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M: Hello English learners! Welcome back to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.

E: And I’m Erica.

M: And we’re bringing you another great elementary lesson today. One that takes place at

the office.

E: Yes, today we’re gonna teach you some great phrases, so that you can ask people to

help you.

M: Right. And I think this dialogue is with a new person at the office.

E: Uhu.

M: So, when you’re new, you always need to ask people for favors.

E: Exactly.

M: Okay.

E: Yeah.

M: So, we’re gonna be asking for a favor.

E: So, Marco, what exactly is a favor?

M: Something that a person does for you.

E: Like a small helpful thing.

M: Ah, Yeah, a small helpful thing, so…

E: Uh.

M: You know, like “can you pass me that pencil”. Maybe that’s even a favor.

E: Yeah, or…

M: Or…

E: Maybe, uh, can you pick me up on your way to work.

M: Yeah, that’s a favor.

E: Uhu.

M: Or even lending money…

E: Yep.

M: To your friend.

E: Yeah.

M: That’s a favor.

E: Yeah.

M: So, that’s what we’re gonna be talking about – favors and how to ask for one.

E: Cause you always have to do this at work.

M: At work, with your friends.

E: Uhu.

M: With your family. So, let’s listen to the dialogue and then we’ll come back and explain all

the vocabulary.

DIALOGUE, FIRST TIME

M: So, a pretty busy office.

E: Pretty unhelpful colleagues. 

M: Hehe. I know everyone so busy…

E: I know.

M: They didn’t help this poor girl.

E: Yeah, I hope she found the bathroom.

M: Hehe. Now, let’s take a look at the language from the dialogue. So, let’s start with

language takeaway.

Voice: Language takeaway.

E: There’s some great language in this dialogue, wasn’t there?

M: Yeah, a lot of, uh, interesting phrases and words. Um, the first one that… that I saw that

was really interesting is on board.

E: On board.

M: Welcome on board.

E: Well, we’ve got some examples of how this phrase is used. So, let’s listen to them to help

us understand the meaning.

Voice: Example one.

A: Welcome on board, Sarah; if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

Voice: Example two.

B: We need to get a new office assistant on board as soon as possible.

Voice: Example three.

C: We decided to bring Melissa on board to join the marketing team.

M: So, basically it means…

E: Welcome to the company.

M: Welcome to the company.

E: Or.

M: The team.

E: Yeah.

M: Welcome on board.

E: So, “on board” is the same as “to the company”.

M: I guess also when you get on a ship, they tell you “welcome on board”.

E: Yes. That’s where it comes from.

M: Or an airplane.

E: Yeah-yeah, yeah.

M: Welcome on board. Okay, let’s take a look at our next word – about to.

E: About to.

M: I’m about to.

E: I’m about to.

M: So, this a great phrase to explain that you’re about to do something.

E: I’m going to do this thing really soon.

M: Okay, so… so, for example, you can say “I’m about to go out for lunch”.

E: Uhu. Or I could say “hey, Marco, let’s go record a show”.

M: I’m about to going to a meeting.

E: Uhu, exactly.

M: Right?

E: Yeah.

M: About to.

E: Going to do something really soon.

M: Okay. The next word we have is instead.

E: Instead.

M: Instead.

E: Instead. It means in the place of.

M: In the place of.

E: Yeah.

M: So, for example, if for a dinner I could say “I’ll have the chicken instead of the fish”. 

E: Uhu.

M: Right?

E: Or I can say “I wanted to buy a red sweater, but they didn’t have one, so I bought a blue

one instead”.

M: Instead.

E: Uhu.

M: Okay. So, in the place of.

E: Yeah.

M: And our last word for… language takeaway – interrupt.

E: Interrupt.

M: Interrupt.

E: Interrupt.

M: So, when somebody interrupts you, they’re coming and…

E: The talk to you while you’re doing something or maybe while you’re speaking.

M: Or maybe you’re busy…

E: Aha.

M: And people come and… and…

E: Bother you.

M: And bother you.

E: Yeah.

M: Okay.

E: So, interrupt.

M: Interrupt. Okay, some great words here in our dialogue and now we can listen to it

again. This time it’s gonna be a little bit slower…

E: And you’ll be able to understand the language a little bit better.

DIALOGUE, SECOND TIME (slow)

M: Okay, so, there’re some great ways that you can ask someone for a favor, right?

E: Yeah, we wanna show you some really useful phrases for asking for help.

M: So, let’s start with “putting it together”.

Voice: Putting it together.

E: Let’s listen to some different ways of how you can ask someone for a favor.

Voice: Example one.

A: May I get you to do me a favor? Can you carry this package and that suitcase for me? 

Voice: Example two.

B: Can I ask you a favor? Can you just finish this report for me?

Voice: Example three.

C: Could you do me a favor and pass me that file.

M: Okay, so, those were great examples of asking for a favor.

E: Yeah.

M: In our dialogue we heard “Can I ask you a favor”.

E: Uhu. But we could also say “Can I get you to do me a favor”.

M: Right, can I get you to do me a favor.

E: Uhu.

M: Also I could say “Will you do me a favor”.

E: Will you do me a favor.

M: Right. So, those are different ways of asking for a favor.

E: Let’s say you want to ask someone for a favor, right?

M: Uhu.

E: But they’re busy.

M: Right.

E: So, you’ll need some phrases to help you do this.

M: Exactly, you need some phrases to interrupt somebody.

E: Aha.

M: Right? So, let’s listen to some examples of what phrases you can use to begin to talk to

someone.

E: Yeah, to interrupt them.

M: Okay.

Example 1: I hate to bother you, but… I hate to bother you, but…

Example 2: I’m sorry to bother you, but… I’m sorry to bother you, but…

Example 3: I don’t mean to bother you, but… I don’t mean to bother you, but…

M: Okay, so, those are really nice and polite ways of beginning to talk to someone.

E: Exactly, they’re really useful at the office.

M: So, maybe you wanna talk to your boss, you knock on his door, kind of open it a little bit

and say “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you have time for meeting today”.

E: Uhu. Or you could say “I hate to bother you, but do you have time for a meeting today”.

M: Exactly.

E: Uhu.

M: So, those are great ways of starting up a conversation.

E: Yep.

M: And maybe setting it up to ask for a favor.

E: Uhu.

M: Right?

E: Uhu.

M: So, we can combine them. I could say “I hate to bother you, but can you do me a favor”.

E: Perfect.

M: Right?

E: Yeah, really useful.

M: So, then… then you can ask someone for a favor.

E: Yep.

M: Okay, great stuff. So, I guess we can listen to our dialogue again.

E: Yeah, let’s listen to our dialogue for the third time and this time I’m sure you’ll

understand it a lot better.

DIALOGUE, THIRD TIME

M: Alright, so, now you have all the vocabulary necessary the next time you need to ask

someone for a favor.

E: Yes.

M: At the office, with your friends, with your family, anyone.

E: Well, everyone, we are out of time for today, but remember to visit our website at

englishpod.com.

M: Exactly, at our website you’ll find the script of the dialogue…

E: Uhu.

M: And also you’ll find intermediate lessons, upper intermediate and even advanced.

E: Yeah, exactly, our website is a great resource for learning. Uh, Marco and I are always

there to answer you questions and we also have lots of helpful users, who answer your

questions.

M: Exactly, so, don’t miss out come to our website at englishpod.com and we’ll see you

there. [NOTE: to miss out = to lose an opportunity]

E: Until next time…

M: Bye-Bye.

E: Bye.