Phone Calls & Texting — Easy English Conversation

Transcript

A: Today: phone calls and text messages.

B: How to answer a call, ask for someone, say you’ll call back, and reply politely.

A: Listen for these: Can I speak to…?, hold on, to call someone back, you’re breaking up, and sorry for the late reply.

B: We’ll review them all at the end.

A: Practice today’s phrases in Recursio — link in the description.

B: Let’s start — the phone rings.

Answering the phone

A: So my phone rings, and it’s a number I don’t know. What do I say?

B: In English, you usually just say “Hello?” — going up at the end, like a question. That’s enough.

A: Only “Hello?” That’s easier than I thought.

B: It is. At work, people often add their name: “Hello, this is Anna.”

A: “This is Anna.” Not “I am Anna”?

B: Right — on the phone we say “this is.” “Hello, this is Mark from the office.”

A: Good to know. That’s a small thing, but it sounds much more natural.

B: It does. And when you call someone, you can start the same way: “Hi, this is Anna. Is now a good time?”

A: “Is now a good time?” I like that. It’s polite — you check first.

B: Exactly. People are busy, and one short question saves everybody time.

A: And what if I answer, and it’s clearly not for me? Someone asks for a person I’ve never heard of.

B: Then you say, “Sorry, I think you have the wrong number.”

A: “You have the wrong number.” Short and clear.

B: It is. And the other person usually says, “Oh, sorry about that!” and that’s the end of it.

A: What if it’s the other way around — I dialed wrong?

B: Same phrase, from your side: “Sorry, I think I have the wrong number. Sorry to bother you.”

A: “Sorry to bother you.” That’s a useful little apology.

B: Very useful. You can say it in a shop, in an office, anywhere you interrupt someone.

A: Good. So I can survive the first ten seconds of any call.

B: You can. Now let’s make a real one.

Asking for someone

A: Okay. Now I call a company, and I want to talk to one person. How do I ask?

B: You say, “Can I speak to Mr. Brown, please?” That’s the standard phrase.

A: “Can I speak to Mr. Brown, please?” Simple.

B: You can also say, “Could I speak to Mr. Brown?” — “could” is a little softer.

A: And what does the other person usually ask?

B: They ask, “Who’s calling, please?” They want to know your name.

A: “Who’s calling, please?” And I answer with “this is” again?

B: Exactly. “This is Anna Petrova, from Green Street Design.” And keep the “please” — without it, “Who’s calling?” can sound a little sharp.

A: Nice, it all fits together. And then they connect me?

B: Usually they say, “One moment, please,” or “I’ll put you through.”

A: “To put someone through” — that means they transfer your call to the person you asked for.

B: Right. And very often you’ll hear one short phrase before that.

A: Which one?

B: “Hold on.” Or “Hang on a second.” Both mean: please wait a moment.

A: “Hold on.” “Hang on a second.” Those are everywhere, aren’t they?

B: Everywhere. On the phone, at home, at work. “Hold on, I’m looking for the file.”

A: And is “hang on” more informal?

B: A little, yes. Use “hold on, please” with strangers, and “hang on” with friends.

When the person isn’t there

A: Now, what if the person I want isn’t there?

B: Then you’ll hear, “I’m sorry, he’s not available right now.” Or, “She’s in a meeting.”

A: And what are my options?

B: Two. You can leave a message, or you can call back later.

A: “To leave a message.” So I tell them what I need, and they pass it on.

B: Exactly. “Would you like to leave a message?” — “Yes, please. Could you tell him Anna called?”

A: That’s a nice pattern: “Could you tell him Anna called?”

B: It is. And you can add your number: “He can reach me at this number.”

A: And the second option — I call again later.

B: Yes. To call someone back means you return their call — they called you, and now you call them.

A: “To call someone back.” “I’ll call you back in ten minutes.”

B: Perfect. And that’s probably the most useful phrase on this whole list.

A: Because you’re always busy when the phone rings.

B: Always! And that brings us to the missed call.

A: Ah, yes. My phone says “one missed call,” and I feel a little guilty.

B: We say, “I missed your call.” To miss a call means the phone rang, but you didn’t answer.

A: “Sorry, I missed your call. I was in a meeting.”

B: Perfect English — and a very common explanation.

A: And if you want to remember these phrases, save them in Recursio, and it will bring them back before you forget.

B: Now let’s talk about the worst part of any phone call.

A bad connection

A: The bad connection! When you hear only half of the words.

B: Right. The classic phrase is, “You’re breaking up.”

A: “You’re breaking up.” So the sound is cutting in and out.

B: Exactly. “Sorry, you’re breaking up — I can only hear every second word.”

A: What else can I say?

B: “I can’t hear you very well.” Or, “It’s a bad connection.” Or simply, “Can you hear me?”

A: And if it’s really bad?

B: Then: “Let me call you back,” or “I’ll call you when I have better reception.”

A: That’s polite. You don’t just disappear.

B: Never just disappear. And one more word — “to hang up” means to end the call.

