VOCABULARY WORKSHEET

1. Greetings
2. How is your day?
3. Introducing yourself/ other people
4. At the Airport
5. Going Shopping
6. At the Restaurant
7. A conversation at a travel agency/ How to make a booking in English
6. Writing an e-mail

1. Greetings - Example Conversations

Let's look at several example conversations.  Then we can move on to the practice section.

Person A: "Hi, my name is Steve.  It's nice to meet you."

Person B: "I'm Jack.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Steve."
Person A: "What do you do for a living Jack?"
Person B: "I work at the bank."

Person A: "What is your name?"

Person B:  "Jackson."
Person A: "What was that again?"

Person A: "Hey John, how have you been?"

Person B: "What a surprise.  I haven't seen you in a long time.  How have you been?"
Person A: "I'm doing very well.  How about you?"
Person B: "I finally have some free time.  I just finished taking a big examination, and I'm so
relieved that I'm done with it."

Person A: "Hi Nancy, what have you been up to?"

Person B: "The same old same old."  Or, "The same as usual.  How about you?"
Person A: "I'm pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise, everything is great."

Person A: "Andy, it's been a long time, how are you man?"
Person B: "What a surprise.  I haven't seen you in a long time.  How have you been?"
Person A: "Do you come to this restaurant often?"
Person B: "I've been here a couple of times, but I don't come on a regular basis.

2. How is your day ? - Example Conversation

The present tense is more common in writing.  As you can see by all the explanations I am giving,
they are all written in the present tense.  That is because it is instructional.  Instructional writing is
more commonly written in present tense.  However, stories in novels are written in past tense.

The reason past and future tense is used more commonly than present tense when speaking is
because usually you are telling someone what you have done or what you plan on doing. Speaking

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in the present tense is used primarily to tell someone what you are currently doing.

Person A: "Hi Jack.  What are you doing?"

Person B: "Hi Mary.  I'm filling out a job application."
Person A: "Are you finished with school already?"
Person B: "No.  I have one more semester, but it would be great to have a job lined up."

Person A: "How is your day going?"

Person B: "Quite busy.  I'm preparing for my presentation tomorrow on our marketing strategy.
I'm not even half done yet."
Person A: "You must feel stressed out now."
Person B: "That's an understatement."

Person A: "What are you doing now?"

Person B: "I'm playing pool with my friends at a pool hall."
Person A: "I didn't know you play pool.  Are you having fun?"
Person B:  "I'm having a great time.  How about you?  What are you doing?"
Person A: "I'm taking a break from my homework.  There seems to be no end to the amount of
work I have to do."
Person B: "I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."

3. INTRODUCING YOURSELF
Here are some simple phrases you can use.
"I'm …" (your first name / first name + surname)
"My name is …" (your first name / first name + surname)
In formal situations, give your first name and surname. In informal situations give your first name.
The other person says:
"Pleased to meet you." or "Nice to meet you." or "Good to meet you."

Example conversations
A: Hi, I'm Clare.
B: Pleased to meet you! I'm Dave.
A: Good morning. I'm David Green.
B: Pleased to meet you. I'm John Harris.
A. Good to meet you.

INTRODUCING OTHER PEOPLE

"This is… (name of your friend)."
Now give more information about the person.
"He's a friend of mine."
"He's a friend of my brother."
"He's a colleague."
"She's my cousin."

Example conversations

A: "John, this is Paul. He's a friend of mine."

B: "Hi Paul. Nice to meet you."
Paul: "Good to meet you John."

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Deborah: "This is Sally. She's my cousin."
B: "Hi Sally. Pleased to meet you."
Sally: "Pleased to meet you too."

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 4. AT THE AIRPORT

At the Check-in Counter

Check- in Clerk : Good morning.

Passenger: Good morning .
Check-in Clerk : May I see your ticket, please?
Passenger : Oh yes. Here it is.
Check-in Clerk : Thank you Mr. Robinson.
Passenger: I was wondering if I could have a smoking seat, please?
Check-in Clerk: I´m afraid this is a non-smoking flight, Sir. Would you prefer an aisle seat or a
window seat?
Passenger: Well, I´m not sure. You see, it´s the first time that I will be flying by airplane and I´m
feeling a bit uneasy about it. What I really want is the safest seat.
Check-in Clerk: Oh I see, well there´s really nothing to worry about. Let´s see, I can give you an
aisle seat right next to one of the exits. Then you´ll have more leg room, too.
Passenger: Oh good! That sounds alright.
Check-in Clerk: And could I see your passport, please?
Passenger: Oh yes, here it is…….

