Advice - Rada
To ask for advice
Can I ask your advice about something?
Can I ask you about something?
Can I ask your advice about something? I'm really worried about my brother.
Do you think I should + verb
It's only £10 a month. Do you think I should join?
I'm thinking of + verb -ing. What do you think?
I'm thinking of changing my hair colour. What do you think?
To give someone advice
You should/ shouldn't + verb
You should phone the police if you're really worried about it
You shouldn't drink so much
If I were you, I'd/I wouldn't + verb - Gdybym był Tobą
If I were you, I'd wait until tomorrow.
If I were you, I wouldn't lend him any more money.
You'd better + verb
You'd better get some sleep.
.. or, in formal situations and in written English
I would advise you (not) to + verb
I would advise you not to say anything to the newspapers
Suggestions
To make suggestion
Let's + verb
Let's have a picnic.
Shall l/we + verb (czasownik)
Shall we try that new restaurant?
How about + verb -ing
How about going out one night next week?
How about + noun (rzeczownik)
How about a swim before lunch?
Why not + verb
Why not ask Marcin to come along?
To suggest something that solve a problem
I/You/We could always + verb
You could always stay with me if you miss the train.
To say yes to a suggestion
OK. / Right / All right.
- Let's go and visit your brother.
-OK.
To say yes emphatically
Good idea!
That sounds good/great!
- How about a trip to the beach?
- Good idea!
- That'd be great!
To say no to a suggestion
I'd rather + verb
- Let's stay over till Sunday.
- I'd rather come back straight after the party
I'd rather not
- We could leave it till tomorrow.
- I'd rather not - Wolałbym nie
Offering
To offer someone a drink, something to eat, etc.
Would you like + noun (in informal speech, it can be shortened to: like + noun)
Would you like a drink?
Like some more ice cream?
... or, in informal situations
Do you want + noun
Do you want some coffee?
How about + noun
How about a quick snack before we leave?
Can I get you + noun
Can I get you a sandwich or something?
To accept an offer
Yes, please. / That would be nice/lovely/great.
- Do you want a piece of cake?
- Yes, please.
Hmm. That would be great
… or, in formal situations
That's very kind of you.
- Would you like a drink?
- That's very kind of you. A glass of white wine, please.
To decline an offer
No, thank you / No, thanks.
- Would you like a drink?
- No, thanks. I have to leave soon.
... or in formal situations
That's very kind of you, but …
- Would you like a drink?
- That's very kind of you, but I'm afraid I can't stay very long.
When you have had enough to eat or drink
No, I'm fine, thank you
- Would you like some more salad?
- No, I'm fine, thanks.
To offer to do something for someone
Would you like me to + verb
Would you like me to help you with your luggage?
Shall I + verb
Shall I look after the children next week?
lnvitations
To invite someone to do something
Would you like to + verb
Would you like to come to dinner sometime? Czy chciałbyś przyjść na obiad pewnego razu (któregoś dnia)?
… or to ask someone you do not know well
I was wondering if you'd like to + verb
We'd love you to + verb [spoken]
I was wondering if you'd like to join us for a drink.
To say yes to an invitation
Yes, l'd like that.
- Would you like to come to dinner sometime?
- Yes, l'd like that.
... or, informal situations
That sounds great!/That would be great/very nice/lovely. [spoken]
- We're going ice-skating. Do you want to come with us?
- That sounds great! Thanks.
To say no to an invitation
Sorry, (I'm afraid) I can't.
- Do you want to come swimming on Thursday?
- Sorry, I can't. It's my Dad's birthday.
Thanks for asking me, but...
- Do you want to come to the cinema on Friday night?
- Actually, I'm going away for the weekend, but thanks for asking
Requests
To ask someone to do something difficult or important
Do you think you could + verb
Do you think you could check your records please?
… or to ask for something less important
Would you mind + verb -ing
Would you mind feeding the cat while l'm away?
Could you + verb
Could you give me a ride to work on Monday?
To ask a friend to do something
Can you + verb
Can you get me a newspaper while you're out?
To say to a request
OK./ All right.
- Can you lend me £10 till Saturday?
OK. Here you are
… or informal situations
Certainly
- Do you think you could check your records again, please?
- Certainly. Just one moment
To say no to a request
Sorry, but...
- Can you lend me £10 till Saturday?
- Sorry, but I don't really have enough.
... or more formally
I'm afraid ...
- Can you come to my office tomorrow at 10 o'clock?
- l'm afraid l'm busy tomorrow morning.
Asking Permission - Prośby o pozwolenie
Can I + verb
Can I borrow your umbrella?
Could I + verb
Could I ask you a personal question?
Is it OK if ... / Would it be OK if... / Would it be all right if ...
Is it OK if I bring a friend to your party?
To ask more politely
May I + verb
May I interrupt you for a moment?
When other people may be affected
Do you mind if I + verb
Do you mind if I smoke?
To reply `yes'
Yes, of course. / Please do. / Be my guest.
- Is it OK if I make a phone call?
- Be my guest.
No, go ahead.
