How to Start a Telephone Conversation. Starting a Telephone Talk (I)

1.      A: Hello!
B: May I speak to Mr. Stock, please?
A: Speaking.
B: Good morning, Mr. Stock. This is Surikov calling.
A: Good morning, Mr. Surikov.

2.      A: Hello.
B: Could I speak to Mr. Ivanov?
A: Who's calling, please?
B: This is Brown from the Foreign Office.
A: Thank you. I'm putting you through.
C: Ivanov speaking.

3.      A: Russian Embassy. Good morning.
B: Good morning. Could you put me through to Mr. Sokolov?
A: Sorry. The line is engaged. Can you hold on?
B: All right. Thank you.

4.      A: Five-seven-three; one-nine-oh-four.
B: Good evening. Can I speak to Mr. Jones, please?
A: Sorry. Mr. Jones is on the other line. Will you wait, please?
B: All right.
A: Sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm putting Mr. Jones on the line.
B: Thank you.

5.      A: Hello.
B: Hello. David Black speaking. May I have a word with Mr. Ivanov?
A: I'll see if he is in. (A minute later.) I'm afraid Mr. Ivanov is out at the moment.
B: Could you take a message?
A: Yes, of course.

6.      A: Hello. This is Petrov from the Russian Trade Delegation. Could you put me through to Mr. Russel, please?
B: Hold on a moment, please. Sorry. Mr. Russel is not in now and he won't be back until late this afternoon.
A: Would you ask him to call me when he gets back?
B: Certainly.

7.      A: Hello. May I speak to Mr. Roberts?
B: Sorry, sir. Mr. Roberts is not available. Is there any message?
A: No, thank you, I'll call back later.
B: Right. Goodbye.

8.      A: Hello. May I speak with Mr. Black for a minute?
B: Hold the line, please.
A: Thank you.
B: Sorry. There is no reply at his number.

9.      A: Foreign Office. Good afternoon. Can I help you?
B: Good afternoon. I'd like to speak to Mr. Tate.
A: What extension, please?
B: I think it's twenty-three.
A: Thank you. (After a moment.) You are through.

10. A: Good morning.
B: Good morning. May I have extension thirty-two, please?
A: Busy. Will you hold on, please?
B: Yes. Thank you.

11. A: Good morning. May I speak to Mr. Parsons?
B: Mr. Who?
A: Parsons. P-a-r-s-o-n-s.
B: Oh, I see. Mr. Parsons. I thought at first you said Marshall. Could you give me your name, please?
A: Yes, Stogov. S - for sugar, T - for Tommy, O - for orange, G - for George, O - for orange, V - for Victor.
B: Thank you, Mr. Stogov. Trying to connect you.

12. A: Three-four-five; eight-double seven-nine.
B: Can I speak to Mr. Scott?
A: I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.
B: Oh, sorry to have troubled you.
A: That's all right.

13. A: Hello. I'd like to talk to Mr. Smith.
B: I'm afraid you have the wrong number. What number were you calling?
A: I was calling 340-1907.
B: This is 340-1907. But there is no one by the name of Smith here. This is a private residence.
A: I'm sorry to have bothered you.
B: That's quite all right.

14. A: I'm sorry. I can't hear what you are saying. Could you speak up, please.
B: Hello, hello... Are you there?
A: Your voice is fading and there's some background noise interfering. Hello, hello... (No reply.) Operator, we had a very bad connection and could scarcely hear each other. Then we were cut off completely. Could you help us?
OPERATOR: Yes, sir. I'll try to do something about it.

15. A: International. Good evening.
B: Good evening. I want to book a call to Moscow for 10 p.m. My name is Grachev.
A: Good. What number are you calling from?
B: It's 843-1227.
A: What number do you want in Moscow?
B: 244-40-90.
A: Would you like to make it personal?
B: No. I just want a station-to-station call.
A: Thank you.

16. A: Number, please.
B: 437-8181. Can I have a personal call to Manchester 645-9302 with ADC, please?
A: Will it be on credit?
B: Yes, it will.
A: Who are you calling?
B: Mr. Kapp.
A: Your number, please?
B: 01-193-4005.

17. A: I'm terribly sorry that you have been disconnected. I'll try to connect you again. (After a moment.) There seems to be some interruption in our connection with Chicago. I'll call you back as soon as there is another circuit open.
B: Will it take very long?
A: It's hard to say. I'll keep working on your call and ring you as soon as I have your party again. It shouldn't be more than ten or fifteen minutes.
B: Thank you. I'll wait for your call.

18. A: Hello. I'm wondering if you could help me. I've been dialling 340-1908 for the past hour but I can't get through.
B: One moment, please. I'll check the line. (After a moment.) You are through now, sir. Go ahead, please.
A: Thank you.

19. A: Good afternoon. Is Mr. Courtney in, please?
SECRETARY: Good afternoon, I'll see if he is in the office. Hold on the line, please... Sorry, he is in a meeting with his aids now. Could he call you back?
A: No, thank you, I'll call him again.

20. A: Good evening. This is Abrahams of Social Welfare. Could I speak with Mr. Kuzin, please?
SECRETARY: I'm sorry, Mr. Abrahams. Mr. Kuzin has already left. Can I take a message?
A: No, thank you. I'll call him tomorrow morning.