For many English learners, talking on the phone feels much harder than chatting face-to-face. You can’t see the other person’s expressions, you can’t read their lips, and you don’t have any gestures to help you guess the meaning. Add a slightly crackly line or a strong accent, and even confident speakers can suddenly freeze. The good news is that phone English is surprisingly formulaic — once you’ve learned the key phrases for answering, transferring, taking messages and ending a call, you’ll be able to handle almost any situation. In this lesson we’ll walk through the most useful expressions, step by step, and finish with a short quiz so you can test yourself.
Answering the phone
How you answer the phone depends a lot on who is calling. At work or in a business setting, English speakers usually follow a fairly fixed pattern. A typical formal answer sounds like this:
“Good morning, Maltalingua School of English, Sarah speaking, how may I help you?”
Notice the order: greeting, company name, your own name, then an offer of help. You can swap “Good morning” for “Good afternoon” depending on the time of day. “How may I help you?” sounds polite and professional; “How can I help you?” is slightly more relaxed but still perfectly fine.
At home, things are much more informal. Most people simply say “Hello?” with a rising intonation, as if asking a question. If you recognise the number, you might answer with the person’s name straight away — “Hi Tom!” — but with an unknown caller, a neutral “Hello?” is always safe.
Making yourself understood
Once the other person has answered, it’s your turn to introduce yourself and explain why you’re calling. A clear opening helps the listener follow you, especially if the line isn’t perfect.
Useful phrases include:
“Hello, this is Anna from the marketing team.” — Notice we say “this is”, not “I am”, when introducing ourselves on the phone.
“Could I speak to Mr Brown, please?” — A polite, slightly formal request, perfect for work calls.
“Is John there?” — Much more informal, used between friends and family.
“Is that Maria?” — A very British way of checking who you’re speaking to. Americans tend to say “Is this Maria?” instead.
Speak a little more slowly than you would face-to-face, and don’t be afraid to spell out names or numbers if there’s any doubt.
Putting people on hold and transferring
If you work in an office or reception, you’ll often need to pause the conversation while you find someone or check information. These phrases will get you through almost any transfer:
“One moment please.” — Short, polite and universal.
“I’ll put you through.” — Means “I’ll connect you to the right person.” Very common in British English.
“Could you hold the line, please?” — A more formal way of asking the caller to wait.
“I’m afraid the line is busy. Would you like to hold, or shall I take a message?” — Use this when the person is already on another call. “I’m afraid” is a soft, polite way of delivering bad news.
When you come back to the caller, a quick “Thank you for holding” sounds professional and reassuring.
Taking and leaving messages
Sometimes the person you want simply isn’t available. In that case, you’ll need to either take a message or leave one. The structures are very similar — they just go in opposite directions.
If you’re the caller and the person you want is out:
“Could you take a message, please?”
“Could you tell him I called?”
“Could you ask her to call me back when she gets in?”
“Could I leave a message for Tom, please?”
If you’re the one answering and need to take a message, try:
“I’m afraid she’s not at her desk at the moment. Can I take a message?”
“Could I have your name and number, please?”
“I’ll make sure he gets the message.”
Always read the number back to the caller to confirm — phone numbers are notoriously easy to mishear.
Bad lines and clarification
Even with modern technology, phone connections aren’t always perfect. When you can’t hear properly, don’t just stay silent and hope for the best — say something. The other person almost certainly can’t hear you very well either, and they’ll be relieved that you’ve spoken up.
“I’m sorry, you’re breaking up.” — Use this when the voice is cutting in and out.
“Could you repeat that, please?” — Polite and very common.
“Could you speak up, please?” — “Speak up” means “speak more loudly.”
“The line’s a bit poor — could I call you back?” — A perfectly acceptable way to end a call that isn’t working.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” — A friendly way to ask someone to repeat what they just said.
Notice how often we use “could” and “sorry” in phone English. Politeness markers really matter when you can’t rely on a smile or eye contact to soften your words.
Ending the call
Closing a phone call cleanly is just as important as starting it well. English speakers tend to wrap up with a short pattern: thank the person, signal the end, and say goodbye.
Formal: “Thank you for calling. Goodbye.”
Friendly business: “Thanks very much. Have a nice day!”
Between colleagues or friends: “Speak to you soon.” / “Bye for now.” / “Take care, bye!”
You don’t have to say everything — even just “Thanks, bye!” is fine. The key is to make the ending sound deliberate, not abrupt.
Mini quiz: match the situation to the best phrase
Read each situation and choose the most natural phrase. Answers are at the bottom — no peeking!
1. You answer the phone at work. What do you say first?
a) Hello, who is it?
b) Good morning, Maltalingua, Anna speaking, how may I help you?
c) Yes?
2. You want to speak to Mr Smith.
a) I want Mr Smith.
b) Give me Mr Smith.
c) Could I speak to Mr Smith, please?
3. You need the caller to wait while you find a colleague.
a) Wait!
b) One moment please, I’ll put you through.
c) Stay there.
4. The person they want is on another call.
a) He’s busy, bye.
b) I’m afraid the line is busy. Would you like to hold?
c) Try later.
5. You can’t hear the caller well.
a) What?
b) I’m sorry, you’re breaking up. Could you repeat that?
c) Speak!
6. You want the person to call you back.
a) Tell him to phone me.
b) Could you ask him to call me back, please?
c) He must call me.
7. You’re calling a friend’s house and her brother answers.
a) Where is Maria?
b) Hi, is Maria there?
c) Maria. Now.
8. You’re checking who has answered the phone.
a) Who is this person?
b) Is that Tom?
c) Name?
9. The voice is too quiet.
a) Louder!
b) Could you speak up, please?
c) I can’t hear, bye.
10. You’re ending a friendly business call.
a) Bye.
b) Thanks very much, have a nice day!
c) Finished.
Answers: 1-b, 2-c, 3-b, 4-b, 5-b, 6-b, 7-b, 8-b, 9-b, 10-b.
How did you do? If a few of these phrases still feel awkward in your mouth, the best cure is practice with a real teacher — ideally in an English-speaking environment where you’ll use them every day. At Maltalingua, our small classes (boutique school, EAQUALS-accredited, rooftop pool included!) give you plenty of speaking time, including role-plays for real-life situations like phone calls. Fill out our short quotation form and our team will check availability and send you a tailored proposal.