English Conversation Practice through Level 1 English Dialogues. We use only easy English sentences with simple grammar for beginners.
Each of these English Dialogues describes a different situation and uses real-life English sentences. Some dialogues have more difficult vocabulary, but the grammar is always the same, i.e. only very simple, basic English grammar is used.
Contents:
D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4, D-5, D-6, D-7, D-8, D-9, D-10, D-11, D-12, D-13, D-14, D-15, D-16, D-17, D-18, D-19, D-20, D-21, D-22, D-23, D-24, D-25, D-26, D-27, D-28, D29, D-30, D-31, D-32, D-33, D-34, D-35, D-36, D-37, D-38, D-39, D-40, D-41, D-42, D-43, D-44, D-45, D-46, D-47, D-48, D-49, D-50, D-51
English Dialogues 1
“Hi. How are you?”
“Not bad, thank you. And how about you?“
“The usual. A lot of work and very little time… Listen, I’m looking for Jack. Did you see him?”
“Yes, I saw him ten minutes ago, but he is not here now. I think that he’ll be back in two hours.”
“Ah, OK. That’s a little problem…”
“Can I help you, perhaps?”
“No, not really. I need to speak to him in person. Never mind. I’ll call him on his mobile phone.”
“Yeah, do that. But I think that he is at a business meeting now. So maybe, he will not take your call.”
“No worries. Can you please tell him that I’m looking for him.”
“Sure, I can. When he gets back, I will tell him that you need to talk to him.”
“OK, thank you!”
English Dialogues 2
“How many do you need?”
“Three will be enough. But I need to have them tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That’s too early. I need at least five days.”
“Five days?”
“At least five days.”
“Why does it take so long? I thought that you keep them in your warehouse.”
“Yes, we usually keep them in our warehouse, but we sold everything last week.”
“OK. But I can’t wait for five days. It’s too long for me. I need those parts now.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you. I don’t have any in the warehouse now.”
“Do you know where I can get them? Does anybody else sell those parts?”
“I know only about one company. They are called ‘Sigma Parts’. They have their warehouse on the other side of the city.”
“OK. Good. Do you have their number, please?”
“No, I don’t. But you can find them on the internet easily. There should be some contact information on their website.”
“OK, no problem. I will look for them on the internet. Thank you for your help.”
“That’s OK. I hope that you will get your parts there.”
English Dialogues 3
“Here, sit down on this chair. Do you want some coffee?”
“No, thank you. I don’t drink coffee.”
“Water?”
“Yes, I’ll have some water. Thank you.”
“Here you go…”
“Thanks.”
“No, I’m fine, thank you. I only need to talk to Ms Lara.”
“Sure. I think they will finish their meeting in five or ten minutes. After that she will talk to you.”
“That’s no problem. I will wait. Where can I find the toilets, please?”
“Just go down the corridor and you will find them at the end, on your right.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be right back.“
English Dialogues 4
“Is she coming, too?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t tell me.”
“You said that you talked to her.”
“Yes, I talked to her, but she didn’t tell me. You can ask her yourself. She will be here later today.”
“I know. Peter is coming, too.”
“Really? I didn’t know that. Do you know when exactly?”
“I’m not sure. They should come by five o’clock. The meeting starts at 5:30 and they always come earlier.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to seeing them again. Who is giving the presentation?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it will be someone from the sales department.”
“Again? They gave the presentation last time.”
“I know… Don’t ask me why.”
“I hope that it won’t take long. I don’t feel like sitting there until 8 o’clock.”
“They said that we should not make any plans for the evening.”
“Well, they didn’t tell me anything.”
“OK. Now you know.”
English Dialogues 5
“It’s €15.28.”
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you. How much is it?”
“It’s €15.28. Will you pay in cash?”
“No, I don’t have any cash on me. I can only pay by card. Is it a problem?”
“I don’t know, we’ll see. We had a little problem with our payment terminal, but maybe it is working now.”
“I see. Let’s try it. Just tell me when I can use my card.”
“You can use it now.”
“OK, there. Do I need to use my pin?”
“Yes, please.”
“Did it work?”
“Just a second… No, sorry, it didn’t work. The payment didn’t get through.“
“Oh, OK. So… now what?”
“We’ll try it again. Just let me do something here… OK. Can you please try your card now.”
“Sure…. Did it work?”
“Yes, it worked this time. The payment went through. Everything’s good now. Sorry about this.”
“No problem. I’m happy that your terminal is working now.”
“Yes, me too! Have a good day!”
“And you! Bye.”
English Dialogues 6
“Come on! We need to hurry up!“
“Why? How much time do we have?”
“We have about 10 minutes. We need to catch this bus or we will miss the train.”
“Last time we went later. And we didn’t miss the train.”
“Yes, but last time, we took a different train. We really need to hurry up!”
“OK, OK. I am almost ready. Do you have the keys?”
“Yes, I do. I also have the money and I have the train tickets. We can go.”
“Wait a second. I almost forgot my mobile phone. You know that I cannot live without it!”
“Yes, I know that. Your phone is your life. Do you have everything now?”
“I think so.”
“Good. So put on your shoes and let’s go! I hope that we won’t miss the train…”
“Don’t worry, we won’t miss it.”
“Just stop talking and let’s go!”
English Dialogues 7
“Is Jack coming with us?”
“No, he isn’t.”
“Why not?”
“He doesn’t want to come with us.”
“Did he say why?”
“No, he didn’t say. And I didn’t ask.”
“I don’t understand that. I spoke to him last week and he told me: ‘Yes, yes, I will come.'”
“Maybe he changed his mind. You see, the weather is not very nice for a trip to the mountains.”
“The weather? The weather is not the problem. When it rains, you take an umbrella. When it is cold, you put on warm clothes… The problem is that Jack wants to stay at home and play his video games.”
“Maybe you are right.”
“Of course that I am right. I am sure that he bought a new video game and now he wants to play it during the weekend.”
“So, what will we do? Will we try to persuade him?”
“No. Let him stay at home. We’ll go on the trip without him.”
English Dialogues 8
“What is this?”
“That’s a book.”
“Well, I can see that, but whose book is it?”
“I don’t know. It was already here when I came.”
“Do you think that I can take it?”
“I think so. Nobody came and looked for it. Somebody probably forgot it on the bench.”
“OK, so I will take it and read it during the weekend.”
“OK, enjoy it. By the way, what is the book about? Is it some love story?”
“Fingers crossed! Do you read only detective stories?”
“No, not really. I read everything except for love stories. I hate those!”
“I can see that… and do you read in the morning or in the evening?”
“It doesn’t matter to me. When I start reading, I don’t stop reading until I finish the book.”
“Nice. Do you read every weekend?”
“No, I don’t. I only read when I find something.”
English Dialogues 9
“Where is he?”
“He’s outside.”
“Why? What is he doing there?”
“I think that he is smoking.”
“Smoking? Again? He was outside twenty minutes ago!”
“Yes, I know. He smokes a lot. I told him that he should stop smoking.”
“OK, and what did he say?”
“He said: ‘No, I will not stop smoking. I like it. I like smoking.'”
“But it is bad for his health.”
“Yes, I know…”
“I know that you know. But does he know?”
“I think that he knows it too. But he is young. And you know how young people think.”
“No, I don’t. How do young people think? Please, tell me.”
“Well, I mean they don’t care about anything. They don’t care about their health. They don’t care about the money. They don’t care about their future. They want to live for the moment. They want to have fun. They want to enjoy their life. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand. But does he understand that he is at work now? So please, go outside and bring him back, or he will lose his job. He can have fun at the weekend.
English Dialogues 10
“Whose wallet is this?”
“I don’t know. Why are you asking?”
“I found it on the floor when I got out of the lift.”
“Did someone lose it?”
“Of course! Someone lost it and I want to give it back to him.”
“How do you want to find that person?”
“I will ask people. Maybe someone will know whose wallet it is.”
“Good luck with that! There are hundreds of people in this building. It will be very difficult to find this person.”
“Yes, I agree. But I must find him somehow…”
“Did you look into the wallet?”
“Yes, I looked inside.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And what is inside? Maybe there is this person’s ID card with his name and his photo.”
“No, there isn’t any ID card inside. There’s only money.”
“How much money is there?”
“I won’t tell you. It is a private thing. When I find someone who lost his wallet this morning, I will ask him: ‘How much money is there in the wallet?'”
“And what if this person cannot remember how much money he had in his wallet?”