- Do you mind if I smoke?
- No, go ahead. Nie, śmiało.
To reply `no'
No, sorry. (It is polite to give a reason if you say 'no'.)
- Is it OK if I sit here?
- No, sorry. This seat is taken.
Complaining
To complain to someone you know well
I've had enough of you + verb -ing
I've had enough of you two arguing
Stop it right now!
… or when someone you know well keeps forgetting to do something or is unwilling to do something
You never …
- When are your parents coming to stay?
- You never listen, do you? They're coming on Friday, and that's the fourth time I've told you!
To complain in a shop, restaurant, hotel, etc. The usual way to complain is just to explain what is wrong.
Isn't working
The shower in my room isn't working.
If you have done this and you are complaining to someone else because you are not satisfied.
I'd like to make a complaint about …
I'd like to make a complaint about the extra charges on my bill.
To write a letter of complaint
I'm writing to complain about …
I'm writing to complain about the service I received m your restaurant.
Apologizing
When you have made a small mistake, for example if you accidentally stand on someone's foot
Sorry / Excuse me
Sorry, I didn't mean to kick you.
Oh excuse me. That was my fault
When you have done something wrong or when someone may be upset
I'm sorry (that)...
I'm sorry I shouted at you.
I'm sorry that you weren't told about the meeting.
I'm really sorry, but...
I'm really sorry, but I've broken one of your CDs.
I'm sorry about + noun
I'm sorry about the mix-up. It was my fault.
I'm sorry about my friend. He's had too much to drink.
... or, in formal situations
I apologize. / I must apologize.
I apologize for the delay.
To reassure someone who has apologized
Don't worry about it / Never mind. / That's OK. / Forget it. It doesn't matter.
- I'm really sorry, but I broke a glass.
- Don't worry about it.
Saying `thank you' - Podziękowania
To thank someone for doing something for you
Thank you (for...)
- Can I help you with those bags?
- Oh, thank you.
Thank you forgetting the tickets.
Thanks for the lift.
… in formal situations you can add
That's very kind of you.
- If the meeting finishes late, I'll drive you back to town.
- Thank you. That's very kind of you.
… or to thank someone in an informal way
Thanks.
To write a thank - you letter.
Thank you very much for ...
Thank you very much for the information about the art course.
When someone gives you something or pays you a compliment
Thank you (very much).
- That dress really suits you.
- Thank you very much
... or with someone in an informal situation
Thanks.
- Here, have some gum.
- Thanks.
When someone thanks you, you can reply
You're welcome.
- Thanks for letting me stay, Mrs Parker.
- Oh, you're welcome.
That's OK.
- Thanks for looking after the kids
- That's OK. I enjoyed having them.
or, in informal situations
- Thanks for coming with me
- No problem
Directions
To ask for directions
Can you tell me the way to ...
Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the bus station, please?
Can you tell me how to get to ...
Is there a ... near here?
Excuse me, is there a bank near here?
To give directions
Go straight ahead.
Go straight ahead at the crossroads / Keep going straight at...
Turn left/right. / Take a left/right
Turn left at the crossroads.
Take a right at the bank
Take the first/second on your left/right.
Go past … - Miń
Go past the church. - Miń kościół
Keep on going till you get to ... - Idź tak długo aż miniesz …
Keep on going till you get to the park. - Idź tak długo aż miniesz park.
Opinions - Wypowiadanie swoich opinii
To ask someone whether they like someone or something
What do you think of + noun
What do you think of Joanna's new boyfriend?
What do you think of my cooking?
To ask someone's general opinion about something
What do you think about + noun
What do you think about his decision?
To give your opinion
I think(that) ...
I think that we should spend more on education.
I think it's a waste of time.
If you ask me …
If you ask me, they ought to just fire him.
... or when speaking or writing in more formal situations
In my opinion …
In my opinion, less money should be spent on weapons.
Agreeing - Zgadzać się z czymś
To agree with something that has just been said
You're right. /I agree.
- / think we're wasting our time here.
- You're right. Let's go home.
To agree strongly with someone
Exactly! / Absolutely! /I couldn't agree more.
- Parents are responsible for making sure their children behave well
- Absolutely. I couldn't agree more
Disagreeing
To disagree politely
Not really.
- You're very lucky.
- Not really.
I'm not so sure.
- If they built more roads, there'd be less congestion.
- I'm not so sure. Wouldn't it just encourage more people to use their cars?
To disagree strongly
No, it isn't. / No, they don't. / etc.
- The quickest way to get there is to take the train.
- No, it isn't. It's much faster by car.
I disagree.
- This company spends far too much on market research.
- I disagree. Our competitors spend just as much, if not more.
... or, in informal situations
You must be joking!
- lt'll only take 30 minutes to get there...
- You must be joking! The traffic's really bad at this time of day
Saying `yes'
To reply “yes” to a question
Yes.
- Is that ring real gold?
- Yes, it is.
- Have you brought everything we need?
- Yes, I have.
To confirm what someone supposes to be correct
That's right.
- You're Ben's sister, aren't you?
