Hi, there! How’s it going?

Hoje temos mais um diálogo básico com várias expressões interessantes, retirado do livro All Clear 1. Alex quer falar com Sara, sua amiga. Ele liga para ela e quem atende é sua irmã Anna.

Anna: Hello.
Alex: Hi, Sara.
Anna: Who’s this?
Alex: It’s Alex.
Anna: Oh, hi, Alex. This is Anna. Hold on a minute and I’ll get Sara… Sara, it’s for you!
Sara: I’ll be right there… Alex? Hi!
Alex: Hi, Sara. Want to go to the movies Friday night?
Sara: I’m really sorry, but I can’t make it Friday night. How about Saturday?
Alex: Sure. Why don’t I pick you up at 7:00?
Sara: That sounds great. Oh, Alex, I’m sorry. My parents are calling me for dinner and I have to get off. See you Saturday.
Alex: Great. See you. Bye.

Vamos estudar algumas das expressões do diálogo?

1. Who’s this? – Usamos Who’s this? informalmente quando queremos saber quem está falando do outro lado do telefone. Podemos também usar, num contexto mais formal, as seguintes expressões:

Who’s calling?
Can I ask who’s calling?
May I ask who’s calling?

2. It’s ___. / This is ___. – Usamos tais expressões para responder à pergunta acima, Who’s this? Veja alguns exemplos:

A – Hello.
B – Hello. May I speak to Alex Nicholas, please?
A – This is Alex.

A – Hello.
B – Hi. May I speak to Sara?
A – Who’s this?
B – It’s Alex. / This is Alex.

3. Hold on – Aguarde (no telefone). Em contextos telefônicos não é correto dizer “Wait”. Alguns exemplos:

A – Hello.
B – Hello. This is Melissa. May I speak to Daniel, please?
A – Sure. Hold on and I’ll get him.

Quando a pessoa que atende o telefone mas não pode falar imediatamente pode usar as seguintes frases:

Doctor’s Office. Can you hold?
Please hold, and someone will be with you shortly.

Mais algumas expressões relacionadas com atender e desligar o telefone.

answer the phone – atender o telefone
get the phone – atender o telefone
hang up – desligar o telefone
hang up on someone – desligar o telefone na cara de alguém

4. I’ll be right there. – Já estou chegando. Já vou.

A – Hurry! The phone’s for you.
B – I’ll be right there.

5. can/can’t make it – (não) conseguir ir a um lugar/evento

I can make it on Monday, but not on Tuesday.
On Saturday night? Oh I’m sorry. I can’t make it. I already have plans.

6. Why don’t…? – Usado para dar sugestões.

Why don’t we go swimming, and then we take a walk?
Why don’t you go to the bank, and I’ll go to the post office? We’ll meet here later.

7. pick someone up – buscar alguém (em algum lugar)

I’ll pick you up in front of the cafe at 4 o’clock, OK?

She picked up her brother.
She picked her brother up at school.
She picked him up.

8. That sounds…! – Eu acho…!

A – I can pick you up at 10:00, and then we can go to the beach.
B – That sounds great!

A – I was in traffic for three hours!
B – That sounds terrible!

A – The movie was about life in a college dorm.
B – That sounds interesting.

9. get off the phone / hang up – desligar o telefone

I’m sorry, but I have to get off the phone. It’s already midnight.
After she got off the phone, she went shopping.

Você também pode get off a bike, a horse, a bus, a train, e an airplane. Mas você get out of a car.

This is it for today! See you next time!