１．the following phrases are used when you’re on the phone.
hello, i’d like to speak to mr… hello, this is miss…calling from… is ms…available, please? my name’s…
２．speaking. i’m afraid he’s in a meeting/not in the office/still at lunch/not available just now. is there anything i can do for you? hold on a moment, please. i’ll just find out if she’s back yet/in the other office/available. i’ll put you through to miss… i’ll ask her to call you back as soon as she’s free. what’s your extension number/fax number?
could you ask her to call me back, please? my number is… could you give him a message, please? what time do you expect her back? i’ll call again later today. thanks very much for your help.
３．requesting
i’d like you to…, please. could you ask… to …for me? do you think you could…? would you mind…-ing…?
４．sure. certainly. i won’t be able to…, because… i’m sorry but… i’m afraid that’s not possible, because…
５．offering to help
can i give you a hand? would you like a hand with…? shall i…? would you like me to…? if you need any help, just let me know.
yes, please. thanks a lot. no, thanks, i think i can manage. that’s very kind of you, but… i think i’d prefer to do that myself because…
６．asking permission
may i…? do you mind if i…? could i…? is it all right if i…? do you think i could…?
sure, go ahead. by all means. no, i’m afraid you can’t, because… i’m sorry but… agreeing and disagreeing
７．if you want to agree with someone you can say:
that’s exactly what i think. that’s a good point. quite right, i couldn’t agree more. that’s just what i was thinking. i agree entirely. yes, i’m all in favour of that.
８．it’s often considered rude or aggressive to say “you’re wrong” or “i don’t agree with you”. it’s more polite to disagree with someone by saying.
i see what you mean, but… i don’t think it’s such a good idea…