Conversation Gambits - Eric Keller, Sylvia T Warner 1988

4. Getting Information on the Phone
1. Opening Gambits

Asking a complicated question is difficult. Asking it on the phone is even more difficult.

Work in pairs. Section I gives you the information you need to ask your questions, Section 2 gives the answers. Match up the information with the correct answer. Then take turns to ask the questions. You must start your questions with one of the phrases from the list.

Section 1

1. You are calling the theatre to find out what time this evening's performance starts.

2. You are calling the post office to find out how to send a parcel to New Zealand so that it arrives in time for Christmas.

3. You are ringing the airline to find out the earliest flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong a week tomorrow.

4. You are ringing your doctor's surgery to make an appointment with Dr Crawford.

5. You are ringing your local paper to find out how to place an advertisement — you want to sell a pair of skis.

6. You are ringing Snodgrass and White, a local firm of solicitors, to find out about their job advertisement in your local paper.

7. You are ringing a language school to find out how much their evening courses cost.

8. You are ringing the local railway station to find out if trains are running normally again after yesterday’s storm.

Section 2

a. Part-time/f 60 per week/secretary/telephonist.

b. By surface before Nov I st/By air before Dec 3rd.

c. All running approx. 20 minutes late/no buffet services available

d. It has been cancelled.

e. Ads must be placed by 4.30 pm on day prior to day of issue/pay cash at the office or credit card by phone.

f. Two evenings/three hours per evening/£60 per term; four evenings/three hours per evening/£ I 20 per term.

g. 6.30 am (then 10.30, 15.30, 19.001.

h. He is on holiday for a month/his assistant is Dr Mills.

I’m calling to find out ...

I’d like to ask ...

Could you tell me ...

I’m calling about ...

I was wondering if you could tell me ...

I wonder if you could help me ...

If you go through a switchboard, say first:

I’d like to talk to somebody about ...