Telephone

  • General functions
  • Before the call
  • Answering a call
  • Tests

 

General Functions

The phone is  ringing !

When you answer the phone, you pick up  the phone

When you finish, you put down the phone or  hang the phone up   

(video call)
start the meeting / start the call
leave the meeting / end the call

Join the call / leave the call
re-join the call

Please send me an invitation/invite!

Can you invite Sam?

Can you add Jane (to this call)?

John was kicked from the call

John, I think you’re on mute!

Jane would you like to share your screen?

call up  your friend at the garage, let’s arrange an appointment

To begin a call, you start the call

When you finish, you end the call

When you want to make a call, you dial or call a number

We can call or dial numbers but we can’t dial people

You are the caller, you make the call. The person you call is the receiver.

I’m calling him now

I’ll ring him (up) now

Can you call Johnny please, he’s expecting your call.

When you call, you do not speak first. The receiver must answer first.

Before the phone call / Emails

Can I call you sometime?

Can we schedule a call to discuss this?

I’ll call / ring/ phone you tomorrow

I’ll give you a phone/ring/call tomorrow

 

Answering a call

If the telephone is ringing, you need to pick up/ answer the call!

  • informal
  • formal

Answering: Informal

*Telephone is ringing*

Receiver can say:

Hello? 

Yes?

(Telephone number)

Smith residence


— (phone rings, answers) Hello?

— hey it’s me!


Answering: Formal

In a meeting
*Phone starts ringing*
“Excuse me, I need to take this (call).”

(Receiver) Greeting + Company Name + Personal Name + Offer to help 

(Caller) Greeting +  Personal Name + from Company + ask about health / reason for call

 

(Receiver) Good morning, Nests Pharmacy, this is John Smith speaking, how can I help you today?

(Caller) Good morning/ hello, this is John Smith calling from XX Company, how are you today / can I speak to / I’m calling about…

This is John

My name is John

I’m John from xxx

Note – from / AT:

Caller: This is John from Metropolitan 

Receiver: Microsoft, this is John speaking

The caller is FROM. The receiver is AT the company, so they cannot say FROM.

Note that it’s usually: John from a department, irrelevant of where everyone is.

Hello, this is John from Marketing.

Tests

The phone is  ringing / phoning / circling (which is correct?)

[ call / pick / hang ] +up   [ put ] +down

When you answer the phone, you _______   ______ the phone

When you finish, you ______ _____   the phone or   _____ the phone _____

________ ____ your friend at the garage, let’s arrange an appointment

 

[ start / make/  end / call ]

To begin a call, you ______ the call

When you finish, you ______ the call

To ____ a call, you ____ a number or a person

 

verbs [ make / ring / end / answer / get / dial / call / ringing / phone / insert / slide / leave / take ]

Want to win big? _______ this number now!

Well, can we speak later? It’s 3pm, I need to ______ a call

To change the SIM card, insert a pin into the hole, pop out the tray then ______ it out

The phone is ______ (making a sound)

Can you _____ the phone please, it’s been ______ for ages

____ me tomorrow, I’m busy right now


Hard level

I can’t hear you John, I think you’re on _______

Where’s Jane?  She was in the call earlier but now I don’t see her, did she get ______? 

I can’t see your presentation, are you ______ your screen?

Hello Mr Smith, _________ John from x department!

I think the client was angry,  they stopped talking and _____ up!  

Telephone Vocabulary Part 2