Vocabulary:

1. smoking seat
2. aisle seat
3. non-smoking flight
4. window seat
5. leg room
6. Passport

Going through Customs

Customs officer : Would you mind putting your baggage on here, please ma’am? Where are you
traveling from?
Page : From Marseille.
Customs officer : Marseille. Are you resident in France, or do you live in the United States?
Page : I live in France.
Customs officer : Can I see your passport, please?... Thank you. How long are you staying in the
USA?
Page : For 5 days.
Customs officer : And what's the purpose of your visit ma’am?
Page : I'm here on business.
Customs officer : I see. Well then, you understand that you've come into the Green Channel,
which means you have nothing to declare.
Page : Yes.
Customs officer : Is this all your baggage?

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Page : Yes, that's all.
Customs officer : Is anybody else traveling with you, ma’am?
Page : No, I'm traveling alone.
Customs officer : OK then. What type of goods have you got; cigarettes, cigars...?
Page : No, I don't smoke.
Customs officer : Nothing else at all in the tobacco line?
Page : No.
Customs officer : Any drinks at all? Spirits? Liquors? Wine?
Page : Just two bottles of red wine.
Customs officer : Were those bottles purchased in the duty-free shop, or...?
Page : Yes, at Marseille airport.
Customs officer : I see. Are you bringing any gifts for anybody in the States?
Page : Well, the wine is a present, but that's all.
Customs officer : Any other valuable items - jewelry, laptop?
Page : No, just my personal things.
Customs officer : OK. Thank you, ma’am. Would you let me have a look in there...Is the laptop
going back to France with you?
Page : Yes, of course. It's my working tool.
Customs officer : Do you have a camera?
Page: No, I don't.
Customs officer : That's fine. Thank you very much. Have a pleasant stay!

5. GOING SHOPPING

Asking for things in shops:

"Do you have any…?"

"I'm looking for…"
"I wonder if you could help me…?"

What the shopkeeper says:

"I'm sorry, we're out of stock."

"I'm sorry, that's the last one."
"I'm sorry, that's all we have left."

What a sales person says:

"Can I help you?"

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Your reply:

"I'm just looking, thank you."

"I'm just browsing, thank you."

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Asking about things in shops:

"Do you have this in another size?"

"Do you have this in another colour?"
"Is this made of leather / silk / plastic…?"
"Does this come with a guarantee?"
"Is this fully refundable?"
"Can I bring this back if it's not the right size?"
"Can I bring this back if it doesn't fit?"

Paying – what the shopkeeper says:

"Do you have anything smaller?" (If you pay with a large denomination note.)

Paying – what you say:

"I'm sorry, I don't have any small change."

"I don't have anything smaller."
"Would you have change for this?"
"Can I have the receipt, please?'
"Can I pay by credit card?"
"Can I pay in cash?"
"Is this on sale?"

6. RESTAURANT ENGLISH

Here's how to ask about the menu and more.

Describing the meniu:

"The dish of the day" / "daily special" = what the restaurant is featuring.
"What's the dish of the day?"
"It's the chef's omelette."
"set menu" = a menu where the starter, main course and dessert are chosen by the restaurant.
"a la carte" = where you choose what you want to eat from the menu.

Asking for a description of the food:

"What is 'fisherman's pie' exactly?"

"Is this dish vegetarian?"
"What's in spaghetti vongole?"
"Does this dish come with any vegetables?"
"Can you tell me how this dish is prepared?"

Describing food:
"It's a meat dish, garnished with parsley."
A garnish is something that is served with the food, not mixed in.

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"It's topped with cheese."
Topped is something that goes on top of the food.
"It's served with a side salad."
Side salad is salad served in a bowl or separate plate.
Sauces can be cheesy (made with cheese), savoury (not sweet), creamy (smooth), spicy (made
with chilli peppers) or delicate (a subtle, rather than strong taste).
Desserts can be rich (very filling with a strong taste, like chocolate gateau), light (not heavy in
taste or texture, like a sorbet), tangy (with a sharp taste of lemon or orange, like a lemon pie),
or fruity (made with fruit, like trifle).

Ordering in a restaurant – things waiters say:

"Are you ready to order yet?"

"Have you decided what you are having?"
"Would you like anything to drink with your meal?"
"Can I recommend the chef's special?"

Ordering in a restaurant – things customers say:

"We'd like a little longer, please."