“He will remember, don’t worry. There is a lot of money inside.”
“OK. I hope that you’ll find that person as soon as possible.”
English Dialogues 11
“What happened to you? Did you break your arm?”
“Yes, I broke my arm, but it is not very bad.”
“Does it hurt?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt me now. But it is not very comfortable. I have to keep my arm in the same position all the time.”
“I can believe you. It must be very difficult for you. I know that you like doing sport.”
“You are right. It is awful… I can’t go to the gym, I can’t go running, I can’t play football.”
“And how do you usually spend your weekends? I know that you cannot do sport now. So except for the sport, what do you usually do during the weekends? Do you watch films?”
“Sometimes. But I don’t like watching films or TV very much. I like walking. I cannot do sport now, but I can walk! I usually take my dog and I go for a long walk with him. This did not change.”
“OK, that’s nice. And what else do you do? Do you like reading books?”
“Sometimes. But I don’t read too much. I find it a little bit boring. When I read, I always fall asleep.”
English Dialogues 12
‘I’m sorry that I am a little late.’
‘No problem. You are only 5 minutes late. Did you miss your bus?’
‘No, I didn’t miss the bus. I met a friend and we talked a little. And I forgot about the time.’
‘OK. I understand. Is he a good friend? I mean – do you meet often?’
‘He is a good friend, but we do not meet very often now. He is my friend from the primary school.’
‘And why don’t you meet very often? Does he live here, in our city?’
‘No, he doesn’t. And that’s the problem. He moved abroad and now he lives in UK. He has a job and his family there.’
‘But you met him here, in our city!’
‘Yes. He comes here twice or three times a year. He comes because he wants to visit his parents.’
‘Ah, I see now. So he is here for holiday.’
‘Yes. And I met him on my way here. We talked a little about the old days.’
‘Is he staying here for many days?’
‘No, he isn’t. This is his last day here. He is flying back to UK tomorrow morning. He has to go to the airport very early in the morning.’
English Dialogues 13
‘Where were you last weekend?’
‘Why are you asking? Did something bad happen during the weekend?’
‘No, nothing bad happened. I just want to know how you spent your weekend. That’s all. Did you spend it with your family?’
‘No, I didn’t spend the weekend with my family. I spent it with my good friends.’
‘Last month you went on a trip to the mountains with some friends. Are these the same friends?’
‘Yes, these are the same people. But this weekend, we didn’t go on a trip. We stayed here in the city.’
‘Nice. And did you spend the whole weekend together?’
‘No, we didn’t. We spent only Saturday together. On Friday I stayed at home and watched TV and on Sunday I slept a little longer and read my book in the afternoon because the weather wasn’t nice.’
‘OK. And what did you do with your friends on Saturday?’
‘I will tell you some other time, OK? I don’t have much time to talk right now.’
‘Sure, no problem. I’ll talk to you some other time.
English Dialogues 14
‘Where is Judy?’
‘I don’t know. She was here five minutes ago. Why are you looking for her?’
‘I just need to talk to her about something.’
‘Maybe I can help you…’
‘I don’t think so. It is not about work. I need to talk to her about something personal.’
‘I understand. I’m sure you will meet her later. I know that she is in the building.’
‘Good. I will call her on her mobile phone shortly.’
‘OK. But now that you are here, maybe you could help me with something.’
‘Sure, I’ll try. What is it?’
‘It’s about this new machine which we bought two months ago. Do you know which machine I’m talking about?’
‘Yes, of course. What’s wrong with it?’
‘Peter said that the cooling equipment isn’t working properly. He said that we need to buy some spare parts. He also told me which, but I do not know this machine very well. I just want to make sure that I buy the correct spare parts. Could you have a look at it, please?’
‘Sure, I can do that for you. Is it urgent? How soon do you need it?’
‘No, it isn’t urgent. I have two weeks for this, but I want to buy it as soon as possible.’
‘I see. No problem. Could you please send it to my email and I will have a look at it this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Is that OK for you?’
‘That’s perfect! I will send you all the details in a few minutes. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it!’
‘No worries. I’m always happy to help!’
English Dialogues 15
‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Of course!’
‘Where did you buy your shoes?’
‘My shoes? I bought them in one little shop. It is on the other side of the city. Do you like them?’
‘Yes, I like them very much. Were they expensive? How much were they?’
‘They were about €90. I can’t remember exactly. But I think it was a fair price.’
‘Why do you think so? Why do you think that it was a fair price?’
‘Because good shoes are expensive. And these are very good shoes. They look nice and they are very comfortable.’
‘It’s good to know that they are comfortable. It is very important for me. And I really like their design. Do you think that they still have them in that shop?’
‘I think so. Maybe they don’t have the same colour, but I am sure that they still have the shoes.’
‘Great! I will go there next weekend and buy them, too.’
‘Why next weekend? You should go there as soon as possible. Many people liked these shoes. And many people bought them. You should hurry up! Or they will sell all those shoes to other people.’
‘Oh, OK. I didn’t think about that! I will go there this afternoon. Thanks for your advice!’
‘Anytime!‘
English Dialogues 16
‘The weather’s not very nice today. What do you think?’
‘No, it isn’t nice at all. It is cold and cloudy. It is good to stay indoors now.’
‘Do you think that it will rain?’
‘Yes, I think so. I think it will rain later today. But it’s OK for me. I came by car today. I will go home by car after work.’
‘Lucky you! I came by bus. I always go by bus. I don’t have a car.’
‘I understand. Car is very expensive. It costs a lot of money. And sometimes I can’t find a parking place.’
‘Yes, but on a day like this, it is an advantage to have a car.’
‘Yes, it is an advantage. I like my car. I don’t need to carry an umbrella on a rainy day. I hope that you didn’t forget your umbrella.’
‘Actually, I did. I forgot my umbrella today.’
‘So, you will get wet. It will rain on you, when you are waiting for your bus.’
‘No, it won’t rain on me. I always keep one umbrella in my office. There is one umbrella behind my desk.’
‘Good. You are ready for everything!’
‘No, not for everything. But I am always ready for the rain!’
English Dialogues 17
‘Who was that?’
‘It was John, my brother-in-law.’
‘Oh, OK. Does he call you often?’
‘No, he doesn’t. He only calls me when he needs something.’
‘So, he called you because he needed something?’
‘Yes, he needs my help.’
‘What does he need from you?’
‘He is painting his house this weekend. So he called me and asked “Can you come this weekend? Can you help me with painting?”‘
‘And what did you tell him?’
‘I told him “Of course, I can. I will come and help you. It’s no problem for me.”‘
‘It is very nice of you. Do you always help your brother-in-law?’
‘Yes, I do. And he always helps me. Last year I painted my house. And I needed his help. So I asked him for help.’
‘And did he come? Did your brother-in-law help you?’
‘Yes, of course. He came and he helped me, too.’
‘So you help him and he helps you.’
‘That’s correct. We always help each other. We are family.’
English Dialogues 18
‘You look tired!’
‘I am tired.’
‘Why are you tired? When did you get up?’
‘I got up at 6:30 as usual. But that’s not the reason why I am tired.’
‘So why are you tired?’
‘I am tired because I didn’t sleep well. I was up all night. I went to bed at 10 o’clock, but I couldn’t sleep.’
‘Why couldn’t you sleep? Did your neighbours have a party? Did they play loud music?’
‘No, they didn’t have any party. There was no loud music.’
‘So what was the problem? Why couldn’t you sleep?’
‘I felt sick. I had a very bad stomach ache.’
‘I see. Did your stomach hurt a lot?’
‘Yes, it hurt a lot. I couldn’t stay in bed. I got up and I walked from one corner of the room to another corner of the room.’
‘Did you take some medicine?’
‘Yes, I took some medicine. And I drank hot tea.’
‘And did it help?’
‘At first it didn’t help. But after one hour, the pain started to disappear.’
‘OK. So what did you do then?’
‘I went back to bed and I tried to sleep.’
‘And when did you fall asleep?’
‘I fell asleep at about four o’clock.’
‘OK. Now I understand why you look so tired.’
English Dialogues 19
‘Did you say something?’
‘No, I didn’t say anything. I am reading now. Did you hear something?’
‘Yes, I think I heard something. I thought that someone said something. Probably, I only imagined it.’
‘Probably. I didn’t say anything and there is nobody else here.’
‘Yes, I know. I am sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you.’
‘No problem. I can make a short break and we can talk a little bit about something.’
‘OK, fine. But first, I need to make some coffee. Do you want some coffee, too?’
