9 Useful English Phrases to Say When its

Raining
http://www.englishteachermelanie.com/9-useful-
english-phrases-to-say-when-its-raining/

November 2, 2016 by Melanie 33 Comments

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Rain is a fact of life! We cant fight it.

English speakers talk about the weather a lot! Its a common topic of small talk*.
You will have a lot of short English conversations about the weather in an
English-speaking country!

(*Small talk is an informal, polite but friendly conversation about something that
is ordinary and not important. Its the kind of conversation you have with the
cashier at the grocery store or gas station.)
You dont have to guess how to talk about rain. There are common phrases and
sentences that you can use. We cant predict what everyone is going to say in a
conversation, but it helps to be prepared!

1. Whats it like outside? Is it raining?

You can ask this question when you want to know whats happening outside.
Someone might also ask you this question!

Here are some more questions you might hear:

Whats the weather like?

How is it outside? Is it raining?

Is it still raining out?

NOT: How is the weather like?

Out is sometimes used as a shortened form of outside.

It
When you talk about weather in English, use it.

Memorize: Its 16 degrees today. (NOT: We have 16 degrees. or There are

16 degrees.)

It is an empty subject in this context. It has no meaning and it doesnt take the
place of another word.

Note: In Canada we measure temperature in Celsius. In the US, temperature is

measured in Fahrenheit.
2. Its raining.
Sometimes in English you dont need fancy, complex sentences. Simple
sentences are just fine. The most common thing to say about rain in English is,
Its raining.

There are different synonyms you can use depending on whether it is light rain
or heavy rain.

Its spitting.
Spitting is very light rain, rain that you can barely feel.

Its just spitting a little.

Its drizzling.
Drizzling is more than spitting, less than raining.

Its been raining on and off all day.

On and off means starting & stopping, then starting again over a period of time.

Its pouring.
Pouring is very heavy rain.
It is pouring rain outside!

When I was a kid, we used to sing a cute song:

Its raining, its pouring, the old man is snoring!

3. Its really coming down out there!

Use this sentence to describe very heavy rain.

Rain falls from the clouds. Though we dont say, rain is falling, English
speakers understand that this is the movement of rain. In this context, the
phrasal verb come down means fall from the sky in very large amounts.

Dont say The rain is really falling down.

Dont say its raining cats and dogs, either. You might hear this in movies and
TV shows, and parents sometimes say it to their children, but generally people
dont say its raining cats and dogs.

4. Take your umbrella. It looks like its going to rain.

Sometimes you look at the clouds in the sky and know that its going to rain.

Note: Dont say It will rain. When you are predicting the weather, use be going
to.

There are many ways to protect yourself from getting wet in the rain. You can
hold an umbrella over your head. You can wear a raincoat or other kind
of waterproof jacket. You can wear rain boots or other kind of waterproof
footwear.

5. Ive had enough of all this rain!

Sometimes rain is nice. I like the sound of rain hitting the roof of my house when
Im lying in bed at night. However, too much rain is not nice!

When you are bored, annoyed, or angry with something or someone, use the
expression Ive had enough of It means that you just dont want to
experience it anymore.

Alternative sentences:

Its been raining non-stop for 3 days!

Its been raining for 3 days straight!

The present perfect is used here because the rain started in the past and
continues in the present, and it will probably continue tomorrow!
The phrase for < time period > straight is used to express that something
hasnt stopped or didnt stop during that time period. It means the same thing as
three days in a row.

Travel English Vocabulary: In a Restaurant

September 19, 2016 by Melanie 16 Comments

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There arent a lot of rules to follow in an English conversation. You can never
know or predict what the other person is going to say. However, you can learn
some common sentences to use in specific situations to help you feel more
relaxed, prepared, and confident.

When I was in Disney World, I listened closely to everything the servers in

restaurants said so that I could help you feel comfortable when you go to a
restaurant! This lesson includes things people will say to you in a restaurant, and
things you can say in a restaurant.

Listen: Episode 27: I Went to Disney World!

Finding a Table
Please wait to be seated.
You may see this sign when you walk in the door of the restaurant. In some
restaurants you can walk in and find a table yourself. In other restaurants you
have to wait for a host (male) or hostess (female) to take you to a table.

