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GENERAL ENGLISH · PRACTICAL ENGLISH · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

MAKING A
PHONE CALL

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1 Telephone equipment and functions

Which of the following devices or functions do you need to...

a charger a headset a keypad an answerphone

a pay phone a phone card a sim card voice mail

1. write a text message?

2. make a call when you are outside and don’t have your mobile with you?
3. listen to recorded messages on your mobile?
4. listen to recorded messages to your home telephone?
5. make your mobile work?
6. use your mobile without holding the phone up to your ear?
7. increase the battery life of your mobile?
8. operate a public telephone without using coins?

2 Using a telephone

Match the two halves of the telephone phrases and complete the sentences below:

1. give somebody a. a call

2. call somebody b. a number

3. dial c. a text

4. put somebody d. back

5. send somebody e. on hold

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

MAKING A PHONE CALL

1. I’m afraid I don’t have time to talk right now. I’ll you later.
2. Please me with your new address and telephone number.
3. I’m sorry, there’s nobody called Robert here. You probably the wrong
.
4. I wanted to speak to the manager, but the receptionist me for five
minutes.
5.
me next time you are in London. I’ll be happy to meet you again.

What words can be used instead of ‘call’ in the above expressions?

3 Making contact

Listen to the beginning of three telephone calls and complete the mini-dialogues below.

Audio
DIALOGUE 1
Mary: Hello.
Simon: Hello, can I speak to Alice, please?
1
Mary: Sure. Who’s ?
Simon: It’s Simon.
Mary: Just a second.
2
Alice: Hello, Alice .
3
Simon: Hi Alice, Simon. How are you?

DIALOGUE 2
George: Hello.
4
Simon: Hi, is George ?
5
George: .
Simon: Hi George, I didn’t recognise your voice. It’s Simon. I’m just calling to say hello.

DIALOGUE 3
6
Receptionist: Good morning, Telecom Network Services, Andrea speaking. may I
help you?
7
Robert Caulson: Good morning, is Robert Caulson. Could you put me through to the
customer care department, please?
Receptionist: Certainly. One moment, please.

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

MAKING A PHONE CALL

Now put words and expressions from the above dialogues into the correct categories below:

1. Answering the phone:

2. Asking for the caller’s name:

3. Identifying yourself (caller):

4. Identifying yourself (receiver):

5. Asking to speak to someone:

Put F (Formal) next to the more formal expressions above.

4 Role play

In pairs, practice beginning a telephone conversation in 3 different ways.

5 Leaving a message

Now complete the dialogue below with the following words and listen to check your answers.

Audio back call gets got hold

in leave make read take

DIALOGUE 1
Mary: Hello.
Simon: Hello, can I speak to Alice, please?
1
Mary: Just a second...I’m afraid Alice isn’t at the moment.
2
Simon: Do you know what time she’ll be ?
3
Mary: She should be back this evening. Can I a message?
Simon: No thanks, I’ll call back later. Goodbye.

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MAKING A PHONE CALL

DIALOGUE 2
Mary: Hello.
Simon: Hello, it’s Simon again. Is Alice back yet?
Mary: No she isn’t I’m afraid.
4
Simon: OK, can I a message?
Mary: Of course.
5 6
Simon: Could you tell her to me back when she in? I have a new
number. It’s 57..
7
Mary: on a second. Let me get a pen and paper.....OK, go ahead.
8
Simon: The number is 57929003. Have you that?
9
Mary: OK, let me that back to you. That’s 57929003.
Simon: Yes, that’s right.
10
Mary: Right. I’ll sure she gets your message. Goodbye.

Put sentences from the two dialogues into the following categories:

1. Saying that someone is unavailable:

2. Asking someone to wait:

3. Taking a message:

4. Leaving a message:

5. Checking information:

6 Role play

In pairs, practise taking and leaving messages as in the dialogue in Exercise 3. Leave your real name
and telephone number as part of your message.

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Transcripts

3. Making contact

DIALOGUE 1

Mary: Hello.

Simon: Hello, can I speak to Alice, please?

Mary: Sure. Who’s calling?

Simon: It’s Simon.

Mary: Just a second.

Alice: Hello, Alice here.

Simon: Hi Alice, it’s Simon. How are you?

DIALOGUE 2

George: Hello.

Simon: Hi, is George there?

George: Speaking.