‘Yes, why not. I love coffee.’
‘I like coffee, too. Do you drink a lot of cups a day?’
‘I think so. I usually drink four or five cups of coffee a day. And how about you? Do you drink a lot of coffee?’
‘Yes, I do. I drink at least seven cups a day.’
‘Seven cups! That is a lot of coffee. I drink a lot, but you drink more!’
‘Yes, I agree. I drink a lot of coffee. Maybe I drink too much coffee. I don’t know.’
‘That’s OK. We can have one more cup together now. Will you make the coffee, or will I make the coffee?’
‘I can make it. You can read your book. I am going to the kitchen now. I will be back as soon as possible.’
English Dialogues 20
‘What are they building here?’
‘I don’t know exactly. I think it will be a new shopping centre.’
‘Another shopping centre! They built one shopping centre last year! And it is not far from here.’
‘I know.’
‘Who goes there? Everybody says that people don’t have money.’
‘Yes, I know. I hear it all the time. But it is not true. People have money. Some people have a lot of money.’
‘I agree. Some people have a lot of money. And so they need another shopping centre. They need to spend their money there.’
‘Yes, people like spending money. Do you like shopping?’
‘Me? No way! I don’t like shopping at all. I only go to a shop, when I need to buy something. When I don’t need anything, I don’t go to a shop. And what about you? Do you like shopping?’
‘Sometimes I do. During winter I like going to shopping centres. I meet my friends there. We have coffee together. And sometimes I go to shops there and I buy something. But in summer, I don’t go to shopping centres at all. In summer I spend my time outdoors on the bike or roller-blades.
English Dialogues 21
‘Could you show me that T-shirt, please?’
‘Which one? This one?’
‘No, not that one. The one next to it.’
‘This one?’
‘Yes, that’s the one.’
‘Here you go.’
‘Thank you. I just want to touch the material.’
‘I understand. No problem. Have a look. Do you like it?’
‘Yes, I do. It looks very nice. I like the design, too. How much is it, please?’
‘It’s €18.50.’
‘OK. And how much is that blue T-shirt on the right side, please?’
‘This one?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘This one’s €39.00.’
‘€39.00 for a T-shirt! That’s too expensive for me…’
‘I understand. They are not the same T-shirts.’
‘OK. So what is the difference between this T-shirt and that one?’
‘This T-shirt is more expensive because it is made of more durable material. And it is also nicer to touch.’
‘Can I try?’
‘Yes. Try and touch the material. What do you think?’
‘I don’t know. I can’t feel any difference. I will take the one for €18.50, please.’
‘Sure, no problem. Just a second. I’ll get it ready for you. Will you pay with cash or by card?’
‘I’ll pay by card, please.’
English Dialogues 22
‘Good morning. Can I ask you something?’
‘Sure. What’s your question?’
‘I am looking for Mr. Pan. I know that he lives here, but I don’t know on which floor. Do you know Mr. Pan?’
‘Do you mean Mr. Peter Pan?’
‘I think so. I am not sure about his first name…’
‘OK. I think that he lives on the 67th floor.’
‘On the 67th floor!? So high!’
‘Yes, so high. It’s Peter Pan!’
‘How many floors does this building have?’
‘It has 82 floors. So the 67th floor is not the highest floor.’
‘Yes, I understand that. But it is very high, do you agree?’
‘Yes, I agree. But you can take the lift. You just press the button and the lift will take you up to the 67th floor in a very short time.’
‘I wanted to take the stairs, but I think I will take the lift because it is too high for me.’
‘Nobody takes stairs. Everybody takes the lift.’
‘Maybe the people from the first or the second floor take the stairs.’
‘Maybe, but I never met people from the first or the second floor.’
‘Thank you for your help. Have a nice day!’
‘No problem. Have a nice day, too!’
English Dialogues 23
‘What are you doing this weekend?’
‘I’m going out with my friends on Friday. We are going to pub for a few beers.’
‘Do you go to pub every Friday?’
‘No, not every Friday, but my friends and I go out for a beer quite often.’
‘Do you like beer?’
‘Yes, I do. But I don’t drink too much. I usually have two or three pints. And what about you? Do you like beer?’
‘No, I don’t like it very much. Sometimes I drink it, but I prefer wine to beer… But you didn’t finish talking about your plans for the weekend.’
‘Oh, yes. So, on Friday I am going to pub. On Saturday I am taking my kids to the ZOO and on Sunday I’m going to stay at home and work in the garden.’
‘That sounds like a nice weekend.’
‘Yes, thank you. That’s our plan. I hope the weather will be good.’
‘It should be. I watched the weather forecast in the morning and they said that the weather will be very nice this weekend. It should be sunny, but not very hot.’
‘That’s really good news! I was not sure about the weather… And what are you doing this weekend?’
I wanted to go on a trip, but I can’t. My colleague is sick and cannot come to work. So I have to go to work instead of him this weekend.’
‘I didn’t know that you work during weekends.’
‘I do. But not every weekend. I go to work every other weekend.’
English Dialogues 24
‘Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you.’
‘I don’t have much time right now. Could we leave it for tomorrow?’
‘I don’t think so. I am not here tomorrow and it is quite urgent.’
‘OK. Is it for long?’
‘No. I only need a few minutes of your time.’
‘OK, so tell me. What is so urgent that it cannot wait?’
‘It’s simple. I am leaving.’
‘Yes, I know. You said that you aren’t here tomorrow. Are you going on holidays?’
‘No, I’m not going on holidays. I am leaving this company. I am leaving forever.’
‘Why? Are you not happy with your salary?’
‘No, I’m not happy with my salary at all.’
‘OK.’
‘And I am not happy with the working hours. And I do not like my desk. And I don’t like the people who work with me.’
‘Is there anything that you like about this company?’
‘No, there isn’t. I don’t like the people and I don’t like this job. I am leaving and I will never come back.’
‘Good. Is that all? I really need to go now. I wish you good luck. And please, don’t forget to close the door.’
English Dialogues 25
‘Hi Jack. Where are you going?’
‘Hello Richard. I’m on my way to the shopping centre.’
‘I see. Are you going to buy something?’
‘No, I’m not going to buy anything. I don’t need anything.’
‘So, why are you going to the shopping centre?’
‘I’m going to meet my friend.’
‘Do you often meet this friend?’
‘No, not often. The last time we met was two years ago. I didn’t see him for a long time.’
‘Yes, two years is a long time. So, why do you want to meet with him today?’
‘He is my old friend from school. We studied together. He has his own IT company and he is very successful. I want to start my own business. I want to have my own company.’
‘I see. And you think that he can help you.’
‘Exactly! I think that he can give me some good advice. I want to start my company, but I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know how to do it.’
‘It is very good that you have a friend who can help you. He should give you some very good advice.’
‘I hope so!’
‘OK, so I wish you good luck with your new business! Have a nice day!’
‘Thank you! And you!’
English Dialogues 26
‘Where did you put the keys?’
‘They are in the little basket near the door, as usual.’
‘No, they are not here. I cannot see them. I think that you put them somewhere else.’
‘That is strange. I always put them in the same place. Where can they be?’
‘I don’t know. I can’t see them anywhere. Can you please look for them?’
‘Yes, of course! I am already looking for them. They should be in that basket.’
‘I know that they should be there. But they are not.’
‘Let me think.. I opened the door when I came home, so the keys must be somewhere here.’
‘That’s good news! But where? Did you check the trouser pockets? Maybe they are in your trouser pockets.’
‘I checked the pockets and the keys are not there. Let me check my jacket…’
‘Did you find them?’
‘No, I didn’t find them. They are not in my jacket.’
‘So, where can they be?’
‘I don’t know, but I didn’t lose them. They must be in the apartment.’
‘OK, but where? Where are they?’
‘Oh, I know! I put them on the fridge! I came from the shop and I had bags in my hands, so I went straight to the kitchen, and I left them on the fridge. Yes, they are here!’
‘Wonderful. I’m happy that you found them!’
English Dialogues 27
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m reading.’
‘OK. And what are you reading?’
‘I’m reading a book.’
‘A book? What book?’
‘Well, it isn’t a real book. It is only a short little book. It has only thirty pages.’
‘Thirty pages? What book is it?’
‘It is a little book, and it is written in English.’
‘Ah, OK. So it is a short book in English. Now I understand. Thirty pages are many pages when you read them in English.’
‘Yes. It is too many pages for me.’
‘And can you understand the book? Can you understand what you are reading?’