Wait. Seat is a verb?

Yes, in a restaurant, seat is a verb. It means take someone to a seat or give

someone a place to sit. In the sentence Please wait to be seated, this is the
passive form of seat. It means that you need to wait for a host or hostess to seat
you.

Here are some things the host or hostess will say to you:

How many?
Tell the hostess how many people are in your group.

Your table will be ready in 15 minutes. Please have a seat. Well call you
when your table is ready.
Sometimes you have to wait for an available table. Many restaurants will have a
bar area where you can wait for your table and have some drinks.

This way, please.

Follow me.
Come with me.
Anna will show you to your table.
When your table is ready, a hostess will take you to your table.

In the last sentence, the verb show means lead or take.

Learn more: Travel Vocabulary: Planning a Trip

Meeting Your Server

We used to call them waiters and waitresses, but I have noticed that they now
prefer to be called servers. A server is the person who takes your order and
brings your food to your table.
Your order is the food and drinks that you ask for at a restaurant.

Here are some ways that your server will introduce himself or herself:

My name is Jane. Ill be your server this afternoon / this evening / today.
Hi, Im Mark. Ill be your server this evening.

If you have any questions or need anything, please let me know.

Ordering Food
Things Your Server May Say

Have you had a chance to decide?

What would you like?
What can I get for you?
Tell the server what you want to eat.

And what would you like to have?

And what would you like to eat? (with the stress on you)
The server moves around the table asking each person what he wants to eat.
When she finishes taking one order, she says this to the next person.

How would you like that done?

How would you like that cooked?
When you order a steak in a restaurant, the server will ask you how you want it
cooked. Choose one of these replies:

blue
rare red on the inside
medium rare
medium pink on the inside
medium well a little bit of pink on the inside
well done brown on the inside
Chicago charred on the outside (black from burning) and rare on the inside

You can see a picture of the differences here.

Would you like the salad dressing on the side?
on the side = you want something next to your food, not on it

For example, salad dressing on the side means you dont want your salad to
come with the salad dressing on it. You want it in a little dish next to the salad.

Want me to bring out the salad with the entres?

You order a salad as your entire meal, but other people at your table ordered a
salad as an appetizer (a small plate of food you eat before the main dish) and
something else as their main dish (or entre). The server may ask you if you
want to eat your salad now, or wait until everyone has their main dish. If so, she
will wait and bring your salad with the entres.

Your Replies

I would like the

Can I get the ?
When you want to order your food, start your sentences with these phrases.
Notice that you use the article the when choosing something from the menu.
You are choosing a specific food, and the name of that food is on the menu.

Learn more: When NOT to use the

Would it be possible to get that without vegetables?

Would it be possible to get that with fries instead of vegetables?
Can I get that with fries instead of vegetables?
You order an entre, but it comes with vegetables. You dont like vegetables.
You want to eat fries instead.

Can I get the salad dressing on the side?

During the Meal

How is everything so far?
Are you enjoying your meal?
Throughout the meal the server will come to your table to make sure everything
is OK.
Would you like a refill?
You are drinking Coke. Your glass is empty. Refill means fill again, or fill your
glass with Coke again.

Some more water?

Glasses of tap water are always free at restaurants. Notice that in spoken
English, in informal situations, a speaker will leave out do You will know its a
question because her voice will go up at the end.

Does anyone care for more bread?

A lot of restaurants in Canada and the US provide a bread in a basket before
each meal.

Are you finished?

All finished?

Anything else I can get for you?

Can I get you anything else?

Does anyone want to see the dessert menu?

Some restaurants have two menus: one for appetizers & entrees, and one for
desserts.

Paying
Cash or card?
Do you want to pay your bill with cash or with your credit card? (Or your bank
card?)

Pronunciation tip: Remember, in fast, natural spoken English, the

conjunction or is pronounced like the -er // sound at the end of other or mother,
so cash orreally sounds like casher /k/.

Learn more: Episode 17: The reduced form of or

Do you need the machine?

If you want to use your credit card or your bank card to pay your bill, the server
can bring a portable machine to your table.
 Have you eaten at a restaurant in Canada or the US? Did your
server say something you didnt understand? Did you say
something that your server didnt understand? Ask questions or
tell your story in the comments below!

