English Communication

Skills
Asking for information
Excuse me. Could you tell me where ... is?
Excuse me. Can you tell me...?
Do you know...?
You wouldn't know..., would you?
Do you haen to know...?
!'d like to know..., lease.
And there's another thing !'d like to know...
! would "e interested to know...
#lease could you tell me...
Asking for directions
Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to ... $lace%, lease?
&hich way is the ... $lace%, lease?
Could you tell me where ... is, lease?
Do you know where ... is?
Asking someone to reeat

Could you say that again, lease?
&ould you mind reeating that, lease?
Could you reeat that, lease?
!'m sorry ! didn't catch that.
!'m sorry, what was ... again?
!'m sorry?
! "eg your ardon?
!'m sorry, what was that?
Checking that you''e understood
So, ! ( &e ha'e to...
Do you want me ( us to...?
Am ! ( Are we suosed to...?
Should !...?
So, the $general("asic% idea is to...
Do you mean...?
Does this mean that...?
So am ! right in saying...?
So, what you're saying is...
Exressing uncertainty
!'m not really sure "ut ! think...
! can't say for certain "ut...
!t's difficult to say exactly "ut erhas...
! couldn't say, really...
!'m not sure.
! don't know for sure "ut...
)i'ing yourself time to think
&ell, let me see...
*et me think...
*et me get this right...
+m, well, that's a difficult ,uestion ( that's an interesting ,uestion.
!'ll ha'e to ( *et me think a"out that for a moment...
! think it's difficult to answer that ,uestion...
-ow shall ! ut it?...
.ow, how can ! "est say this...?
!nterruting olitely
Could ! /ust say something?
Actually, !'d /ust like to say...
Sorry to interrut, "ut...
0h, while ! remem"er ( "efore ! forget...
Excuse me...
1ay ! interrut?
Saying you don't know
!'m afraid ! can't hel you.
!'m sorry, ! don't know.
2E!.) #0*!3E
Showing interest
+h4huh5
6ight5
6eally?
3hat's interesting5
And?
&hat then?
0h?
&hat haened next?
Showing that you're listening
.ow, you mentioned...
So, that's how...?
Yes, ! was going to ask you a"out that...
Could you gi'e me ( us an examle of...?
Could you exlain in more detail...?
3hanking and resonding
1any thanks.
3hanks a lot.
Cheers5
3hat's 'ery kind of you.
3hank you 'ery much
.ot at all.
!t's a leasure. ( 1y leasure.
You're welcome.
Don't mention it.
Any time.
3hat's 07 ( all right.
!'m glad to ha'e "een of some hel.
Aologi8ing

Sorry
!'m 'ery(awfully(so(extremely sorry.
Excuse me.
Sorry, $it was% my fault.
! do aologise.
#lease accet my aologies.
Acceting an aology
3hat's all right(07.
.ot to worry.
3hat's ,uite(erfectly all right.
.o reason(need to aologise.
Don't worry a"out it
3A*7!.) A20+3 AC3!0.S
)i'ing instructions
1ake sure...
6emem"er... $to do%.
2e careful... $not to do%.
Don't forget... $to do%
)i'ing directions
)o straight on.
3ake the first(second on the left ( right.
3urn left ( right.
)o along... as far as...
3ake the num"er 9 "us ( tram.
)et off $the "us ( tram% at... $lace%.
Carry on until you see...
*ook out for...
Checking someone has understood
Are you with me?
Did you follow that?
-a'e you got that?
!s e'erything clear so far?
Does that seem to make sense?
Se,uencing actions
:irst of all, ...
.ext, ...
3hen, ...
After that, ...
:inally, ...
1aking suggestions