‘Yes, I can. But not everything. And I have to use my dictionary all the time. There are many new words for me.’
‘But you learn English words every day.’
‘Yes, I learn them every day, but I cannot remember them. I learn them and then I always forget them. Then I have to look into my dictionary again. And then again.’
‘Everybody must do that. Everybody has the same problem when he wants to learn a foreign language.’
‘Yes, but I always forget the words. Sometimes I think that I will never learn English. It is very difficult for me.’
‘Don’t worry. You will learn English very fast. Just don’t stop reading your book in English. Read it every day!’
English Dialogues 28
‘What’s wrong? You don’t look very well. Are you ill?’
‘No, I’m not ill. I’m just in a very bad mood.’
‘Why? What happened?’
‘Someone broke into our house yesterday.’
‘Really! I am very sorry to hear that! Did they steal many things?’
‘Yes, of course! They stole out TV set and our laptops. They took my wife’s jewellery and some of our money.’
‘So, they did not take all your money, did they?’
‘No, they didn’t steal all of it. We keep our money in many places.’
‘You should keep your money in the bank.’
‘Of course, we keep most of our money in our bank. But we also keep some cash at home. But they didn’t find all of the money.’
‘So, it is not so bad. I mean, they stole many things, but you are not poor because of it.’
‘No, of course not. The biggest problem is that they stole my notebook. I kept all my work in it.’
‘But you have some back-up, don’t you?’
‘No, I don’t. That’s the problem. I only kept my work in that notebook.’
‘That was silly. You should always have some back-up for your data because you never know what can happen.’
‘Yes, I know. I didn’t have a back-up for my documents and now I have a big problem.’
English Dialogues 29
‘Could you turn on the light, please? It’s getting dark.’
‘Sure. I just wanted to turn it on. Are you reading something?’
‘No, I am not reading now, but I think I will read something in a minute. And what are you doing?’
‘I’m going to make some tea and then I will join you. I will read something on my mobile phone.’
‘What kind of tea are you making?’
‘I think I’ll make some herbal tea. I prefer black tea to herbal tea, but it is too late for black tea now. Would you like a cup of tea as well?’
‘Yes, please. Thank you. I will have a cup of herbal tea, too.’
‘Good. No problem. I will also put some lemon and honey in it. Would you like some honey or lemon in your tea?’
‘No, thank you. I want no honey. I want no lemon. Just the tea please.’
‘OK. I will be back in a few minutes. You can read your book and I will bring the tea for you.’
‘I think I will wait for the tea and then we can talk a little bit. I will read later or tomorrow.’
‘Good idea. I will make the tea and we can talk about your book.’
English Dialogues 30
‘Do you know what happened to me yesterday?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘And would you like to know?’
‘Yes, of course! Please, tell me. What happened to you yesterday?’
‘I decided to visit my friend. He lives on the other side of the city. But my car broke down a week ago, so I couldn’t use the car.’
‘OK, I see. So what did you do? Did you take a taxi?’
‘No, I didn’t take a taxi. I took a bus.’
‘Bus? Did you go to the other side of the city by bus?’
‘Not exactly. I got on the bus and I wanted to go to the other side of the city.’
‘But?’
‘But, when we crossed the bridge, something happened to the bus.’
‘Really? And what happened to the bus?’
‘The same thing that happened to my car. The bus broke down.’
‘Oh. And what did you do then?’
‘Well, I got off the bus and got on a tram. Trams are more reliable, you know.’
‘Yes, I know. So you went to the other side of the city by tram, correct?’
‘Not exactly. I wanted to go there by tram, but five minutes after I got on the tram, something bad happened again.’
‘What happened?’
‘The same thing that happened to my car and the bus. The tram broke down.’
‘You’re joking!’
‘No, I’m not. I am serious.’
‘You don’t think that…’
‘Yes, I do! I think that my car, the bus and the tram broke down because I was inside.’
‘It cannot be true.’
‘Yes, it can. And I think it is true. But I am going to try it one more time. Just to be sure.’
‘Really? And what are you going to do?’
‘Tomorrow, I am flying to London.’
English Dialogues 31
‘Look what I found on the street!’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s a wallet.’
‘Wallet? Is there any money in it?’
‘Yes, there is. There is a lot of money in it.’
‘How much?’
‘About two thousand euro.’
‘Two thousand euro! That’s a lot of money,’
‘Yes, it is a lot of money. I am a happy man.’
‘Why do you think that you’re a happy man?’
‘What do you mean “Why”? I didn’t have two thousand euro and now I have two thousand euro.’
‘But the wallet is not yours!’
‘And whose is it?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘So I will keep it, It’s mine now. What else can I do?’
‘There are two possibilities.’
‘Really? OK, tell me. What is the first possibility?’
‘The first possibility is that you will go to the police.’
‘Do you really think that I should go to the police? They will take my name, my address, my phone number. I will have to spend a few hours there.’
‘Yes I know. They will keep you there for a few hours.’
‘But I don’t have much time. I don’t want to stay at the police station for a few hours. And what is the other possibility?’
‘The other possibility is that you will keep the wallet.’
‘And the money.’
‘Yes, and the money, But I don’t think that it is a good thing.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, someone lost the money. Perhaps he needs it now.’
‘So you think that I should go to the police.’
‘Yes, I think that you should. And I think that you shouldn’t keep the money. It isn’t yours.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Look. Imagine that I’ll go to the police. What will happen? I will lose a lot of time because they will ask me many questions. They will write down my name, my address and my phone number and many other things.’
‘OK, that’s true. You will need to spend a few hours there. So what?‘
‘I will leave the wallet with the money in their hands. What will happen next? Do you think that they will find the owner of this wallet?’
‘Yes, I think that they will find the owner of the wallet. They are the police. They are good at finding people.’
‘No, they won’t find him.’
‘How do you know?’
‘They won’t find him because they will never look for him. They will take the money and they will never look for the man. And do you know the worst thing about this?’
‘Tell me. What is the worst thing about this?’
‘The worst thing is that they will think that I am stupid.’
‘Why?’
‘They will think that I am stupid because I didn’t keep the money, but brought it to them.’
‘I see what you mean.’
‘Do you still think that I should go to the police?’
‘No way! You found it, you should keep it. It’s yours!’
‘I think you’re right. Let’s go for a beer. I pay.’
‘Good. Let’s go!’
English Dialogues 32
‘Hi Peter. Do you have some time this afternoon?’
‘Sure. Why?’
‘I need some help in the garden.’
‘OK. No problem. What exactly do you need?’
‘We have an old walnut tree in our garden. It is very high now. Some branches look dangerous.’
‘And you want to cut down the tree, correct?’
‘No, not the whole tree. I want to cut off a few branches at the top of the tree. But the tree is too close to the house.’
‘And you are afraid that the branches will fall on the roof of your house.’
‘Yes, exactly. I need your help.’
‘What will I do?’
‘We will tie one end of a rope on the branch and you will hold the other end. When I cut off the branch, you will pull the rope. In this way, the branch will fall down on the ground and not on the roof of my house.’
‘OK, no problem. I can help you with that. But I don’t have much time this afternoon. I think we will need at least two hours for this work.’
‘Yes, two hours or more. There are more branches. I want to cut off three or four branches.’
‘OK. So, let’s do it on Saturday. I am free on the Saturday morning. I will come in the morning and we will have a lot of time for this work. Is Saturday OK for you?’
‘Yes, Saturday is perfect for me. Thank you Peter.’
‘No problem. I will be there on Saturday morning.’
English Dialogues 33
‘Where are you going?’
‘I’m going for a walk. I need some fresh air.’
‘OK, but you should put on a warmer jacket. It is cold outside.’
‘Yes, it is cold, but not as much as you think. Besides, I am wearing a warm sweater under the jacket. I don’t think I will be cold.’
‘OK. Will you be long?’
‘I don’t know. I want to have a long walk. I need some fresh air and some exercise.’
‘I agree. You shouldn’t sit at your PC so much.’
‘I spend a lot of time at the PC because it is my work. You know that.’
‘Of course, I know that. But it is not good for your health and it isn’t good for your eyes.’
‘I know. That’s the reason why I am going for a walk now.’
‘Good. Are you taking the dog?’
‘No, I am not. I am going for a walk without the dog.’
‘Why? So you will go for a walk outside and the dog will stay at home? Don’t be silly! Take the dog and go!’
‘OK, I’ll take the dog with me. See you later.’