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Here are the book series that I recommend:

(with links to Amazon.com*)

Before you choose a book, you can read the first chapter of each book in the
series! Click on the image and then click on any book in the series. Click on the
book cover where it says Look Inside.

Each of these series is available in Kindle (e-book) version.

I picked these first two series because the characters live in the real world. The
stories are about everyday situations. There are no magical creatures!

1. Greetings from Somewhere

This book series is so fun. Ethan and Ella are twins. Their mother is a travel
writer and their father is a professor. They get to travel around the world! In each
foreign city, something happens and they must solve a mystery before they
leave for the next city!
 2. Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew
Nancy Drew is a popular character in the English-speaking world! Nancy is a
detective. She and her friends Bess & George solve mysteries that happen at
school and in their daily lives.

I chose these next two series because I wanted to recommend series with boys
as the main character.

3. Tales from Maple Ridge

This series takes place in 1892 in a small town in the U.S. The main characters
name is Logan Pryce, and the books in this series are all about his daily life and
the problems he faces, like his first trip to a big city or finding his brother in a
blizzard.

4. Flat Stanley
Yes, Stanley is flat, as flat as a pancake! One night, while he is asleep, a bulletin
board falls on Stanley and flattens him. He discovers he can do fun things
because he is flat. He becomes a hero because he stops thieves from stealing
paintings from a museum!

(*The links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. When you buy something at Amazon.com
through these links, Amazon gives me a very small % of your purchase at no extra cost to
you! You wont even know that it has happened. This helps to keep
EnglishTeacherMelanie.com free for everyone. Remember, you do not have to buy these
books at Amazon.com! You can try to find them in your country, or buy them through
Amazon in your country. Its not about the money. Its about helping you find the best reso

Sometimes, sometime, and some time are very different words so you need to
be careful when you use them. These are words that even native speakers get
confused with!

Sometimes
Sometimes is an adverb of frequency. Use sometimes to talk about how often
you do something. Think of it as halfway between never and always.

Example sentences:

Sometimes I am so tired I cant get out of bed!

He sometimes plays tennis instead of going to the gym.

We like to go to the beach on vacation sometimes.

Learn more: English Grammar: Adverbs of frequency

Sometime
Sometime (no s) is also an adverb. Use it to talk about an unspecified point in
the future or an unspecified point in the past.

Example sentences:

We should get together for coffee sometime!

Sometime soon I would like you to clean your room!

The accident occurred sometime before 6pm.

Sometime (no s) is also an adjective in American English, but it is rarely used.

You will probably never need to use it in conversation, but you may hear it. Use
it to talk about what someone does or is sometimes.

Example sentences:

Shes a sometime babysitter.

(Sometimes she babysits. She doesnt do it all the time. She babysits once in a
while.)

Winning is not a sometime thing; its an all the time thing.

(This is a famous quote from an American football player and coach Vince
Lombardi. It means that winning isnt something that you do sometimes. Its
something that you do all the time!)

Some time
Some is used to talk about how much of the noun time you have or want. Its
like saying some food or some people:

Example sentences:

Do you have some time to check my essay?

She loves to spend some time in her garden.

Give me some time to think about it.

Some time is also used in a couple phrases.

The phrase for some time now means for a long period of time, not something
that you just started recently.

Weve been thinking about buying a house for some time now.

He has wanted a new car for some time.

The phrase in some time means in a long time.

I havent seen or heard from her in some time! What is she doing now?

English Grammar: If You Could ?

October 23, 2016 by Melanie 10 Comments

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Could is a modal verb. Modal verbs are common in English.
Modals are used before other verbs to express ideas such as ability, possibility,
certainty, necessity, or permission.

A modal verb is an auxiliary verb. It is a helping verb. It cant be used by itself in

sentence. It must be used before another verb.
Its useless to try and remember what every modal verb means. One modal verb
can have many different meanings. Instead, its easier to remember sentence
structures.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would

you go?
This question form uses could with the 2nd conditional sentence structure to ask
a hypothetical question. A hypothetical question is not a question about real
events. A hypothetical question asks you to imagine a different reality.

