Mister Guru

A. Asking about Feelings / Thoughts

• How do you feel about it?
• What do you have in mind?
• What are you thinking about?
• Do you have something on your mind?
• What are you looking so serious about?
• Is something bothering you?
• Are you worried about something?

B. Expressing wonder / curiosity

• I wonder what it really is.
• I was just wondering how to do it.
• I wonder why he could do such thing to her
• I wonder if she likes studying here.
• I wonder at her directness.

C. Expressing Love

• I love you.
• I really love you and I always will.
• I truly love you endlessly.
• I’ll never stop loving you.
• My love will never cease till the end of time.
• There’s nothing that compares with my love for you.
• Words can never describe my love for you.
• Words fail to convey how much I love you.

D. Expressing Sadness

• I’m so sad I don’t know what to do.
• Please leave me alone.
• I’m very sad to see / hear that.
• My heart is so burdened.
• I can’t describe my pain and sorrow.
• It has brought me a lot of misery.
• I regret having to do this.

E. Being Sympathetic to Less Serious News

• Oh no! What a pity!
• What a shame!
• What a nuisance!
• Poor you.
• How awful!
• How annoying!
• That’s life!
• Too bad!
• I hope it’s nothing serious.

F. Being Sympathetic to Very Sad News

• How awful!
• How terrible!
• I’m really sorry to hear that.
• That must’ve been awful!

G. Expressing Condolence

• We are thinking about you at this difficult time.
• My condolences in your bereavement.
• Please accept my heartfelt sympathies.
• I’d like to express my deepest condolences.
• I am so sorry for your loss.
• You have my deepest sympathy.
• I am so sorry that ..(a person).. has passed away. May your memories comfort you.
• May God comfort you.
• We are praying for you at this difficult time.

H. Cheering someone up

• I can see why you’re so sad ..., but ....
• Take it easy.
• Calm down.
• I don’t think it’s a big deal.
• Oh, you poor thing!
• Sorry about that.

I. Expressing Embarrassment

• It made me ashamed.
• I was very embarrassed / ashamed.
• How embarrassing / shameful!
• Tell me it never happened.
• What a shame!
• Shame on me!

Response

• I don’t think it’s a big deal.
• That’s all right.
• Forget it.
• Come on! It can’t be as bad as all that.

J. Expressing Anger

• I’ve never been so insulted in my life.
• I can’t take this anymore!
• This is extremely irritating!
• I’m very unhappy / displeased with ....
• What do you mean?
• You’ve made me angry.
• Why on earth did you do that?
• Are you trying to tell me that ...?

K. Calming someone down

• Calm down. I didn’t mean it.
• Relax. Take it easy.
• Don’t be so touchy.
• Don’t be angry with me.
• Temper, temper.
• Don’t let it bother you.

Do you know why? Yes, the sentence "Sir, I am toilet." is NOT the correct expression to say when you are requesting or asking for permission to leave the classroom and go to the bathroom. Now, in order for us not to make a similar mistake when we are requesting permission, let's study the following expressions.

A. Using Modals: "Can I", "Could I", "May I":

B. Using "Would you mind ...?":

C. Using "Do you mind ...?":

D. Using Other forms:

E. Making Preventions:

F. Example Dialogues.

Short Dialogue 1

Short Dialogue 2

Short Dialogue 3

Short Dialogue 4

Write short dialogues like the above examples about permissions based on the following situations.

1. Your camera is out of battery. You want to borrow your friend's camera.
2. It's getting late. You should leave your friend's house and go home.
3. It's very windy and dusty outside. You want to close the windows.
4. You forgot to bring your charger. You need to use your friend's phone charger.
5. You want to turn on your television.
6. You want to go to a movie with your best friends.
7. You want to visit your friend at the hospital this afternoon. You ask for permission to your mother.
8. You cannot use your motorcycle to come to your friend's party. You ask your best friend to lend you his motorcycle.
9. Your pen suddenly runs out. You want to use your deskmate's pen but he is still using it.
10. You want to go to the beach, but your parents do not allow you to go because the weather is bad.

