Email and telephoning vocabulary and collocations

Choose one of the cards below and explain what it means and how it is used without
saying the words on the card until your partner guesses what it says.
Things you could talk about:
- Email and/ or telephone
- Formality
- Collocations
- Meaning
- Example sentences (with gaps)

Attach Love From Mr Mrs

Miss Ms Sir Sirs Madam

CC BCC Best Unfortunately, XXX

XOXO Hugs Kisses Hi Forward

…

Bye Regards Re: Ref./ This

Reference

To: Btw Tel. Yours Sincerely

Faithfully Cheers Advance Soon Hesitate

Thanks/
Thank you Cooperation Afraid Touch See

Hold Extension Dial Speak Number

Hand Code Through Skype Conference

Message Note Mail Message Directory

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2011

 Moment Tone Battery Low Put

(forward) Underline/
slash underscore Double Treble Oh

Dash/ hyphen Unattainable Battery Back Again

In Desk Out Check Operator

Switchboard Text/ SMS Line Answer Dear

Answer Bad Up Get Call

Take Ring Hash/ pound Star/ asterisk Dictate

Talk Please Signal Sorry Leave

Emoticon Abbreviation Acronym Spell Catch

Listen to your teacher read out some words and phrases which are related to one of the
words above. Try to guess which word it is, then do the same in pairs with the Student A
and Student B worksheets that your teacher gives you.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2011

Suggested phrases for teacher-led guessing game

Answer- Answering machine/ Answer phone/ There is was no answer/ We aim to answer
all calls within three rings/ I’m afraid I can’t answer the phone at the moment/ You’re
through to the answering machine of Alex Case/ She isn’t answering her phone

Attach – Please find the document attached/ As you can see from the attachment…

Back – Call someone back/ Check something back/ Get back to someone/ When she gets
back

Battery - Low battery/ Flat battery

Best – All the best/ Best wishes/ Pass my best wishes on to your boss/ Best regards

Busy – Busy signal/ I know you’re very busy, but I just needed to…

Bye – Bye for now/ Okay. Thanks. Bye/ Goodbye

Call - Call waiting/ Call centre/ Cold calling/ Collect call/ I’m returning your call/ I’ll tell him
you called/ Call someone back/ Could you tell him I called?/ I’m afraid I’m not available to
take your call at the moment/ There is no one available to take your call/ Who shall I say is
calling?/ Can I ask who is calling?/ Missed call/ International calling card/ I’m returning
your call/ Accept a call/ I have a call on another line

Check – Can I check that back/ I’ll check if he’s available. Please hold the line/ Just a
moment, I’ll check on my computer

Code – Postcode/ Area code/ International dialling code

Conference - I’m afraid he’s at a conference all day/ We met at a conference last week/
Video conference/ Conference call

Dear – Dear Sir or Madam/ Dear Ms Case/ Dear Alex

Desk - Away from his desk/ Not at his desk/ I’ll leave a message on his desk
Simon Pitman’s desk. Alex speaking. How can I help you?/ Not at his desk.

Dial – Redial/ Misdial/ Automatic redial/ Dialling tone/ Dial a number

Directory - Directory enquiries/ Telephone directory

Get - Get through/ Get back to you

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2011

Student A
Choose one of the lists below and read out one example with the key word missing. Your
partner can guess just once what the missing word. Continue giving them other examples
from the same list until they get it right or you run out of examples.
Hand - I don’t have it to hand/ Hands-free/ Please replace the handset and try again

Head – Headset/ Off the top of my head…

Hi – Hi!/ Hi John/ Say “Hi” to Steve from me/ Julie says “Hi”

Hold - Hold on/ Please hold (the line)/ Can you hold?/ I’m putting you on hold

Home - Home number/ Home address/ Home phone/ We’re not home at the moment, so
please leave a message after the beep

In – In a meeting/ Can I speak to someone in the marketing department?/ I’m afraid he’s
not in today/ in connection with/ In advance

Key - Hash key/ Pound key/ Star key/ Keypad

Leave – Please leave your name and number/ Leave a message

Line - The line was cut/ A bad line/ Helpline/ Landline/ Hold the line/ The line went dead/
Someone’s trying to get through on another line/ I have someone on another line

Love – Love from/ Lots of love/ Send my love to John

Low - Low signal/ Low battery

Mail – Voicemail/ Email/ To email someone/ Compose an email

Message - Recorded message/ Leave a message/ Take a message/ Pass your message
onto him/ Take a message/ Leave a message/ Please leave a message after the beep/ I
got a message that I should call you/ Instant messaging

Moment – There’s no one here at the moment/ Just a moment (I’ll get a pen and paper/ I’ll
get it up on the screen)

Note – This is just a quick note to…/ Post-it note/ Make a note of/ Leave a note

Number – Extension/ Home/ Mobile/ Office/ Wrong number

Off - Off the hook/ Off work/ Cut off

Office - Out of the office/ Office phone/ Office number.

On - On another line/ Pass that message on to him/ Get it up on the screen/ On the phone

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2011

Student B
Choose one of the lists below and read out one example with the key word missing. Your
partner can guess just once what the missing word. Continue giving them other examples
from the same list until they get it right or you run out of examples.
Operator – All our operators are busy right now/ Call centre operator/ Speak to an
operator/ Or press three to speak to an operator

Phone - Phone you back/ Thanks for phoning/ Mobile phone/ Smart phone/ Cell phone/
Phone box/ Phone again/ Phone booth/ Public phone/ Payphone/ Freephone/ Phone card/
I’m phoning about the conference next week/ Alex Case’s phone

Please – Please leave a message after the tone/ Please do not hesitate to contact me

Put- Put the phone down/ Put someone through/ Put someone on hold

Rate - Local rate/ Premium rate

Reference – With reference to your email yesterday/ Your ref:/ Our ref:/ Reference number

Regards – Best regards/ Give my regards to John

Ring - Give me a ring/ Ring me back/ Within three rings/ It’s ringing, but no one is picking
up/ Just let it ring/ Ringing tone

Soon – I look forward to hearing from you soon/ See you soon/ Write soon

Sorry – Sorry it took me so long to get back to you/ Sorry to keep you waiting/ Sorry, he’s
out of the office at the moment/ Sorry. Can you speak a little louder?/ Sorry, we were cut
off/ Sorry, I went into a tunnel

Speak – Speak up/ Speaker phone/ Can I speak to… please?/ This is John speaking/
HLDS. Alex speaking. How can I help you?/ Speak to you soon/ Speak to you then

Take – Take a message/ Take care/ Can I take your name, please?

Talk – Do you have time to talk?/ It’s been nice talking to you

Text – Send a text/ Textspeak/ Text someone

Thanks/ Thank you – Thanks again/ Thanks in advance/ Thanks for calling/ Thanks for
your email…

Tone - Dialling tone/ Engaged tone/ Busy tone/ Please speak after the tone/ Ringing tone

Up – Hang up/ Speak up/ Pick up

Yours – Yours sincerely/ Yours faithfully/ Sincerely yours/ Yours

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2011