A: “To hang up.” “Sorry, I have to hang up now, my train is here.”

B: Good. And be careful: “hang up” is ending the call, “hang on” is waiting.

A: Oh, that’s a nice pair. One little word, and a completely different meaning.

B: One little word. “Hang on” — wait. “Hang up” — goodbye.

A: I’ll never mix those up again.

B: You will, once. And then never again.

Texting

A: Okay, let’s move to messages. Honestly, most of my English happens in writing.

B: Same for most people. The verb is easy: to text someone.

A: “To text.” So “text” is a noun and a verb?

B: Both. “I got your text.” “I’ll text you tonight.”

A: And if I answer a message?

B: You text back, or you reply. “I’ll text you back after lunch.”

A: “To text back.” Is one of them better?

B: Both are natural. “Text back” is more conversational, and it’s only for messages — you reply to an email.

A: Good. And what if my friend is quiet, and I’m not sure the message arrived?

B: Then you ask, “Did you get my message?” It’s friendly and neutral.

A: “Did you get my message?” It doesn’t sound angry at all.

B: Not at all. And if you’re the quiet one, there’s a phrase you’ll use often.

A: I think I know it.

B: “Sorry for the late reply.” Perfect for messages and emails.

A: “Sorry for the late reply. It’s been a busy week.”

B: That’s it. Short, honest, and polite. You don’t need a long explanation.

A: That’s a relief. In my language, the apology alone takes three sentences.

B: In English, one line is enough. And then you answer the question.

A: What about all the short forms people use? I see letters everywhere.

B: A few common ones. B-T-W means “by the way.” A-S-A-P means “as soon as possible.”

A: And O-M-W?

B: “On my way.” You’ll see that one when someone is late.

A: I see that one a lot.

B: And a nice one to know: “no worries” — it means “that’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

Three short calls

A: Let’s put all of this into real conversations. You be the office, and I’ll call.

B: Good morning, Green Street Design.

A: Hello, this is Mark Chen. Can I speak to Mr. Brown, please?

B: Who’s calling, please?

A: Mark Chen, from the design team.

B: One moment, I’ll put you through.

A: Thank you. And what if he’s not there?

B: I’m sorry, he’s in a meeting. Would you like to leave a message?

A: Yes, please. Could you tell him Mark called? He can call me back this afternoon.

B: Of course. I’ll pass that on.

A: That’s a whole phone call in a few lines.

B: It really is. Now let’s do voicemail — I always panic when I hear the beep.

A: Then let’s practice it. First, the message you hear.

B: “Hi, you’ve reached Anna Petrova. I can’t take your call right now. Please leave a message after the tone.”

A: And what do I say after the tone?

B: Three things: who you are, why you’re calling, and your number. Nothing else.

A: Like this? “Hi, this is Mark Chen, calling about the Friday order. Could you call me back at five five five, zero one four two? Thanks.”

B: Perfect. Who, why, number. And if you don’t want to leave a message, just hang up and try later.

A: Good. One more — a message between friends?

B: Sure. “Hey, did you get my message?”

A: “Sorry for the late reply! Long day at work.”

B: “No worries. Are we still meeting at seven?”

A: “Yes, I’m on my way now.”

B: “Great, talk soon.”

A: I could send that today.

B: You could. That’s the whole point.

Ending a call or a chat

A: One last thing — how do we finish? “Goodbye” feels a bit formal.

B: On the phone, people usually say, “Okay, talk soon,” or “Talk to you later.”

A: “Talk soon.” That’s warm.

B: It is. And in messages: “See you,” “Catch you later,” or just “Bye for now.”

A: And at work?

B: “Thanks for your time,” or “I’ll be in touch.” Both are polite and safe.

A: “I’ll be in touch.” That means I’ll contact you again, soon.

B: Exactly. It’s the professional way to say “talk soon.”

Quick review

A: Let’s do a quick review. I’ll ask, and you can answer in your head first. Ready?

B: Ready!

A: You call a company, and you want to talk to Mr. Brown. What do you say?

B: Can I speak to Mr. Brown, please?

A: You need the other person to wait a moment. What do you say?

B: Hold on, please.

A: The phone rang, but you didn’t answer it. How do you say that?

B: I missed your call.

A: The connection is bad, and the sound is cutting out. What do you say?

B: You’re breaking up.

A: You answer a message two days late. What do you write first?

B: Sorry for the late reply.

A: And how do you finish a friendly call?

B: Talk soon.

A: Perfect. You’ve got them all.

Outro

B: So today we learned the phrases you need for calls and messages.

A: Can I speak to…? Who’s calling? Hold on. To hang up.

B: To leave a message. To call someone back. To miss a call. You’re breaking up.

A: To text someone. To text back. Did you get my message? Sorry for the late reply.

B: I’ll be in touch. And talk soon.

A: If you want to review these phrases and remember them, open the link below and practice them in Recursio.

B: Thank you so much for listening. Try one of these today — send a message in English.

A: Talk soon, and see you in the next episode.