How to use this list
Take one situation, not the whole page. Pick the one you will be in first — the shop, the restaurant, the meeting — and learn those ten phrases properly. Ten sentences you can produce without thinking will get you through a real encounter; a hundred you half-remember will not, and the half-remembering is what produces the pause that ends the conversation.
Say them out loud, and say them at speed. These are not sentences to compose word by word; they are chunks, stored and retrieved whole, which is exactly how native speakers use them. Use the audio button on each row, repeat it three times, and pay attention to where the stress falls — the meaning of I am afraid I disagree lives in the stress pattern as much as in the words.
Learn the reply as well as the question. Most of these are things you say to somebody who then says something back, and a learner who has practised only their own half is unprepared for the half that matters. In the directions group, half the phrases are deliberately the answers you will hear, not the questions you will ask.
Notice the frames underneath. Read down any situation and the same three or four structures keep appearing: Could you…, Shall we…, I am afraid…, I have a…. Those frames are the transferable part. Once you can hear them, you can build a hundred more phrases yourself, which is the point at which a phrasebook stops being a list and becomes grammar you can use.
The four frames doing most of the work
Read across the ten situations and you will notice something reassuring: the same handful of sentence frames carries most of the traffic. English politeness is more formulaic than it looks.
Could you…? and Can I…?
A request phrased as a question about possibility, which is how English softens almost every transaction. A bare imperative at a till or a reception desk is understood, but it lands as an order — give me a receipt against could I have a receipt.
Shall we…?
The suggestion frame, and the one most learners never acquire because it barely exists in other languages. It proposes something and hands the decision to the other person in four words: shall we take a break?
I am afraid…
This means "no", politely, and has nothing to do with fear. It softens refusals, bad news and disagreement — I am afraid I have to cancel — and its absence is what makes a direct translation from many languages sound blunt in English.
I have a… and I feel…
The two frames that carry the whole health situation, and a good example of why chunks beat words: the vocabulary slots straight into them, so headache, sore throat and cough all become usable the moment you own the frame.
The phrases, situation by situation
Ten situations, ten or eleven phrases each. Every phrase is anchored to a word from our vocabulary lists — the middle column — so when the phrase is nearly what you need, the link beside it opens the twenty or thirty other words that fit the same slot.
Meeting people and making small talk 11 phrases
English small talk is short and it is a formality, not an interrogation: two exchanges about the weekend and you are through the door. Answer briefly and ask the same question back — that is the whole move.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| This is my friend Ana. | friend A1 | A person you know well and like. |
| Let me introduce myself. | introduce A2 | To tell people each other's names when they first meet. |
| How was your weekend? | weekend A1 | Saturday and Sunday, when many people do not work. |
| Where do you work? | work A1 | To do a job or activity to earn money or reach a goal. |
| I am a student here. | student A1 | A person who is learning at a school or college. |
| She is my English teacher. | teacher A1 | A person whose job is to help others learn. |
| Which city are you from? | city A1 | A large and important town. |
| It was lovely to chat with you. | chat A2 | To talk in a friendly, informal way. |
| Come and visit us any time. | visit A2 | To go to see a person or place. |
| I would like to invite you to dinner. | invite A2 | To ask someone to come to an event. |
| Shall we sit together? | together A2 | With each other. |
More words for this situation: Relationships & People (A2).
When you have not understood 10 phrases
The most valuable phrases on this page. A learner who can stop a conversation politely and restart it keeps talking; a learner who cannot, stops. None of these is rude — native speakers use every one of them with each other.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| Can I ask you a question? | question A1 | A sentence that asks for information. |
| Could you explain that again, please? | explain A2 | To make something clear and easy to understand. |
| What does this word mean? | word A1 | A single unit of language with meaning. |
| Could you write it down for me? | write A1 | To make words or letters on paper or a screen. |
| Can you describe the man you saw? | describe A2 | To say what someone or something is like. |
| How do you translate this word? | translate A2 | To change words from one language into another. |
| Please correct me if I am wrong. | correct A2 | Right, without any mistakes. |
| Sorry, that was my mistake. | mistake A2 | Something done wrong. |
| Let me check my dictionary. | dictionary A1 | A book that lists words and explains their meanings. |
| I do not know the answer. | answer A1 | A reply to a question. |
More words for this situation: School (A1).
