SAY IT BETTER IN ENGLISH

r et u r n i n g som eone cal l

Say t h is when you ph one som eone who t r ied
ph on in g you ear lier

A: “Hi Mar y. I’m r et u r n i n g y ou r cal l ”

B: “Than k Lou is. I called you yest er day
becau se…”

A: “May I speak t o Don ?”

B: “Can I ask wh at is r egar ding?”
A: “Yes. I’m r et ur n i n g h i s cal l .”

For can I ask w hat it’s regarding, see page 349

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wi t h i n t h e h our
l ess t h an on e h ou r af t er f r om n ow

“If you t ak e t h e medicin e n ow, you ’ll st ar t t o

feel bet t er wi t h i n t h e h ou r .”

“I’m goin g t o t h e ban k now. I’ll be back wi t h i n

t h e h ou r .

For back, see page 264

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Wou l d i t be possi bl e f or
som eone t o…
Th is is a polit e r equ est . Say t h is when you don ’t
k n ow if som eon e can h elp you

“Wou l d i t be possi bl e f or m e t o see t he

doct or t oday? I don ’t h ave an appoin t m en t .”

: ”Wou l d i t be possi bl e f or you t o lend

me $300?”
B: ”$300! Th at ’s a lot of m on ey!”

For lend, see page 225

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Wi l l t h at be al l ?
I s t h at t h e on l y t h i n g y ou wan t ?

Ser ver s say t h is in r est au r an ts

A: ”I’ll have a salad an d an iced t ea, please.”

B: ”Wi l l t h at be al l ? ”
A: ”Yes, t hat ’s it , t h an k you .”

A: ”I’d lik e a ch eesebu r ger t o go, please.”

B: ”Wi l l t h at be al l ? ”
A: ”No. An d a Diet Cok e, t oo.”

For that’s it, see page 59

For to go, see page 270
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at l east 21
21 or m or e t h an 21

A: “I won der h ow m u ch t h at jack et cost s.”

B: “At l east $200. Maybe even $300! It ’s
made of leath er .”

“Th at piano is h eavy! You n eed at l east fou r

people t o help you car r y it .”

For made of, see page 122

GRAB A PENCI L! – Pu zzl e #3 9

ACROSS
1) “To bu y a h ou se, you need $100000 or
m or e. You need __ __ $100000.”
3) “Th ank s for wait ing for m e. Have you __
waitin g __?”
“No, on ly abou t five m inu tes.”
5) “One coffee please.”
“For here or __ __?”
“I’ll dr ink it h ere.”

DOWN
2) “I need a 10-foot ladder. Th is one is eigh t
feet lon g. Th is ladder is __ __ two feet.”
3) “I’d lik e t wo hot dogs, please.”
“Will t h at __ __?”
“No, I’d lik e an ice tea too.”
4) “My gr an dm other is old, bu t she __ you n g
becau se her sk in is so soft .”

For answ ers, see page 367

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i t ’s easy t o/ i t ’s di f f i cul t t o
NOT I’m easy t o / NOT I’m difficu lt t o

“I t ’ s easy t o get t o t he air por t . Ju st follow t h e

sign s.”

“I t ’ s di f f i cul t f or m e t o r ead wit h ou t m y

glasses.”
SAY IT BETTER IN ENGLISH

gi ve u p
qu i t ; st op doi n g som et h i n g

“I called t h r ee t im es, bu t h e n ever answer ed

t h e ph one. In t he en d I gi ve u p.”

“I feel h ealt h ier n ow becau se I gave u p

sm ok in g last year .”

NOTE: som et im es give u p + _in g

SAY IT BETTER IN ENGLISH

even t h ou gh
Say t h is when you sh ow 2 con t r ast in g or
opposit e ideas

“Ev en t h ou gh h e’s r ich an d su ccessfu l, he’s

h ot a h appy per son .”

“ABC Pr in t in g Com pan y is very good. So even

t h ou gh t h ey ch ar ge a lot , we u se t he
com pan y.”
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on secon d t h ough t
Say t h is when you ch an ge you r decision .

“Let ’s m eet at t he libr ar y. On secon d t h ou gh t ,

let ’s m eet at t h e coffee sh op becau se t he librar y
is closed.”

A: “I’m goin g t o bu y t his t ie.”

B: “It ’s $300? On secon d t h ou gh t , I t h in k I’ll
bu y a differ en t on e.”
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t h e bot t om l i n e i s
t h e m ai n i dea i s; t h e t h i n g I ’ m r eal l y t r y i n g
t o say i s

“I wor k ed h ar d on t he pr oject . I tr ied m y best .

