Practical Information

🗣️ Practical Speaking: Your Guide to Everyday Information

Imagine you’re a traveler in a magical city. You need to ask for directions, tell time, make appointments, and sometimes call for help. This guide is your treasure map to speaking confidently in real-life situations!

🎯 The Big Picture

Think of practical speaking like being a tour guide for your own life. Just like a tour guide knows how to give directions, tell people when things happen, and help solve problems, YOU can learn these same superpowers!

Every conversation about practical information follows a simple pattern:

1. What you want to say (numbers, time, place)
2. How you say it (the magic words)
3. Why you’re saying it (to help yourself or others)

1️⃣ Numbers and Dates Speaking

The Story

Numbers are like little friends who help us describe the world. When you say “I have THREE apples,” the number THREE paints a picture in everyone’s mind!

How We Say Numbers

Basic Numbers (1-12):

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve

Bigger Numbers:

Phone Numbers Magic 🪄

We say phone numbers one digit at a time:

555-1234 = “Five five five, one two three four”

Pro Tip: For “0”, say “oh” (like the letter O):

555-0987 = “Five five five, oh nine eight seven”

Dates Speaking

Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

How to say a date:

December 25th, 2024 = “December twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-four”

Ordinal Numbers (for dates):

• 1st = first
• 2nd = second
• 3rd = third
• 4th = fourth
• 5th = fifth

Example Conversations:

👤 “When is your birthday?” 👥 “It’s on March fifteenth.”

👤 “What’s today’s date?” 👥 “It’s October third, twenty twenty-four.”

2️⃣ Telling Time Verbally

The Story

Imagine a clock is a pizza cut into 12 slices. The small hand tells you which “hour slice” you’re in, and the big hand shows how far into that slice you’ve gone!

The Magic Formulas

📍 On the hour: "It's [number] o'clock"
📍 Half past: "It's half past [number]"
📍 Quarter times: "It's quarter past/to [number]"
📍 Minutes: "It's [minutes] past/to [number]"

Visual Time Guide

graph TD
    A["Look at the clock"] --> B{Where is the minute hand?}
    B -->|At 12| C["It's ___ o'clock"]
    B -->|At 3| D["It's quarter past ___"]
    B -->|At 6| E["It's half past ___"]
    B -->|At 9| F["It's quarter to ___"]
    B -->|Other| G["It's ___ minutes past/to ___"]

Common Time Phrases

AM vs PM

☀️ AM = Morning (midnight to noon) 🌙 PM = Afternoon/Evening (noon to midnight)

“The movie starts at 7 PM” = evening “I wake up at 7 AM” = morning

3️⃣ Giving Directions

The Story

You’re like a helpful GPS for people! When someone is lost, your words become their map.

Direction Words Toolkit

Basic Directions:

• ⬆️ Go straight / Go ahead
• ⬅️ Turn left
• ➡️ Turn right
• 🔙 Go back / Turn around

Distance Words:

• “Walk for two blocks”
• “It’s about five minutes away”
• “Keep going until you see…”

The Magic Direction Formula

START + DIRECTION + LANDMARK + END

Example:

“Start at the bank. Turn left. Walk past the coffee shop. The library is on your right.”

Helpful Phrases

Example Dialogue

👤 “How do I get to the post office?”

👥 “Sure! Go straight on this road for two blocks. Turn right at the traffic light. Walk past the supermarket. The post office is on your left. You can’t miss it!”

4️⃣ Asking for Directions

The Story

Asking for directions is like being a detective! You ask the right questions to find the treasure (your destination).

Polite Openers (The Magic Words)

Always start with:

• “Excuse me…”
• “Pardon me…”
• “Sorry to bother you…”

Question Templates

✅ “Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to ___?” ✅ “Sorry, do you know where ___ is?” ✅ “Excuse me, is there a ___ near here?” ✅ “How far is it to ___?”

Confirming You Understood

After getting directions, repeat back:

“So I turn left at the bank, then right at the school?”

If confused:

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” “Did you say left or right?”

Example Conversation

👤 “Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the train station?”

👥 “Of course! Go straight for three blocks, turn left at the big clock tower.”

👤 “Left at the clock tower. Got it! How far is it?”

👥 “About a 10-minute walk.”

👤 “Thank you so much!”

5️⃣ Making Appointments

The Story

Making an appointment is like booking a special time slot just for you - like reserving a seat at a restaurant, but for services!

The Appointment Formula

WHO + WHAT + WHEN + CONFIRM

Key Phrases

Asking for an appointment:

• “I’d like to make an appointment, please.”
• “Could I schedule an appointment for ___?”
• “Do you have any available slots on ___?”