Asking the way and giving it 11 phrases
Directions are the one everyday exchange where you are more often listening than speaking, so learn the answers as well as the question. Half of these are the sentences you will hear back.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| How do I get to the station? | station A1 | A place where trains or buses stop for passengers. |
| Is there a chemist nearby? | nearby A2 | Not far away. |
| Go straight on for two hundred metres. | straight A2 | Going in one direction without turning. |
| Turn left after the bank. | left A2 | The side of your body where your heart is. |
| The library is on your right. | right A2 | The opposite side to the left. |
| The shop is on the corner of the street. | corner A2 | The place where two streets or edges meet. |
| Turn left at the crossroads. | crossroads A2 | A place where two roads cross each other. |
| Take the second exit at the roundabout. | roundabout A2 | A circular place where several roads meet. |
| The café is opposite the cinema. | opposite A2 | Facing something, or completely different from it. |
| Meet me at the main entrance. | entrance A2 | The way into a place. |
| Is there any parking near here? | parking A2 | A place or space where cars can be left. |
More words for this situation: City & Directions (A2).
Shopping and paying 10 phrases
Almost everything here is a question, and almost every question starts with could or do you. That is not politeness for its own sake: a bare imperative at a till sounds like an order, and English softens transactions by asking.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| Could you tell me the price? | price A2 | The amount of money you must pay for something. |
| Can I pay in cash? | cash A2 | Money in the form of coins and notes. |
| Do you take credit cards? | credit A2 | A way of buying now and paying later. |
| Could I have a receipt, please? | receipt A2 | A piece of paper showing what you have paid for. |
| I would like a refund, please. | refund A2 | Money given back when you return something. |
| Is there a discount on this? | discount A2 | An amount taken off the normal price. |
| Is this the queue for the checkout? | queue A2 | A line of people waiting for something. |
| That is a little too expensive for me. | expensive A2 | Costing a lot of money. |
| I cannot afford a new car this year. | afford A2 | To have enough money to buy something. |
| What time does the shop close? | shop A1 | A place where you buy things. |
More words for this situation: Shopping & Money (A2).
Eating out 10 phrases
A restaurant is the safest place to practise: the script barely changes, the vocabulary is on the menu in front of you, and nobody minds a pause. Learn the four questions you will be asked and you can eat anywhere.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| Could we see the menu, please? | menu A2 | A list of the food and drinks you can order. |
| Are you ready to order your food? | order A2 | To ask for food or drink in a restaurant. |
| I will have the soup as a starter. | starter A2 | A small dish eaten at the beginning of a meal. |
| Do you have a vegetarian dish? | vegetarian A2 | A person who does not eat meat or fish. |
| Could we have some water, please? | water A1 | The clear liquid that people and animals need to live. |
| Shall we look at the dessert menu? | dessert A2 | A sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal. |
| The pasta was absolutely delicious. | delicious A2 | Having a very pleasant taste. |
| I am not very hungry tonight. | hungry A2 | Wanting or needing to eat. |
| Could we have the bill, please? | bill A2 | A piece of paper showing how much you must pay. |
| Shall we leave a tip? | tip A2 | Extra money you give to thank someone for good service. |
More words for this situation: Food & Restaurants (A2).
On the phone and in messages 10 phrases
Phone English is harder than face-to-face English for a reason that has nothing to do with your level: there is no face to read. Say your name early, say numbers slowly, and use these to buy yourself time.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| I will call you this evening. | call A2 | To speak to someone using the telephone. |
| Can I leave a message? | message A2 | A piece of written or spoken information sent to someone. |
| Please reply to my email soon. | reply A2 | To answer someone. |
| I left you a voicemail this morning. | voicemail A2 | A recorded message left on a phone. |
| I will send you a text. | text A2 | A written message sent by phone. |
| What is your email address? | email A2 | A message sent from one computer to another. |
| Sorry, the signal here is very weak. | signal A2 | A sign, sound or action that gives information. |
| I cannot connect to the wifi. | connect A2 | To join one thing to another. |
| I have forgotten my password. | password A2 | A secret word or code used to enter an account. |
| Keep in contact with your old friends. | contact A2 | To communicate with someone. |
More words for this situation: Communication & Phone (A2).
