a few short conversations and ideasa few short conversations and ideas 1 a few short conversations...

A Few Short Conversations and Ideas

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Department of Languages Academic Division

Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy 2014


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Invitations

Cdt. Sarin: What do you normally do on Sundays? Cdt. Aran: I usually visit my parents.

Cdt. Sarin: What’s your plan for this coming summer? Cdt. Aran: I’m not sure. I haven’t planned anything yet.

What about you? Cdt. Sarin: I’m going to visit my family.


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Cdt. Sarin: How about having dinner with me tonight? Cdt. Aran: I would love to come. What time? Cdt. Sarin: Will seven o’clock be alright? Cdt. Aran: Yes. That will be fine.

Cdt Sarin: Are you free next Saturday evening? Cdt. Aran: Yes. I think so. Cdt. Sarin: I would like you to come for dinner. Cdt. Aran: Of course. I would like to come. What time? Cdt. Sarin: About eight. Cdt. Aran: Okay. I’ll see you on Saturday at eight. Cdt. Sarin: I’m glad that you can come.


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Cdt. Sarin: Do you have any plans for the weekend? Cdt. Aran: No, I don’t. Cdt. Sarin: Then let’s do something. Cdt. Aran: What do you suggest? Cdt. Sarin: How about a trip somewhere? Cdt. Aran: Sounds good. Where do you want to go? Cdt. Sarin: How about Pattaya? I have been there a

couple of times. The beach is nice and there are lots of things to do there at night.

Cdt. Aran: That sounds great. Cdt. Sarin: Okay. It’s a date then. Cdt. Aran: Okay. Cdt. Sarin: Have you received my invitation card for my

graduation party yet? Cdt. Aran: Yes. I got it yesterday. Thank you for asking

me. Cdt. Sarin: If you accept, you can meet lots of new

people and we will have a lot of fun together.

Cdt. Aran: I will be glad to come. Thank you for your invite.


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Cdt. Sarin: I would like you to come for lunch next Sunday.

Cdt. Aran: Next Sunday? Cdt. Sarin: Yes. Don’t disappoint me. Cdt. Aran: I’m very sorry but I won’t be able to come. I

have to visit my parents on Sunday. Cdt. Sarin: Oh really? Cdt. Aran: Yes, it’s true. I would love to come but I

really can’t. Cdt. Sarin: Well, that’s alright. Another time perhaps? Cdt. Aran: Yes, for sure. Various Invitations Q: Can you have dinner with us tonight? Q: Are you free next Friday night? Q: I’m expecting you to come to my party next Saturday.


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Accepting an Invitation A: I’d (would) love to accept. A: I’d like to come. A: Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you. A: Many thanks for asking me. Turning Down an Invitation A: I’m very sorry but I can’t come. A: I’m sorry that I can’t because ……. A: I’m sorry but I’m busy then.

You’re invited!


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Time

Cdt. Sarin: What time is it? Cdt. Aran: It’s eight o’clock. Cdt. Sarin: What time is it? Cdt. Aran: It’s half past seven. Cdt. Sarin: What time is it? Cdt. Aran: It’s twenty (minutes) past three. Cdt. Sarin: What time is it? Cdt. Aran: It’s twenty (minutes) to three. Cdt. Sarin: What time does the shop open? Cdt. Aran: It opens at 8.00 am. Cdt. Sarin: When does it close? Cdt. Aran: At half past six. Cdt. Sarin: At what time do you go to classes? Cdt. Aran: I go to my first class at seven thirty. Cdt. Sarin: What time do you come back? Cdt. Aran: I’ll be back at three forty-five


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Apologizing and Responding Apologizing A: I’m (am) sorry. A: I’m so sorry. A: I’m really sorry. A: I’m very sorry. A: Excuse me. A: Pardon me. A: I beg your pardon. A: Would you excuse me, please?

Responding R: That’s quite alright. R: It doesn’t matter. R: Don’t mention it. R: Not at all. R: Please don’t worry about it. A: I’m sorry to keep you waiting. R: It’s okay. R: That’s okay. R: It’s alright.


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Questions, Requests and Replies

Questions May I ask you something? May I open the window? May I use your mobile phone, please? May I know your name? Will you do me a favour, please? Will you please wait a moment? Would you please give me some advice on something? Would you please help me? Would you give me a hand, please? Would you hold the line for a moment, please? Do you mind if I borrow your book? Do you mind if I call you tonight? Do you mind passing me the paper? (newspaper) Do you mind if I smoke? Do you mind if I sit here? Allow me to open the window, please. Lend me your pen, please. Excuse me, where is the headquarters building? Excuse me, is Col. Cherasak in his office? Excuse me, where is the toilet? Excuse me, where can I get a coffee? Pardon me, where can I rent a room? I beg your pardon, where is the supermarket?