Bu t t h e bot t om l i n e i s I cou ldn’t fin ish it .”

“He’s lazy, h is wor k is n ot good, an d he’s late

ever y day. Th e bot t om l i n e i s we h ave t o let
h im go.”

For let him g , see page 333

GRAB A PENCI L! – Pu zzl e #4 5

ACROSS
3) “My st om ach is t o big an d m y pan t s are t o
t igh t . The bot tom __ is need t o lose
weight .”
4) “Did you do well on you r exam s?”
“Yes, I was __ becau se I stu died h ard.”
5) “Tomor row I’m goin g on vacation t o
Flor ida!”
“Well, __ __ good t ime.”
6) “I didn’t u nderst an d t h e inst ru ct ion s.
Cou ld you __ __ t h em again?”

DOWN
1) “Ou r com pan y has m any new client s. We
ar e doin g __ th is year .”
2) “Ou r stu den ts ar e from 19 t o 25 years
old. They are, on __, 22 ear s old.”

For answ ers, see page 367

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l et som eon e go
t ak e away som eon e’s j ob

“He t ook m on ey fr om t he com pan y, so h is boss

l et him go.”

“Ou r com pan y isn ’t doin g well. We l et five

people go t o save som e m oney.”

For do w ell, see page 311

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ACROSS
3) “I’m dressed __ becau se I’m goin g to a
weddin g. “
5) “I t h ink I lock ed t he door bu t please check
an d __ __ it ’s lock ed.”
“Well, __ __ good t ime.”
6) “You shou ldn ’t discu ss m y problem with
Ken . My pr oblem was noth in g __ __ with
h im .”

DOWN
1) “Look ! Every one’s clot hes are wet! It __ __
r ain in g.”
2) “He ar rived ten min u tes after t h e meet in g
st ar ted. He was __ m inu tes __.
4) “Are you com m imn g t o t he baseball game
on Su nday?” “Sorry, I can ’t __ __.”

For answ ers, see page 367

 ANSWER K EY

PUZZLE 1 4 : ACROSS: 3) fr om , 5) st eppedou t , 6) ingood;

DOWN: 1) good, 2) adelay, 4) pu t you

PUZZLE 1 5 : ACROSS: 2) t o,3) back , 5) r eady, 6) gr apevine;

DOWN: 1) t oobad, 4) ch ar ge

PUZZLE 1 6 : ACROSS: 4) secon dfr om , 6) ah ead; DOWN:

1) inagood, 2) t hey, 3) off, 5) on

PUZZLE 1 7 : ACROSS: 2) apar t , 5) by, 6) r anin t o; DOWN:

1) wh at abou t , 3) t h isis, 4) wor k

PUZZLE 1 8 : ACROSS: 2) wh at , 4) eyetoeye, 6) for ; DOWN:

1) m adeof, 3) it in , 5) wor t h

PUZZLE 1 9 : ACROSS: 3) r idof, 4) t heban k is, 6) m ade;

DOWN: 1) sh oot , 2) look u p, 5) have

PUZZLE 2 0 : ACROSS: 2) t ak e, 3) m u ch lon ger , 4) soldou t ,

5) m in dgoin g; DOWN: 1) waytr ou gh , 3) m ent ion

PUZZLE 2 1 : ACROSS: 4) dou blecheck , 5) m igh t , 6) in t h at ;

DOWN: 1) con n ect ion , 2) m at t er, 3) held

PUZZLE 2 2 : ACROSS: 3) see, 4) in t h ose, 5) get ; DOWN:

1) byear , 2) ist ak en, 3) set u p

PUZZLE 2 3 : ACROSS: 5) h avin gwit h , 6) r ide; DOWN:

1) byfar , 2) posit ive, 3) ou t h ow, 4) t ipof

PUZZLE 2 4 : ACROSS: 1) off, 5) t hat t h e, 6) doesn ’t ; DOWN:

2) for t u ne, 3) at t h e, 4) on at in

PUZZLE 2 5 : ACROSS: 5) inst eadof, 6) r u n ; DOWN:

1) com ewit h , 2) in wr it ing, 3) t h r owaway, 4) it over

PUZZLE 2 6 : ACROSS: 3) br in gu p, 5) h an d, 6) for ; DOWN:

1) enou gh, 2) wit h m e, 4) readyt o

PUZZLE 2 7 : ACROSS: 1) seenfor , 4) left , 5) ou t of; DOWN: 1)

split , 2) ot her , 3) u pt o