Suggesting times:

• “Would Tuesday at 2 PM work?”
• “How about next Friday morning?”
• “Is 10 AM available?”

Confirming:

• “So that’s Thursday at 3 PM?”
• “Perfect, I’ll see you then.”
• “Could you text me a reminder?”

Example Dialogue

👤 “Hello, I’d like to make an appointment with Dr. Smith.”

👥 “Certainly. When would you like to come in?”

👤 “Do you have anything available on Tuesday afternoon?”

👥 “I have 2 PM or 4:30 PM open.”

👤 “2 PM works for me.”

👥 “Perfect. You’re booked for Tuesday at 2 PM.”

👤 “Thank you! See you then.”

6️⃣ Making Plans

The Story

Making plans is like building a fun adventure with friends! You pick the what, when, and where together.

Plan-Making Phrases

Suggesting:

• “How about we ___?”
• “Would you like to ___?”
• “Let’s ___ this weekend!”
• “What do you think about ___?”

Agreeing:

• “That sounds great!”
• “I’m in!”
• “Perfect, let’s do it!”

Declining politely:

• “I’d love to, but I can’t.”
• “Sorry, I already have plans.”
• “Maybe next time?”

Confirming details:

• “So we’ll meet at ___ at ___?”
• “Should I bring anything?”
• “Text me if anything changes!”

Example Dialogue

👤 “Hey! Want to grab coffee on Saturday?”

👥 “Sure! What time?”

👤 “How about 3 PM at the café near the park?”

👥 “Perfect! Should we invite Sarah too?”

👤 “Great idea! Let’s meet at 3. See you then!”

7️⃣ Discussing Problems

The Story

When problems pop up, talking about them is the first step to solving them! It’s like calling a superhero - but YOU are the superhero of communication!

Problem-Discussing Formula

DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM → EXPLAIN IMPACT → ASK FOR HELP

Useful Phrases

Describing problems:

• “I have a problem with ___”
• “Something isn’t working…”
• “I’m having trouble with ___”
• “There seems to be an issue…”

Explaining impact:

• “This means I can’t ___”
• “Because of this, ___”
• “It’s affecting my ___”

Asking for solutions:

• “What can we do about this?”
• “Is there any way to fix it?”
• “Could you help me with ___?”

Staying Calm

🧘 Use these phrases to stay polite:

• “I understand this is difficult, but…”
• “I appreciate your help with this.”
• “Thanks for looking into it.”

Example Dialogue

👤 “Hi, I have a problem. My internet isn’t working.”

👥 “I’m sorry to hear that. When did it stop?”

👤 “It stopped this morning. I can’t work from home because of it.”

👥 “Let me check your account. Have you tried restarting the router?”

👤 “Yes, I tried that already.”

👥 “Okay, I’ll send a technician tomorrow morning.”

👤 “Thank you, I appreciate your help!”

8️⃣ Emergency Communication

The Story

In emergencies, your words become SUPER important! Clear, calm communication can save the day. Think of yourself as a radio operator sending important messages.

🚨 The Emergency Call Formula

LOCATION → PROBLEM → HELP NEEDED

Emergency Phrases

Getting attention:

• “HELP!”
• “I need help!”
• “This is an emergency!”
• “Please call 911!”

Describing the emergency:

• “There’s been an accident at ___”
• “Someone is hurt at ___”
• “There’s a fire at ___”
• “I need an ambulance at ___”

Giving location:

• “I’m at [address/landmark]”
• “The cross streets are ___ and ___”
• “We’re near the ___”

Describing who needs help:

• “A person is injured”
• “Someone can’t breathe”
• “There’s been a car accident”

Stay Calm Phrases

• “I’m going to stay on the line.”
• “What should I do while waiting?”
• “Help is on the way, right?”

Example Emergency Call

👤 “911, what’s your emergency?”

👥 “There’s been a car accident! Two cars!”

👤 “Where are you located?”

👥 “I’m on Main Street, near the coffee shop, between Oak and Pine.”

👤 “Is anyone hurt?”

👥 “Yes, one person seems injured. They’re awake but can’t move.”

👤 “Help is on the way. Stay on the line.”

👥 “Okay, I’ll stay here with them.”

🎯 Quick Reference Table

🌟 You Did It!

You now have all the tools to communicate practical information in English! Remember:

1. Be clear - Simple words work best
2. Be polite - “Please,” “Thank you,” and “Excuse me” are magic
3. Be confident - You know what to say now!

Every great speaker started exactly where you are. Practice these phrases, and soon they’ll feel as natural as breathing! 🌈