• There is a window in the livingroom.
• There is a sofa next to the window.
• There is an orange carpet on the floor.
• There is a standing lamp next to the sofa.
• There is a wooden shelf beside the window.
• There are some books and a photograph on the shelf.

A. Using "There is" and "There are"

I. Countable Nouns

II. Uncountable Nouns

B. Example Dialogue

A. Write sentences with "There is" or "There are" using the provided nouns. Look at the example.

Example:
1. a cup - the table.
   Answer: There is a cup on the table.
2. a book - the shelf.
3. a lot of cars - the parking lot
4. so many ants - on the table
5. some tea - the table
6. some ice - the fridge
7. a computer - the room
8. few good restaurants - my town
9. some money - my pocket
10. a big lamp - the center of the room
11. two English dictionaries - our library

B. Complete these sentences with "there is / there isn't / is there / there are / there aren't / are there".

1. The fridge is empty. ... any food in it.
2. Surabaya is a big city. ... many good hotels there.
3. ... more than 17,500 islands in Indonesian archipelago.
4. I like shopping here. ... a wide variety of products to choose from.
5. The park is not crowded. ... many visitors that day.
6. I don't think we need to eat out. ... enough rice for dinner.
7. ... a new building next to the parking lot. It is the school auditorium.
8. ... an ATM near here? I need to draw some money.
9. ... komodo dragons in the zoo?
10. How many computers ... in the office?

C. Let's play a "Horse Race" game. Answer each question as quickly as possible. You may play it in full-screen mode if necessary.

A. TELLING SURPRISING NEWS

• Guess what!
• Surprise!
• I’ve got news for you!
• Do you know what!
• Are you sitting down?
• You’d better sit down!
• You won’t believe this, but...

B. EXPRESSING AMAZEMENT / ADMIRATION

C. EXPRESSING SURPRISE

• I’m really surprised at ....
• Oh no! It can’t be (true)!
• My goodness!
• What a surprise!
• What on earth is that thing?
• I was shocked by ....
• It’s too good to be true!
• It’s unbelievable!
• I can’t believe it!
• Incredible!
• It’s really beyond belief!

I. Match each incomplete sentence into the correct word, "How" or "What".

II. Arrange these jumbled sentences

1. experience – what – had – unforgettable – an – we
2. was – fascinating – sunset – how – the
3. actress – a – beautiful – what – is – she
4. a – family – our – dinner – had – what – fantastic
5. the – next – how – girl – is – adorable – door
6. succeed – she – how – to – hard – tried
7. perfect – by – what – Ronaldo – ball – a – long
8. the – astonishing – was – sight – how
9. hall – a – conference – large – what – is – it
10. for – what – the – team – a – new – year – successful

III. Complete the following dialogues using your own words.

Dialogue 1

Dialogue 2

Dialogue 3

A. Making an Offer

B. Responding to an Offer

C. Example Dialogue

1. Read the above dialogue again and identify all offers and the responses you can find, then write them in the table below. Number 1 has been done as an example.

Identify all offers and the responses you can find in the dialogue and write them.

Offering	Responding to an offer
Example: 1. Would you like some tea?	Oh yes, please.
2. ....	....
3. ....	....
4. ....	....
5. ....	....
....	....
....	....

2. Write polite offers using the expressions and gambits you have learned. Look at the example.
   1. Some bread?
      Answer: Would you like some bread?
   2. go to the beach?
      Answer: How about going to the beach? / Would you like to go to the beach?
   3. try our new dish?
   4. some candies?
   5. use my umbrella?
   6. give you a lift?
   7. try to repair your printer?
3. Write an appropriate polite response for each of the following situations.
   1. Your teacher is carrying a pile of books. You offer to help her with it.
   2. Your colleague is printing a very important document. Suddenly, her printer broke down. You offer her to print the document using your printer.
   3. You are receiving a call from someone who wants to speak to your manager, but your manager is not available. You offer him/her to leave a message or call back later.
   4. The commuter train is full when an elderly woman gets on and she can't find a seat. You offer your seat to her.
   5. You are a shop assistant at a fashion store. You are serving a customer who does not seem satisfied with the dress she has just tried on. You offer another style of dress.