In this question, the modal verb could is another way of saying if you were able
to, or if you had the ability to, or if it were possible to.

Learn more: English Grammar: 2nd conditional sentence structure

These questions follow the same pattern:

if you could + verb, question word + would + verb?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

You can change the order of the two parts:

Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?

Note that you dont use a comma to separate the two parts of the sentence
when the if-clause is in the second part of the sentence.

You can answer this by using part of the question:

I would
I would go to Paris!

Or you can answer the question with one word:

 Paris!

You can also answer the question by stating that this is someone that you have
wanted to do for a long time:

I have always wanted to go to Paris!

Example questions

If you could play any musical instrument, which would you play?

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

If you could have one skill, what would it be?

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you like to be?

If you could relive one day of your life, which day would you relive?

Practice activity!
In the comments, answer one or all of the questions below. Then, ask your own
question using If you could ?

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

2. If you could be the president of your country for one day, what would you
do?
3. If you could have a superpower, what would you choose?
A superpower is a special power or ability to do something, like the ability to read
someones mind. Usually only fictional characters like Superman or Wolverine have
superpowers!
4. If you could travel back in time, where and when would you go?
5. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would you
choose?
 isten to a story about a car accident I had many years ago!

Youll also learn how to say the modal verb phrases should
have and should not have in fast, natural spoken English.

Welcome to the English Teacher Melanie Podcast, a podcast for intermediate to

advanced English learners who want to improve their English listening and
speaking skills!

Each episode includes a story and a pronunciation tip. In the story, I use core
vocabulary, the most common words in English, to tell a real world story. The
pronunciation tip will help you understand natural spoken English.

Youll hear the story twice. The first time, the story is a little slower than normal. It
sounds funny because I used editing software to change the speed of the story
and make it slower. After the pronunciation tip, youll hear the story again, but at
a regular speed.

THE STORY
I consider myself a good driver. Ive been driving for over 20 years. Ive only been
in one accident and Ive only gotten one speeding ticket. Still, I hate making left
turns, because I got in an accident once making a left-hand turn. We drive on the
right-hand side of the road in North America, so when you make a left turn, youre
driving in front of cars coming in the opposite direction.

Learn more: Use the present perfect to talk about your life experiences

The accident happened at a busy intersection. Id been waiting a while in the left-
hand turn lane at the traffic lights, and there was one car in front of me. The light
turned amber and the car in front of me turned left. I followed the car hoping to
beat the red light. Id just assumed that the cars in the other direction had already
stopped since the car in front of me was turning left.

Learn more: How to use I, me, myself, and my

I saw too late that a car had sped up and was trying to beat the red light. I was hit
in the middle of the intersection. The car slammed into my passenger-side door. I
completed the left-hand turn and pulled over to the side of the road. There was an
off-duty police officer in the car behind me who witnessed the accident. I dont
remember who called the police, but an officer arrived at the scene. He explained
that both drivers were at fault and he gave both of us tickets. I shouldnt have tried
to rush through the amber light. I should have checked that all the cars had
stopped before I started the left turn.

I wasnt hurt. The other driver wasnt hurt, either. There was damage to the
passenger-side door and it cost me a lot of money to repair the door! I didnt fight
the ticket in court. I paid the fine. Now, I avoid making left-hand turns as much as
possible, especially at a busy intersection!

Listen:
My Car Died | Episode 19
My License Plate | Episode 08

PRONUNCIATION TIP
HOW TO SAY SHOULD HAVE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE IN FAST
NATURAL SPOKEN ENGLISH

This transcript uses IPA symbols to represent sounds and teach pronunciation.
Learn more about the IPA here.

Listen to a sentence from the story:

I should have checked that all the cars had stopped

Did you hear the modal verb phrase should have in that sentence? In fast,
natural spoken English, should have is pronounced /v/.

Should
The modal verb should is only 3 sounds: d

The L is silent. Dont say the L. Should rhymes with good,

wood/would, and hood.
Click here to see if your language has the vowel sound []: (Wikipedia)

Have
Have, in this phrase, is an auxiliary verb. Its a helping verb. The main verb is the
verb after have.

To make the verb phrase easier to say, should and have are contracted. They
form the spoken contraction shouldve.

