Defining roles and delegating
I´d like you to prepare a report.
Could you please liaise with Sales and Marketing?

Motivating the team
It´s a challenge, but it´s also an opportunty to develop the business.
We´ll all benefit because new orders will follow.

Reporting back
I´d like you to keep me up-to-date by email.
I´d like to have your report by Tuesday.
I suggest we set up another meeting in two weeks´ time.


Networking
Mentioning people you know
Harry Kaufman suggested I gave you a call.
I was given your name by Joh Stuart.

Asking for help /comtacts
Can I mention your name when I call him?
He mentioned that you might be able to help me.
You haven´t got his phone number by any chance?
Is this a convenient time or shall I call back later?

Giving advice
I suggest you give her a call.
You could try to track him down through our New York office.

Referring to previous meetings
Haven´t we met somewhere before?
We both went to that presentation...

Establishing common interests
Maybe we could help you out there.
Are you in sales or product development?



Handling difficult situations
Saying 'no' politely
It´s very kind / nice of you, but...
I´m very sorry, but...
I´m sorry, I really can´t.

Apologising
I must apologise...
I´m terribly sorry, but...
I´m really sorry.

Showing sympathy
I quite understand...
I know how you feel...
I know what you mean.

Ending a conversation
Sorry, I really must be off...
Please excuse me, I really have to leave...
Look! Sorry, but can we talk about this later?


Active listening
Showing interest
Really?
That´s interesting.
Right / OK / Mmm
Yes / No

Showing empathy
I know what you mean.
How awful!

Asking for details
So what happened?
What did you do?

Clarifying
Are you saying...?
What (exactly) do you mean by...?
Could you be more specific please?

Summarising
(So) you think...
(So) what you´re saying is...

Repetition / Question tags
A: We´ve reduced customer complaints by 30%.
B: 30%? / Have you?


Getting the right information
Making contact
Could you put me through to Mr Li Wang please?
You seem to have got the wrong extension.
Can you transfer me to his extension?

Asking for information
Could you give me a few details?
When did you give us the order?
Can you tell me what the order number is?

Asking for repetition
Sorry, I didn´t hear what you said.
I´m sorry, I didn´t catch that.
What did you say the reference number was?

Checking information
Fine. Shall I just read that back to you?
Let me just check. What you need is... Is that right?
Could you spell that please?

Clarifying
What exactly do you mean by...?
Sorry I don´t follow you.
Are you saying that...?

Confirming understand
Right, I´ve got that.
Fine; / OK. / Right.

Confirming action
I´ll check it out right away.
I´ll get on to it immediately.
I´ll call you back as soon as I can.

Source:  MARKET LEADER  (LONGMAN)

INTRODUCTIONS, SOCIALIZING, ETC - USEFUL LANGUAGE

Introducing people
I´m...
My name´s...
This is...
He´s / She´s in sales.
He´s / She´s with Nokia

Asking about business
How´s business?

Replying
Not bad, thanks.
Fine. / OK. / Not too good.

Offering a drink
Would you like a drink?
How about a coffee?
Another drink?

Replying
Thanks very much. I´d love one.
Yes, please. / No, thanks.

Greetings
Pleased to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Good to see you again.
You, too.

Saying goodbye
See you later
Nice talking to you.
Goodbye. See you soon.

Talking about work and leisure
Asking questions
What to you do in your free time?
                        at the weekend?
                        after work?
                        in the evening?

How often do you...?
Do you like....?                                  Yes, I do. / No, I don´t.

Expressing feelings
I like / love....                                 I don´t like....
I´m keen on...                                He isn´t really keen on...
I really enjoy...                               She doesn´t enjoy....
I´m interested in...                          We aren´t interested in...

Entertaining
Suggesting
Why don´t we...?
Shall I....?
How about....?

Giving opinions
I think.... is the best restaurant. The food is good.
We need to go to .... restaurant. It´s close to the office.

Agreeing                                            Disagreeing
Yes, because...                                    I see what you mean, but...
I agree because...                                I don´t know about that. I think...
That´s right.                                         That´s right, but...

Introducing people
Jurgen, this is Lisa.
Anita, do you know Dr Olafson?
Have you met Nigel?
Peter, I´d like you to meet Steve Jones.
Anne, have you met Maria?
Can I introduce you to Mark Barnard our Finance Director?
Are you Ms Valdez by any chance?
You must be Larry Koplan.

Requests
Could I use your phone, please?
Do you mind if I take one of your brochures?

Offers
Can I give you one of my cards?
Would you like to have dinner with us tomorrow night?

Making small talk
'How´s business?' - 'We are having a great year.'
'How are things? - 'It´s really busy at the moment.'

Responding
Pleased to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Good to see you again.
It´s a pleasure.

Making excuses
It´s very kind of you, but...
I´d like to take it easy / relax if you don´t mind.
It´s very kind of you, but another time perhaps.

Making conversation
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Where are you going for your holiday this year?
Can you tell me about any interesting places to visit?
What / How about you?

Showing interest
Interesting!
Really?

Saying goodbye / Thanking your host
Thanks very much for your hospitality.
I really enjoyed the meal.
Thanks for showing me round the city / town.
I´ll be in touch soon.
Goodbye. All the best.

Mentioning common interests
I think you both know Iwona.
                 both like skiing.
                 are both interested in the new project.

I know you have both been to Brazil.
                                  worked in R&D.

Leaving
Well, I really must be going.
Anyway, I´ll see you soon.
Hope to see you again soon.
It was nice meeting you.
It was good to see you again.