Greetings for various times of the day 3
Greeting a person you haven’t seen in a long time 4
Expressing surprise at meeting someone 5
After you have greeted someone 6
Expressing your state of health and happiness 7
Telling how you have been doing — positive 8
Telling how you have been doing — neutral 9
Telling how you have been doing — negative 10
Explaining that you have been busy 11
Inviting a friend for a drink or coffee 12
Introducing someone to someone else 13
When you have just been introduced to someone 14
After you have been introduced to someone 15
Asking someone how things are going 17
Signaling the end of a conversation 18
Ending a telephone conversation 19
Ending a conversation abruptly 20
Making plans to keep in touch with someone 24
Stating that you understand 28
Making sure you are understood 29
Stating simple disagreement or refusal 30
Stating categorical disagreement 31
Stating strong disagreement 32
Stating your disagreement with a proposition 33
Stating that someone is wrong 36
Getting someone’s attention 38
Getting someone to listen to you 39
Directing attention to an object 40
Confirming that you are paying attention 41
Starting an informal conversation 42
Coming to the point of the matter 44
Requesting that the speaker get to the point 45
Various conversational phrases 46
Encouraging someone to speak plainly 47
Noting digressions in a conversation 48
Repeating what you have said 49
When someone is being repetitious 50
Answers to “How did you find out?” 52
Commenting on the uniqueness of someone 54
Commenting on personal similarities 55
Expressions used to make friends at a bar or café 56
Approaching the opposite sex 58
Bringing a conversation to an end 59
Expressing support for someone 60
Expressing trust in someone 62
Encouraging someone to try something 64
Encouraging someone to stop stalling and do something 65
Expressing dissatisfaction with someone’s efforts 66
Encouraging someone to be patient and take things slowly 68
Encouraging someone to be prudent — clichés 69
Giving advice to someone whose life is too busy 70
Giving instructions to someone you’ve lent something to 71
Instructions about keeping a secret 73
Expressing stress or anxiety 80
When you are overworked and doing too much 81
When someone is anxious and under stress 82
Encouraging someone not to be offended — informal 83
Encouraging someone not to be excited 84
Encouraging someone to relax 85
Encouraging someone to be less aggressive — informal 86
When someone is cold and unfeeling — informal 87
A smoker’s response to a nonsmoker’s complaint 89
Questions a smoker might ask 90
Criticism of someone with whom you disagree 91
Questioning someone’s sanity 93
Asking about the alertness of someone 94
Encouraging someone to be more sensible 95
Asking in disbelief or disagreement 96
When someone says something outrageous 97
When you do not understand someone 100
When someone does not understand you 101
Criticizing someone’s misunderstanding 102
Attempting to put an end to a misunderstanding 103
Encouraging someone to believe you 104
Stating that something is settled 106
Claiming that something is easy to understand 107
Making the best of a bad situation 111
Blaming something on fate or destiny 112
Knowing something after the fact 113
A preface to asking a question 115
A preface to making a statement — formal 116
A preface to making a statement — informal 117
A preface to making a statement — very polite 118
Asking if someone speaks a particular language 119
When you do not speak a particular language 120
When you do not understand what was said 121
When you do not understand what a foreign visitor has said 122
The time is ten minutes past the hour 127
The time is fifteen minutes past the hour 128
The time is forty minutes past the hour 129
The time is forty-five minutes past the hour 130
The time is fifty minutes past the hour 131
When a timepiece is not accurate 132
When your moving about may bother someone 133
Offering to let someone enter in front of you 134
Apologizing to someone you have bothered 135
Returning someone’s good wishes 136
Agreeing to something — polite 137
Explaining that you will attend to someone soon 138
Asking for permission to leave a place — polite 139
Saying good-bye — informal 141
Announcing your arrival for an appointment 142
Expressions used in business letters 143
Apologizing and Taking Responsibility
Offering a very polite apology 146
Accepting the blame for something 147
Promising never to repeat a particular mistake 149
Encouraging someone to end a dispute 154
Saying “thank you” — formal 155
Saying “thank you” — informal 156
Acknowledging someone’s thanks — formal 157
Acknowledging someone’s thanks — informal 158
Congratulating someone for doing a good job 161
Expressing sympathy at a funeral or wake 163
When someone is conceited or vain 164
When someone is overbearing 165
When someone has been insolent or rude — shocked response 166
When someone has been insolent or rude — firm response 167
When someone has been insolent or rude — rude response 168
Encouraging a timid person 169
When someone argues too much 171
When someone is being annoying 172
Inviting an annoying person to leave 173
When someone is very annoying or hurtful 174
