Everyday Conversations: Learning American English » Dialogue 2-6: Running Errands

Word List
  • Hi, there.
    →

    Hi, there. Notice the intonation in this greeting. It rises after “Hi” and falls after “there.”

  • Sure
    →

    Sure is a friendly expression to mean “OK.”

  • Get my hair cut / have my new pants hemmed / have my car serviced.
    →

    Get my hair cut / have my new pants hemmed / have my car serviced. Notice get/ have + object + participle. This structure is used to describe actions that someone else does for us. “Get” and “have” are interchangeable here.

  • Is there anything else?
    →

    Is there anything else? here means “Do you need more information?”

  • Before my long drive home!
    →

    Before my long drive home! Notice the emphasis and intonation on “home.” The speaker wants to show humor here. If she doesn’t get her car checked, she might not get home! She wants to be friendly and light with the receptionist.

  • No problem
    →

    No problem here means “Don’t worry.” Notice the stress on “No.” The receptionist laughs first, then puts emphasis on “No” by lengthening the word. This shows that she understands the car could break down if it doesn’t get serviced.

Dialogue 2-6: Running Errands

HOTEL RECEPTIONIST: Hi, there. How can I help you?

CLAIRE: Well, I’m in town visiting for a few days, and I need to get some things done while I’m here.

HOTEL RECEPTIONIST: Sure. What do you need?

CLAIRE: I need to get my hair cut. I also need to have my new pants hemmed.

HOTEL RECEPTIONIST: OK. Here’s a map of the city. There’s a good hair salon here, which is just a block away. And there’s a tailor right here. Is there anything else?

CLAIRE: Yes. I’ll need to have my car serviced before my long drive home!

HOTEL RECEPTIONIST: No problem. There’s a good mechanic a few blocks away.

Favorite Books
4000 Essential English Words 6

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 6: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
4000 Essential English Words 5

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 5: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
4000 Essential English Words 4

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 4: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
4000 Essential English Words 3

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 3: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
4000 Essential English Words 2

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 2: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
4000 Essential English Words 1

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 1: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
Speak English Like an American

If you already speak some English and now would like to speak more like a native, “Speak English Like an American” will help you. One of the keys to speaking like a native is the ability to use and understand casual expressions, or idioms. American English is full of idioms. Speak English Like an American will help you understand and use idioms better. It contains over 300 of today's most common idioms.

Read more