say it better in english

I'll put you through

I will connect you (Say this during phone call.) A: Could you speak to Mr. Lim? B: He's not here right now. I'll put you through to his assistant. A: I'd like to speak to the manager . B: One moment, please. I'll put you through .

What`s smth made of ?

What materials were used to make smth? A: What are these shoes made of ? B: They`re made of leather. A: What`s this table made of ? B: It looks like glass, but it`s actually made of plastic.

win-win situation

a situation that has good results in many ways . Buying a house is a win-win situation . If you sell it, you make money. If you keep it, you make money.

What's this charge for ?

Ask this when you don't understand an amount on your bill or receipt. A: What's the charge for? B: That's the shipping charge. A: Excuse me. What's this charge for on my receipt ? B: It's the tax.

get sidetracked

Become distracted from something important I didn't finish my homework. There was a good movie on TV, so I got sidetracked . A: You burned dinner . B: Yes. I was cooking, my mum called and I got sidetracked .

despite smth

not affected by smth The company did well this year despite poor sales in March He goes jogging every day despite having a broken arm.

get cut off

lose the connection during a telephone call There's something wrong with my phone. I often get cut off

get it

to answer the phone A: The phone`s ringing B: I`ll get it. I think it`s for me. A: The phone`s ringing B: Could you get it? I`m busy

in charge of

responsible for; supervisor of I'd like to speak to the person in charge of customer service. He is in charge of training new staff. sometimes in charge of + ing

remind smn to

say smth to help smn remember Could you remind Sharon to order more envelopes? I think she forgot. When we get to the grocery store, please remodn me to buy some eggs.

I've been waiting for a long time / for ages

say this for smth you are still doing now I hope we arrive soon. We've been sitting in this airplane for seven hours .

must have done smth

say this when you guess about smth that happened in the past, and you are quite sure Johhn isn`t answering his phone. He must have gone out. Look! There`s $20 on the floor. Someone must have dropped it.

I heard it through the grapevine

someone told me something as gossip or a rumor A: Alex lost his job B: Who told you that? A: I heard it through the grapevine .

stay up

stay awake later than one's usual bedtime A: Why are you so tired today? B: I stayed up late last night When my husband works late . I stay up until he gets home.

drop smn off

take smn to a place and leave them there. A: Could you drop me off at the bank? B: Sure, I`m going to drive right past the bank . A: Why are you late ? B: I dropped Sharon off at her house. Her car broke down.

to consummate their relationship

to complete a relationship by having a sex They immediately consummated their relationship behind a curtain.

I didn`t mean that

That`s not what I meant A: You`re very big. B: You think I`m fat! A: No, I didn`t mean that. I meant you`re very tall .

get through

make contact with someone by phone A: I tried to call you, but I couldn't get through . B: Sorry. I turned off my phone

oversleep

wake up late than planned I use three alarm clocks so that I never oversleep.

take turns doing something

alternate (i.e. you, then me, then you, then me) My partner and i take turns opening the shop. Last year, my husband and I both worked, so we took turns cooking dinner.

tied up

busy doing something that you can't stop A: Can we meet today? B: Sorry, I'll be tied up all day. How about tommorow? I'm tied up now, but I'll be free in an hour .

on sale / for sale

cheaper than the regular price / available to buy Hats are on sale at Shopmart this week. They are 20 % off . Look !. That house is for sale. I wonder how much it is. Note : 20% off = 20% less than the normal price.

pick smth up

collect smth I left my book at your house. Could I come over later and pick it up? A:I`m from ABC company. I`m heer to pick up an envelope. B: Oh, yes, here it is. !!!! : pick it up - pick smth up - pick up smth

plug smth in

connect smth to a power outlet I`ll plug in the new TV so we can watch it. You can plug the iron in here. Please unplug it when you`re finished. unplug = remove the plug from the power outlet.

as a result

consequently; as an effect My brother left school when he was 14. As a result, he can't find a good job. It rained a lot last year. As a result, we solf a lot of umbrellas.