Getting someone to stop doing something 175
When someone is making you angry — rude 176
Describing a bothersome person 178
When someone has done something wrong — polite 179
When someone has done something wrong — amazed 180
When someone has done something wrong — sarcastic 181
When someone makes an unwelcome intervention 182
Telling someone to stay away or keep out 183
Asking someone’s intentions 184
Asking someone to leave your property alone 186
Asking someone to stay out of your affairs 187
When someone is harassing you — angry and direct 188
When someone is harassing you — rude 189
When someone is presumptuous 190
When someone has underestimated your intelligence 191
When someone interrupts with an opinion 192
When punishment is in store for someone 195
Requesting someone to stop needless talk 199
When someone is not doing enough 200
When someone starts trouble 201
Expressing mock sympathy — sarcastic 203
When you are helpless to help — rude 204
When you are invited to an informal meal in a home 206
Asking about an invitation you have received 207
Apologizing for being late 208
Explaining why one is late 209
When you finally arrive after being late 210
Inviting a visitor to come in 212
Making a visitor feel welcome and comfortable 214
Inviting a visitor to stay for dinner 215
Encouraging a guest to feel at home 216
Steering a guest to a particular room 218
Encouraging a guest to be independent 219
Mingling with other guests 220
What a guest says to a host or hostess 221
Starting a conversation using the topic of weather 222
Asking a question to start a conversation 223
Starting a conversation with someone you know well 224
Starting a conversation in a waiting room 225
What to say when in a crowded place 227
Stating when you will return home 229
Preparing to leave a host or hostess 230
Questions asked of departing guests 232
Saying good-bye to departing guests 233
Expressions meaning “almost” 236
Leaving things as they are 238
Expressing differences between people — clichés 239
Giving and receiving — clichés 242
Cause and effect — clichés 243
Saying the obvious — clichés 244
Expressions for a forgotten word or name 245
Regarding order and procedure 246
Concerning unity — clichés 248
Concerning strength — clichés 250
Concerning rigidity of character — idioms and clichés 251
Describing additional unspecified people or things 254
Concerning being busy — clichés 261
Demanding to be given an object 263
When someone is preparing for an important event — clichés 264
When someone is dressed up 265
When you feel you are not wanted 266
Regarding something less than what was desired 267
When something is out of order 270
On being pushed to the limit of your patience 271
Asking if someone is all right 272
Asking why someone looks so unhappy 273
Offering someone help and advice 274
Encouraging someone who is unhappy 275
Expressing despair and emptiness 277
When someone looks very happy 278
When someone is very happy — idioms 279
Expressing enthusiasm for life 280
When someone is resigned to life as it is 283
Expressing displeasure with something 284
Asking someone to stop being unpleasant 285
When you feel out of place 289
When you do not know what to say 292
Hearing loud and soft sounds 295
Concerning ears or hearing 296
Offering someone a small portion of food 298
Concerning vision and belief 305
Concerning romantic or sexual attraction 307
Describing your love or lover 309
Sexually phrased insults and retorts 312
Describing family relationships 314
Instructions given to children in the kitchen 318
Instructing children on good table manners 321
Asking to leave the dinner table early 323
Instructing children to finish eating 324
Concerning a radio or stereo 325
Concerning furniture or carpeting 326
Changing the television channel 328
Getting ready to study or do homework 335
Talking to a child’s teacher 336
Returning to school after an absence 337
Questioning a college professor 338
Asking for clarification in a college classroom 339
Asking about classroom examinations 340
Asking about a classroom assignment 341
Expressions used in children’s games 343
Claiming the rights to something 344
Concerning a child’s growth and development 347
Posing questions to children 348
Encouraging a child to be quiet 351
Asking a child to stop some behavior 352
Asking a child to leave things alone 353
Asking a child to leave people alone 354
Giving a child instructions for cleanliness or tidiness 355
Instructing a child in good posture 356
Giving a child instructions at dinner time 357
Giving a child instructions for television watching 358
Instructing a child in personal safety 359
Concerning a child’s homework 360
When a parent is frustrated with a child’s behavior 362
Making sure a child understands 363
Concerning a child’s use of good manners 364
A bank teller greeting a patron 365
Basic requests to a bank teller 366
Requesting large or small bills when cashing a check 367
Requesting change from a teller or cashier 368
Using the automatic (mechanical) teller 370
Basic requests to a personal banker 371
Asking about foreign exchange 373
Information about foreign exchange rates 374
A teller inquiring about the size of bills that you want 376
Requesting a loan from a banker 377
