Welcome
to Hello, This Is Luis. Who Is This?
Podcasts for Learners of English
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Do
you get the jitters when you have to talk on the telephone
and speak in English?
Not only is it difficult because you cannot see the person
you are speaking to, but telephone conversations have their
own grammar, and this will be today's topic.
HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF
When you make a telephone call and the other party answers by saying "Hello", you might think you should begin by saying something like this: "Hello, I'm Luis." Wrong! What you want to say is, "Hello, this is Luis."
Are You Talking to Me?
Suppose I've answered the telephone and you think you've
reached the ESL Help Desk, but you're not sure. Maybe
you ask something like this: "Are
you the ESL Help DESK?" Wrong!
The best thing to ask is "Is
this the ESL Help Desk?"
You've Reached the Right Number
You have reached the right number, so
I respond, "Yes, this is the
ESL Help Desk."
Now, since this is a formal business call and I want to
ask you a question, I do not ask, "Who
are you?" ("Who's calling?")
An Informal Call
If you and I are personal friends and this is a more informal phone call, I could ask "Who is this, please?" ("Who's this, please?")
Back to You, Luis
Again, do not respond, "I'm
Luis." Respond by saying "This
is Luis."
What's with "This"?
Telephone conversations use the pronoun
this very often. You should practice this.
For example, if I call you and you then answer the telephone,
I might say "Hello, this
is the ESL Help Desk. Is this the White House? "
In the box below, write how you should respond, beginning
with "Yes".
If you wrote, "Yes, this is the White House",
congratulations!
