Multi-word verbs

One thing you can do to improve your telephone skills is to learn some of the multi-word verbs that are commonly used in telephone conversations. Most of them are featured in this unit. Hold on means “wait” – and hang on means “wait” too. Be careful not to confuse hang on with hang up! Hang up means “finish the call by breaking the connection” – in other words: “put the phone down”.

Another phrasal verb with the same meaning as hang up is ring off. The opposite of hang up / ring off is ring up – if you ring somebody up, you make a phone call. And if you pick up the phone, (or pick the phone up) you answer a call when the phone rings.

“Hang on a second...”

If you are talking to a receptionist, secretary or switchboard operator, they may ask you to hang on while they put you through – put through means to connect your call to another telephone. With this verb, the object (you, me, him, her etc.) goes in the middle of the verb: put you through.

But if you can't get through to (contact on the phone) the person you want to talk to, you might be able to leave a message asking them to call you back. Call back means to return a phone call – and if you use an object (you, me, him, her etc.), it goes in the middle of the verb: call you back.

4. Give the Russian equivalents:

hang up – … ring off – … ring up – … pick up – … hold on – …

hang on – … put through – … get through to– … call back – …

5. Do you remember how the alphabet letters should be pronounced? Study the alphabet chart and supply missing letters with the same sound as it:

O

R

Q

V

I

F

J

6. Now practice pronouncing the following abbreviations. In each line, find the abbreviation that sounds different from the other three:

	COD	BOT	FOB	VIP
	GDP	PST	GMT	GNP
	MIT	NEC	NYC	FIT
	VAT	CAP	BKG	PLC
	EGM	CIF	DCF	PPS
	MBA	FBI	RPI	MBO

7. When spelling names or words over the telephone in English you may need the British telephone alphabet (list of easily distinguishable words, each representing a letter of the alphabet):

British system American system

A for B C D E F G H I J K L M

Andrew Benjamin Charlie David Edward Frederick George Harry Isaac Jack King Lucy Mary

N for O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Nellie Oliver Peter Queenie Robert Sugar Tommy Uncle Victory William Xmas Yellow Zebra

A as in B C D E F G H I J K L M

Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliette Kilo Lima Mike

N as in O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whisky X-ray Yankee Zulu

8. Spell the following names:

a) Sarah Peters c) Christopher Johnson e) Ellen King b) Dorothy Robinson d) David Field f) Leslie Baker

9. Practise spelling on the phone and phone number:

When a letter is doubled in a name, British people usually say ‘double T’, ‘double O’, etc. Thus ‘Anne’ would be spelt:

A - double N - E.

Similarly for numbers: 5772 would be said:

five - double seven - two.

Americans would probably say the same letter or number twice.

The number 0 is usually said as ‘oh’ in Britain but ‘zero’ in America.

When saying numbers, use rising intonation for each group, except for the last group, when you should use a falling tone. This shows you have reached the end of the number.

access code country code area code

00 ↑ 44 ↑1746 ↑

Double oh (BrE) double four one seven four six

Number

↑ ↓

eight four five nine two one

10. Exchange dictating phone numbers with your partner:

a) 28531 b) 74492 c) 60339 d) 30033

e) 10666 f) 34580 g) (253)11705

h) (245)96632 i) 8 22 279445 j) 8 22 678881

556 38 47

8- 904- 535- 20- 13

[phone]

and continue on your own.

11. Study the following:

In any situation, the first impression is crucial. People will remember how you treated them during the first contact and it may be the only chance to show that you are willing to satisfy the caller’s request. When callers notice professionalism and customer-focus from the very beginning, their perception of you and your company is a very positive one. If not, the impression is negative – and usually stays that way!

Now, look at these basic steps for making a successful phone call:

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31