30 Useful English Phrases from August — Easy English Conversation

Transcript

Intro

A: Today is different. We’re not learning a new topic — we’re going back over August.

B: Thirty phrases from this month, in six groups, each one inside a short conversation.

A: Food and home, getting around, weekends and small talk, money, services and deliveries, and people and problems.

B: Then one week that brings several groups together, and a quick review at the end. Every episode is linked below.

A: You can practice these phrases in Recursio — the link is in the description.

B: Let’s start in the kitchen.

Food and home

A: Five phrases from “Groceries and Cooking at Home” and “Renting an Apartment.”

B: Number one: to run out of. It means you had it, and now there’s none left.

A: “We’ve run out of coffee” is a useful sentence in any shared kitchen.

B: Number two: leftovers. Food that remains after a meal and can be saved for later.

A: Number three: How much is the rent? The direct question about the monthly price.

B: Number four: Are bills included? Bills can include electricity, water, heating and internet. In the US, “Are utilities included?” is also common.

A: And number five: I’ll take it. Three words that end an apartment visit.

B: Let’s hear them together. You’re seeing a place, I’m the landlord.

A: Thanks for showing me around. How much is the rent?

B: Nine hundred dollars a month.

A: And are bills included?

B: Water is. Electricity and internet are separate, about sixty dollars extra.

A: That’s clear. Is there a kitchen I can actually cook in? I’ve run out of space in my current kitchen, and I often have leftovers, so I need a decent fridge.

B: You’ll be fine — big fridge, and the oven is new.

A: Then I’ll take it.

B: Five phrases, one apartment, no complicated grammar anywhere.

A: One thing worth adding from the kitchen episode.

B: Go on.

A: Two common labels are “use by” and “best before,” but their exact meaning depends on the country.

B: In the UK, “use by” is about safety, while “best before” is about quality.

A: In the US, date labels aren’t used in one uniform way, so follow the package instructions and official advice where you live.

B: And a simple verb phrase is “to go bad”: “The milk has gone bad.”

A: Short, clear, and useful in any kitchen.

Getting around

A: Group two — from “Getting Around the City.”

B: Number six: a one-way ticket. One direction only, not there and back.

A: Number seven: Which stop is it? The question you ask when you don’t know where to get off.

B: Number eight: to get off. To leave the bus, the train or the subway. You get on, and later you get off.

A: Number nine: rush hour. The busy morning or evening period when many people are traveling.

B: And number ten: to be stuck in traffic. The cars aren’t moving, and neither are you.

A: Let’s use them. I’m the visitor, you’re the driver.

B: Where are you heading?

A: The museum. A one-way ticket, please. Which stop is it?

B: Three stops. I’ll tell you when to get off.

A: Thank you. Is it faster by bus or by taxi?

B: At this time, the bus. It’s rush hour, and the taxi would be stuck in traffic for twenty minutes.

A: Then the bus it is.

B: And that’s five phrases in one short conversation.

A: Two more from that episode that didn’t make the thirty.

B: Which ones?

A: “Is this the right bus for the station?” — a very useful sentence to have ready at a bus stop in a new city.

B: And “How often does it run?” The answer — every fifteen minutes or twice a day — can change your whole afternoon.

A: Both are worth borrowing even if they’re not in today’s list.

B: Two questions, one bus stop, no panic.

Weekends and small talk

A: Group three — from “Talking About Your Weekend.”

B: Number eleven: How was your weekend? A standard Monday morning question at work in English.

A: Number twelve: Nothing much. The honest, comfortable answer when you did very little.

B: Number thirteen: to hang out with someone. To spend relaxed, informal time together, often without a fixed plan.

A: Number fourteen: to run errands. The small jobs outside the house — the post office, the pharmacy, the supermarket.

B: And number fifteen: Any plans for the weekend? The Friday version of the Monday question.

A: Let’s do it as a Monday morning at work.

B: Morning. How was your weekend?

A: Good, thanks. Nothing much, really — I ran some errands on Saturday and then stayed in.

B: That sounds restful.

A: It was. On Sunday I hung out with my brother and we watched three episodes of something terrible.