English Dialogues 34
‘Do you still have that old mobile phone?’
‘Which one?’
‘The one which you bought three or four years ago. Do you remember? It was not a smart phone.’
‘Oh, you mean that old phone with basic functions! I don’t have it anymore.’
‘Where is it? Who has it?’
‘I threw it away.’
‘What? But why?’
‘I threw it away because I didn’t need it.’
‘OK, but you could sell it! Why did you throw it away?’
‘The reason why I threw it away was that nobody wanted to buy it.’
‘Did you try to sell it?’
‘Yes, of course. I tried to sell it on the internet a few times. But nobody called me and said – I want to buy that phone.’
‘What a pity! I need such a phone now.’
‘Why do you need such a phone? It was an old phone. You couldn’t use internet on it. You couldn’t play games on it. You couldn’t check your emails or Facebook on it. It was an old and useless phone.’
‘I know. But it was very small and it was good for phone calls.’
‘But I thought that you had a phone. You had a Samsung Galaxy phone, didn’t you? Did you lose it?’
‘No, I didn’t lose it. I still have it. But my cousin needs one for his work. He doesn’t like smart phones. He only wants to make calls with his phone.’
‘I see. However, I am sorry, but I can’t help you. I don’t have that phone anymore.’
English Dialogues 35
‘Are you busy?
‘Yes, I am very busy now. I have a lot of work. And what about you? Are you busy too?’
‘Yes, I am. But not as much as usual. I have a lot of work, that’s true. But I can leave some of that work for the next week. I am doing only the most urgent things.’
‘I see. Well, I have to finish everything by Friday. That’s the reason why I am working so hard.’
‘Why? Why do you have to finish everything by Friday? Is the end of the world coming?’
‘No, I hope not! But I am flying to China on Saturday.’
‘To China? For how long?’
‘I will spend two weeks there.’
‘But why are you flying to China?’
‘We have some business partners there. We buy many things from China and then we sell them here.’
‘Do you often visit China?’
‘I go there twice or three times a year.’
‘Do you like it there?’
‘Oh, yes. I like it very much. I like to see how China changed. It used to be a poor country. Many people used to be very poor in China. But now millions and millions of the Chinese have a good job. They have nice roads, cars, trains. They have mobile phones, internet shops.’
‘So they are like us.’
‘They have different culture, but they are a rich country now. I always look forward to visiting that country.’
‘One day I will go to China, too.’
‘Yes, you should!’
English Dialogues 36
‘Where is John?’
‘He’s in the kitchen.’
‘In the kitchen? What is he doing there? Is he making his coffee?’
‘No, he isn’t making coffee. He is baking bread.’
‘Bread? Why? He can go and buy it in a shop.’
‘I know, but he doesn’t like the bread from a shop. He thinks that they don’t sell good bread.’
‘I didn’t know that he can make bread.’
‘Nobody knows about that. It is John’s secret.’
‘OK. Who taught him how to make bread? Did you teach him how to make it?’
‘No, I didn’t. I cannot make bread.’
‘So who taught him that?’
‘Nobody. He learnt it by himself. He looked for a recipe on the internet. He tried two or three recipes. Then he chose one of them. He uses that recipe all the time.’
‘Does he often make bread?’
‘He makes his bread at least three times a week. He likes spending his time in the kitchen. It is a kind of relaxation for him.’
‘OK, now I understand. So he makes his own bread because it’s his hobby.’
‘Correct. He is now listening to some music or a podcast in English and at the same time he is making his bread.’
‘OK. Can I please leave a message for him? When he comes out of the kitchen, can he call me back please. I need to speak to him.’
‘Sure, but I can tell him now.’
‘No, let him finish his bread first. It is not urgent.’
‘OK, he will call you back later.’
‘Thanks!’
English Dialogues 37
‘I can see that you are looking for something. Do you need some help?’
‘Yes, please. Maybe you can help me.’
‘I’ll try.’
‘I am looking for one shop. I am not from here and I don’t know these streets very well. Maybe, you know the shop. Maybe, you can show me the way.’
‘Sure, I’ll try. What is the name of the shop, please?’
”It’s called Good Old Days. They sell old things. Very old things.’
‘What kind of things? What exactly do they sell there? Do you know?’
‘Yes. They sell many things. They sell old plates, old cutlery, or old books. They also sell old decorations, CDs, old clocks, old radios and many other things.’
‘I think I know the shop.’
‘Is it far away from here?’
‘No, it isn’t. It isn’t very far away from here.’
‘That’s good. So how do I get there, please?’
‘First, you need to go across this bridge. When you are on the other side of the river, go straight on.’
‘OK.’
‘There will be two streets. One will be on your right-hand side, the other on your left-hand side.’
‘OK.’
‘You take the one on your left-hand side. Then you just walk twenty or thirty metres and you will find the shop on the right side of the street.’
‘Wonderful. I think I will find the shop now. Thank you very much for your help.’
‘You’re welcome! Have a nice day!’
English Dialogues 38
‘What is the weather like? Is it raining?’
‘No, it isn’t. It is sunny now. Sunny and warm.’
‘Very good. The weather was awful in the morning.’
‘Did you bring your umbrella in the morning?’
‘No, I didn’t. I forgot it at home. I was in a hurry.’
‘Why were you in a hurry?’
‘I didn’t hear my alarm clock, so I overslept. I woke up at 7:40.’
‘And when do you usually get up?’
‘I usually get up at 6:50. I always make a cup of coffee and drink it in my armchair before I go to work.’
‘I drink coffee, too. I love it! I drink three or four cups of coffee a day. Do you also take sugar and milk in your coffee?’
‘I take only milk. No sugar.’
‘So this morning you didn’t have your usual cup of coffee.’
‘No, I didn’t have my coffee this morning. I woke up at 7:40 and I jumped out of my bed. I quickly brushed my teeth and ran down the stairs to my car.’
‘So you came by car!’
‘No, I didn’t. When I got to my car, I couldn’t find my key. I forgot it at home.’
‘So how did you come to work? Did you come by bus?’
‘No, I didn’t come by bus. My neighbour was at his car. I asked him for a lift.’
‘And did he give you a lift?’
‘Yes. He works near here. He gave me a lift. It wasn’t a problem for him.’
‘Will he take you home as well?’
‘No, he won’t. He is not going home after his work. He is visiting his parents in the afternoon and they live on the other side of the city.’
‘So how will you get home?’
‘I will go by bus. That’s the reason why I am so happy that the weather is nice now.’
English Dialogues 39
‘I need to tell you something.’
‘OK. What is it?’
‘Yesterday I was in the city. I wanted to buy a new suit, but the shop was closed. But I had a lot of time, so I didn’t go straight home.’
‘OK. And where did you go?’
‘I went for a walk to the city centre. I didn’t visit the city centre for a long time.’
‘Of course, you always spend your weekends in the mountains.’
‘Not always, but most weekends I go hiking, you are right.’
‘So what happened in the city yesterday?’
‘Well, I walked through the streets and I decided to have a cup of coffee somewhere. And then I heard my name.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that somebody shouted my name. I turned around because I didn’t know that voice.’
‘And? Who was it?’
‘It was Mary. Mary White.’
‘Mary? What is she doing here? Didn’t she move abroad?’
‘Yes, she did. She moved out to Argentina. I didn’t see her for many years.’
‘What did she say?’
‘We didn’t talk too much because she was in a hurry. She didn’t have much time. But she says hello to you.’
‘Nice of her. Thank you.’
‘And she gave me her number. She would like to meet with you and me and some other friends next weekend.’
‘I would like to talk to her too. She must have some interesting stories from Argentina.’
‘I will call John and Lucy and ask them about the next weekend. I think they will want to come and talk to Mary as well.’
‘Good. Let me know the time and place of the meeting. I will come for sure.’
‘Wonderful! I will let you know.
English Dialogues 40
‘Would you like some chocolate?’
‘No, thank you.’
‘Why? I thought that you like chocolate.’
‘Yes, you’re right. I love chocolate.’
‘So why don’t you want it now? Please, take some!’
‘No, thank you. I eat too much chocolate. It’s not good for my health. I want to eat less chocolate.’
‘OK. Now I understand why you didn’t take sugar in your coffee in the morning.’
‘Correct. I usually drink my coffee with sugar, but this month I am not eating anything sweet.’
‘So next month you will eat chocolate again?’
‘Yes, I think I will eat some chocolate again, but only a little.’
‘It’s a good idea. Maybe I will try it, too.’