keep going

continue A: Can i stop running? B: No, keep going. You need the exercise A: Should we stop working at 6 o'clock? B: No, let's keep going until 8 o'clok

take time off

decide not to go to work for a short time I took three months off after i had the baby I`m going to take a week off because I need a vacation

held up

delayed ( кідіру) I was held up at the airport for two hours! Customs officials went throuģh my bag. I got home at 10 o'clock last night. I was held up at the office doing paperworks paperworks = work that involves forms, documents and letters

so far, so good

everything is fine now, but there may be problems later on A: you fixed the printer again! How's it working? B: So far so good. I hope it doesn't break again. A: How's your job? B: I've only worked there for three days but so far so good.

under a lot of pressure

feeling strees We are under a lot of pressure because we have to finish job by Friday . Students are under a lot of pressure at exam time.

end up doing smth

finally do smth Tim was a bad student. How did he end up becoming a doctor? At first business was good. But our costs were very high. So, we ended up losing money

put clotes on put smth on; put up smth; put it on;

first you put clothes on; the we are wearing clothes. I eat breakfast quickly, put my coat on and ran out of the house. He`s only two years old. He doesn`t know how to put on his shoes.

for good

forever,permanently There were ants in my kitchen. But after I used ant killer, they were gone for good.

running short of time

getting close to a deadline I have to work late night. I need to finish a project amd I'm running short of time . I'd like to finish this meeting soon. Let's move on to the next point because we're running short of time.

get a move on

go faster The movie is going to start soon. Let's get a move on or we'll be late. We have to get a move on if we want to finish by Wednesday.

about to do something

going to do something very soon A: Is Dan still here? B: Yes, but you'd better talk to him now. He's about to leave. A: Have you written that letter yet? B: No, but I'm about to do it right now.

on top of that

in addiotion to; also: Say this when tha last piece of info is important I`m very busy. I have two children, I work full -time, and pn top of that i take evening classes. My neighbour is noisy. He plays loud music a t night and he has lots of parties. On top of that. his dog barks a lot!

in the same boat

in the same bad situation A: My husband is often away on bussines. B: So is mine!. We're in the same boat.

comes in

is available in This phone comes in blue, white or black. Which one should I buy? Instant soup comes in a plastic cup. And it comes in two flavors: chicken and beef. I prefer rhe beef soup.

it`s about time

it is overdue, but it is finally happening A: The package arrived B: It`s about time! I`ve been waiting for weeks. A: Sam is getting married ! B: Great. It`s about time. He`s 48 years old.

move smth out of the way

move smth so that it doesn't block you We're having a party , so I want to move the furniture out of the way There are a lot of things on your desk. If you move them out of the way, I'll put your computer there

in good / perfect condition

not broken / like new My car is in perfect condition because I take good care of it.

that`s it

nothing more A: You`re going to Europe? to France? Germany? Spain? B: Just to Italy. That`s it. A: We have just 24 hours only to finish yhis project! B: Twenty four hours? That`s it ? A: Yes, that`s all the time we have.

as long as

on the condition that; providing that We play football every Sunday morning as long as it`s not raining . A: Boss, I`d like to leave at o`clock today. B: That`s fine as long as you finish the report first .

in an hour

one hour after now He is almost finished with high school. He will graduate ina few months. She hasn't arrived yet. She'll be here in 10 minutes.

hear from someone

receive a communication from someone A: I heard from Jack last week. He emiled me. B: How is he? I haven't heard from my sister for a long time. I hope she's okay.

hear back from someone

receive a reply from someone I emailed Ted yesterday, and I hope to hear back from him soon. A: Did you get the job? B: No. I had an interview, but I never heard back from the company.

drop smth off

take smth to a place and leave it there I'm going to the dry cleaners. I want to drop off some shirts. drop smth off drop off smth drop it off

it's for you

the caller wants to speak to you Could you ask Chris to come to the phone? . It's for him. It's his mother A: The phone is ringing . B: I'll get it . I think it's for me .