- That's right
To say `yes' when you think someone is hoping for a different answer
I'm afraid so.
- Was she very angry?
- I'm afraid so.
To say `yes' emphatically
Definitely! - Z pewnością!
- Are you going to Teresa's party?
- Definitely! I think it'll be really good.
When you are surprised or annoyed that someone has asked you something
Of course!
- Is it OK if Marta stays with us for a few days?
- Of course! She's welcome to.
- Did you lock the door?
- Yes, of course I did!
You think the answer is `yes' but you are not sure
I think so. /I hope so.
- Will you be home by six o'clock?
- I think so. It depends what time I finish work.
Saying “no”
No, ...
- Are you Italian?
- No, I'm Spanish.
To reply “no” when you think that someone is hoping for a different answer
I'm afraid not
Did you find the book I wanted?
I'm afraid not. I looked everywhere.
To say “no” emphatically
Definitely not!
So would you go camping again?
Definitely not!
When you want to emphasize that the answer is “no”
Of course not!
Of course I won't/ she didn't/etc
- Did he pass any of his exams in the end?
- Of course not. He didn't do any work.
- You won't tell Mike about this, will you? It's supposed to be a secret.
- No, of course I won't.
You want to answer “no” but you are not sure
I don't think so./ I'm not sure.
- Will it be ready tomorrow?
- I don't think so. There's a lot to do.
Saying “hello”
To say “hello” to friends and people you know well
Hello. / Hi.
To say “hello” in more formal situations
Good morning. [before 12 noon]
Good afternoon. [12 noon - 6 p.m.]
Good evening. [after 6 p.m.]
To say “hello” and introduce yourself
Hello, I'm...
Hello, I'm Greg. I'm a friend of Rachel's.
To introduce someone else
This is ... / I'd like you to meet... / Have you met... ?
This is my sister, Clare.
I'd like you to meet Simon Williams.
He's our Sales Manager.
When you are introduced to someone
Pleased to meet you.
- This is Paul, my fiancé.
- Pleased to meet you.
... or in formal situations, when you first meet someone and shake hands
How do you do.
- Mr Smith: Mr Suzuki, I'd like you to meet Mrs Fernandez, our cultural attaché
- Mr Suzuki: How do you do.
- Mrs Fernandez: How do you do.
Saying goodbye
To say goodbye to friends and people you know well
Bye / See you
See you soon / on Monday / next week / etc.
See you on Monday. Have a nice weekend
... or, in more formal situations
Goodbye
It's been nice talking to you
It was nice to meet you / It was nice meeting you.
To say goodbye at the end of the evening or when you are going to bed
Goodnight
To say goodbye to a friend you may not see for some time
See you sometime / Take care.
To ask someone to give your good wishes to someone else
Give my love to … Pozdrów
Give my love to John. Pozdrów Johna.
To say that you have to leave
I should go.
I should go I have to be up early tomorrow. Goodnight everybody
I'd better be going.
I'd better be going Jack will wonder where I am.
Having a conversation
To ask someone to repeat something
Sorry. / Pardon.
Sorry? Did you say Tuesday?
To start a new subject or return to the main subject
So ... /Anyway ...
So, have you decided where
you're going to live yet? Anyway, in the end I decided to
buy the black one.
To resume a conversation after it's been interrupted
Where were we? - Na czym to stanęliśmy?
Thank goodness he's gone! So, where were we?
To check that someone understands you
... is it?/...don't they/etc.
Letting the children play with an expensive camera wasn't a
very good idea, was it?
To show that you're listening to what someone is saying
Right. / Yes. / OK.
- And we need paper serviettes.
- Right.
- Try to get some with Happy Birthday on them.
-OK.
To interrupt someone
Yes, but...
- We can travel around while we're there, and maybe visit …
- Yes, but what if we run out of money?
Talking on the phone
To ask for the person you want to speak to
May I speak to .... please? / Could I speak to..., please?
Good morning. May I speak to Dr Chang, please?
Is... there, please?
Hello. Is Monica there, please?
To find out who has answered the phone
Is that... ?
Hello. Is that Guy?
To say who you are
May I speak to Catherine Hart, please? This is Grant Davies.
When asked to identify yourself
It's …
- Hello. Is that Gary?
- No, it's Mike. I'll get Gary. Who's calling?
- It's Helen.
When you answer the phone in formal or business situations, give your name or the name of your
Dialog Company
BMW Motors
When the call is for you, say
Speaking (your name) speaking / This is (your name)
- May I speak to Daniel Brown, please?
- Speaking - Jestem przy telefonie
But when the call is for someone else
One moment, please
- Hello May I speak to David Schmidt, please?
- One moment please/ (hold on)
I'll get him/her
- Is Vanessa there, please?
- Yes I'll get her
To say that someone is not there
Sorry He's / She's …
Sorry He's out.
Sorry She's away for the weekend. Do you want to leave a message?
To leave a message
Could you tell her / him
Could you tell her Roger called?
Could you + verb
Could you ask him to phone me back please? My number is …