B: The best kind of Sunday. Mine was busier than I wanted.

A: And on Friday, the other half of the pair: any plans for the weekend?

B: Nothing yet, and I’d like to keep it that way.

A: Notice that “Nothing much” is a complete, normal answer.

B: You don’t owe anybody an interesting weekend.

A: And there’s a pair from that episode I still think about.

B: The two versions of the question?

A: “What did you do this weekend?” is the neutral one. “What did you get up to?” is casual and especially common in British English.

B: You’ll hear it elsewhere too. If you want the most neutral option, use “What did you do this weekend?”

A: Either way, your answer can start with “Nothing much,” and then one small detail.

B: The detail is what keeps the conversation going.

A: If you want to keep these phrases, save them in Recursio for spaced review.

Money

B: Group four — from “Money, Cards and Banking.”

A: Number sixteen: to check my balance. Your balance is how much money is in your account right now.

B: Number seventeen: Is there a fee? A fee is what you pay for a service — a card fee, a monthly fee, an ATM fee.

A: Number eighteen: My card was declined. The payment didn’t go through, and the cashier may not know why.

B: Number nineteen: It went through. The three words you want to hear next.

A: And number twenty: I can’t afford it. You don’t have enough money for it, and it’s a normal thing to say.

B: A café counter. I’m the cashier.

A: Just the coffee, please.

B: That’s four dollars fifty. Sorry — your card was declined.

A: That’s strange. I checked my balance this morning. Let me try another card.

B: There we go. It went through.

A: Good. And out of interest, is there a fee if I pay with a foreign card?

B: There can be, depending on the card and the bank. It’s worth checking before a trip.

A: I’ll do that. I’d rather know than find out at the counter.

B: The fifth one lives in a different shop — the one where you look at the price tag and say, “It’s beautiful, but I can’t afford it right now.”

A: That “right now” makes it easy to say. It turns a hard sentence into an ordinary one.

B: There was also a pair from that episode that people mix up.

A: A fee and a fine.

B: A fee is what you pay for a service. A fine is money you may have to pay after breaking a rule — for example, parking in the wrong place.

A: One is a price, the other is a penalty.

B: And you can ask about a fee in advance. A fine usually finds you.

Services and deliveries

A: Group five — from “Haircuts and Repairs” and “Online Shopping, Delivery and Returns.”

B: Number twenty-one: to make an appointment. To arrange a time with a salon, a dentist, a doctor or another service.

A: Number twenty-two: to have something done. Someone else does the work for you. “I had my hair cut.” “I’m having the car repaired.”

B: This was the grammar of the month, and it’s worth the practice.

A: Number twenty-three: How long will it take? A useful question at a service counter or a repair shop.

B: Number twenty-four: It hasn’t arrived yet. The calm way to start a conversation about a late package.

A: And number twenty-five: a refund. Your money back — as opposed to an exchange, where you swap the item for another one.

B: Two short scenes. First, a hair salon.

A: Hi, I’d like to make an appointment to have my hair cut on Thursday.

B: Of course. Thursday at five works.

A: Great. How long will it take?

B: About forty minutes.

A: And second, a message to an online seller.

B: You be the customer.

A: I’m getting in touch about order 4-4-2-1. It hasn’t arrived yet — could you tell me where it is?

B: I’m sorry about that. If it doesn’t turn up this week, would you prefer a replacement or a refund?

A: A refund, please.

B: Notice that the request stayed clear without sounding angry.

A: And a small one from the shopping episode that saves confusion.

B: Refund or exchange?

A: A refund is your money back. With an exchange, you return the item and get another one instead.

B: What a shop can offer depends on its own policy and on where you are — but naming which one you want makes your request clearer.

People and problems

A: Group six — from “Family and Relationships” and “Making a Complaint Politely.”

B: Number twenty-six: to take after someone. To be similar to an older person in your family, in appearance or personality.

A: Number twenty-seven: to get along with someone. To have a good relationship with that person.

B: Number twenty-eight: It’s been ages. What you say when you see someone after a long time.

A: Number twenty-nine: Excuse me, there’s a problem. A calm way to open a complaint.

B: And number thirty: No harm done. The mistake was small, and the problem is over.

