Phrases on the telephone A – Key

1 I’m sorry, I didn’t ……………… catch your name – who is it calling, again, please?

To catch something or someone is to manage to hear or see sth or s.o.

2 And could you …………. remind me of the name of your firm, Mr Jackson?

To remind is to make someone aware of something they have forgotten or might have forgotten.
You can remind someone of sth (noun) or to do sth (verb).
Eg He reminded me of / about Mary’s birthday.
They reminded me to leave my name and contact details.
To remind you of sth/sb – phrasal verb – is to be similar to, and make you think of, something or someone else
Eg Mike reminds me of my brother Robert i.e. Mike looks similar / speaks similarly / is amusing etc in some way that makes me think of my brother Robert.

3 Yes, I remember now – you rang last week ………………. asking for some information on our training schemes.

Notice that a person remembers sth. If you want to make sure someone else remembers sth, you remind them of sth / to do sth. Eg: I don’t remember your name. Could you remind me of your name, please?
Ex He didn’t remember to remind her about the message I’d left.

4 I’m afraid Mr Derbyshire is …………….away on business for several days.
5 Would you like ……………. him to ring you when he gets back?

Notice how we ask / want / prefer / would like someone TO do something

6 I can take a message for him, ……………….. which he’ll deal with on his return.
7 Yes, I realise this is ………….. far from satisfactory – with the closure of our Colchester branch we’re under some pressure at the moment.

far from satisfactory = unsatisfactory. Sometimes phrases such as this aim to minimise the problem. "What seems to be the problem?" is another, meaning "What is the problem?" It can be infuriating for a customer!!

8 Would you prefer …… me to put you through to someone else who might be able to discuss your query?

Notice the way we use a verb such as like / want / prefer / + a person TO do sth
Eg "Do you want me to help you?" "I’d like her to give me a lift to the station."

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