Shouldve is an informal written contraction. In formal writing, like in an essay

or in a report for work, it is better to write out should have. Both Merriam-
Websters Learners Dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary list shouldve as
a contraction of should and have. However, one of the grammar books that I
use, Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, does not list shouldve as an
accepted written contraction.

The helping verb have is reduced in this contraction. It becomes the sound /v/.
Yes, it sounds the same as the preposition of. There is no H sound and the
vowel sound becomes the reduced vowel schwa sound [].

Learn more: The reduced form of the preposition of | Episode 09

The D is between two vowel sounds, and its at the beginning of an unstressed
syllable. It becomes the alveolar flap sound. I talk about this sound in a few
pronunciation tips, because its a common sound in American English.

Listen: Pronunciation tips that explain the alveolar flap sound

episode 31
episode 30
episode 26
episode 24

The T and D consonant sounds have the same mouth position. T is voiceless
and D is voiced. However, both become the same alveolar flap sound when
theyre at the beginning of an unstressed syllable and between two vowel
sounds.

The alveolar flap sound is not a T or a D sound. Its a quick tongue tap. The tip
of your tongue quickly hits or taps the gum ridge behind your top teeth.

Listen carefully:
/v/ -or- /t v/
Notice that Im not saying /dv/ with a hard D sound.

I should have checked that all the cars had stopped

In very fast, informal speech, some speakers will shorten have even more and
just say the reduced vowel schwa sound []:
// -or- /t /
Shouldnt have
Listen to another sentence from the story:

I shouldnt have tried to rush through the amber light.

Did you hear the modal verb phrase should not have in that sentence? In fast,
natural spoken English, shouldnt have is pronounced /dnv/.

Shouldnt is a contraction of the words should and not. The contraction ends with
the letters D, N, T. Ive already told you that the D and T have the same mouth
position. Both sounds start with the tip of your tongue pressed against the gum
ridge behind your top teeth. This is ALSO the starting mouth position for the N
consonant sound. The difference is that the N consonant sound is continuous
and it comes out of your nose. Try it: [n]

When you say the first part should, dont finish the D sound. Stop the sound, but
keep the tip of your tongue pressed up against the gum ridge behind your top
teeth. Without moving your tongue, go straight into the N sound. Listen:

/dn/

The N and T have the same mouth position, they are both in the unstressed
syllable, and the T is followed by a vowel sound. When that happens, American
English speakers skip the T sound and go straight into the next sound. The next
sound is the reduced form of have.

Put those sounds together: d n v

/dnv/

I shouldnt have tried

Again, in very fast, informal speech, some speakers will shorten have even more
and just say the reduced vowel schwa sound []:
/dn/
When American English speakers are speaking slowly or when they want to
speak clearly, they may say should have or should not have very clearly. Its not
wrong to fully pronounce these modal verb phrases. Its important that you know
all the ways of saying these phrases so that you can hear all the ways of saying
them.
Note: the IPA symbol for the alveolar flap is []. However, none of the
dictionaries for English learners use this symbol, maybe because it looks too
much like an r. Some dictionaries do not use any symbol to represent the flap
sound. They use use the regular [t] symbol. Other dictionaries use the symbol [ t
]. I have chosen to use both in this pronunciation tip.

In this lesson, youll learn 7 English phrases that you can

use in conversation to explain that you forget something.

We all forget things. It happens to everyone. It can be embarrassing sometimes.

Lets quickly review the basic ways to say you forget something:

I forget.
I cant remember.
I dont remember.

Im sorry I wasnt at the meeting. I forgot about it.

We forget things in different ways, and in English there are different phrases you
can use to communicate that you forget something.

1. I lost my train of thought.

lose your train of thought

= forget what you were thinking, right in the middle of thinking about it

A train of thought = a connected series of thoughts or ideas in your head

Youre telling someone a story or about an idea you had, but you get distracted,
or you are interrupted by something, and you forget what you were talking about.

What was I saying? I lost my train of thought.

I was in the middle of telling a story, but the phone rang and I lost my train of thought .

2. It slipped my mind.

slip ones mind

= forget something

I cant believe I forgot her birthday. It completely slipped my mind!

We had a meeting at 1pm today. Did it slip your mind?

