English lessons and practice games are intended for people aged 13 and over.
Enable JavaScript to listen, practice and save progress. The lesson content can still be read below.
Lesson 11 / Telephone
5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.
Call back, wait on the line and ask for a call connection in daily communication.
Match words to pictures →Play What is She/He doing? →
A randomly assigned, fixed male or female synthetic voice for each phrase or sentence · Slow playback at 0.7× preserves pitch.
I missed your call. I will call you back after lunch.
I missed your call. I will call you back after lunch.
Can you call me back when you are free?
Can you call me back when you are free?
Put a pronoun in the middle: “call me back”. Here the expression refers to a phone call.
Cambridge Dictionary · call back
The line was busy, but I finally got through.
The line was busy, but I finally got through.
I cannot get through to the office this morning.
I cannot get through to the office this morning.
“Get through” in the lesson means connecting a call; different from completing a certain amount of work.
Cambridge Dictionary · get through
Could you speak up? The street is very noisy.
Could you speak up? The street is very noisy.
Please speak up so everyone can hear you.
Please speak up so everyone can hear you.
This is increasing the voice volume, not speaking faster.
Hold on a moment. I need to find a pen.
Hold on a moment. I need to find a pen.
Can you hold on while I check the address?
Can you hold on while I check the address?
Used in calls or informal words to ask others to wait.
Could you put me through to the manager?
Could you put me through to the manager?
The receptionist put my call through to Anna.
The receptionist put my call through to Anna.
The person connecting the phone “puts you through”; The caller “gets through” once contact has been made.
The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 19, 53, 119, 63, 103. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.
One step forward every day
Your browser could not save your play history. Results from this session may be lost when you close the page.
Sentences using suggestions are counted as needing more practice. Review schedule based on each phrase's meaning.
OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH
Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.
Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.
Vy saw the missed call and called her friend back.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
After several unsuccessful calls, Vy connected the call with her friend.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Vy spoke into the phone louder because there was noise next door.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Vy held the phone and signaled to wait while looking for the notebook.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Vy uses a toy desk phone in a pretend reception area to transfer a call to a classmate. Minh guides her.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Choose a phrase to begin.
Your browser could not save your play history. Results from this session may be lost when you close the page.
Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.
I could not get through to the office this morning.
I could not get through to the office this morning.
Try calling back after lunch and ask to be put through to reception.
Try calling back after lunch and ask to be put through to reception.
If they answer quietly, I will ask them to speak up.
If they answer quietly, I will ask them to speak up.
“Call back” means phone again; “get through” means succeed in making contact. You may call back several times without getting through.
Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.
The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.
Reception could not connect Lina to an office. Lina leaves a number so the office can return her call.
Write the request she leaves.
Please call me back on this number.
Lina leaves her number for a return call: “call me back”, with “me” between the two words.
Correct: Could you put through me to bookings?
Could you put me through to bookings?
Connecting Lina to bookings is “put me through to bookings”; “me” cannot follow “through” here.
Explain the unsuccessful first attempt using get through.
I could not get through to the bookings office this morning.
“Could not get through” means the first attempt failed to connect, although Lina tried to call.
The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.
Progress is saved on the device. Sign in with Google to save with the same account and continue on another device.