Telephoning Problems- Vocabulary, Roleplays and Phrases

Telephoning Problems Vocabulary, Roleplays and Phrases

Roleplay some of the following telephoning problem situations. You can start with the
easiest ones if you like.

1

It is difficult to understand somebody on the phone

2

Someone phones you but you are in a meeting.

3

Someone phones you when your mobile (= cell phone) battery is nearly flat.

4

The caller asks to speak to Kim Smith. You are Kim Smith.

5

The caller asks to speak to Kim Smith. You aren’t Kim Smith.

6

The invoice that you have sent someone is wrong.

7

The person who you want to speak to is out of the office. You want them to call you
back, so leave your telephone number.

8

The person who you want to speak to isn’t at her desk. You will phone again.

9

The person who you want to speak to isn’t in today, but you don’t need to leave a
message.

10 The person you want to speak to is on another line. You don’t need to anyone to take

a message.

11 The person you want to speak to is out of the country. Ask for their mobile number,

then ask them to hold on while you look for a pen and paper.

12 The phone of the person who you want to speak to has been engaged (= busy) for two

hours, so phone someone else in their company.

13 The receptionist puts you through to (= connects you to = transfers your call to) to the

wrong person.

14 The time that you have arranged to meet has suddenly become impossible.
15 There is a bad line so you can’t hear the other person very well.
16 There is a message on your answer machine from last night asking you to call back as

soon as possible.

17 There was something missing from what your company sent to a customer.
18 You answer the call but you have someone on another line.
19 You are cut off halfway through a call.
20 You are going to be late to meet someone but when you phone no one picks up.
21 You can’t pronounce the name of the person you want to speak to (“Mr. Boisseaux”).
22 You don’t know the correct extension number, so phone reception (= a receptionist).
23 You don’t know who exactly you need to speak to.
24 You got someone’s order wrong.
25 You have dialled the wrong number.
26 You phone someone because you need to send them something by post and you don’t

have their postal address.

27 You were cut off when your train went into a tunnel.
28 You were put on hold for ten minutes so hang up and call again.
29 Someone left a voice mail message for you. Return their call.

Ask about any above which you don’t understand, e.g. the expressions in italics.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2015

Try to use these words from above in typical telephoning phrases. Some of them can be
used together, and all have more than one possible phrase.

1

again

2

back

3

busy

4

call

5

country

6

desk

7

flat

8

hold

9

line

10 message
11 mobile
12 office
13 on
14 put
15 through
16 transfer
17 up

Do the same with this other useful telephoning vocabulary. You might want to change the
grammar of the words.

18 check
19 help
20 moment
21 repeat
22 sorry
23 speak
24 spell
25 talk

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2015

Mixed answers

Without looking above for now, put one word into each group of words below.



“Can I take a ____?”/ “Can I leave a _______?”/ “Would you like to leave a ______?”/
“I’ll make sure he gets your _________”/ “I’ll pass your _____________ onto him”



“Can you ______________ me through to extension 767?”/ “Could you
______________ me through to Mr Jones, please?”



“Can you ask him to phone me ___?”/ “Can I read that __?”/ “Can I check that _____?”



“Can you say that ______________?”/ “No, that’s okay. I’ll phone _____________ this
afternoon.”/ “When might be a good time to try ________________?” / “We seem to
have a bad line. Shall we hang up and try ______________?”



“Hold __________, I’ll just get a pen and some paper”/ “I’m afraid he’s __________
another line. Would you like to leave a message?”



“I’m ____________ing you”/ “Please hold the line while I _________ your call”



“I’m afraid he’s away from his __________ at the moment”/ “I’m afraid she isn’t at her
___________ at the moment”, “Okay, I’ll leave a note on his ____________”



“I’m afraid he’s not picking ________________ his phone. Shall I tell him that you’ve
called?”, “There’s a lot of noise on the line. Let’s hang ____________ and try again”



“I’m afraid he’s on another ________”/ “I’m afraid I’ve got someone on another ____”/
“We seem to have a bad __________. Shall we hang up and try again?”



“I’m afraid he’s out the ____________”/ “Do you know the ___________ code?”



“I’m afraid his line is _____.”/ “I’m a bit _____ at the moment, so…”/ “Are you
______?”



“I’m afraid she’s out of the _____”/ “I’ll phone you again when I get back to the ______”



“I’m on my _______________, so can I phone you when I get home?”/ “Do you have
his ____________ number?”/ “It might be worth trying his ____________”



“I’m putting you ________”, “Can you put me __________ to Mr Jones, please?”



“Please ______________ the line”, “_______________ on, I’ll just find your order on
my computer”/ “I’m putting you on __________________”



“Sorry, my battery is nearly _______________. Can I phone you later from my office
phone?”/ “My battery is nearly __________ but I just needed to quickly tell you that…”



“Thanks for your _________”/ “Thanks for ________ing”/ “I’ll ________ you back…”/
“Thanks for ________ing me back”/ “I’m returning your ____________”/ “No, that’s
okay, thanks. I’ll __________ again later”/ “I’m transferring your _____________”

Use the words on the last page to help you, then do the same with the expressions below.