Asking about loans at a bank 378
Attitudes toward spending money 381
Attitudes toward spending money — clichés 382
Locating things in a supermarket 383
When supplies run out at a grocery store 384
Asking about payment at a grocery store 385
Requesting instructions for packing your purchases 386
Making special requests to a bag packer at a grocery store 387
Asking about sales and money-off coupons 388
A clerk asking about prices 389
A clerk asking about payment 390
Asking for change at a grocery store 391
Buying beverage alcohol at a supermarket 392
Asking questions at the grocery store service counter 393
Getting grocery store purchases to the car 394
A fast-food clerk taking an order 395
A fast-food clerk asking where the food will be eaten 396
Placing an order for fast-food products 397
Ordering drinks at a fast-food restaurant 398
Special instructions for a fast-food clerk 399
Telling where a fast-food order will be eaten 400
A fast-food clerk offering food items 401
A fast-food clerk delivering an order 402
Complaining about a fast-food order 403
Placing an order in a café 405
Special instructions at a café 406
Taking your order for a pizza 408
Placing a telephone order for pizza 409
Questions about delivering pizza 411
Asking for a table at a restaurant 413
Concerning seating in a restaurant 414
Concerning smoking in a restaurant 415
Explaining that someone else will join you at a restaurant 416
Greetings from a waiter or waitress 417
Questions a waiter or waitress might ask 418
Reciting special meal offers for the day 419
When a restaurant is out. of some item 420
Questions asked of a restaurant customer 421
Requesting something to drink at a restaurant 422
Requesting attention from a waiter or waitress 423
Explaining to a waiter or waitress that you are not ready to order 424
Indicating readiness to order a meal at a restaurant 425
Asking about specific items on a restaurant menu 426
Requesting that certain foods not be served to you in a restaurant 427
Concerning food allergies when ordering at a restaurant 428
Telling how a steak is to be cooked in a restaurant 429
Requesting additional servings in a restaurant 430
Ordering wine in a restaurant 431
Making a complaint in a restaurant 432
Asking about the location of a rest room in a public building 433
Ordering food to be taken out 434
Requests to have uneaten food wrapped so it can be taken home 435
When your food is brought to the table in a restaurant 436
Asking for a diner’s opinion of a meal 437
A waiter or waitress seeking to be of further service 438
A waiter or waitress offering dessert 439
Asking for the bill in a restaurant 440
About payment for a meal in a restaurant 441
Concerning the payment of a bill in a restaurant 442
A bartender asking what you want 443
Asking what’s available at a bar 444
Requesting a glass or bottle of beer 445
Various requests for drinks from a bartender 446
Special instructions to a bartender 447
Buying drinks with friends 448
Charges for drinks at a bar 449
Expressions used with friends at a bar asking about drinks 450
Expressions about drinking additional drinks 451
Asking for a small drink of beverage alcohol 452
Encouraging someone to drink 453
Asking about the time that a bar closes 454
Encouraging someone to finish a drink 455
When someone drinks too much 457
Stating that someone is drunk 458
Placing an order for baked goods 459
Placing an order at a bakery for something to drink 460
Taking out a bakery order or eating it in the shop 461
Special orders in a bakery 462
Stating that you are hungry 463
Asking when a meal will be ready 464
Stating when food will be ready 466
Offering someone a bit of food 467
Concerning passing food at the table 469
Concerning additional servings of food 470
Enforcing good table manners 471
Excusing oneself from the table 473
Encouraging children to eat 474
When someone is in good health 475
Observing that someone looks disorderly 476
When someone looks very bad 477
Inquiring about someone’s health or well-being 478
When someone does not look well 479
Allergic problems with the nose and breathing 481
Allergic problems with the eyes 483
Allergic problems with the skin 484
Expressing general feelings of illness 485
Expressing mild discomfort owing to illness 486
When you feel like vomiting 487
Describing a pain in the head 488
Describing being exhausted or worn-out 490
Offering care to a sick person 491
Concerning catching a disease 492
Questions a doctor asks of a patient 493
Getting your medical history 494
Telling the doctor what happened 495
Telling the doctor about a pain in the back 496
Telling the doctor about soreness 497
Telling the doctor about bleeding 498
Telling the doctor about various pains and problems 499
Telling the doctor how long you have been ill 500
Telling the doctor about vomiting 501
Telling the doctor about bowel problems 502
Telling the doctor about sleep problems 503
Telling the doctor about allergies 504
Important things to tell a doctor 505
Expressions a doctor uses about medicine and tests 506
Asking a doctor about a medical problem 507
Talking to a hospital patient 508
Questions for the hospital patient 509
Explaining that your health is improving 510
Explaining that you are receiving medical care 511