it's not the end of the world

the situation is not very bad . I hurt my knee, but it's not the end of the worl. I can still play golf. A: I failed my driving test! . B: It' not the end of the world. You can take test again.

the second one from the right / left

the thing beside the thing on the right / left This is a photograph of my family. I`m the second one from the right. Please pass me that book on the shelf, the second on efrom the left.

to double -check

to check again I think Ken`s party is tomorrow night. But I`m not positive. I`ll call him to double-check. A: Are you sure there are no mistakes in the report? B: Yes, I checked and then I double-checked.

make up my mind

to decide He`s finally made up his mind. he`s going to study business. A: Are you going to buy the blue car or the green car? B: I don`t know. I haven`t made up my mind yet.

to suspend

to officially stop something from continuing, especially for a short time He has also been suspended for three-years for workind in any medical institution.

discuss something

to talk about something We need to discuss the travel arrangements We can discuss the situation at the meeting if you bring it up.

fed up with smth

unhappy about smth that has been happening for a long time They`re building a new house on my street. Every day they hammer and saw and drill! I`m fed up with all the noise. I don`t like my job. I`m fed up with paperwork.

drop by

visit for a short time You left your book in my car. I'll drop by your house and give it to you I dropped by the camera store to pick up our photos.

upside down / right side up

with the top part at the bottom / with the top part at the top Look ! That picture is upside down . You hung it the wrong way. There's a cake in this box. Please make sure the box is right side up.

x caused y / y was caused by x

x made y happen / y happened because of x A: what caused the delay? B: Heavy rain caused the delay.

by 9 o'clock

at 9 o'clock or before 9 o'clock - but not after 9:00 We need to be at tge airport by 3 o'clock. Our flight leaves at 4 o'clock and ee need one hour to check in.

chip in

contribute money Every summer, my friends and I chip in 100$ each to rent a boat My older brothers and sisters chipped in to pay for my education

have change

have smaller units of money A: Do you have change for 10 $ ? B: Yes, here are nine ones and some small change

He just stepped out

he went out for a short time A: Could I speak to Eva? B: She just stepped out of the office . She`ll be back soon. A: Fred`s not in his office. Is he gone for the day? B: No, he just stepped out

how much longer

how much more time A: She hasn`t finished the job yet. B: How much longer will it take?

right away

immediately, now A: waiter! I ordered soup 30 minutes ago! B: I'm sorry, Sir. I'll bring it right away.

it`s worth 199$

it`s real value is 199$ A: This used Mercedes for sale on Ebay is so scheap! It`s only 12.00$ B: How much is it worth ? A: It`s woth 20.000$

Mr. Lee ( NOT Mr. Alan)

A: I'm Bill Jones. B: Nice to meet you, Mr. Jomes A: You can call me by my first name. B: Alright. Hello Bill. A: I'd like you to meet Don Clinton B: Hello . Mr. Clinton

are we still on for today?

Are we going to meet as we have already agreed? A: Are we still on for tonight? B: Yes. Let's meet at the theater at 7p.m. A: Are we stil on for lunch tomorrow? B: Actually, I have to cancel. Can I take a rain check?

Do you mind if I join you?

Ask this for permission to be with smn A: We`re going to the movies. B: Do you mind if I join you ? A: No, we don`t mind. Please come along. A: Hi, Jane. Do you mind if I join you? B: Actually, I`m leaving now, but you can have my seat.

Have you done smth yet?

Ask this to find out if smth has already happened A: Have you eaten lunch yet? B: Yes, I had lunch an hour ago.

Would you mind doing smth ?

Ask this to make a very polite request. Would you mind moving your car out of the way? I want to park here. A: Sir, would you mind not smoking here ? B: Sorry. I`ll smoke outside.

Can I take a rain check?

