📝 Daily Short Practice
🎯 Vocabulary Goal
Learn useful phrasal verbs for telephone conversations.
📚 Words & Phrases
| Word or phrase | Simple meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| call back | phone someone again later | I call back after lunch. |
| hang up | end a phone call | I hang up when the call is finished. |
| speak up | speak more loudly | Please speak up because I cannot hear you. |
| hold on | wait for a short time on the phone | Please hold on for a moment. |
| put through | connect a caller to another person | I put callers through to the manager. |
| cut off | lose a phone connection suddenly | Sometimes calls cut off in this area. |
🔍 See It in Context
A Phone Call at Work
Tom calls an office and asks for Anna. The receptionist tells him to hold on and then puts him through. The connection is bad, so Anna asks Tom to speak up. Suddenly they are cut off. Tom calls back a minute later, and they finish the conversation before hanging up.
💡 Notice the Pattern
Telephone phrasal verbs
These phrases are common on the phone. Hold on means wait, put through means connect a caller, hang up means end the call, and call back means phone again.
- Hold on, please.
- I will call you back later.
💬 Useful Examples
- Could you speak up?
- I will put you through.
- We were cut off.
- Do not hang up yet.
✏️ Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1. I ____ after lunch. (call back / hang up / speak up)
2. I ____ when the call is finished. (speak up / hold on / hang up)
3. Please ____ because I cannot hear you. (put through / speak up / hold on)
4. Please ____ for a moment. (hold on / put through / cut off)
5. The phrasal verb meaning “connect a caller to another person” is ____. (cut off / call back / put through)
🔗 Exercise 2 – Matching
1. call back
2. hang up
3. speak up
4. hold on
5. put through
✅ Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1. Which word or phrase means “phone someone again later”?
2. Which word or phrase means “end a phone call”?
3. Which word or phrase means “speak more loudly”?
4. Which word or phrase means “wait for a short time on the phone”?
5. Which word or phrase means “connect a caller to another person”?
📝 Use It Yourself
Write a short telephone dialogue using three phrases from this lesson.
Example:
Hold on, please. I will put you through. If we are cut off, I will call back.
🎙️ Speaking Practice
Practice these sentences aloud.
Say:
Hold on for a moment, please.
Ask:
Could you speak up?
Say:
I will call you back later.
Say:
Please do not hang up.
🔎 Answer Key
Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1. call back
2. hang up
3. speak up
4. hold on
5. put through
Exercise 2 – Matching
1. c – phone someone again later
2. e – end a phone call
3. a – speak more loudly
4. d – wait for a short time on the phone
5. b – connect a caller to another person
Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1. call back
2. hang up
3. speak up
4. hold on
5. put through