‘What is a good idea? What will you try?’
‘I will try not to eat chocolate for one month.’
‘And will you also drink coffee without sugar?’
‘I don’t think so. I cannot imagine it. I always drink my coffee with milk and sugar. I never drink it without sugar.’
‘I see. I was like you. But now it is no problem for me. I can drink coffee without sugar. And I like it too!’
English Dialogues 41
‘Do you have a mobile phone?’
‘Yes, of course I have a mobile phone. Everybody has one.’
‘Really? Are you sure that everybody has a mobile phone?’
‘Well, maybe the people in some very poor countries don’t have a mobile phone. But here, in Europe, everybody has one.’
‘Maybe you are right. And maybe you aren’t. But I agree that most people have a mobile phone.’
‘I’m glad that you agree with me. And why are you asking?’
‘I am asking because I am curious. I use my mobile phone too much. I think I will need to do something about it.’
‘I see.’
‘Do you use your mobile phone a lot as well?’
‘Yes. I have the same problem. I spend too much time on my mobile phone.’
‘Do you play games on it?’
‘No, I don’t. I don’t like playing games. But I read a lot of things on the internet. And I watch youtube videos a lot… And what about you? Do you play games on your mobile phone?’
‘Yes, I do. I like playing games. But, as I said, I think that I spend too much time on my mobile phone. Sometimes I feel that I don’t have time for other things.’
‘I understand. I have the same problem. So, what’s your plan? What are you going to do about it?’
‘I am planning to spend one whole weekend without the mobile phone. I will switch it off and put it on the shelf. On Monday, I will turn it on and use it again.’
‘That’s an interesting idea. You will tell me about your weekend on Monday.’
English Dialogues 42
‘Can I help you? Are you looking for something?’
‘No, thank you. I don’t need your help. I’m just having a look.‘
‘OK. If you need something, just call me. I’ll be over there, at my desk.’
‘OK, but I don’t think that I will need your help. I only had ten minutes and I wanted to kill some time. Now I must go. My bus will be here in a few minutes.’
‘I see. Maybe you will buy something next time.’
‘Maybe. But I don’t come here very often. I live in another part of the city.’
‘I understand. And how do you like this part of the city?’
‘I like it here very much. You have many trees here. You have many small parks with benches. When I am tired, I can sit on one of them and take a rest.’
‘Yes, you are right. We have many trees and many little parks with benches. Many young families go to those parks every day.’
‘I really like it here. Maybe I should come here more often.’
‘I’ll be happy to see you again.’
‘OK. I will talk to you again next time. But now I really have to go or I will miss my bus.’
‘I understand. Have a nice day.’
‘Thank you. And you!’
English Dialogues 43
‘I’m sorry, I forgot your name. What is it again?’
‘It’s Mark.’
‘Mark, OK. I will remember it this time.’
‘No problem.’
‘Listen Mark. I wanted to ask you something. You know that Jane is having a birthday party next month, do you?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Great. And do you have a present for her?’
‘No, I don’t. I have no idea what I should buy for her.’
‘That’s wonderful! I had the same problem!’
‘Really? But why are you saying that it is wonderful?’
‘I’m saying that it is wonderful because you can join us!’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Look. I talked to some of Jane’s friends and other colleagues here at work. And we all agreed to buy only one big present for her. Would you like to join the group? We agreed to pay €20 each.’
‘Yes, that would be great! And what will we give her as the present?’
‘I am not sure. The girls from the next door will buy something. They didn’t tell me what.’
‘OK. It doesn’t matter. I am sure that they will choose something nice.’
‘Yes, I agree.’
‘I can give you €20 now, if you want.’
‘No, not now. I will collect the money on Monday and give it all to the girls next door on the same day. So please, bring it then.’
‘No problem. I will have it ready for you on Monday.’
‘Wonderful! And then you will sign a birthday card as well. She will get the card together with her present.’
‘OK. Just tell me what to do and when.’
‘Good. Thanks Mark. I’ll be back on Monday.’
‘OK. See you then.
English Dialogues 44
‘Hi there! Do you live in this neighbourhood?’
‘Yes, I do. I am living here for about one year. It is a very nice place. What do you think?’
‘I agree. It looks very nice. I just moved here two weeks ago.’
‘Really! So, welcome to the neighbourhood. Where did you move from?’
‘I lived in another city before this. But I got a new job here, so I decided to move here.’
‘That’s exciting. And what do you do?’
‘I’m a software engineer. I work for a tech company here in town.’
‘I see. I am a teacher at the local primary school. It’s not as interesting as your job, but I love it!’
‘That’s nice. I think that teaching is a really important job.’
‘Thank you. So what brings you here today?’
‘Well, I need to buy a few things at the grocery shop. Is there any grocery shop nearby?’
‘Sure. There is a supermarket just down the road. It’s about a five-minute walk from here.’
‘That’s perfect. Thanks for the directions.’
‘No problem. By the way, did you try the new cafe on the Main street? It’s really good!’
‘No, I didn’t. What do they sell there?’
‘They have great coffee and sandwiches. It’s a nice place to sit and relax.’
‘Sounds good. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip!’
‘You’re welcome. Let me know if you need any more tips on the neighbourhood.’
‘Will do. Thanks again!’
English Dialogues 45
‘What is that book? What are you reading?’
‘Oh, it’s an old book. I found it at a thrift shop yesterday. It’s called The Lost Treasures of Spain.’
‘That sounds interesting. Who is the author?’
‘It was written by a guy named Rodrigo Gomez. He lived in the 16th century.’
‘Wow, that’s really old. I never heard of him before.’
‘Yeah, he’s not very well-known. In fact, it is not clear how exactly he died. They say he was murdered.
‘Really! That’s crazy. Do they know who did it?’
‘No. Nobody knows for sure. But they say that the king of Spain had something to do with it.’
‘That’s crazy. So, what is the book about?’
‘It’s about hidden treasures in Spain. The author says that he knows where those treasures are hidden.’
‘That sounds interesting. Do you think it’s true?’
‘I don’t know. But it’s fun to read.’
‘Maybe we can read the book together and see, if we can solve the mystery.’
‘That’s a great idea. Let’s do it!’
English Dialogues 46
‘Did you hear about John?’
‘No, what happened?’
‘He won a huge amount of money in the lottery.’
‘Wow, that’s amazing. How much did he win?’
‘I’m not sure, but I heard it was a few millions.’
‘That’s crazy! Do you think that he’s going to quit his job now?’
‘I don’t know, but I know that he is very strange lately.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, he doesn’t go out with us anymore. He found some new friends and he is spending a lot of his time with them.’
‘That’s strange. Do you think that he changed because he won a lot of money?’
‘I don’t know, but I heard that he thinks we are interested in him only because of his money now.’
‘That’s nonsense. We know each other for many years.’
‘I know. But he’s just not the same person anymore. He used to be so friendly with everyone. Now he’s acting like he’s better than other people.
‘That’s too bad. I hope that he’ll come to his senses soon. He should know that money doesn’t buy happiness.’
‘Yeah, me too. But it gets worse. I heard that he’s selling his house and moving out of the neighbourhood.’
‘Really? Why?’
‘Nobody knows. He won’t tell even his closest friends where he’s moving to.’
‘That’s strange. Maybe he’s trying to get away from all the attention.’
‘Maybe. But it’s not just that. I also heard that he left his girlfriend.’
‘What? They were together for years!’
‘I know. But now he thinks that she wants his money, too.’
‘That’s terrible. Maybe we should talk to him about the whole thing.’
‘Good idea. I think he needs his friends more than ever.’
English Dialogues 47
‘Hi John. You won’t believe what happened to me yesterday!’
‘What happened?’
‘The post lost my package! I waited for it for many weeks, and now it’s gone.’
‘That’s awful. Did you call them?’
‘Yes, of course! I called them right away.’
‘And what did they say?’
‘They said that they are looking for it. They are trying to find out what happened.’
‘Well, maybe they will find the package in one of their warehouses.’
‘I really doubt it. I don’t think that they will find it.’
‘This is stupid. But who needs the post office nowadays, right? They are so slow and they keep losing things.’
‘Exactly. And I paid extra money in order to get the package sooner. What a waste of money!‘
‘They don’t care about their customers. I had similar experiences with them in the past.’
‘You’re right. And it’s not just the lost packages. Can you remember last year, when they delivered my mail to a wrong address?’
‘Oh, yeah. I remember that! And it took them two months to fix their mistake.’
