Information Sheet 2.2-3

Information Sheet 2.2-3: Completing simple phone inquiries using repetitive expressions

Telephone Phrases

Here are some common phrases and sentences you can use when speaking on the telephone. The informal phrases are mostly for family and friends. The formal phrases are for business and official calls and for calls to important people. Caller unknown means the person answering the phone doesn’t know who’s calling. This mostly occurs when answering a call to a landline phone without caller ID or to a mobile phone or smartphone from a number that isn’t listed in the phone’s contacts.

Answering the phone (informal)

Hello. Matt here. (caller unknown)
Hi, Jody. How are you?
Hey, Justin. What’s up?

Answering the phone (formal)

Hello? Serena speaking. (caller unknown)
John Sayles speaking. Who’s calling, please? (caller unknown)
Doctor Martin’s office. May I know who’s calling, please? (caller unknown)
Thank you for calling Jeans Plus. Jody speaking.
Hello Maria. Nice to hear from you.
Hello Dr. Jones. How can I help you?
City Library. Kim speaking. What can I do for you, Robert?

Introducing yourself

Hey George. It’s Lisa calling. (informal)
Hello, this is Julie Madison calling.
Hi. It’s Angelina from the dentist’s office here. (informal)
Hello Sayoko. This is Alan calling from Big Boyz Autobody.

Asking to speak with someone

Hi. Is Nina there? (informal)
Can you put Michael on? (informal)
Can I talk to Josef? Tell him Marilyn’s calling. (informal)
May I speak to Mr. Green in the accounting department, please?
Good morning. Is Dr. Martin available, please?

Connecting someone

Just a sec. I’ll get him. (informal)
Hang on a moment. I’ll see if she’s in. (informal)
One moment please. I’ll see if he’s available.
Hold the line please. I’ll put you through in a moment.
Please hold while I put you through to the manager’s office.
All of our staff are busy at this time. Please hold for the next available person.

Making a request

Could you please repeat that?
Would you mind spelling that for me?
Could you speak up a little, please?
Can you speak a little slower, please. My English isn’t very good, I’m afraid.
Could you let me know when she’ll be in the office, please?
Would you mind calling back in an hour? I’m in a meeting just now.
Can you call again? I think we have a bad connection.
Please hold for just a minute. I have another call.
Please don’t call this number again.

Taking a message

Can I take a message?
Would you like to leave a message?
Sammy’s not in. I can tell him you called if you like. (informal)
No, that’s okay. I’ll call him later. (informal)
I’m sorry, but Lisa’s not here at the moment. Can I take a message?
I’m afraid he’s stepped out. Would you like to leave a message?
She’s busy right now. Would you like her to return your call?
He’s in a meeting at the moment. Can he call you back when he’s free?
Fine. I’ll let him know you called.
I’ll make sure she gets your message.

Leaving a message

Can I leave a message?
Would you mind giving her a message?
Would it be possible to leave a message?
Could you tell her Jonathon called?
Could you ask him to call Paul when he gets in?
I don’t think he has my number. Do you have a pen handy?
Thanks. It’s James Brown and my number is 222 3456.

Confirming a message

Let me repeat that just to make sure. It’s James Brown at 222 3456?
Was that 555 Charles Street, Apartment 66?
I’ll make sure he gets the message.
It’s Johnny, right? And you won’t be at the club until midnight. (informal)
Okay, got it. I’ll let him know. (informal)

Answering machine and voicemail phrases

Hey, Brad here. What’s up? Let me know after the tone, OK? (informal)
Hi, this is Liz. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now, but if you leave a message after the tone I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
You’ve reached 222 6789. Please leave a message after the tone. Thank you.
Thank you for calling Dr. Mindin’s office. Our hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Please call back during these hours or leave a message after the tone. If this is an emergency, please call the hospital at 333 7896.
You have reached Steve James, your guide to Computer Technology. Unfortunately, I can’t take your call right now, but if you leave me a message and include your name and telephone number, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. You can also contact me via email at co*******@*YZ.com. Thank you for calling.

