Starting A Conversation

You can use the expressions to start a conversation on

phone.

• Hello. This is ....

• Hello. ... speaking.

• Can I speak to ....

• May I speak to ....

You can use the expressions to extend a conversation

on phone.

• Hold on, please.

• By the way.

• Furthermore, ....

• Moreover, ....

You can use the expressions to end a conversation.

• See you then. Bye.

• I’ll call you later.

• All right. See you again, Sir/Ma’am. Thank you very

much.

Example:

Ika                   : Hello

Yeyen              : Hello, Mia. This is Diane. May I speak to Andre, Please?

Mia                  : I’m sorry but he’s gone out. Would you like to leave a message?

Yeyen              : Yes. Please tell Viktor that I won’t be able to come for taekwondo practice this afternoon. I’ve sprained my ankle. Please tell him to inform Mr Suroso that I can’t have the practice for at least a week.

Mia                  : Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope your ankle gets better soon.

Yeyen              : Thank you, Mia.

Mia                  : Hold on, please. Have you seen a doctor?

Yeyen              : I haven’t. I don’t think it’s that bad.

Mia                  : I think you’d better go to the doctor to check your ankle.

Yeyen              : Thanks for the advice, Mia. See you then. Bye.

Mia                  : You’re welcome. Bye.

Taken from: English in Focus Grade VIII

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Asking Information

You can use the expressions to ask for information.

• Do you know ...?

• Can you tell me ...?

• Excuse me Sir/Ma’am

• I’d like to know ...?

You can use the expressions to give information.

• Yes. Just go .... (telling a place)

• Yes, I do know that. It ....

You can use the expressions to deny information.

• How do you know that?

• are you sure? As far as I know ....

• I’m really sorry, but ...

Exaample:

Mr Kingsley is on a summer vacation in a town. He is trying to

get to the bank but he doesn’t know how. He is asking someone

for the information.

Mr Kingsley     : Excuse me, do you know where the first National Bank is, Madam?

Miss Hana       : Yes. Just go straight down this road and the bank is on your right, Sir!

Mr Kingsley     : Thank you very much, Madam. By the way, can you tell me how to get to the

subway station from the bank?

Miss Hana       : Sure, you have to take the no. 12 bus and get off in Burbank street. The subway station is there.

Mr Kingsley     : Are you sure? As far as I know the guide book informs us that we have to take the no. 14 bus.

Miss Hana       : You’re right. I confused the no. 14 bus with the no. 12 one.

Mr Kingsley     : Thank you, Madam. Have a pleasant day.

Miss Hana       : You’re very welcome, Sir.

Taken from: English in Focus Grade VIII

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Because and Because of

Roses

Does anybody know anything about roses? Yes, its lovely perfume and beautiful blooms is one of the best in the world. Now let me tell you more about roses. You know the rose is one of the most popular of all garden flowers because of its lovely perfume and beautiful blooms. We can divide roses into wild roses and garden roses. Wild roses usually have small flowers and have a single layer of five petals. And garden roses usually have big flowers with multiple sets of five petals in two or more layers. There are 100 species of wild roses, now over 13.000 official varieties of garden roses altogether.

Because and Because of

Because and because of are showing cause and effect. We use because and because of to express the reason of our reason or opinion.

Because is a conjunction, and it is used before a clause. For example: The air is dirty because there are a lot of industrial smokes polluting it.

Because of means as the result of. It is a preposition, and used before a noun or pronoun. For example. The earth temperature rise because of the level of carbon dioxide.

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Asking for Help

To ask for someone’s help, you could use these

expressions:

• Can you help me, ...?

• Please, help me.

• Can you do me a favour, please?

• Would you be so kind as to ...?

To give help to someone, you could use these

expressions:

• Let me give you a hand.

• Here, I’ll do it for you.

• May I help you with ..., Sir/Ma’am?

To reject someone’s help, you could use these

expressions:

• No, it’s not necessary.

• Thank you for offering, but ....

To admit a fact, you could use these expressions:

• Yes, I admit it.

• Yes, I did ....

• Yes, it’s true.

To deny a fact, you could use these expressions:

• I’m not lying, Dad. (actually you lie).

• No, I didn’t say that. (actually you said it).

• The �� ower smells good. (actually the �� ower smells

bad)

Example:

Heechul           : Yen, can you do me a favour, please?

Yeni                 : Of course, what can I do for you?

Heechul             : Would you be so kind as to take care of my cat. I’m going to Bogor tomorrow to visit my uncle, he is sick. I’ll be there for about two days.

Yeni                 : I’d be very happy to take care of your cat. I love cats.

Heechul           : Great. Thanks.

Yeni                 : Should I bathe it?

Heechul           : No, it’s not necessary.

Taken from: English in Focus Grade VIII

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Invitation

You can use these expressions to invite someone.

• Shall we ...?

• Can you come to ....

• Would you like to come?

• I’d very much like you to come.

You can use these expressions to accept an invitation.

• Yes, certainly I will come.

• Absolutely, count me in.

• I would, very much.

• Yes, I’d like nothing better.

You can use these expressions to decline an invitation.

• I’m terribly sorry. I don’t think I can.

• I’m very sorry, I can’t.

• Thank you very much, but ....

These expressions are used to congratulate someone.

• Congratulations.

• Well done

• Fantastic

These expressions are used to compliment someone.

• That’s a nice .... (appearance)

• You’re looking good. (appearance)

• Wow. You’re very clever.

Taken from: English in Focus Grade VIII

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Lesson 4 (exercise 4-6)

Exercise 4. Practice the use of when in questions. Listen to the information about Paul. Ask a corresponding question about John.

Paul arrived in June	WHEN DID JOHN ARRIVE?
Paul studied a year ago	WHEN DID JOHN STUDY?
Paul telephoned yesterday	WHEN DID JOHN TELEPHONE?

1.       Paul studied a month ago

2.       Paul telephoned yesterday

3.       Paul studied a year ago

4.       Paul arrived yesterday

5.       Paul called two hours ago

6.       Paul arrived a year ago

7.       Paul practiced a year ago

8.       Paul telephoned at 8 o’clock

9.       Paul returned a week ago

10.   Paul worked yesterday

11.   Paul called on Wednesday

12.   Paul practiced in the morning

Exercise 5. Practice the use of where in questions. Listen to the information about Paul. Ask a corresponding question about John and Mary.

Paul lives in New York	WHERE DO JOHN AND MARY LIVE?
Paul studies in the library	WHERE DO JOHN AND MARY STUDY?

1.       Paul eats dinner at a restaurant

2.       Paul lives on Main street

3.       Paul plays tennis in the park

4.       Paul reads books in the library

5.       Paul studies at home

6.       Paul has coffe at a restaurant

7.       Paul practices in class

8.       Paul learns new words in class

9.       Paul lives in New York

10.   He usually reads in the library

11.   He usually eats lunch at a restaurant

Exercise 6. Change the statement into a question beginning with the word who.

The teacher knows john	WHO DOES THE TEACHER KNOW?
Mary visited her father	WHO DID MARY VISIT?

1.       Mary telephoned Paul

2.       Mary assisted the new student

3.       John called Paul

4.       John visited Mr. Miller

5.       The teacher asked Mary

6.       The teacher knows Mary

7.       John sees Mary

8.       The students see the teacher

9.       The students hear the teacher

10.   The students understand the teacher

                                                                         Taken from: English sentence structure by Robert Khrohn

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