Can we change the plan to another time in the future? A: I have to cancel our plans for lunch today. Can I take a rain check? B: Sure. How about tommorow? A: Would you like to go out for dnner tonight ? B: Sorry, I can`t make it tonight. Can I take a rain check?

take it apart / put it back together

Dismantle it/ assemble it A: What's wrong with tge air conditioner ? B: I don't know. I'll take it apart and look inside. I took my computer apart to replace a part, and now I can't figure out how to put it back together.

ahead of / on/ behind schedule

Faster than planned/as planned/slower than planned Please drive faster. We are behind schedule . A: How's the project coming along ? B: Fine. Everything is on schedule.

stuck in traffic

Sorry, I'm late. I was stuck in traffic for an hour. There's no point in driving downtown during rush hour. rush hour= the times of day with the busiest traffic, when many people are traveling to or from work

to file for divorce

Start the legal divorce process He made up his mind to file for divorce from his wife.

I can't get smth to work

I can't make smth function I've pressed all the buttons on this DVD player, but I can't get it to work. I can't get my printer to work. There's smth wrong with it.

it slipped my mind

I forgot A: Did you mail my letter? B: Oh, It slipped my mind . I'll do it tommorow.

no wonder

Now I understand why A: This lamp doesn't work B: You didn't plug in it A: No wonder it doesn't work.

put up with smth

accept smth bad Your neighbour's dog is so noisy! . How can you put up with the noise? My office is freezing, but I put up with it because I love my job.

Can I put you on hold?

Please wait. (Ask this during a phone call) A: Can i speak to the manager? B: Can I put you on hold for a minute? I'll see if he's here. A: Hello , ABC Market? Do you have any fresh raspberries? B: Can I put you on hold while I go and see if we have any left?

I`m not following you

Say this if you don`t understand instructions, directions or an explanation. A: To save the document, click on copy, then open a new file and click ... B: I`m not following you. Click on what?

on me

Say this if you want to pay for smn's food or drink A: Lunch is on me today B: Thanks Jack A: It's my pleasure

that sounds

Say this to give your opinion after reading or hearing something. A: We stayed in a five-star hotel right on the beach. B: That sounds beautiful A: I'm going to climb up on the roof and fix the leak. B: That sounds dangerous .

that's K for Korea

Say this to help people understand the spelling of a word. A: What's your email address? B: It's [email protected] . That's A for Africa, L for London, A for Africa, N for Norway, the number 76 at hotmail dot com.

better off doing something

Say this to show a better choice A: Should we go now? B: No. There`s too much traffic now. We`re better off going later. A: The train takes three hours. The bus takes five hours. B: Then I`m better off taking the train.

you shouldn`t have

Say this to show appreciation when receiving a gift. A: I bought you this gift . B:Thank you, but you shouldn`t have A: It`s nothing really = thank you

distance from a place

Say this to show the distance between two places. A: Where`s Palo Alto? B: It`s about 30 miles from San Francisco. Our office is about 200 feet from Grand Central Station

in the lighting business

Say this to show the industry someone works in. Mr. Saito is in the shoe business . He expodts shoes. A: What do you do? B: I'm in the publishing business . I'm an editor .

gone for the day

Say this when someone will not come back that day A: could I speak to Mr. Couga? B: Sorry, he"s gone for the day . He will be in the office tomorrow morning . Kate's gone for the day. You can reach her at home

There's been delay

Say this when something is late. A: Has the package arrived yet? B: No, there's been a delay because of bad weather . There's been a delay in production. One of the machines broke down.

half-way through

Say this when you have finished 50% of something. This book is 1000 pages long!. I`m half -way through. i`m on page 500.

the second to the last

The thing before the last thing We went to France for a week. We were having a great time. But on the second to the last day, I got sick. A: Which is your house? B: The second to the last house on the street.

we don't see eye to eye

This is a polite way to say we don't agree. Steve loves the movie. Marry hates it. They don't see eye to eye on that movie. We both agree on the problem. But we don't see eye to eye on the solution.

the day after tomorrow

Tomorrow is July 3rd, so the day after tomorrow is July 4th. A: I`m getting married in three days! B: So the day after tomorrow is your last day as a single man.

When is a good time ?

When is a convenient time for you? I have some papers for to sign. When is a good 5time to drop by your office? A: Can we meet next week? B : Sure. When is a good time for you? A: How about Friday at 10 a.m.