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Hello Everyone and welcome to English pod. my name is Marco.

My name is Catherine and today were going to be helping you set up a an answering machine, Basically.

That’s right. So somebody’s calling you. You can’t answer the phone so you leave a message and we’re going to teach all about that today.

That’s right. So let’s take a listen to our dialogue and will be back in a moment to figure out just what’s going on.

A: Can you help me set up my voicemail message? I just got this service and I am not really sure what I am supposed to say.

B: Sure! You just basically gotta let the caller know who they called, and ask them for their contact information so you can call them back.

A: Ok, so can I say, “ This is Abby’s voicemail. I will call you later, so leave me your name and number”.

B: That’s more or less the idea, but try something that sounds more friendly.

A: Ok, so how about this, “ This is Abby and I am really happy you called! I promise I will give you a ring as soon as I can, so please leave me your name and number. Talk to you soon!”.

B: A little too friendly Abby. Just say this, “ Hi, you have reached Abby. I am unable to answer your call right now, but if you leave me your name and phone number, I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks”.

A: That’s perfect! Can you say that again and record it for me?

Allright we’re back. So now take a look at some language take away.

Language take away.

Allright, in the first sentence we are asking someone to help me set up my voicemail message so we got to keep words there.

That’s right so let’s break it up the first one is a phrasal verb to set up, okay you can set a lot of things up but just remember that set and up. These are the two words that go together in this case for setting up voicemail means to establish or to start or to put together.

yeah to install. Like for example you get a new computer and you have to connect all the cables and you have to connect the monitor so you said can you help me set up my computer.

That’s right, so he always helps me set it up, so my computer for example.

That’s right, and what we’re setting up is our voicemail message. So what exactly is voicemail?

When you know what mail is that email and regular mail. Voicemail is the kind of message you receive on your phone, your cell phone or your home phone when you don’t answer the phone.

That’s right. So basically the way for people to leave you a message, even though you can’t answer them.

That’s right. So this is something that so It’s not text. It’s actually a voice. That’s right, called voicemail and you have to set it up. Okay so there’s there’s no automatic voicemail message. You actually have to make your own, or you can choose one and today were making our own.

That’s right. And so were explained that we actually just got this service and we don’t really know were supposed to say or how to set up her voicemail.

That’s right so voicemail messages are kind of service and now who would offer this kind of service Marco?

Probably your telephone company.

That’s right so telephone company will offer many different services, and these are things that you can pay extra for and their view so they can help you in some way, so another kind of service is three way calling, right?

That’s right so actually we’re taking a look at this word service as a noun, so we have a service or this service.

So the company offers this service.

And will why are we setting up the voicemail and her friend explained that we just basically doing it to let the caller know who they called.

Okay so if I call a number and it says hey, leave a message. I don’t know who I’m leaving a message for did. I dialed the wrong number.

Right.

What I said, I said my phone number so this is basically instructions for what to say.

That’s right. And you become the caller right?

That’s right.

So whoever is making the call is called the caller and this is why we are setting up her voicemail to let the caller know who we are calling and of course we have to ask the caller for their contact information.

Allright and this is important because is not just something you have with voicemail messages you have contact information for many different things. For example, your medical care, your school, you have to include contact information. Now this would be your phone number your address and/or your email.

That’s right. So your contact information is not only useful for an voicemail message, but for example in a business meeting or a business lunch you want to get maybe someone else’s contact information so you can call them later.

That’s right, so don’t forget it’s also your name as well so right at the mention of how.

That’s right you contact the declaration must have your name. All right so that’s that’s pretty much all we have for the first part of language take away what we listen to the dialogue again and were back in a bit with fluency builder.

A: Can you help me set up my voicemail message? I just got this service and I am not really sure what I am supposed to say.

B: Sure! You just basically gotta let the caller know who they called, and ask them for their contact information so you can call them back.

A: Ok, so can I say, “ This is Abby’s voicemail. I will call you later, so leave me your name and number”.

B: That’s more or less the idea, but try something that sounds more friendly.

A: Ok, so how about this, “ This is Abby and I am really happy you called! I promise I will give you a ring as soon as I can, so please leave me your name and number. Talk to you soon!”.