Shall ! ( we... $do%?
*et's... $do%.
&hy don't ! ( we... $do%?
-ow a"out... $doing%?
&hat a"out... $doing%?
! think we should... $do%.
! suggest that we... $do%.
!t might "e a good idea if we ( you... $do%.
! think the "est way of dealing with this situation would "e to... $do%.
!f you ask me, ! think we ( you should... $do%.
&e could...
Agreeing to a suggestion
Yes, ! think that's a good idea.
3hat's ro"a"ly the "est otion.
Sure, why not?
Yes, definitely.
2y all means.
)ood idea5
6e/ecting a suggestion
Yes, "ut wouldn't it "e "etter to... $do%.
3hat's a good idea, "ut... $do%.
1aking in'itations
&hat are you doing on... $day%?
-a'e you got any lans for... $day(time of day%?
&ould you like to... $do%?
Do you fancy... $doing%?
&hat a"out... $doing%?
Acceting an in'itation
Yes, !'d lo'e to.
Yes, that would "e great.
6efusing an in'itation
!'m afraid !'m "usy on... $day%. -ow a"out next... $day%?
!'m sorry ! can't. !'m... $doing something else%.
!'m afraid ! can't make it. !'m... $doing something else%.
!'d lo'e to, "ut...
3hat's 'ery kind of you, "ut...
Exressing a reference
!'d much rather... $do% than... $do something else%.
! refer... to...
!'d refer to... $do%.
! think... is much more interesting than...
! don't find... half as interesting as...
! like... "etter than...
1aking recommendations
You mustn't miss the...
You must go to the...
You''e got to... $do%
You'll lo'e the...
! wouldn't recommend the...
You definitely wouldn't en/oy going to the...
0ffering something
&ould you like...?
&hat can ! get you?
-el yourself to...
#lease ha'e some...
&ould you care for some...?
Can ! offer you...?
Can ! get you a... ( anything?
Acceting something that's offered
Yes, lease.
3hank you 'ery much.
3hat would "e 'ery nice.
!'d like some... , lease.
Declining something that's offered
!'m all right(!'m fine, thank you.
.o, thanks.
.ot this time, thanks.
!'m not sure ! could, thank you.
Asking for ad'ice
&hat do you think ! should do?
&hat would you do $if you were in my situation%?
&hat would you ad'ise me to do?
)i
'ing ad'ice
! think you should... $do%.
You could... $do%.
&hy don't you... $do%?
!f ! were you, !'d... $do%.
-a'e you tried... $doing%?
Asking for ermission
Can !...(1ay !..., lease?
Do you mind if !...?
1ind if !...?
Any chance ! could...?
! wonder(! was wondering if ! could...
&ould it "e ossi"le for me to...
Do you ha'e any o"/ection if !...?
&ould it "other you if !...?
)i'ing ermission
0f course.
2y all means.
Certainly.
Yes, that's 07(fine.
You're welcome to...
#lease feel free to...
#lease don't hesitate to...
Sure.
07.
)o ahead.
&hy not?
6efusing ermission
!'m afraid not. !'m sorry it's not ossi"le... !'m afraid you can't. !'m afraid that's out of the
,uestion.
C011+.!CA3!.) !DEAS
Agreeing
!'d ro"a"ly agree on that.
! think that's ro"a"ly right.
3hat's a"solutely right.
Sure5 3hat's exactly what ! think.
! couldn't agree with you more.
3hat's what ! think.
Disagreeing
Yes, "ut...
3rue, "ut...
! see what you mean, "ut...
! suose so, "ut...
Yes, "ut on the other hand...
!'m afraid ! disagree ( don't agree ( can't agree...
!'m not sure if that's strictly true.
You ha'e a oint there, "ut...
Actually, !'m not sure if ! agree with that.
Asking what someone thinks
&hat do you think?
&hat do you reckon?
&hat's your oinion a"out(of... ?
&hat's your osition on...?
&hat's your reaction to...?
&hat's your take on... ?
Do you ha'e any thoughts on... ?
Stating conse,uences
As a result, ...
Conse,uently, ...
2ecause of this, ...
Due to $cause%,...
Exressing two oints of 'iew
0n the one hand..., on the other hand...
Although !'d..., ! certainly wouldn't...
&hile ! might..., ! don't think !'d...
0f course !'d..., "ut !'m not sure if !'d...
3here's no dou"t that it would..., "ut there's also a chance it might...
)i'ing examles
:or examle, ...
:or instance, ...
0ne examle of this is...
3o gi'e you an idea, ...
*ook at the case of...
3ake, for examle, ...
*et' say, ...
;ustifying your oinions
#ersonally, ! $don't% think... "ecause...
*et's $not%... "ecause...
!n my oinion, ! $don't% feel... "ecause...
! would definitely $not%... "ecause...
!t would "e "etter to... as...
! $don't% feel that it's imortant to... as...
*inking what you're saying
Anyway, ...
3rue, "ut ...
As a matter of fact, ...
... sort of...
-mm...
... you know...
... "elie'e me...
0rdering ( Se,uencing
:irst of all, ...
3o start with, ...
Secondly, ...
Another thing is that...
Alternati'ely, ...
*ast "ut not least, ...
#ersuading
2ut don't you agree that...
Yes, "ut !'m sure you'd agree that...
Don't you think that...
#resenting an oinion
#ersonally, ! think that...
!t seems to me that...
:rom my oint of 'iew, ...
!n my oinion, ...
#rioriti8ing
... would "e much more imortant than...
! don't think... would "e nearly as imortant ( urgent as...
... will definitely "e the most ( least ...
Seculating
!t's difficult to say exactly "ut ! suose it could "e...
!'m not sure "ut it might "e...
!t can't "e... "ecause...
!t must "e... "ecause...
! would guess...
Summari8ing
So what it comes down to is...
3he oint !'m trying to make is...
*et me /ust reca what's "een said so far.
!n short, ...
3o sum u, ...
2asically, ...
0'erall, it would seem that...