Leaving an answering machine or voicemail message

Hey Mikako. It’s Yuka. Call me, OK? (informal)
Hello, this is Ricardo calling. Could you please return my call as soon as possible. My number is 334 5689. Thank you.
Hi Anderson. This is Marina from the doctor’s office calling. I just wanted to let you know that you’re due for a check-up this month. Please call us to make an appointment at your earliest convenience.

Ending a conversation

Well, I guess I’d better get going. Talk again soon, OK? (informal)
Thanks for calling. Bye for now.
I have to let you go now.
I have another call coming through. I’d better run.
I’m afraid that’s my other line.
I’ll talk to you again soon. Bye Jules.

WH – Question

What are Wh- questions and examples?

Wh- questions are questions that use specific words starting with the letters “wh,” like “who,” “when,” and “what.” “How” is also often included in this list. These words are often used when we want to request information from someone.

The most common Wh- question words in English are: “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” “which,” “whose,” and “how.”

Let’s take a closer look at each Wh- word with examples for context!

Who

Use “who” to ask about a person.

Examples:

Question	Answer
Who is that?	It’s our new teacher.
Who did you invite to your party?	I invited Maria, Lee, and Abdul.

What

Use “what” to ask about a thing.

Examples:

Question	Answer
What is your favorite movie?	I love The Shawshank Redemption.
What did you do last night?	I did my homework.

“What” is often used with another word such as time (to ask about clock time).

Examples:

Question	Answer
What time is it?	It’s 4:30.
What time does the show start?	It starts at 8:00 pm.

“What” is also used before another noun to talk about a choice. It’s usually interchangeable with “which.”

Examples:

Question	Answer
What movie do you want to watch?	Let’s watch the new Star Wars.
Which movie do you want to watch?	Let’s watch the new Star Wars.
What kind of ice cream do you want?	I would like chocolate, please.
Which kind of ice cream do you want?	I would like chocolate, please.

Where

Use “where” to ask about a place.

Examples:

Question	Answer
Where do you live?	I live in California.
Where is your school?	It’s on Somerset Street.

When

Use “when” to ask about time. When asking about clock time, it’s usually interchangeable with “what time.”

Examples:

Question	Answer
When do you start your new job?	I start next month.
When does the class start?	It starts at 9:00 am.
What time does the class start?	It starts at 9:00 am.

Why

Use “why” to ask about a reason.

Examples:

Question	Answer
Why do you like reading so much?	I like it because I can learn new things.
Why did you call me?	I called you to invite you to my party.

Which

Use “which” to ask about a choice.

Examples:

Question	Answer
Which do you prefer, chicken or steak?	I prefer chicken.
Which dress did you decide to wear?	I decided to wear the black one.

Whose

Use “whose” to ask about possession.

Examples:

Question	Answer
Whose book is this?	It’s mine.
Whose car did you borrow?	I borrowed my friend’s car.

How

Use “how” to ask about a method/way.

Examples:

Question	Answer
How do you turn on this computer?	You have to hold down the power button.
How did your presentation go?	It went well.

Questions with “how” also often involve the way someone is feeling.

Examples:

Question	Answer
How are you?	I’m fine.
How do you feel?	I’m nervous.
How are you feeling?	Not great. I caught a cold.

“How” is often used with another word such as “often” (to ask about frequency), “much” (to ask about cost), or “many” (to ask about an amount).

Examples:

Question	Answer
How often do you brush your teeth?	I brush my teeth twice a day.
How much does this jacket cost?	It costs $75.00.
How many dogs do you have?	We have two.

How to form Wh- questions using patterns

There are two basic patterns you can use to form Wh- questions in English.

1. With no auxiliary

Wh- word + be + subject

Examples:

Who is that?
How are you?

2. With auxiliary

Wh- word + auxiliary + subject + verb

Examples:

What do you want?
Why did you quit?

Also watch and read:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/wh-question-words/

References:
https://www.englishclub.com/speaking/telephone-phrases.php
https://ellii.com/blog/wh-questions