‘Yes, they have a very poor service. They should use better systems.’
‘I agree. Unfortunately, they are the only option for some things.’
‘I guess you are right. But I’m going to think twice before I use their services again.’
English Dialogues 48
‘Do you know what happened to me yesterday?’
‘No, what happened?’
‘Well, someone stole my wallet on the bus.’
‘That’s terrible! Did you lose a lot of money?’
‘No, I didn’t. Luckily, I didn’t have much cash in it. But I lost all my credit cards and my ID card.’
‘Did you report it to the police?’
‘Yes, I went to the police station immediately and I told them about it.’
‘Did you have any important documents in your wallet, except for your ID?’
‘Yes, my driver’s license, my health insurance card, and my library card were all in there.’
‘You’ll need to replace them.’
‘Yes, I know. It will take me a lot of time.’
‘Did you cancel all your credit cards?’
‘Yes. As soon as I realised that someone stole my wallet, I called the bank and I cancelled all my credit cards.’
‘Good. So you lost your wallet, but at least you didn’t lose much money.’
‘That’s true. But I lost my ID and all the other documents.’
‘Sometimes the thieves just take the money out of the wallet and then they throw it away. Maybe somebody will find it and bring it to the police tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.’
‘You never know. Maybe it will happen. But I don’t count on it.‘
English Dialogues 49
‘Guess what! I bought a new bike yesterday!’
‘That’s awesome. Where did you get it?’
‘I found it at the local bike shop. It was on sale, so I couldn’t resist.’
‘How much did you pay for it?’
‘I got a great deal. I only had to pay $250.’
‘That is really cheap! Is it in good condition?’
‘Yes. It is brand new. It looks beautiful and it rides smoothly.’
‘Did you already take it for a test ride?’
‘Of course! I rode it around the block. It’s so much fun to ride it!’
‘Did you bring it here? I would like to see it.’
‘No, I left it at home. But I can bring it next time.’
‘That would be great. I am thinking that maybe I will get a bike too.’
‘Yes, I think that you should get a bike. It is a fantastic way to go from one place to another place and stay active.’
‘I will think about it. Did you buy any accessories for your bike?’
‘Yes, I bought a lock to keep it secure when I leave it in front of a shop.’
‘That’s a smart move. They steal bikes a lot in this area.’
‘Yes, I know. I’m not taking any chances. I don’t want to lose my new bike.’
English Dialogues 50
‘Did you hear about Tom’s car?’
‘No. What happened to it?’
‘It broke down on his way to work this morning.’
‘Really? That’s unfortunate. What’s wrong with it?’
‘I don’t know exactly. I think the engine started making strange noises and then it just stopped running.’
‘Did he have to call a tow truck?’
‘Yes. He called his insurance company and they sent someone to tow his car to the nearest mechanic.’
‘I hope it’s nothing serious. Car repairs can be expensive.’
‘That’s true. Tom is worried about the cost of the repair.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, he told me that he doesn’t have much money now. He couldn’t find a job for a very long time.’
‘But his insurance company should pay for the repair.’
‘I think that the insurance company will only pay for a part of the repair costs. But Tom also needs to pay something.’
‘I see. However, he shouldn’t worry about it. I will call him tonight. If he needs some money for the repair, I will lend him some.’
English Dialogues 51
‘Hello?’
‘Hello Sandy. It’s me, Pete. I’m calling because I would like to talk to Sara. I hope that I am not disturbing you right now.’
‘Hi Pete. Well, we just wanted to leave the house. I’m taking her to school earlier today because I have to go to work.’
‘OK. I understand. So I cannot talk to her right now.’
‘Yes, you can talk to her, just make it short. We only have five minutes or so. Then we’ll have to go.’
‘OK. I’ll make it short. Thanks Sandy.’
*
‘Hello Dad.’
‘Hello Sara! Are you OK?’
‘Yes, I’m fine Dad. Mum told me that I can talk to you only for one minute. Then I’ll need to go to school.’
‘Yes, of course. Mum said the same thing to me. It is quite cold today. Don’t forget to put on a warm jacket.’
‘Yes, I have my jacket ready. When I finish talking to you, I will put it on. Don’t worry, Dad.’
‘Wonderful. I can see that you are a clever girl.’
‘Dad, is there something wrong?’
‘No, there’s nothing wrong. Why are you asking?’
‘You never call me in the morning.’
‘I see what you mean. I just wanted to hear your voice.’
Glossary:
abroad /əˈbrɔːd/ – zahraničie
accessory /əkˈsesəri/ – (doplnok) – an extra piece of equipment that is useful but not essential
advantage /ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/ – výhoda
almost /ˈɔːlməʊst/ – takmer
all the time – stále
amount /əˈmaʊnt/ – (monožstvo) – a quantity of something
And how about you? – A čo ty?
Anytime! – hocikedy, kedykoľvek
appreciate /əˈpriːʃieɪt/ – oceniť (dobré vlastnosti, pomoc, atď)
as soon as possible – čo najskôr; hneď ako to bude možné
as usual – ako zvyčajne
at all – vôbec (v zápornej vete)
at least /ət ‘liːst/ – aspoň
attention /əˈtenʃn/ – (pozornosť) – interest that people show in somebody/something
awful /ˈɔːfl/ – strašné, nepríjemné
because of /bɪˈkɒz əv/ – (kvôli čomu) – to say that somebody/something is the reason for something
back-up – (zálohovanie napr. dát) – a copy of a file, etc. that can be used if the original is lost or damaged
bake /beɪk/ – (piecť) – to cook food in an oven
bench /bentʃ/ – (lavička) – a long seat for two or more people, usually made of wood
besides /bɪˈsaɪdz/ – (okrem toho) – in addition to that; apart from that
branch /brɑːntʃ/ – (konár, vetva) – a part of a tree that grows out from the main stem and on which leaves, flowers and fruit grow
brand new /ˌbrænd ˈnjuː/ – (úplne nový) – completely new
break down – (pokaziť sa) – stop working because of a fault
break into – (vlámať sa) – to enter a building by force; to open a car, etc. by force
bridge /brɪdʒ/ – (most) – a structure over a river so that you can walk to the other side of a river
brother-in-law /ˈbrʌðər ɪn lɔː/ – švagor
But it gets worse – (Ale je to ešte horšie. / To nie je všetko.) – there’s more; it is worse than that
But now that you are here – Keď si už tu, …
By the way – mimochodom
care about – (záležať na) – to think that something is not important
carry /ˈkæri/ – (nosiť (so sebou), niesť) – to have something with you and take it wherever you go
cash /kæʃ/ – (hotovosť) – money in the form of coins or notes
collect /kəˈlekt/ – (vyzbierať) – to bring things together from different people or places
cooling equipment /ˈkuːlɪŋ ɪˈkwɪpmənt/ – chladiace zariadenie
come to his senses – (prísť k rozumu) – the ability to think clearly
comfortable /ˈkʌmfətəbl/ – pohodlný
company /ˈkʌmpəni/ – (spoločnosť, firma) – business, firm
corner /ˈkɔːnə(r)/ – kút; roh
corridor /ˈkɒrɪdɔː(r)/ – chodba
curious /ˈkjʊəriəs/ – (zvedavý) – to want to know about something
cutlery /ˈkʌtləri/ – (príbor) – knives, forks and spoons, used for eating and serving food
deliver /dɪˈlɪvə(r)/ – (doručiť) – to take goods, letters, etc. to the person or people they have been sent to
department /dɪˈpɑːtmənt/ – oddelenie
directions /dəˈrekʃn/,/daɪˈrekʃn/ – (smer, smerové inštrukcie) – [usually plural] instructions about how to do something, where to go, etc.
disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪə(r)/ – zmiznúť
disturb /dɪˈstɜːb/ – rušiť, vyrušovať
do something about it – niečo s tým robiť
Do you need anything else? – Potrebujete ešte niečo?
durable /ˈdjʊərəbl/ – pevný; odolný
during /ˈdjʊərɪŋ/ – počas
each other /ˌiːtʃ ˈʌðə(r)/ – navzájom, jeden druhému
engine /ˈendʒɪn/ – (motor) – the part of a vehicle that produces power to make the vehicle move
every other – každý druhý
exactly /ɪɡˈzæktli/ – presne
except for /ɪkˈsept fɔː(r)/ – okrem
experience /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/ – (skúsenosť, zážitok) – an event or activity that affects you in some way
fall asleep /fɔːl əˈsliːp/ – zaspať
feel like (doing) – (chcieť sa, mať náladu na niečo) – to be in the mood to do something // ex. I don’t feel like sitting there = (nechce sa mi tam sedieť) – I don’t want to sit there.