“_________ to keep you waiting”/ “__________ to phone you so late”/ “__________,
he’s in a meeting at the moment”/ ______________, we were cut off”/ “__________,
my battery is nearly flat. Can I call you back later?”



“________________ to your later”/ “It was nice _________ing to you but…”/ “Can I
__________ to Mr Smith?”/ “I need to _____________ to someone about…”



“Are you free to ______________?”/ “I don’t have much time to ____________ but…”

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2015



“Can you ________ your name?”/ “Can you ____________ the first/ last part?”



“How do you ________ your family name?”/ “Can you _____ the street name for me?”



“I’ll _________ with my boss and call you…”/ “Can I ___________ that back?”/ “Can I
just ___________ what you said?”/ “Could I ___________ what you mean?”



“Just a _________, I’ll see if he’s available”/ “Just a ________ while I find a pen and
paper”/ “Just a _______, I’ll put you through”, “Do you have a ___________ to talk?”



“Thanks for your ___________”/ “I’m phoning to see if you could __________ with…”

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2015

Suggested answers

1

again – “Can you say that __________?”/ “No, that’s okay. I’ll phone __________ this

afternoon.”/ “When might be a good time to try ________________?” / “We seem to

have a bad line. Shall we hang up and try _______?”

2

back – “Can you ask him to phone me _?”/ “Can I read that _?”/ “Can I check that __?”

3

busy – “I’m afraid his line is ___.”/ “I’m a bit ___ at the moment, so…”/ “Are you ____?”

4

connect – “I’m ____________ing you”/ “Please hold the line while I _____ your call”

5

call – “Thanks for your ______”/ “Thanks for ____ing”/ “I’ll _____ you back…”/ “Thanks

for _____ing me back”/ “I’m returning your _____”/ “No, that’s okay, thanks. I’ll ____

again later”/ “I’m transferring your _____”

6

country – “I’m afraid he’s out the ____________”/ “Do you know the _______ code?”

7

desk – “I’m afraid he’s away from his ____ at the moment”/ “I’m afraid she isn’t at her

_______ at the moment”, “Okay, I’ll leave a note on his ____________”

8

flat – “Sorry, my battery is nearly ____________. Can I phone you later from my office

phone?”/ “My battery is nearly ________ but I just needed to quickly tell you that…”

9

hold – “Please ______ the line”, “______ on, I’ll just find your order on my computer”/

“I’m putting you on ______________”

10 line – “I’m afraid he’s on another ____”/ “I’m afraid I’ve got someone on another ____”/

“We seem to have a bad __________. Shall we hang up and try again?”

11 message – “Can I take a ______________?”/ “Can I leave a ______________?”/

“Would you like to leave a __________________?”/ “I’ll make sure he gets your

_________”/ “I’ll pass your _____________ onto him”

12 mobile – “I’m on my _______________, so can I phone you when I get home?”/ “Do

you have his ____________ number?”/ “It might be worth trying his ____________”

13 office – “I’m afraid she’s out of the __”/ “I’ll phone you again when I get back to the __”

14 on – “Hold _______, I’ll just get a pen and some paper”/ “I’m afraid he’s ______

another line. Would you like to leave a message?”

15 put – “Can you ______ me through to extension 767?”/ “Could you ______ me through

to Mr Jones, please?”

16 through – “I’m putting you ____”, “Can you put me _______ to Mr Jones, please?”

17 up – “I’m afraid he’s not picking ___________ his phone. Shall I tell him that you’ve

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2015

called?”, “There’s a lot of noise on the line. Let’s hang _____ and try again”

18 check – “I’ll _________ with my boss and call you…”/ “Can I ___________ that

back?”/ “Can I just ___________ what you said?”/ “Could I ______ what you mean?”

19 help – “Thanks for your ________”/ “I’m phoning to see if you could ______ with…”

20 moment – “Just a _____, I’ll see if he’s available”/ “Just a ____ while I find a pen and

paper”/ “Just a _______, I’ll put you through”, “Do you have a ___________ to talk?”

21 repeat – “Can you __ your name?”/ “Can you __ the first/ last part?”

22 sorry – “_____ to keep you waiting”/ “_______ to phone you so late”/ “_______, he’s in

a meeting at the moment”/ ______, we were cut off”/ “______, my battery is nearly flat.

Can I call you back later?”

23 speak – “__________ to your later”/ “It was nice _________ing to you but…”/ “Can I

______ to Mr Smith?”/ “I need to _____________ to someone about…”

24 spell – “How do you ____ your family name?”/ “Can you ____ the street name for

me?”

25 talk – “Are you free to __________?”/ “I don’t have much time to _________ but…”

What could the replies to those sentences be? Say one of the phrases and extend the

conversation as long as you can.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2015