Explaining that you are cured of a health problem 512
Instructions for taking prescription medication 513
Medical warnings and advice found on product labels 514
Health claims found on consumer products 515
Statements made to a guidance counselor or therapist 516
Statements concerning excessive drinking 517
Statements about sexual and physical abuse 518
Statements made to a marriage counselor 519
Statements made about infidelity 520
Statements made about trying to make a marriage work 521
Questions found on surveys and forms 522
A prospective employee to a prospective employer during an interview 523
An employer to a prospective employee during an interview 524
A prospective employee to a human resources or personnel director 525
An employee to a human resources or personnel director 526
Complaining to a human resources or personnel director 527
Describing a lack of work experience 528
Concerning an easy task or employment position 529
Making claims about your competence and ability 530
Describing your thoroughness 531
Inviting an employee into a private office for a reprimand 533
Explaining why you are having difficulty in a new job 535
Excuses for failure or offense 536
Explaining why you are not going to do something 537
Encouraging someone to keep working at a job 541
Expressions used under parliamentary procedure 542
Concerning motions under parliamentary procedure 543
Adjourning a meeting under parliamentary procedure 544
Expressions heard in negotiating sessions 545
Beginning a new project or activity 546
Concerning the deceptively difficult 547
When something is unimportant 550
Starting over again on a project 552
A salesperson greeting a customer 554
A salesperson offering help to a customer 555
Questions a salesperson might ask a customer 556
Offering merchandise to a customer 557
Offering additional help to a customer 558
Finding things in a department store 559
Shopping for something at a department store 560
When you are just looking and not buying 561
Choosing merchandise in a store 562
Questions a customer might ask in a store 563
When a customer wants to try on clothing 564
Encouraging remarks a salesperson might make to a customer 565
Asking how a purchase will be paid for 566
When a salesperson cannot supply exactly what is wanted 567
When merchandise is not satisfactory 568
Asking about payment plans in a store 569
Getting a purchase gift wrapped in a store 570
Instructions for a shoe repair clerk 571
Questions for a pharmacist 572
Requests to a pharmacist for special instructions 573
Requesting general merchandise at a drugstore 574
A postal clerk greeting a customer 575
Giving instructions to a postal clerk 577
Asking questions at a post office 578
Questions a postal clerk might ask a customer 579
Miscellaneous expressions used by a postal clerk 580
A postal clerk bringing a transaction to an end 581
Questions asked of a tailor 582
Giving instructions to a tailor 583
Requests made to a ticket agent 584
Asking questions about payment for tickets 585
Asking questions about an entertainment event 586
Questions asked by a ticket agent for an entertainment event 587
Expressions about tickets to an entertainment event 588
Payment for an entertainment event 589
Information about an entertainment event 590
Ordering flowers from a florist 591
Questions a florist might ask a customer 592
Requesting a publication from a news vendor 593
Requesting a subscription from a magazine agent 594
Making a complaint to a newspaper agent 595
Expressions used with a newspaper agent 596
Responses from a magazine agent 597
A newspaper agent responding to complaints 598
An automobile dealer greeting a customer 599
An automobile dealer finding out what you want 600
Choosing a new car’s options 602
Concerning the price of a car 603
Arranging for a babysitter 606
Basic instructions to a babysitter 607
Telling a babysitter how to reach you 608
When a babysitter gets hungry 609
Questions a babysitter might ask 610
Instructions to a babysitter about feeding and bedtime 611
Financial arrangements with a babysitter 612
Stating what’s wrong with a computer 614
Asking about computer operation 615
Placing an order with a dry cleaner or a launderer 616
A dry cleaner or launderer offering services 617
Making a complaint to a dry cleaner or launderer 618
A dry cleaner or a launderer offering responses to complaints 619
At the service counter of a library 621
A library desk clerk’s responses 622
A lifeguard’s instructions to swimmers 624
Describing plumbing problems — sinks 625
Describing plumbing problems — toilets 626
Describing plumbing problems — bathtubs 627
Describing plumbing problems — water pipes 628
Describing plumbing problems — water heater 629
Requesting service from a utility company by telephone 630
Reporting problems to a utility company 631
Requests and inquiries to a barber or hairdresser 632
Requesting a man’s haircut 633
Responses from a barber or hairdresser 634
A barber or hairdresser asking about a man’s haircut 635
A barber or hairdresser giving instructions to the client 636
A barber or hairdresser asking for payment 637
Payment to a barber or a hairdresser 638
Instructions for a house-cleaner 640
Employer to lawn-care worker 642
Instructions to lawn-care worker 643