At work and in class 11 phrases
These are the phrases that keep a meeting or a lesson moving. Notice how many of them are questions about time: English working life negotiates deadlines out loud, and saying nothing is read as agreement.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| Can we move the meeting to Thursday? | meeting A2 | An event where people come together to talk about something. |
| What is the deadline for this? | deadline A2 | The time by which something must be finished. |
| This is my colleague, Sam. | colleague A2 | A person you work with. |
| I have an interview on Monday. | interview A2 | A meeting where someone is asked questions for a job. |
| Have you finished your homework? | homework A1 | Work a teacher gives you to do at home. |
| What time does the lesson start? | lesson A1 | A period of time when you learn something. |
| The exam is next week. | exam A1 | An important test of what you have learned. |
| My essay is due on Friday. | essay A2 | A piece of writing about a particular subject. |
| Shall we take a break? | break A2 | A short rest from work. |
| Could you help me with this? | help A1 | To do something useful for someone. |
| I cannot concentrate in here. | concentrate A2 | To give all your attention to something. |
More words for this situation: Work & Jobs (A2).
Making plans and arranging a time 11 phrases
English arranges things with questions and softeners rather than statements — shall we, are you free, I am afraid. Saying "we meet at six" is understood, but it lands as an instruction.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| Are you free on Saturday? | free A2 | Not busy; having no plans. |
| I am busy until six. | busy A2 | Having a lot of things to do. |
| Shall we say seven this evening? | evening A2 | The time at the end of the day before night. |
| Let us meet at quarter past two. | quarter A2 | One of four equal parts, such as fifteen minutes. |
| I will be ready in five minutes. | ready A2 | Prepared for what is going to happen. |
| Sorry, I am running late. | late A2 | After the usual or expected time. |
| Shall we meet a little early? | early A2 | Before the usual or expected time. |
| There is no hurry at all. | hurry A2 | To do something quickly, or to move fast. |
| I suggest we leave early. | suggest A2 | To offer an idea or plan for others to think about. |
| I will put it in my calendar. | calendar A2 | A chart showing the days, weeks and months of a year. |
| I am afraid I have to cancel. | cancel A2 | To decide that something planned will not happen. |
More words for this situation: Daily Routine & Time (A2).
Feeling ill, and at the chemist 11 phrases
Two grammatical patterns cover most of this situation: I have a + illness, and I feel + adjective. Learn those two frames and the vocabulary slots straight into them.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| I have a headache. | headache A2 | A pain in your head. |
| I have a sore throat. | sore A2 | Painful when touched or used. |
| I think I have a fever. | fever A2 | A body temperature that is higher than normal. |
| I have had this cough for a week. | cough A2 | To push air out of your throat with a sudden noise. |
| I feel a little dizzy. | dizzy A2 | Feeling that everything is turning around you. |
| I have a pain in my back. | pain A2 | An unpleasant feeling in your body when you are hurt or ill. |
| Where is the nearest chemist? | chemist A2 | A shop that sells medicines, or the person who works there. |
| I would like to make an appointment. | appointment A2 | An arranged time to see someone, such as a doctor. |
| Do I take this medicine with food? | medicine A2 | A substance you take to treat an illness. |
| You should rest for a few days. | rest A2 | To stop activity in order to relax. |
| I hope you recover soon. | recover A2 | To become well again after being ill. |
More words for this situation: Health & Body (A2).
Thanking, apologising and saying no 10 phrases
Disagreement and refusal are where English is least direct, and where a literal translation from almost any other language sounds blunt. I am afraid is doing nearly all the work in this group — it means no, politely.
| Say this | Key word | What the key word means |
|---|---|---|
| I am very grateful for your help. | grateful A2 | Feeling thankful for something. |
| Thank you for all your support. | support A2 | To help someone, especially in a difficult time. |
| I want to apologise for yesterday. | apologise A2 | To say sorry. |
| I agree with you completely. | agree A2 | To have the same opinion as someone. |
| I am afraid I disagree. | disagree A2 | To have a different opinion from someone. |
| I would like to complain about the noise. | complain A2 | To say that you are unhappy about something. |
| I promise I will not be late. | promise A2 | To say firmly that you will do something. |
| You can trust me. | trust A2 | To believe that someone is good and honest. |
| I respect your decision. | respect A2 | To admire someone and treat them well. |
| Cheers — that is very kind of you. | cheers A2 | A word said before drinking together. |
More words for this situation: Communication & Phone (A2).