"Could you give us a couple more minutes?"
"We really can't decide. Can you advise us?"

7. HOW TO MAKE A BOOKING IN ENGLISH

Making a booking in English does not have to be complicated. In fact, if you keep the
information concise, you will find it easy!

Starting the conversation:

I'd like to…..
…. book a double room (for two nights from Monday 2 August to…)
…. book a table (for two at 9 pm tomorrow night)
…. book a flight (from London to Paris on Tuesday 10 November)
…. book seats (tonight for "Phantom of the Opera")
You can also reserve a room, a table or seats.

Responding to questions:
How many people is the booking for?
… It's for two people.
How would you like to pay?
… Can I pay by credit card?
Can you spell your surname?
… Yes, it's B – R – O – W – N.

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Can you give me your credit card number and expiry date?
…Yes, it's …….

Travel bookings:
What time do you want to leave / arrive / check-out?
… I'd like to arrive in London by 6 pm.
Would you like to take advantage of our special insurance / extra facilities?
… No thank you / Could you give me extra information?

Asking for more information:

Does this price include all taxes? (for hotels and flights)
Is there a booking fee? (for flights, theatre tickets)
How much is the baggage allowance? (for flights)
Could you confirm my booking?
What time should I arrive? (for theatres, restaurants)
What time do I have to check in / do I have to check out? (for flights, hotels)
Is there an ensuite bathroom? (for hotels)

Tips:
Remember the essential information:
– how many nights (at a hotel)
– how many people (at a restaurant or the theatre)
– what time (for a flight or at a restaurant)
– how much does it cost (for a flight, theatre tickets or a hotel room)
Research the vocabulary you need before you make a call:
– what type of theatre seat you need
– what type of hotel room you want
– where you want to sit on the plane
Remember to pronounce numbers and letters clearly.
When you spell something or give a number, speak slowly and emphasise the important
information.

8. WRITING AN E-MAIL

There are a number of ways to start the email. In many cases, you can copy the sender and use
the same greeting, but if you are the one to write first, here are some possible greetings.
– Friends and colleagues
"Hi" is informal, and you can use it for friends and colleagues.
You can also use "Hello" or "Hello + first name" if you know the person well.
– For acquaintances
Use "Dear Mr Jones" / "Dear Ms Jones" if you know the name of the person. Like with letters,
use Ms instead of Miss or Mrs when you write to women.
– Formal emails
If you don't know the name of the person, you can write "Dear Sir", "Dear Madam" or "Dear
Sir / Madam".

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– Writing to a group of people
If you are writing to a group of people, you could use a collective noun:
"Dear customers", "Dear partners".
If you are writing to a group of people who work in the same company or department, you could
write "Dear All", "Dear colleagues", or "Hello everyone".
– Writing to a group of bosses in your company
Here you could write "Dear Managers", "Dear Directors" or "Dear Board members".
– No greeting
Often in companies, you write quick emails to colleagues. Using email in this way is almost like
using the telephone. In these situations, you don't need to write any greeting or name, but just
start the message.

Starting your email:

Your first sentence should tell the reader what your email is about. Here are four of the most
common reasons for writing an email, along with some sentences you can use to start:
1. Replying to a previous email
"Thanks for the information."
"Thanks for your phone call."
"Thanks for getting me the figures."
2. Giving brief updates
"Just a quick note to tell you…"
"Just a quick note to let you know…"
"Just to update you on…"
3. Referring to an attachment
"Take a look at the attached file."
"Have a quick look at the file I've attached about…"
"Thought you might find the attached interesting."
4. Changing plans
"Sorry, but I can't make the meeting tomorrow."
"Sorry, but I won't be able to meet you next week."
"Sorry, but something has come up and I can't meet you for lunch."
Your first sentence should only have one theme. For example, your reason for writing may be to
ask for help, or to share some information, or to ask a question. Your first sentence for these
different situations could be:
"Have you got a few minutes to help me with…?"
"Just wanted to let you know…"
"Regarding X, can you tell me if…?"
If you have more than one reason for writing, give each reason its own paragraph. It doesn't
matter if your paragraph is only one line long. In fact, the extra space helps your reader to
understand you have more than one reason for writing, and that each reason is different from the
other.

Sample email writing:

Hi Jo!
Just wanted to let you know we got the project! They're signing tomorrow, so we should be
starting the planning next week.

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Regarding your presentation to them last year, do you still have the Powerpoint files?
Thanks

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