He forgot to get some milk at the grocery store. I guess it just slipped his mind .

Pronunciation note: Remember, the -ed at the of slipped is pronounced /t/. The -
ed is not pronounced as a separate syllable.

3. Its on the tip of my tongue!

be on the tip of ones tongue

You know that you know something, but you cant remember it at that moment!

I know this! I know this! Its on the tip of my tongue! His name is oh, I cant remember!

Wait. Dont tell me. I know this song. The name is on the tip of my tongue!

Learn more: 5 Useful English Phrases to Say When You are Late

4. It doesnt ring a bell.

ring a bell
= something is familiar, but you cant completely remember it
His name rings a bell, but I cant remember what he looks like.

Have you seen that new TV show, the one about the married couple?
~ It doesnt ring a bell.
= it doesnt sound familiar, I dont recognize it

5. It went in one ear and out the other.

go in one ear and out the other

= forget something as soon as you hear it, forget something quickly

You are listening to someone speaking, but you are not really listening carefully.
When the other person says something, you hear it but you dont remember it.

He told me is his name, but it went in one ear & out the other.

She wont remember. Everything you tell her goes in one ear and out the other!

Im sorry. I didnt hear what you said. It went in one ear and out the other. Im very
distracted today.

Be careful! This is not a nice thing to say to someone, because you are saying
that you arent paying attention to him or her!

6. Can you refresh my memory?

refresh ones memory

= help someone remember something

It doesnt ring a bell. Can you refresh my memory?

I have to read my notes again from the previous meeting to refresh my memory .

Be careful! Let me refresh your memory is a common phrase, but it can have a
negative meaning. People like to forget bad or negative experiences. Sometimes
people say let me refresh your memory in an angry way to make someone
remember something negative.

You dont remember me? Let me refresh your memory. You stole my phone!
7. I had a senior moment.

have a senior moment

(usually said by older people)
= a humorous way of saying that you momentarily cant remember something
simple because you are getting older

You can blame forgetting something on your age!

A senior citizen is an older person, usually someone who is 65 or older. (Sixty-five

is the official retirement age in many countries.) Senior is often used by itself as a
shortened form of senior citizen.

I had a senior moment. I forgot what my new car looked like and I spent 20 minutes
looking for it in the parking lot.

I had a senior moment yesterday. I thought my brother was my son.

People like to joke that they are getting old when they are 30 or 40 years old.
Sometimes a young person will say I had a senior moment or Im having a
senior moment as a way to say that they are getting old.

Do you have any fun expressions in your language to say

you forget something? Share them in the comments below!

5 Useful English Phrases to Say When You are

Late
October 20, 2016 by Melanie 25 Comments

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Do you know someone who is always late?

It is important to be on time in English-speaking countries! On time is the

opposite of late. It means arriving or departing at the correct time, not early and
not late.

If you agree to meet someone at 9am, you must be there at 9am. If a meeting at
work starts at 8am, you must be there at 8am. It is considered rude and impolite
to be late.

When you know that you will be late, it is polite to tell the person waiting for you
that you are going to be late!

In this lesson, you will learn how to say you will be late to an upcoming meeting
or planned event: a business meeting, meeting a friend for coffee, dinner at a
friends house, a doctors appointment, a job interview, or even arriving at work.

Pay attention to the words and the order of the words in each sentence.

1. Im sorry.
First, you must apologize for being late. There are several ways you can do this.
Dont say Im sorry for the late. You cant say the late because late is an
adjective, not a noun. You cant use the before an adjective when the adjective
is by itself.

If you thought you were going to arrive on time but you are a few minutes late,
you need to apologize when you arrive.

Im sorry for being late.

When the meeting or planned event hasnt started yet, but you know you are
going to be late, it is polite to call and tell people that you are going to be late.

Im sorry, but Im going to be late.

Im sorry, but Im not going to make our 9am meeting.

Im sorry, but I wont be able to make it to my appointment on time.

Im sorry, but I dont think Im going to make it to the meeting on time.

Im afraid I wont be able to make it to our meeting on time.

Vocabulary:
make (something) This use of make means reach or arrive at a place in time to
do something.

make it This is a synonym of make above. It means arrive at a place at the

right time

Im afraid (that) In this context afraid doesnt mean that you are scared. Its a
polite way of saying Im sorry.