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Requests Please close the door. Please repeat that. Please take a seat. Please keep quiet. Please stay awake. Please stand to attention. Replies - Agreeing Yes. Yes, he / she / they are. Yes, you can. Yes, my name is ……. Certainly. Here it is. Here you are. It’s over there. No, I don’t. No problem at all. Of course, I will. Of course, you can. Okay. Please go ahead. Sure. Sure, you can.


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Replies - Not Agreeing No. No, he / she / they aren’t. No, you can’t. Yes, I do. I’d (would) like / love to but ……….. I’m not too sure. Tell me what it is first, before I decide. I’m sorry but ………….. It all depends on what it is.


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Cdt. Sarin: May I ask your advice about something? Cdt. Aran: Certainly. What’s the problem? Cdt. Sarin: Would you do me a favour? Cdt. Aran: Of course. Cdt. Aran: It depends on what it is. Cdt. Sarin: Do you mind if I smoke? Cdt. Aran: No. Not at all. Cdt. Aran: No. Please go ahead. Cdt. Aran: Yes, I do. Please don’t smoke in my

company. Cdt. Aran: Yes, I do. But you can smoke outside if you

like. Cdt. Sarin: Would you like to come with me? Cdt. Aran: Yes, certainly. Cdt. Aran: With pleasure. Cdt. Aran: I’d love to but I can’t. Cdt. Sarin: Will you please close the window? Cdt. Aran: Certainly. Cdt. Aran: Sure. Cdt. Aran: I’m sorry but I want to keep it open. Cdt. Sarin: Excuse me, where is the restroom? Cdt. Aran: It’s over there. Cdt. Sarin: Thank you so much. Cdt. Aran: You’re welcome.


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Directions A: Keep going straight. A: Go straight ahead. A: Go straight down this street. A: Turn left / right. A: Turn to the left / right. A: Turn left / right when you come to the intersection. A: Turn left / right and then go straight. A: Turn around and go back to the traffic lights and turn

left / right.


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Cdt. Sarin: Excuse me. Can I ask you something, please?

Cdt. Aran: Yes, certainly. Cdt. Sarin: I’m going to the gymnasium but I think that

I’ve lost my way. Cdt. Aran: You certainly have. You’re going the wrong

way. Cdt. Sarin: Really? What way should I be going? Cdt. Aran: You should cross over the road, turn right

and then take the third turning to your left. It’s about a hundred meters down the road. You can’t miss it; it’s the large, red, round-roofed building.

Cdt. Sarin: Thank you so much. Cdt. Aran: You’re welcome.


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Different Ways of Introducing Someone

I’d like to introduce my sister, Pauline. Cdt. Sarin, I’d like to introduce Cdt. Aran. Cdt. Sarin, please allow me to introduce Cdt. Aran. Cdt. Sarin, this is my colleague, Cdt. Aran. Excuse me, Cdt. Sarin, may I introduce you to Cdt. Aran? Excuse me, Cdt. Sarin, may I introduce you to my friends,

Cdt. Aran and Cdt. Chanchai? Lt. Prasit, may I introduce my classmate, Cdt. Sarin? Col. Surasak, let me present Cdt. Sarin. Col. Surasak, may I present Cdt. Sarin? Col. Surasak, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. Col. Surasak, here’s someone I’d like you to meet. Cdt. Sarin, come and let me introduce you to Col. Cherasak.


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Asking Someone to Introduce You Will you kindly introduce me to her / him/ them? Please introduce me.

Introducing Yourself Excuse me. I’m Cdt. Sarin. How do you do? May I introduce myself? I’m Cdt. Sarin. Here, let me give you my business card. Excuse me, here is my business card.


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Meeting Others Cdt. Sarin: Lt. Prasit, that colonel over there is looking

as if he knows you! Lt. Prasit: Oh, I see. That’s Col. Cherasak. I know him

very well. Shall we go and join him? Cdt. Prasit: Yes, that would be nice. Lt. Prasit: Col. Cherasak, could we please join you? Col. Cherasak: Certainly, Lt. Prasit. Lt. Prasit: Cdt. Sarin, this is Col. Cherasak. He is my

close friend and my next door neighbor. He works in the Cadet’s Military Training Department.

Cdt. Sarin: How do you do, Col. Cherasak? Col. Cherasak: Fine, thank you. Please sit down. Cdt. Sarin: Thank you, sir.


