Real Life English Unit 17: Common Telephone Expressions and Dialogues

Learning English isn't just about mastering grammar and vocabulary; it’s more important to use it naturally in real-life situations. However, sentences in textbooks are often too formal and far removed from how people actually speak. To speak authentic, natural English, you need to engage with conversations in real contexts. Here, we’ve selected high-frequency English expressions for daily use in social, work, and travel scenarios, helping you ditch 'textbook English' and learn how native speakers actually talk. Below is the content of 'Real Life English Unit 17: Telephones.' Keep accumulating and make your English closer to real life! Unit 17: Telephones Part One: Expressions 1. Is Jenny there? 2. No, I’m afraid not, Tom. 3. I’ll leave her the message, Tom. 4. I’d like to have my phone turned on, please. 5. I just need to ask you a few questions. 6. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call back. 7. I need to get back to work. 8. I need to disconnect my phone, please. 9. I’m moving to a new home. 10. Where should I send your final phone bill? Part Two: Dialogues 1. Leave a message A: Hello? B: Hi, Mr. Smith. This is Mary. Is Jenny there? A: No, I’m afraid not, Mary. May I take a message for her? B: Yes, please tell her that band practice has been moved to Tuesday night at 8:30. A: O.K. No problem. Anything else? B: No, but if she has any questions, she can call me at 555-2345. A: All right, I’ll leave her the message, Mary. Thanks for calling. B: Thank you. Bye. A: Goodbye. 2. Turning on the phone A: Hi, I’d like to have my phone turned on, please. B: At what address, sir? A: 345 Lincoln Avenue, Oklahoma City. B: O.K. Your name please? A: John Smith. B: One moment please. Very well, Mr. Smith. I need to ask you a few questions. A: Very well. B: The interview will take about 15 minutes, and your phone will be turned on in 24 hours. A: Fifteen minutes? I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call back. I need to get back to work. B: O.K. Mr. Smith. Thanks for calling. A: Thank you. 3. Disconnecting the phone A: Hello. I need to disconnect my phone, please. B: All right. Where do you live, sir? A: At 345 Lincoln Avenue. Oklahoma City. B: Very well. Why do you want to disconnect your phone, sir? A: I’m moving to a new home. B: O.K. May I have your name please? A: John Smith. B: Thank you. Mr. Smith. What’s your telephone number? A: 555-7658 B: Thank you. Where should I send your final phone bill? A: 623 West Side Drive. New York, New York. B: Thank you, Mr. Smith. Your phone will be disconnected after this phone call. Have a nice day. A: Thank you, you too. Part Three: Substitution Drills 1. A: Is Jenny (there/around/home)? B: Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t. 2. A: No, (I’m afraid not/she isn’t/she’s out), Tom. B: Oh, o.k. 3. A: I’ll (leave her the message/tell her you called), Tom. B: Thank you. 4. A: I’d like to have my phone (turned on/connected/installed), please. B: O.K. What’s your address? 5. A: I (need to/have to/must) ask you a few questions. B: Very well. 6. A: I’m sorry, but I’ll have (to call back/call later/get back to you). B: O.K. Thanks for calling. 7. A: I need to (get back to/return to/go back to) work. B: All right. Thank you. 8. A: I need to (disconnect my phone/have my phone installed/cancel my phone service), please. B: All right. 9. A: I’m moving (to a new home/to New York/away). B: O.K. 10. A: Where should I send your (final/last) phone bill? B: 623 West Side Drive. Part Four: Monologue Carl’s Note: Getting a phone in America is very easy. Almost every home has not just one, but two or three telephones. This has made it very easy for people to get internet access in their homes as well. Mobile phones are also used, but not as much as in China’s big cities. Young people like mobile phones because they can get in touch with friends easily, but many adults only have them if they need them for work. Some people who value their privacy don’t like cell phones because people can call them whenever they want. As mobile phones get better and offer the ability to check email, sports scores, news, and other information, more and more people are buying and using mobile phones. Part Five: Vocabulary telephone, message, disconnect, send, mobile phone, privacy, 'I’m afraid not,' 'No problem'.