Learn more: 7 things to say when you forget something

2. Something has come up.

Next, you must explain why you are late. You dont have to give people a
detailed explanation, but you must say something.

Here are some general phrases that you can say:

Somethings come up.

This can also be used in the past: Something came up.

Im running late.

Im behind schedule.

Vocabulary:
come up In this context, the phrasal verb come up is used when something
happens suddenly or unexpectedly and you need to focus on it or take action.

running late In this context, this is a fixed expression. You cant change it and
say I run late. It means that you will arrive later than planned. You are not
doing things at the time you planned to do them.

Good reasons for being late (things that are not your fault):

Im stuck in traffic.

The meeting is running overtime.

(You are in another meeting but it hasnt ended yet and it is going past the
scheduled end time.)

I have a flat tire.

I was in an accident.

I have a family emergency.

(For example, your child is sick or your mother is in the hospital.)

My train/bus/subway is delayed.

Bad reasons for being late (things that are your fault):
I overslept.
(You didnt hear your alarm or you didnt wake up at your usual time.)

I missed the bus.

I missed the train.

I couldnt find my car keys.

I lost track of time.

Learn more: Episode 10: My library books are always late

3. Ill be there in 20 minutes.

If you are going to be late but you know that you will be there eventually, tell the
person when you expect to arrive.

Im going to be about 30 minutes late.

Im on my way. Ill be there in 20 minutes.

I may be about 5-10 minutes late.

Vocabulary:
about In these sentences, about is used as an adverb. It means almost,
nearly, or very close to (but not exactly!)

Im on my way. I will be there soon. I am moving towards my destination.

4. Would it be possible to ?
If you are going to be late and you know that you will not be able to meet today
at all, you need to reschedule your meeting.

Would it be possible to ? is a great question to memorize. It is used when

you want to politely ask someone to do something or when you need something.
In this question, to is followed by a verb in its base form.

Would it be possible to reschedule?

Would it be possible to meet tomorrow instead?

Would it be possible to get an appointment with the doctor tomorrow?

Can we reschedule our meeting for Friday?

Vocabulary:
reschedule schedule again, change the time of your planned event

5. Thank you for waiting.

If you did not reschedule and someone has been waiting for you to arrive (after
you called them to tell them you were going to be late), it is polite to thank them.

Thank you for waiting.

Im sorry for keeping you waiting.

Im sorry to keep you waiting.

I am sorry to have kept you waiting.

Are you usually early, on time, or late for meetings?

 Do you have any interesting expressions in your language
to say when you are late?

English Grammar: Have you ever been to a

place? (Present Perfect)
April 21, 2012 by Melanie

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Have you ever been to Rome, Italy?
You can use the present perfect to talk about a place, city, or country you have
visited. The present perfect is used to talk about if, at any point in your life in
the past, you have visited or traveled to a specific place. The present perfect
is not used to talk about when you did something. It is used to talk about if you
did something!
Correct answers:

Yes,
I have!
Ive been to Rome (once, twice, etc.).
Ive been there (once, twice, etc.).

No,
I havent!
I havent been to Italy.
I havent been there.
Ive never been to Rome.
Ive never been there.

Incorrect answers:

X: Ive ever been to Rome.

X: Ive been to there.
X: Ive been to Rome in 2005.
X: Ive never been in Rome.

Ever
Ever is not used in present perfect statements. It is only used in questions with
the present perfect.

Of course, there is an exception to this. When you make a superlative

statement, for example when you want to say that something is the best, you
can use ever.

Rome is the most beautiful city Ive ever been to in the world!

Be
It is common in English to use the verb be when you talk about places you have
visited. Dont use visit. This sounds formal and unnatural.

Have you visited Canada?

To
Prepositions dont translate between languages. In English, you must use the
preposition to when you talk about places you have visited. This may be
different from the preposition you use in your language. Thats OK! You just
need to remember to use to in English!

Ive been to Australia.

Shes been to 45 out of the 50 states in America.

Past Simple
Use the past simple verb tense to talk about when you visited a place.

Have you ever been to Rome?

Yes, Ive been to Rome! I went to Rome in 2005.