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Asking If You Know Someone Do you know her / him / them? Do you know her / him / them, very well? Do you know ……… (name)……..? Replying to the Questions Above Yes, I do. Yes, I know her / him / them well. Yes, I know her / him / them very well. I know her / him / them slightly, a friend introduced us. I know her / him / them by sight, but I’ve never spoken to her / him / them. No, I don’t. No, I don’t know her / him / them well. No, I don’t know her / him / them very well. No, I don’t know her / him / them at all. Sorry, I’ve never heard of her / him / them. I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of her / him / them.


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Eating Out - At a Restaurant Waiter: Good Morning / Good Afternoon /

Good Evening. Do you have a reservation? Lt. Prasit: Yes, I do. A table for four in the name of

Lt. Prasit. Waiter: Excuse me a moment while I check. Waiter: Lt. Prasit, will you please follow me to your

table? Or Lt. Prasit: No, I don’t. Waiter: How many people are in your party, sir? Lt. Prasit: There are four. Waiter: Excuse me for a moment while I check the

availability of our tables. Waiter: Sir, we have a table available. Please come

this way.


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Waiter: Here you are, sir. I’ll leave the menus with you

to decide what you want to order, but would you like to order your drinks now?

Lt. Prasit: What beer do you have? Waiter: We have Aisha, Beer Lao - pale and dark,

Chang, Heineken, Leo and Singh Gold. Lt. Prasit: We’ll have two large bottles of Chang, two

large bottles of mineral water, and a bucket of ice, please.

Waiter: Thank you, sir. I’ll be back in a few moments with your drinks and to take your food orders.

Lt. Prasit: Thank you.


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After a few minutes Waiter: Here are your drinks, sir. Are you ready to

order or do you need a little more time? Lt. Prasit: Yes, we just need a few more minutes. Waiter: Alright.


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5 minutes later Waiter: Are you ready to order? Lt. Prasit: Yes, we are. Waiter: Did you notice that we have a number of

‘specials’ today? We are offering the following sets: a mixed seafood platter with plain rice and side dishes at four hundred and ninety-nine Baht (499 B); a grilled Scottish salmon steak served with new potatoes, garden peas and dill sauce at five hundred and fifty Baht (550B); or a prime US beef steak with a choice of potatoes and salads at five hundred and ninety-five Baht (595B).

Lt. Prasit: Thank you, they sound really good but we will stick with our original selection. We will start with the shrimp cocktail, followed by ‘T-Bone’ steaks.

Waiter: And how would you like your steaks done? Lt. Prasit: All well-done, please. Waiter: The steak comes with a choice of potatoes:

mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or French fries. Which one would you prefer?

Lt. Prasit: We’ll have the baked potato. Waiter: And would you like any toppings on them?

We have sour cream and chives, grated Cheddar cheese or cottage cheese with bacon bites.

Lt. Prasit: We’ll have the sour cream and chives, please.

Waiter: Your meal includes a choice of soup or salad.


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Lt. Prasit: What is the soup today? Waiter: We have two: clam chowder or cream of

chicken. Lt. Prasit: I think we will take the salad instead. Waiter: What kind of salad dressing would you

prefer? Lt. Prasit: Blue cheese, please. Waiter: So let me just confirm what you have

ordered. For starters, you are having the shrimp cocktail followed by a salad with blue cheese dressing. For the main course, you will all have well-done ‘T-bone’ steaks served with baked potatoes topped with sour cream and chives.

Lt. Prasit: Yes, that’s correct. Waiter: Would you like to order your desserts now?

We have a choice of fresh fruit salad, blueberry cheesecake or vanilla ice-cream.

Lt. Prasit: I think we will wait until we’ve finished the main course before we order.

Waiter: Thank you, sir. I will place your order and be back in a moment with your rolls and butter plus a complimentary selection of hors d’œuves.

Lt. Prasit: Thank you very much. What an unexpected surprise!

Waiter: Here are your hors d’œuves and rolls with butter. Your main meal will be ready in about 20 minutes.


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20 minutes later Waiter: Are you ready for your meal, sir? I hope that

you enjoyed the hors d’œuves. Lt. Prasit: Yes, we are, and yes, we did, thank you. Waiter: Please just give me a minute to clear away

those plates. Waiter: Right sir. Here are the shrimp cocktails. I’ll

leave you to enjoy them while I go and get your steaks and salads. Do you require any more drinks?

Lt. Prasit: Yes. Could we have 4 big bottles of Chang, please?

