This phrase is used to apologize for something big or small that you have done, missed, etc. This phrase can also be expanded with the conjunction “for” to say what you are sorry for. E.g. : I’m sorry for being so late. I’m sorry for the mess. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. If you add […]

You can use this phrase if you need to get through, for example, but you can’t get through someone because they are blocking your way. So you say “Excuse me.” Or you can use this phrase if you need to get someone’s attention in a polite way. For example: Excuse me sir, you dropped your […]

When you understand the words one by one, but not what they mean together, use this question. You can ask it whenever you’re confused about what someone is telling you. A: The Smiths do have a really nice house, but the grass is always greener on the other side.B: What do you mean?A: I mean […]

English grammar is sometimes very difficult. So if you want to make sure you spell something correctly, use this phrase. Or you can ask someone to spell a word for you using this phrase: “Could you spell that for me?” A: My name is Robbertah Handkerchief.B: How do you spell that?

This phrase can be used when you hear or see something new, such as a new word. A: What does “font” mean?B: It’s the style of letters, numbers and punctuation marks when you type. A common font in the USA is Times New Roman.

If someone then starts to speak more slowly, it is polite to thank them for it. The phrase mentioned above can be used to do just that. Of course, it can be used in many other situations. A: John, could you please make the font bigger? It’s hard for me to read the words.B: Sure! […]

Native speakers can speak quite quickly, which makes it difficult to understand. This is a simple phrase to ask the person to slow down. (Note: This phrase is often used in spoken language, but it is not grammatically correct. The correct wording should be “Could you please talk more slowly?”) A: You can give us […]

Use this phrase when you need someone to repeat a sentence or at least a word. You can also use the phrase: “Could you say that again please?” Please – please – can be put either at the end of the sentence or right after “you”. Could you please repeat that? Could you repeat that, […]

Use this phrase when you don’t understand what the other person said or what exactly they meant by the message. Sorry, I don’t understand. This seems very confusing!

Use this simple phrase to tell others that English is not your first language. And if you’re just starting out, you can add the phrase “just started”. I just started learning English. My name is John and I’m learning English.