Dialogue 1-1: Formal Greetings

Faisal: Good morning, Mr. Babarzai how are you doing?

Mr. Babarzai: Good morning, Faisal I am doing well. And

you?

Faisal: I am great, thank you. This is my friend Kamran.

he is thinking about applying to Momin Medical
Institute. he has a few questions. Would you mind
telling us about the process, please?

Mr. Babarzai: Hello, Kamran! It’s a pleasure to meet you.

I’m more than happy to speak with you. Please stop by my
office next week.

Kamran: It’s a pleasure to meet you, professor. Thank you

so much for helping us.

Mr. Babarzai: Don’t mention it. Hopefully, I will be able to

answer your question.

Language Notes:
The greetings good morning/good afternoon/good evening are
used at different times of the day to great people. Good evening is
often used after 6 pm or generally when the sun has set .
Good night is not a greeting. It is used when leaving a place or
group of people.

Don’t mention it” is another way of saying You are welcome. The
phrase (you are welcome) is more formal. However, responses
such as Don’t mention it. /No problem. / Happy to help are informal
way responding to thank you.

Dialogue 1-2: Informal Greetings and Farewells

Maria: Hi, Tamana! How’s it going?

Tamana: Fine, thanks—and you?

Maria: Just fine. Where are you off to?

Tamana: To the library. I’ve got a Pharmacology exam

next week and need to start studying. Ugh.

Maria: Oh, no. Well, I’ll see you later then. Good luck

Tamana: Thanks. See you later.

LANGUAGE NOTES

“Hi” is an informal way of saying “hello.” Notice that the “i” sound in
“hi” is extended, to show that Maria is very pleased to see Tamana.

“How’s it going?” is an informal way of saying “How are you?”. “Fine,

thanks—and you?” Notice the rising intonation on “and you?” This
shows That Tamana is interested in what Maria has to say.

“Where are you off to?” is an informal way of saying “Where are you
going?” Notice the falling intonation since this is an information
question, not a “yes/no” question

To the library.” Notice that Tamana does not say “I’m going” here
because that information was already established in the question
“Where are you off to?

“Oh, no” is a way of saying “I sympathize with you” or “I understand

you are not happy.”
“See you later” is an informal way of saying “goodbye.
 Dialogue 1-3: Formal Introductions

Dr Safia: Mr. Zaheer, I’d like you to meet Dr.

Haris.
Mr. Zaheer: It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Haris.
Dr. Haris: Pleasure to meet you, too.
Dr Safia: Dr. Haris is a Specialist of
terminology. He just finished writing a book on
medical terminology.
Mr. Zaheer: Oh? That’s my field, too. I work for
the MMI.
DR. Haris: In the Development Program, by
any chance?
MR. Zaheer: Yes. How did you guess?
DR. Safia: I’ve read your articles on technical
assistance. They’re excellent.

LANGUAGE NOTES
Mr. Zaheer, I’d like you … Notice the
rising intonation on “Mr. Zaheer,” which is
used to address someone. Listen for the
“d” in “I’d like.” This means I would like,
which is very different from I like. (“I’d like”
means the same as “I would like” or “I
want.”)
DR. Haris: is a Specialist of terminology.
Notice the stress on “terminology.” This
content word has new information, so it is
emphasized. There are Five syllables in
“terminology,” with the stress on the third
syllable (term-mi-Na-lo-gee)

He just finished writing… “just” means the

very recent past. “Just” is usually used
with a simple past verb because the
action is complete. However, it can also
be used with the present perfect (He’s just
finished writing …)

Development program. Since these two

words make a compound noun, the main
stress falls on “development.”

By any chance? Means the same as “possibly.”

Notice the rising intonation, which is used in
yes/no questions to confirm that something is
true

Dialogue 1-4: Informal Introductions

Sana: Who’s the tall woman next to Momin Pharmacy?

Muska: That’s her friend Kainat. Didn’t you meet her at

Welcoming Ceremony?

Sana: No, I wasn’t at Welcoming ceremony.

Muska: Oh! Then let me introduce you to her now. Kainat, this is
my friend Sana.

Kainat: Hi, Sana. Nice to meet you.

Sana: You, too. Would you like a drink?

Kainat: Sure, let’s go get one.

LANGUAGE NOTES
“Who’s” is the contracted form of who is. It is pronounced the same way as
“whose” (/ huwz/), but the meaning is different.

Didn’t you meet her …? Notice that this is a negative question. Muska
thought that Sana had met Kainat before.

She is now surprised that Sana does not know Kainat, and so she uses a
negative question to show his surprise. •

I wasn’t at Welcoming ceremony. Notice that the emphasis here is on “at”

although prepositions normally have weak stress. In this case, “at” means
“there” (I wasn’t there) •

Kainat, this is my friend Sana. This is a friendly way to introduce two people.
It’s common to follow this with “Sana, this is Kainat.” In this case, Kainat says
“Hi, Sana” first.
Nice to meet you. This is a typical response after you’ve been introduced to
someone. •
“Sure” is often used in informal conversation to mean “yes.”