Lawn-care worker to employer 644
Answering the telephone — residential 645
Answering the telephone — business 646
Asking whom a telephone caller wants to talk to 647
Screening someone’s telephone calls 648
Connecting or transferring a telephone caller 649
Putting a telephone caller on hold 650
Interrupting a telephone call with other business 651
Offering to take a message from a telephone caller 653
Offering to help a telephone caller 654
Bringing a telephone call to an end 655
Requesting a telephone number from directory assistance 656
Requests to a telephone operator 657
Making complaints about unwanted telephone calls 659
Describing problems with a pay telephone 660
Requesting telephone service or installation 661
Expressions used by a telephone directory assistance operator 662
Expressions used by a telephone repair service operator 663
Expressions used by a telephone company sales representative 664
Recorded telephone service messages 665
Asking about store hours over the telephone 666
Asking about the location of some place 667
Asking how to place a merchandise order over the telephone 668
Asking about payment for goods ordered over the telephone 669
When you are interrupted by a telephone solicitor 670
Requesting additional information from a telephone solicitor 671
Refusing to do business with a telephone solicitor 672
Questions asked by a travel agent 673
Requests made to a travel agent 674
Questions about the cost of travel 675
Questions a passenger might ask about an airline flight 676
Describing types of airline flights 677
Questions a passenger might ask of an airline ticket agent 678
Rescheduling an airline flight 679
Complaining about lost or damaged luggage 680
Asking about frequent flyer mileage 681
Announcing changes in an airline flight 682
When an airplane is crowded 683
At the airport boarding gate 684
Eating and drinking on an airplane 686
Entering the United States through customs and immigration 687
Instructions from a commuter train conductor 688
Asking about a long train trip 689
Asking about a train seat you want to sit in 690
Making requests on a train 691
Asking questions on a train 692
Asking about a long bus trip 693
Asking about a bus seat you want to sit in 694
Asking about bus and subway fare 695
General questions when boarding a bus 696
Asking about subway routes 698
Giving instructions to bus passengers 701
Instructions when boarding a bus 702
Basic instructions to a cab driver 703
A taxi driver asking where to go 704
A taxi driver asking general questions 705
A taxi driver identifying the final destination 706
Concerning speed in a taxi 707
Concerning smoking in a taxi 708
Concerning the temperature in a taxi 709
Asking a taxi driver to wait 710
A taxi driver discussing payment 712
Verifying your route when traveling 714
Asking for directions to a specific place 715
Asking about transportation to a particular place 716
Describing a place that is difficult to find 717
Describing a place that is quite distant 718
Describing a place that is a long way away 719
Describing a place that is not too far away 720
Giving specific instructions on how to get to somewhere 721
Advising the driver of a car 722
Asking about arriving somewhere 723
Concerning going to the bathroom while traveling 724
Trying to get children to behave while traveling 725
Greetings from a gasoline station attendant 726
Making requests to a gasoline station attendant 727
Telling a gasoline station attendant about car problems 728
A gasoline station attendant offering service 729
A gasoline station attendant pointing out problems 730
When a police officer stops a driver 735
Trying to intimidate a police officer — (not recommended) 736
When someone is leaving on a journey 737
Welcoming someone who has returned 738
Concerning a journey or vacation 739
A hotel desk clerk greeting a guest 740
Requesting a room for one at a hotel 741
Requesting a larger room at a hotel 742
A hotel desk clerk finding out a guest’s preferences 743
Special requests at a hotel 744
Questions asked of a hotel clerk 745
Asking about payment at a hotel 747
Listing the special rules at a hotel 748
Completing the hotel check-in 749
Requesting rooms from a rental agent 750
General questions for a rental agent 751
Questions about the convenience of transportation 752
Questions about rules in rental lodging 753
A rental agent’s statements about the payment of rent 754
Additional costs in the rental of lodgings 755
Special information about lodgings 756
Describing the availability of transportation 757
Special rules for rooms and apartments 758
Complaining about lodgings 759
Responding to a tenant’s complaints about lodgings 760
Concerning payment of rent 761
Asking what has happened at the scene of an accident 762
Asking for help at the scene of an accident 763
Dealing with an injured person at the scene of an accident 764
Asking someone about injuries received in an accident 765
Explaining that you have witnessed an accident 766
Using 911, The Emergency Telephone Number
Life and death emergencies — fire 768
Life and death emergencies — violence 769
Life and death emergencies — accidents 770
Life and death emergencies — medical 771
Requests for help from a police officer 772