Therefore, it is essential to understand how to make requests, commands, or instructions, and how to respond to them appropriately. The ability in using polite forms in making requests and responding appropriately plays a very important role in presenting ourself in daily interactions. When we are polite, we appear gracious, agreeable, acceptable, and pleasant.

I. IMPERATIVE SENTENCES

1. A subject can be used for making it clear who is being spoken to, with no change in verbs (infinitives), e.g.:
   • Jim come here.
   • Somebody open the door!
   • You get out! ("You" before an imperative usually suggests anger)
2. To make it more polite and emphatic, "Do" can be used before the infinitive, e.g.
   • Do sit down.
   • Do forgive me.
   • Do be quiet.
3. Negative imperatives, as in prohibitions or warnings, are constructed with "do not" or "don’t", e.g.
   • Don’t be noisy.
   • Don’t blame me.
   • Do not lean out of the window.
4. "Always" and "never" can be used before imperatives, e.g.
   • Always remember to smile.
   • Never be late to class.
   • Always make sure the PC is off before leaving.
5. Passive imperatives can be constructed with "get" and "be", e.g.
   • Get vaccinated as soon as you can.
   • Get dressed quickly.
   • Please be advised that your tax has been overdue.
6. "Please" makes the imperatives sound more polite, e.g.
   • Please don't tell her about it.
   • Please turn the music down.
   • Please make sure the PC is off before leaving.

II. POLITE REQUESTS

1. "Can / Could / Will / Would you" is always followed by the infinitive (Verb 1), e.g.:
   • Can you come here, please?
   • Could you stay where you are?
   • Will you tell him to come?
2. "Could / Would you ...?" and "Would you mind ...?" makes the request sound more polite and formal than "Can / Will you ...?", e.g.:
   • Would you open the door, please?
   • Would you write your name here, please?
   • Could you sign here, please?
3. "Would you mind" is always followed by a gerund / noun (Verb-ing), e.g.
   • Would you mind turning the music down?
   • Would you mind taking care of my pet?
   • Would you mind telling her about it?
4. "Please" makes our requests sound more polite, e.g.
   • Would you close the door, please?
   • Could you write your name here, please?
   • Will you not lean out of the window, please?

III. ACCEPTING A REQUEST

1. Accepting a request with "Will / Would / Can / Could you ...?"
   We can accept "Will / Would / Can / Could you ...?" requests by using positive invitations such as:
   • OK. I’ll do that
   • All right.
   • Oh, sure. I’d be glad to.
   • Sure ! No problem.
2. Accepting a request with "Would you mind ...?"
   Accepting to "Would you mind ...?" requests with positive invitations may cause confusion as people may assume that you would mind and do not want to do it, unless we can clearly give our assent to the request by using positive body language, such as smiling agreeably. However, we can avoid confusion by using the following expressions:
   • No, not at all.
   • No, I don't mind at all.
   • No problem, go ahead.
   • No, please be my guest.

IV. DECLINING A REQUEST

1. Declining a request with "Will / Would / Can / Could you ...?"
   We can decline "Will / Would / Can / Could you ...?" requests politely by saying sorry and an excuse, or maybe an alternative. Here are some examples:
   • I’m sorry, I’m still busy.
   • Oh, sorry. I can’t do it right now. Maybe later.
   • Sorry, I wish I could. I have to ...(do something else)....
   • I'm sorry, I still don't have time.
2. Declining a request with "Would you mind ...?"
   Declining "Would you mind ...?" requests should be done politely in order to avoid offence. It is better to provide a clear reason why the request cannot be fulfilled, and whenever possible, use positive body language, such as smiling agreeably. Here are some useful expressions:
   • Yes, certainly. ...(give an excuse / reason)....
   • Well, I have to ...(do something else)....
   • I'm sorry, ...(give an excuse / reason)....

1. Change the following imperatives into polite requests using "Can/Could/Will/Would you ... (please)?". Number 1 has been done as an example.
   1. Open the door!
      Would you open the door, please?
   2. Pass me the sugar.
      ....
   3. Ask him in, please.
      ....
   4. Be quiet, please.
      ....
   5. Do me a favor, please.
      ....
   6. Listen to me.
      ....
2. Change the following imperatives into polite requests using "Would you mind ...?". Number 1 has been done as an example.
   1. Wait a moment.
      Would you mind waiting a moment, please?
   2. Close the windows.
      ....
   3. Take off your hat.
      ....
   4. Help me, please.
      ....
   5. Turn off the music.
      ....
   6. Speak more slowly, please.
      ....