Dialogue 1.5: What Time Is It?

Asma: What time is it? We’re going to be late!

Mastora: It’s a quarter after seven. We’re on time. Don’t panic.

Asma: But I thought we had to be at the hotel by 7:30 for the

Graduation ceremony. We’ll never make it there with all this
Morning traffic.

Asma: Sure we will. Rush hour is almost over. Anyway, the party
starts at 8:00. But I do need help with directions. Can you call the
Hotel and ask them where we park our car?

LANGUAGE NOTES
It’s a quarter after seven. This phrase is one of the most common
ways of stating this time. It means: “It’s 15 minutes past 7:00.”
Another possibility here is to simply say: “It’s seven fifteen.” In
general, you can say: “It’s a quarter past the hour.”

• In the dialog, Mastora and Asma are going to a Graduation

ceremony. They need to be on time. Therefore, there is an
element of stress and urgency. When someone is stressed for
 time you can use expressions like: Don’t worry. / Don’t stress. /
We’re fine. / We will be on time

• Asma thinks the Graduation ceremony begins at 7:30. There are

two different ways to express this time. You may say simply
“seven thirty” or “half past seven.”

Rush hour is the time of day—usually in the morning and evening—

when traffic is heavy because of people commuting to and from
their workplace by bus, by car, by subway, on foot, etc.

Dialogue 1-6: A Telephone Call

Tamana: Hi, Nahida, it’s Tamana. How are you?

Nahida: Oh, hi, Tamana! I was just thinking about you.

Tamana: That’s nice. I was wondering if you’d like to go to the park.

Nahida: Sure, I’d love to! Which Park?

Tamana: I was thinking about Farm hada Park. What do you

think?

Nahida: Sounds great!

Tamana: OK, I’ll pick you up around 7:30. The Park Opens at
8:00.
Nahida: See you then. Bye!
LANGUAGE NOTES

Hi, Nahida, it’s Tamana: Hi, ____, it’s ____ is a casual and friendly way to
say hello on the phone. Although “it’s” means “it is,” it is used to mean “I am”
here.

Oh, hi, John! Notice the rising intonation here. Nahida is excited to hear from
Tamana and is very pleased that she called her.

I was wondering if you’d like to This is a polite and indirect way of asking “Do
you want to …?” is nervous and does not want to appear too direct or bold.
Notice how the question goes up at the end, which shows that she is not
overly confident.
Sure! I’d love to means “Yes, I would love to.” Notice that Nahida is very
enthusiastic and friendly. She wants Tamana to feel comfortable about
asking her out on a date.

I was thinking bout /What do you think? Again, Tamana does not want to
appear too bold. She wants to give Nahida a chance to suggest go to park.
Sounds great! Is an informal way of saying “That is a good plan,

I’ll pick you up is an informal way of saying “I’ll come to your house so that
we can go together

Dialogue 1-7: Can You Say That Again?

Aman: Hello? Hi, Gulzar, how are things at the office?

Gulzar: Hi, Aman! How are you? Can you please stop and pick up
extra paper for the computer printer?

Aman: What did you say? Can you repeat that, please? Did you
say to pick up ink for the printer? Sorry, the phone is cutting out.

Gulzar: Can you hear me now? No, I need more computer paper.
Listen, I’ll text you exactly what I need. Thanks, Aman. Talk to you
later.

Aman: Thanks, Stephanie. Sorry, my phone has really bad

reception here

LANGUAGE NOTES
• There are a few ways to express a lack of understanding and to request
additional information. The most common ones are stated, but you can also
say “Excuse me” or simply “I can’t hear you.” In a more formal situation, try
saying “I’m sorry?” or “I beg your pardon?” (with a rising intonation).

• When asking someone to clarify information try saying Can you please
repeat that? / Can you spell that for me? / Can you please write down the
address for me?

Cutting out describes a difficulty in understanding a caller due to poor

cellphone reception. If you are having trouble understanding the caller, you
can also say The line is breaking up / I am losing you. If the phone call is
disconnected because of poor reception, you can say The call dropped.
Talk to you later is the equivalent in a phone conversation of “See you later”
in a regular, face-to-face conversation.
Reception here means the availability of cellular service, the possibility to
receive and give calls on a cellphone. Cellphone reception can be limited in
remote areas, inside large buildings or underground (in the subway, for
instance).

Dialogue 1-8: Coincidences

Smargula: Well, hello there, Safia! Long time no see!

Safia: Samagula! Hi! What a coincidence! I haven’t seen you in

ages! What are you doing here?

Smargula: I just got a new job in the city, so I’m shopping for some
clothes. Hey, what do you think of this Dress?