A: Let’s put the two halves of this group in one scene. A family lunch, and something goes wrong.

B: You made it! It’s been ages.

A: It has. You look exactly like your mother, by the way.

B: Everybody says that. My brother takes after our father, and we get along much better than we used to.

A: That’s good to hear. Oh — excuse me, there’s a problem with my glass. I think it’s cracked.

B: Let me change it. Sorry about that.

A: No harm done.

B: And that’s thirty.

A: Two of those are doing more work than they look.

B: Which two?

A: “Excuse me, there’s a problem” names the situation, not the person — nobody is accused in that sentence.

B: And “It’s been ages” is a warm way to say that a long time has passed.

A: Both of them are short, and both of them buy you a few seconds to think.

B: And a few seconds is usually all you need.

One long week

A: Before the review, let’s do something harder. One week, Monday to Friday, using phrases from every group.

B: All six groups. I’ll narrate, you speak.

A: Ready.

B: It’s Monday morning. A colleague sees you by the coffee machine and asks, “How was your weekend?”

A: Pretty quiet, thanks.

B: They ask, “What did you do?”

A: Nothing much, really — I ran errands and slept.

B: Then you get home and open your own fridge.

A: We’ve run out of milk. I’ll pick some up on the way in tomorrow.

B: Tuesday. You’re going across the city for an appointment.

A: A one-way ticket, please. Which stop is it for the clinic?

B: The driver tells you. You get off, you’re early, and you sit outside.

A: I made an appointment for eleven, so I have twenty minutes.

B: Wednesday. Your card doesn’t work at lunch.

A: My card was declined. Let me try another one. There — it went through.

B: You check your account in the evening and everything is fine. Thursday now — the package you ordered last week.

A: It hasn’t arrived yet. I’m getting in touch with the seller today.

B: They offer a replacement or a refund.

A: A refund, please. I found the same thing in a shop near me.

B: Thursday evening, you’re meeting your aunt for dinner, and you’re late because the taxi isn’t moving.

A: I’m stuck in traffic. It’s rush hour, so I’ll be about fifteen minutes late.

B: You arrive at the restaurant. Your aunt is waiting by the door.

A: It’s been ages! Sorry I’m late.

B: A waiter brings you a bowl of soup. You taste it, and it’s cold.

A: Excuse me, there’s a problem — I think this soup is cold.

B: He smiles and explains that it’s gazpacho, so it’s supposed to be cold. Then he apologizes for not saying so.

A: No harm done.

B: Friday. The workday is ending, and you ask a coworker the Friday question.

A: Any plans for the weekend?

B: They ask you back. And your answer?

A: Nothing planned yet. I’m having the kitchen faucet fixed on Saturday, and after that, nothing at all.

B: One week, one person, and about eighteen of today’s phrases.

A: And not one difficult sentence in the whole week.

B: That’s the thing about B1. You don’t need to make every sentence complicated. It helps to have the right sentence ready.

Quick review

A: Six quick questions to finish. Answer in the pause, then listen for the answer.

B: No writing, just say it.

A: You had milk, and now there’s none. Which phrase?

B: To run out of. “We’ve run out of milk.”

A: Someone else cuts your hair. Which pattern describes that?

B: To have something done. “I had my hair cut.”

A: Your payment didn’t work. What do you say about your card?

B: My card was declined.

A: The cars aren’t moving and you’re going to be late. Which phrase?

B: To be stuck in traffic.

A: A small mistake has been fixed, and you’re not upset. Which three words can you use?

B: No harm done.

A: It’s Friday, and you want to ask about Saturday and Sunday. What do you say?

B: Any plans for the weekend?

A: And that’s the month.

Outro

B: So that was August: thirty phrases, six situations, one month of English.

A: Food and home. Getting around. Weekends and small talk. Money. Services and deliveries. And people and problems.

B: Every episode we mentioned today is linked below, so you can go back to any of them.

A: And if you want more practice, open the Recursio link below and review the phrases again — because what matters isn’t hearing them once, it’s coming back to them.

B: Thank you for a good month of listening.

A: New episodes start again next week. See you then, and take care.