For those whose job requires meeting with lots of customers, handling written or verbal complaints have become a common daily routine. Complaints should be regarded as an opportunity to improve and make a long-lasting customer. Therefore, complaints must be dealt with in a professional manner, quickly, politely and efficiently.

Complaining

In order to be able to handle complaints appropriately, we should know how complaints are usually given or expressed. In this post, we will be focusing on verbal complaints, namely those that are expressed in verbal or spoken language instead of written. Here are some of the most common expressions of complaint:

• I’d like to complain about ....
• Well, this is (absolutely) the worst .... I’ve ever found.
• What can you do about it / them?
• Something must be done about .... It's very disappointing.
• I’m sorry to say this, but ....
• Would you mind not ...?
• I’m not at all satisfied with your ....
• I wish you wouldn’t ....
• I’m disappointed with ....

Handling a Complaint

In the workplace, complaints become a very important issue that need to be identified and addressed in a timely manner in order to keep both the organisation and customer happy. In short, we must be sensitive to the customer, their needs, the nature of the complaint and the mood the customer is in.

To be brief, there are three basic steps in handling complaints appropriately.

1. Apologize politely.
   
   • I’m sorry, sir/madam.
   • We should apologize for ....
2. Attempt to solve the problem.
   
   • I will look into it immediately.
   • I will call the repairman.
   • Let me check it again, Sir / Madam.
   • Would you like to choose another color?
   • Wait a moment, please. We’re going to make it up.
   • We will try to fix it.
3. If you can't handle it on your own, alert your supervisor or manager.
   
   • Just one minute, please. I will alert my supervisor.
   • Would you wait a minute? I have to talk to my manager about it.

Dialogue 1:

Dialogue 2:

Dialogue 3:

Dialogue 4:

Yes, you need small talk.

What is small talk?

To be short, small talk refers to "basa-basi" in Bahasa Indonesia. It is a social conversation about unimportant and uncontroversial matters, which helps manage interpersonal distance and define the relationships between friends, colleagues, and new acquaintances.

We make small talk when we want to avoid uncomfortable silence and talk to someone we have never met before, or a colleague in order to appear polite and friendly and create a positive interaction. Small talk serves many social functions, such as conversation opener, conversation closing, and silence filler.

Small talk topics should be universal, positive, and situational to enable the conversation to flow naturally. Common small talk topics may range from the weather, sports, entertainment, introduction, occupation, and common interests.

To help you with clearer and more practical understanding of small talk, watch the video below and do the following exercise.

