📞 Can I Speak To Mr. Karim? — Phone Calls & Apologies
Ring, ring! Today you will learn to answer and make phone calls ("This is Nora's mom." · "Can I speak to Mr. Karim, please?" · "Just a minute, please."), understand a voicemail, say sorry in two ways (Sorry about the noise! · Sorry, but I can't come today.) and answer an apology kindly: "Don't worry about it!"
Calling The School
Nora is sick in bed (remember Lesson 36?). Her mom calls the school. Read the little scene below.
🤔 Who answers the phone at your school?
📞 Telephone Language
In formal situations (a school, an office, a doctor), we use special phrases on the phone. With friends, we can be more informal.
☎️ Answering
Give the name of the place, then your name with speaking or this is.
- "Jasmine School. Salma speaking."
- "Jasmine School. This is Salma."
- "How can I help you?"
- "Just a minute, please." (wait)
📱 Calling
Identify yourself with this is before your name, or calling after your name.
- "This is Hichem Trabelsi."
- "Hichem Trabelsi calling."
- "Can I speak to Mr. Karim, please?"
📼 Voicemail
Sometimes a machine answers. You might hear:
- "Please leave a message after the tone."
- "We are currently closed. Please call again."
On the phone, say "This is Leo." ✅ — not "I am Leo." And with your friends, you can be informal: "Hey, Adam! It's Leo. What's up?" (Lesson 36!) — but never with the school secretary.
📲 The Phone Call Simulator
Choose a call, then pick the best thing to say at each step. Listen to the other person answer you!
🗂️ The Phone Line Sorter
Who says it? The person answering, the person calling, or the voicemail? 9 lines.
🙏 Making And Accepting Apologies
When you make a mistake or you can't do something, say sorry. When someone says sorry to you, be kind!
🙏 Sorry about + noun
- Sorry about your pencil! (you broke it)
- Sorry about the noise! (your music is too loud)
- Sorry about the mess! · Sorry about the meeting!
🙏 Sorry, but + sentence
- Sorry, but I can't come to school today.
- Sorry, but I'm sick.
- A: Can you come to my birthday party? — B: Sorry, but I have the flu.
🤖 The Apology Machine
Read the situation and choose the correct apology: Sorry about… or Sorry, but…? 8 situations.
Listen And Repeat!
Click 🔊 Listen to hear the phrase, 🐢 Slowly to hear it slower, then 🎙️ My turn and say it out loud into your microphone!
✍️ Practice Time!
Exercise 1 — True Or False?
Exercise 2 — Complete The Dialogue
Fill in the missing word in each line of the conversation.
🎭 Create & Record: An Important Phone Call
Write a phone call. Your friend invites you to a family party, but you are sick. Answer the phone, say who you are, apologize with "Sorry, but…" and say what's wrong. Your friend accepts your apology and gives you advice.
🎙️ Now, Record It!
Hold your hand like a phone and read your call out loud — two voices! Then listen back.
🎯 Final Quiz — Phone Calls & Apologies
Answer 7 questions to test everything you learned in this lesson!