Safia: Hmmm … well, you know how much I love blue. See? I’ve
got the same dress!
Smargula: You always did have good taste! What a small world

LANGUAGE NOTES
Well, hello there … Notice the emphasis on “hello,” which shows that
Smargula did not expect to see Safia.
Long time, no see! This is a common expression used to say hello to
someone you haven’t seen in a long time.
What a ___! This exclamation shows a great degree of surprise, joy,
disappointment, etc. (What a surprise to see you here! What a joy to have
you with us! What a shame that you have to leave so soon! What a wonderful
idea that is!)
You always did have good taste! Notice the stress on “did,” which Safia uses
to emphasize the fact that Samargula DOES have good taste! Safia says it
in a joking way because Samargula likes the same thing that she does.
What a small world is a common expression used to describe a chance
meeting or other such coincidence.

Dialogue 1-9: Weather Report

Yasser: It’s freezing outside! What happened to the weather

report? I thought this cold front was supposed to pass.

Sohail: Yeah, I thought so too. That’s what I read online this

morning.

Yasser: I guess the wind chill is really driving down the

temperature.

Sohail: Can we go inside? I feel like my toes are starting to go

numb.

LANGUAGE NOTES
A “cold front” means a large mass of cold air. It can be plural: There were
multiple cold fronts this January. •
Here “supposed to” refers to something that is intended or expected to
happen: I thought it was supposed to rain today. This phrase can be used
for many situations: I thought the train was supposed to arrive at 9:00 a.m.
sharp.
Yeah / Yup / Uh huh are informal conversational cues used by native
speakers in conversation. Each of these responses could be used here for
“yes.” Sohail affirms what Yasser is saying. The politest way to affirm a
response is to say “yes.”
Listen for the emphasis on “That’s what I read online this morning.” This
useful phrase can be used with other verbs to convey information: That’s
what I heard on the radio. / That’s what I saw on TV. / That’s what I read
online.
Chill / freezing / cold: These words describe cold weather. I feel the wind
chill. / I feel the chill. / I am freezing. / I am cold.
Wind chill is the effect of the wind making the temperature feel colder on a
person’s skin. This is an uncountable noun. The temperature is 4 degrees,
but with the wind chill it feels like -8. These phrases are used in weather
reports as well. • The phrase “driving down” means “forcing to be lower”
and can be used in many situations. An oversupply of new houses is driving
down sales prices in the area.

Dialogue 2-1: Ordering a Meal

Waiter: Hello, I’ll be your waiter today. Can I start you off with
something to drink?
RALPH: Yes. I’ll have iced tea, please.
ANNA: And’ I’ll have lemonade.
WAITER: OK. Are you ready to order, or do you need a few
minutes?
RALPH: I think we’re ready. I’ll have the tomato soup to start, and
the roast beef with mashed potatoes and peas.
WAITER: How do you want the beef — rare, medium, or well
done?
RALPH: Well done, please.
ANNA: And I’ll just have the fish, with potatoes and a salad.

LANGUAGE NOTES
Can I start you off with something to drink? Notice how the question starts with “Can.”
Since this is a yes/no question, the intonation rises at the end.
And I’ll have lemonade. Notice how Anna stresses “I’ll” and “lemonade” to emphasize her
choice.
Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes? The word “or” signals a choice
here. Notice the rising intonation on order, and the falling intonation on minutes (the first
choice is “Are you ready to order?” and the second choice is “Do you need a few
minutes?”)
I’ll have the tomato soup to start, and the roast beef with mashed potatoes and peas.
Notice that “tomato soup,” “roast beef,” “mashed potatoes” and “peas” are stressed
because the food order is the important information here. Notice also that “tomato soup,”
“roast beef” and “mashed potatoes” are compound words. The stress falls on the second
word in each phrase.
Well done, please. Notice that the subject and verb are omitted in the response; only the
necessary information is given.
I’ll just have the fish. Anna says “just” here to mean that she does not want a starter.

Dialogue 2-2: At the Doctor’s Office

DOCTOR: What seems to be the problem?

CATHY: Well, I have a bad cough and a sore throat. I also have a
headache.

DOCTOR: How long have you had these symptoms?

CATHY: About three days now. And I’m really tired, too.
DOCTOR: Hmm. It sounds like you’ve got the flu. Take aspirin every four
hours and get plenty of rest. Make sure you drink lots of fluids. Call me if
you’re still sick next week.

CATHY: OK, thanks

LANGUAGE NOTES
What seems to be the problem? means “What is the problem?” Notice that
the intonation falls at the end of the question. The doctor wants information,
not a “yes/no” answer.

Well is used as an introductory word. Notice how the vowel is drawn out, to
sound like “Weeeeeell …” This can be used as a way to “buy time” while you
think about what you want to say next. •
A bad cough a sore throat a headache: Notice the article “a” before each
symptom
• About is used to mean “more or less.” It’s used here to give an estimate
of time.
Take aspirin get rest… Make sure … Call me: Notice the doctor uses the
simple tense here to give instructions. This is the imperative form of the verb.
• Still sick means “continue to be sick.”