1. How did the man start the conversation?
   1. By asking the woman's name and nationality
   2. By asking the woman's favorite weather
   3. By creating small talk about the weather
   4. By telling the woman about his hard day
2. What did the woman think about the weather?
   1. It was a sign that summer had started.
   2. The weather had been oficially forecast.
   3. The officials said that summer was hot.
   4. It didn't look like summer had started.
3. What did the man say he wanted to buy?
   1. Sun glasses
   2. Sun roof
   3. Some blocks
   4. Sun block
4. The man said, "My name is John, by the way."
   From the dialogue, we may conclude that the phrase "by the way" can be used to ....
   1. clarify that an information may have been wrongly perceived
   2. introduce a topic not directly connected with the previous subject
   3. confirm a very important information in an informal conversation
   4. ask about a very casual topic in a formal or non-formal conversation
5. How did they greet each other in their introduction?
   1. Nice to miss you.
   2. Nights to meet you.
   3. Nice to me, too.
   4. Nice to meet you.
6. What do we know about the woman's origin?
   1. She lives around the area.
   2. They both live in Hokkaido.
   3. She will move to Hokkaido.
   4. She is from an Asian country.
7. What did she say about the weather in Hokkaido?
   1. It's warmer in Hokkaido.
   2. It's much colder in Hokkaido.
   3. Hokkaido is not as cold as that.
   4. Hokkaido is colder than before.
8. What did the man say about the weather in his hometown?
   1. It has a little rain.
   2. It's very windy.
   3. It's hotter when it rains.
   4. It often rains.
9. The man said, "I'm not used to these summer temperatures."
   What did he imply?
   1. He usually lived in a much colder place.
   2. He cannot do many activities in summer.
   3. The temperature in summer is usual.
   4. He likes summer temperatures more.
10. What does the woman like to do in summer?
    1. She likes running into the sea.
    2. She likes to take her dog for jogging.
    3. She likes to spend time at the beach.
    4. She usually allows her dog to go out.
11. What does the man usually do in his hometown during summer?
    1. If it's sunny, he meets up with his friends in a bar.
    2. He spends time sunbathing in a parking lot.
    3. He travels around London to see nice parks.
    4. He often has picnic in the park on sunny days.
12. Has the woman been to London before?
    1. Yes, she has.
    2. Yes, to visit museums.
    3. No, never.
    4. No, she doesn't want to.
13. What did the woman want to visit in London?
    1. The beach
    2. The park
    3. The museums
    4. The football game
14. According to the man, what do the people in his hometown mostly do at the weekend?
    1. They play football with their team.
    2. They play football video games.
    3. They go to their favorite teams.
    4. They watch football games.
15. Why did the woman relate to "baseball" in the conversation?
    1. To tell which Japanese baseball teams are popular
    2. To describe her favorite sports when she is in Japan
    3. To imply that both games are super popular in Japan
    4. To give information about equally popular sports
16. In chronological order, the topic of the conversation can be defined as ....
    1. the weather, place of origin, sports, summer activities
    2. the weather, place of origin, summer activities, sports
    3. the weather, place of origin, names, favorite sports
    4. the season, names, activities, personal sports
17. Based on the dialogue, which of the following statements is FALSE?
    1. The speakers have never met before.
    2. The speakers are probably tourists.
    3. They come from different countries.
    4. They both have the same preference.
18. What do you think the speakers are most probably doing?
    1. They are making a business trip.
    2. They are meeting new colleagues
    3. They are studying about the weather.
    4. They are enjoying their vacation.
19. Which of the following topics is best to continue the conversation?
    1. The beaches in London
    2. Favorite sports
    3. Religions
    4. Political view
20. Which of the following is NOT true about "small talk"?
    1. It is a polite way to start a conversation.
    2. It is mostly about uncontroversial matters.
    3. The topic is often popular and unimportant.
    4. It is effective in political and job interviews.

• Small Talk (Wikipedia)
• Be Social: 7 English Small Talk Topics for Starting Friendly Conversations

Here are the most common expressions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in English.

Expressing Satisfaction

• I’m very satisfied with ....
• I’m very pleased with ....
• It’s very satisfying.
• This is incredible / remarkable / fantastic / fabulous / unbelievable / amazing.
• Well done.
• You’ve done a great job.
• You did it.
• That was a good one.
• You’ve made a great effort.
• I really appreciate that.

Expressing Dissatisfaction

• I’m disappointed with ....
• It’s very disappointing.
• What a terrible ...!
• How awful!
• It’s terrible / annoying.
• You should have done / known better.
• I want to complain about ....
• I have a complaint to make.
• (I’m afraid) ... it just isn’t good enough.
• Something must be done about ....

Example Dialogue 1

Example Dialogue 2

1. Where did the dialogue most probably happen?
2. What were the speakers mostly talking about?
3. What do you think about Shamira's feeling?
4. Rewrite Shamira's sentence expressing her feeling.
5. In your opinion, what made her feel that way?
6. What do you think about Kath's attitude?
7. What did Kath suggest?
8. What would they most probably do after the conversation?

1. Where did the dialogue take place?
2. What were the speakers talking about?
3. What did the manager most likely feel?
4. Rewrite the manager's sentence which expresses his/her feeling.
5. What can we learn about the performance review in relation with employees' salary increase?

More practice? You can find other dialogues and exercises about complaining and how to handle complaints HERE.

Good luck with your English studies.