Waiter: Certainly, sir.


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Waiter: Here are your steaks and salads. Would you like any sauces or mustards?

Lt. Prasit: Yes. Could we have some yellow mustard and some ketchup, please?

Waiter: Certainly. Here you are. Enjoy your meals. Lt. Prasit: Thank you, waiter.

Later Waiter: How are the steaks? Lt. Prasit: They are very delicious, thank you. Waiter: Do you need anything else? Lt. Prasit: No, we are fine, thank you. Waiter: Would you like to order your desserts now? Lt. Prasit: No, thank you. The meal was bigger than we

thought it would be, so we won’t be ordering any.

Waiter: Would you like to order any after-dinner brandy, liqueurs or coffee, then?

Lt. Prasit: No, we’re fine, thank you.


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20 minutes later Waiter: How was the meal, sir? Lt. Prasit: It was very good. I’ll certainly recommend

your restaurant to my colleagues. Waiter: Thank you, sir. Lt. Prasit: Could I have the bill, please? Waiter: Certainly, sir. Waiter: Here you are, sir. How would you like to pay?

We accept cash and all major credit cards. Lt. Prasit: Cash. Could I have a receipt, please? Waiter: Certainly, sir. Waiter: Here’s your change and receipt, sir. I hope

that we will see you here again soon. Lt. Prasit: I’m sure you will. Here’s a small tip for you.

Thank you. Waiter: Thank you very much, sir.


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At the Fast Food Outlet

Server: Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good Evening. How can I help you today?

Cdt. Sarin: I’d like a Big Bert’s Burger set meal, please. Server: To eat-in or to take-away, sir? Cdt. Sarin: Eat-in. Server: And what would your friend like? Cdt. Aran: I’d like a cheese burger, fries and a cola,

please. Server: Would you like a double cheese burger set,

sir? It’s cheaper than buying the individual items.

Cdt. Aran: How much is it? Server: It’s one hundred and fifteen Baht (115B). Cdt. Aran: Okay, I’ll have the set then.


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Server: And for an extra ten Baht (10B) you can up-size to a large cola and a large fries.

Cdt. Aran: That sounds good. Okay, I’ll up-size. Server: Right. That all comes to two hundred and

sixty Baht (260B). Cdt. Sarin: Here you are. Server: Here’s your change, sir. Cdt. Sarin: Thank you.

A few minutes later. Server: Here you are. One Big Bert’s burger set and

one up-sized double cheese burger set. Cdt. Sarin: Thank you. Server: Enjoy your meal!


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At the Party or In the Clubhouse

Cdt. Sarin: Would you like to sit here, Lt. Prasit? Lt. Prasit: Yes, that’s fine Cdt. Sarin: Would you like the soup or tuna salad? Lt. Prasit: The tuna salad, please. And you? Cdt. Sarin: I’ll have the salad too. Lt. Prasit: What are the main courses? Cdt. Sarin: There’s beef, fish or pork. What would you

like? Lt. Prasit: I’m not sure. How are they cooked? Cdt. Sarin: Hold on, I’ll go and have a look. Cdt. Sarin: The beef has been stir-fried with vegetables

in oyster sauce; the fish has been poached in a clear vegetable stock; and the pork is in a red curry sauce.

Lt. Prasit: I think I’ll have the pork in a red curry sauce with plain boiled rice. How about you?


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Cdt. Sarin: I’m going to have the beef with fried rice. What would you like to drink?

Lt. Prasit: What is there? Cdt. Sarin: There’s beer, cola, lemonade, mineral water,

soda water, sparkling water, red wine, and Thai whisky.

Lt. Prasit: I’m driving tonight, so I think I’ll just have cola. What about you?

Cdt. Sarin: I’ll just have a cola too.

Later Cdt. Sarin: This food is very delicious. What do you think,

Lt. Prasit? Lt. Prasit: Yes, it’s very good. Is the food in your mess

hall like this? Cdt. Sarin: I’m afraid it’s not but it’s okay. Lt. Prasit: Well, I really enjoyed that curry. What’s for

dessert? Cdt. Sarin: There is coconut ice-cream or sticky rice with

sweet mango. What would you like? Lt. Prasit: I’ll have the sticky rice with sweet mango. Cdt. Sarin: Yes, I’m going to have that, too.


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At the end of the party Lt. Prasit: Well, that food was very good and so was the

atmosphere. Thank you for inviting me. Cdt. Sarin: The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for

coming.


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This is a small booklet that I’ve put together to help my cadets, officers and friends in their quest to learn English.

Peter Marshall 10th June 2013

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