B: A little too friendly Abby. Just say this, “ Hi, you have reached Abby. I am unable to answer your call right now, but if you leave me your name and phone number, I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks”.

A: That’s perfect! Can you say that again and record it for me?

Alright here on fluency builder in the first phrase of God is and how about this. So we’re saying we’ve got an example for you. How about this.

That’s right.

Then example.

So we talk about. We talked about how about many times are ready for example you know how about we go to the movies or how not to say how about your weekend because it’s completely wrong in this occasion would talk about how about this, and this is like setting it up for an example.

That’s right. So for another example, we could say; so Marco I’m trying to figure out how to say hello and answer the phone because I don’t like the way I see it now. So is it how about this hello record.

That’s right, that’s right.

Hello

That’s so strong.

Hello.

Yeah that’s good.

Alright, so basically I am setting up an example.

Right.

An example, okay so keep listening. I will give you an example.

Yeah, I just imagine that you are trying on different clothes and someone is giving you their opinion. So maybe you try on a black shirt and you say, how about this one.

Yeah, boring.

And then you try on a green one day you say now how about this?

Better.

Right so then you’re giving them other options and examples in this is why we say how about this, and then we give the example like Abby did.

And you’re also asking for a response. Your brother asking for an opinion and so what Abby saying is I promise I will give you a ring as soon as I can. Now this phrase give you a ring is very British English, but it’s also something you should know if you want to be in America because you’ll hear it and not in TV and stuff.

That’s right. It’s actually a colloquial term for saying I will call you. I will call you. I will call you back or I will give you a call.

So the telephone rings that’s the verbs of the cousins with the phone right? ringing so I will give you a ring means I will call you just like you just sent Marco.

That’s right. So remember this phrase it’s actually may seem a little bit confusing. But remember, it has to do with calling someone I will give you a ring is I will call you or if you say hey give me a ring later on this afternoon means call me later this afternoon. All right. And then moving towards the end of the dialogue. Abby says hi you have reached Abby.

I get this is weird because she is Abby, but she saying you have reached Abby.

Right you speak about yourself in the third person.

That’s right so this is a message so you’re telling people what to do. Like I said there instructions and so this is basically the first thing you say you have reached Catherine. That means the number you dialed is Catherine’s phone number.

Right.

So you reached. That means that you’ve contacted.

Right exactly. So as you said, it’s important if you ever call the bank or in any type of company you will say you have reached Wells Fargo Bank for something in it, it will give you. It’ll tell you what number you called because maybe you putting your finger wrong and you just called the wrong number.

That’s right, or you could use the word reached in a different way. For example, yesterday was very angry at Marco because I couldn’t reach him by phone. I called and called and called and couldn’t reach him and I realize that his phone is broken.

That’s right. So actually this verb to reach someone also has to do with the with in general with calling. I was trying to reach you all afternoon, but I can get a hold of you.

That’s right now is so frustrated.

Well actually if I had voicemail. I would continue by saying I am unable to answer your call right now because maybe my phone is off, maybe I am busy so we say I am unable to answer your call.

Alright now this seems really long okay and a little bit strange but this is basically the standard for how to record a message. I am unable to answer your call right now so you answer the phone right or you answer a phone call, but in this case, I’m unable to. That means I can’t talk to you.

Right.

I,m for whatever reason I’m out of the house. I’m busy so I’m unable to answer your call right now. Just remember that that means I can talk to you right now can’t be on the phone.

And actually this word unable sounds a lot more polite and a lot more formal than saying I can’t.

That’s right. And that’s why we use it on messages like this because it is so polite and so nice.

That’s right. Allright so that’s all the time we have for fluency builder. Let’s take a listen to our dialogue one last time.

A: Can you help me set up my voicemail message? I just got this service and I am not really sure what I am supposed to say.

B: Sure! You just basically gotta let the caller know who they called, and ask them for their contact information so you can call them back.

A: Ok, so can I say, “ This is Abby’s voicemail. I will call you later, so leave me your name and number”.

B: That’s more or less the idea, but try something that sounds more friendly.

A: Ok, so how about this, “ This is Abby and I am really happy you called! I promise I will give you a ring as soon as I can, so please leave me your name and number.