Simon: Hi George, I didn’t recognise your voice. It’s Simon. I’m just calling to say hello.

DIALOGUE 3

Receptionist: Good morning, Telecom Network Services, Andrea speaking. How may I help you?

Robert Caulson: Good morning, this is Robert Caulson. Could you put me through to the customer
care department, please?

Receptionist: Certainly. One moment, please.

5. Leaving a message

DIALOGUE 1

Mary: Hello.

Simon: Hello, can I speak to Alice, please?

Mary: Just a second...I’m afraid Alice isn’t in at the moment.

Simon: Do you know what time she’ll be back?

Mary: She should be back this evening. Can I take a message?

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Simon: No thanks, I’ll call back later. Goodbye.

DIALOGUE 2

Mary: Hello.

Simon: Hello, it’s Simon again. Is Alice back yet?

Mary: No she isn’t I’m afraid.

Simon: OK, can I leave a message?

Mary: Of course.

Simon: Could you tell her to call me back when she gets in? I have a new number. It’s 57..

Mary: Hold on a second. Let me get a pen and paper.....OK, go ahead.

Simon: The number is 57929003. Have you got that?

Mary: OK, let me read that back to you. That’s 57929003.

Simon: Yes, that’s right.

Mary: Right. I’ll make sure she gets your message. Goodbye.

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MAKING A PHONE CALL

Key

1. Telephone equipment and functions

1. a keypad 2. a pay phone 3. voice mail 4. an answerphone

5. a sim card 6. a headset 7. a charger 8. a phone card
NOTE: In American English, ‘answering machine’ is more common than ‘answerphone’.

2. Using a telephone

1. a 2. d 3. b 4. e 5. c
Make sure the students understand the meaning of the phrases. Give sb a call = call somebody; call sb back =
call somebody again or call somebody who called earlier; dial a number = press the buttons on a phone (or turn a
numbered disc) in order to call somebody; put sb on hold = make somebody wait on the phone while you try to
connect them to the person they want to speak to; send sb a text = send sb an sms

1. call you back

2. send me a text
3. dialled the wrong number
4. put me on hold
5. Give me a call
You can use ‘phone sb back’, ‘ring sb back’ (UK English), ‘give sb a phone call’ and ‘give sb a ring’ (UK English). Also:
‘give sb a bell’ (UK English, Informal).

3. Making contact

Students can work alone and check in pairs. Play the audio file or use your mobile device to scan the QR code
(make sure you have installed a QR code reader app and can access the Internet on your device).

1. calling 2. here 3. it’s 4. there 5. speaking 6. How 7. this

ANSWERING THE PHONE: Hello,...; Good morning...how may I help you?

ASKING FOR THE CALLER’S NAME: Who’s calling?
IDENTIFYING YOURSELF (CALLER): It’s...; This is...
IDENTIFYING YOURSELF (RECEIVER): Speaking; Andrea speaking.
ASKING TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE: Can I speak to-? Is ... there? Could you put me through to...?

4. Role play

Have the student practice identifying themselves on the phone and asking to speak to someone. In the first
dialogue, Student A should ask to speak to a fictitious third person. Student B plays the role of the receiver
and the third person. In the second dialogue, Student A should ask to speak to Student B, the receiver of the
call. In the third dialogue Student A calls a company reception or switchboard and asks to be transferred to a
different department. If the students are lacking in imagination, write the names of a fictitious person, company
and department on the board. Students reverse roles so that everyone has an opportunity to practise making and
receiving calls.

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5. Leaving a message

When the students have completed the task individually or in pairs, play the audio file or use your mobile device
to scan the QR code.

1. in 2. back 3. take 4. leave 5. call 6. gets 7. hold 8. got 9. read 10.

make
SAYING THAT SOMEONE IS UNAVAILABLE
I’m afraid Alice isn’t in at the moment.
ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO WAIT
Just a second. / Hold on a second.
TAKING A MESSAGE
Can I take a message? /I’ll make sure she gets your message.
LEAVING A MESSAGE
Can I leave a message? / Could you tell her to call me back when she gets in?
CHECKING INFORMATION
Have you got that? / Let me read that back to you.

6. Role play

Write some possible messages on the board, for example Student A is going to be late for a meeting, Student A
can’t make it to a party, Student A has found Student B’s keys, etc. Students reverse roles so that everyone has
an opportunity to practise taking and leaving messages.

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