Fingers crossed! – držím palce
floor /flɔː(r)/ – poschodie
foreign /ˈfɒrən/ – (cudzí) – from a country that is not your own
fridge /frɪdʒ/ – (chladnička) – a piece of electrical equipment in which food is kept cold so that it stays fresh
give a lift – (zviezť/odviezť niekoho autom) – to take sb somewhere by car;
give it back – vrátiť
glad /ɡlæd/ – (rád, potešený) – pleased; happy
grocery (shop) /ˈɡrəʊsəri/ – (potraviny (obchod)) – a shop that sells food and other things used in the home
have fun – zabávať sa, baviť sa
health insurance /helθ ɪnˈʃʊərəns/ – (zdravotné poistenie)
he changed his mind – rozmyslel si to; zmenil názor
he’s acting – (tvári sa, správa sa) – he’s behaving in a specific way
herbal /ˈhɜːbl/ – (bylinkový) – connected with or made from herbs
huge /hjuːdʒ/ – (obrovské) – very big
hurry up /ˈhʌri ʌp/- ponáhľať sa
I don’t count on it. – (Nepočítam s tým.) – I don’t rely on it.
I don’t see it that way – (Ja to tak nevidím.) – I see it differently.
I find it a little bit boring – Zdá sa mi to trošku nudné.
I’ll be right back. – Hneď sa vrátim.
I’m just having a look – Len sa pozerám
I’m not taking any chances. – (Nechcem nič riskovať.) – I don’t want to risk anything.
immediately – /ɪˈmiːdiətli/ – (okamžite, hneď) – without delay; right now
in person – osobne
indoors – vnútri
instead of /ɪnˈsted əv/ – namiesto (neho, niečoho)
insurance company /ɪnˈʃʊərəns ˈkʌmpəni/ – (poisťovňa)
It doesn’t matter – (na tom nezáleží; to je jedno; to nie je podstatné) – it is not important – to tell someone that you are not angry and he should not worry
it’s gone – (je preč, zmizla) – it’s away; it disappeared
it is working – funguje to
jewellery /ˈdʒuːəlri/ – (šperky) – objects such as rings and necklaces that people wear as decoration
keep it secure /kiːp sɪˈkjʊə(r)/ – (zabezpečiť; udržať v bezpečí) – to protect
lately /ˈleɪtli/ – (v poslednom čase) – recently; in the recent past
look for – hľadať
look forward to – tešiť sa na
Lucky you! – šťastlivec; ty máš ale šťastie
make sure – ubezpečiť (sa)
miss the train – zmeškať vlak
mood /muːd/ – (nálada) – the way you are feeling at a particular time
more than ever – (viac ako kedykoľvek predtým)
murder /ˈmɜːdə(r)/ – (zavraždiť) – to kill somebody
mystery /ˈmɪstri/ – (záhada) – something that is difficult to understand or to explain
neighbourhood /ˈneɪbəhʊd/ – (obytná štvrť, susedstvo) – a district or an area of a town; the people who live there
never mind – (nevadí; to je jedno..) – don’t worry
No way! – v žiadnom prípade
on me – pri sebe / so sebou
on sale – (vo výpredaji) – selling at reduced price
outdoors /ˌaʊtˈdɔːz/ – vonku; nie v budove
part /pɑːt/ – diel; súčiastka; časť
payment didn’t get through – platba neprešla
payment terminal /ˈpeɪmənt ˈtɜːmɪnl/ – platobný terminál
perhaps /pəˈhæps/ – možno, pravdepodobne
persuade /pəˈsweɪd/ – presvedčiť (niekoho)
plate /pleɪt/ – (tanier) – a flat, usually round thing that you put food on
possibility /ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti/ – (možnosť) – a thing that may happen or be true
press /pres/ – stlačiť
probably /ˈprɒbəbli/ – pravdepodobne, asi
properly /ˈprɒpəli/ – správne; tak ako to má byť; správnym spôsobom
put on – obliecť si
put on the shoes – obuť sa
realise (AmE: realize) /ˈrɪəlaɪz/ – (uvedomiť si) – to understand or become aware of a particular fact or situation
recipe /ˈresəpi/ – (recept) – instructions that tell you how to cook something and the ingredients (= items of food) you need for it
replace /rɪˈpleɪs/ – (vymeniť, nahradiť) – to remove somebody/something and put another person or thing in their place
roof /ruːf/ – (strecha) – the structure that covers top of a building
rope /rəʊp/ – (lano, povraz) – very strong thick string
reliable /rɪˈlaɪəbl/ – (spoľahlivý) – that can be trusted to do something well; that you can rely on
resist /rɪˈzɪst/ – (odolať, odolávať) – to stop yourself from having something you like
salary /ˈsæləri/ – (plat) – money you get for your work, usually every month
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ – (tajomstvo) – known about by only a few people; kept hidden from others
shelf /ʃelf/ – (polička) – a flat board, made of wood, metal, glass, etc., fixed to the wall, on which you can put things
shortly /ˈʃɔːtli/ – zakrátko, čoskoro
sign /saɪn/ – (podpísať) – o write your name on a document, letter, etc.
silly /ˈsɪli/ – (hlúpe) – showing a lack of thought, understanding, or judgement
smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/ – (hladko, plynulo, bez problémov) – without problems or difficulties
So what? – No a?
solve /sɒlv/ – (vyriešiť) – to find a way of dealing with a problem or difficult situation
somehow /ˈsʌmhaʊ/ – nejako
somewhere else – niekam inam
some other time – niekedy inokedy
serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ – (vážny) – not joking
spare parts /ˌspeə ˈpɑːt/ – náhradný diel
stomach ache /ˈstʌmək eɪk/ – bolesť brucha
straight /streɪt/ – (rovno) – not in a curve or at an angle; in a straight line
successful /səkˈsesfl/ – (úspešný) – having become popular and/or made a lot of money
sunny /ˈsʌni/ – (slnečný) – with a lot of light from the sun
take the lift – ísť výťahom
take a rest – (oddýchnuť si) – to rest, relax
That’s a smart move. – (To je chytrý ťah.) – it is clever to do that
take the stairs – ísť po schodoch
That’s the reason why – (preto; to je dôvod prečo) – therefore; that’s why
The last time we met was two years ago – Naposledy sme sa stretli pred dvoma rokmi.
they keep losing – (stále strácajú) – they’re always losing
they say – (hovorí sa/ povráva sa,že) – it is said that
three times a year – tri-krát za rok
thrift shop /ˈθrɪft ʃɒp/ – (charitatívny bazár so starými, použitými vecami) – a shop that sells clothes and other goods given by people to raise money for a charity
throw away – (vyhodiť) – to get rid of something that you no longer want
tow /təʊ/ – (ťahať, odtiahnuť (auto, loď, atď)) – to pull a car, boat, etc. behind another vehicle, using a rope or chain
tow truck /ˈtəʊ trʌk/ – (odťahové auto) – a truck that is used for taking cars away to be repaired
tram /træm/ – (električka) – a vehicle driven by electricity, that runs on rails along the streets of a town and carries passengers
treasure /ˈtreʒə(r)/ – (poklad) – a collection of valuable things such as gold, silver and jewellery
unfortunate /ʌnˈfɔːtʃənət/ – (nepríjemné, nešťastná situácia) – having bad luck; caused by bad luck
urgent /ˈɜːdʒənt/ – (súrny) – you need to do it now, immediately
useless /ˈjuːsləs/ – (zbytočný, neužitočný) – not useful; not doing what is needed
wallet /ˈwɒlɪt/ – (pánska) peňaženka
walnut /ˈwɔːlnʌt/ – (vlašský orech) – a kind of nut
warehouse /ˈweəhaʊs/ – sklad
weather forecast /ˈweðə fɔːkɑːst/ – predpoveď počasia
well-known /ˌwel ˈnəʊn/ – (známy, slávny) – famous, popular
What a pity! – Aká škoda!
What a waste of money! – (aké mrhanie peniazmi/vyhodené peniaze)
What do you mean – (Ako to myslíš?) – What do you want to say by that?
what else – čo ešte, čo iné
Whose /huːz/ – čí, čia
Yes, I think so. – Áno. Myslím, že áno.
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English Conversation, Level 1 / © Sparrow’s English Reader
Sparrow's English Reader 