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B1 · Reservations and Special Requests

Requesting a Twenty-Minute Hold After Traffic Delay

CEFR level:
B1
Sentences:
12
Duration:
1 min
Speakers:
Emma & Tom

"Requesting a Twenty-Minute Hold After Traffic Delay" is a B1-level English conversation about reservations and special requests, 12 lines long (about 1 minute) between Emma & Tom. Read the full script below with the translation next to each line, then try speaking one of the roles out loud.

Dialogue script

Each entry shows the English sentence first, with the translation on the line below it. To practise speaking, cover the translation and repeat after the audio.

  1. Emma 0:00

    Traffic is frozen on the bridge, and we'll miss our booking time.

    Line 1
  2. Tom 0:04

    How late exactly, and can the restaurant hold our table?

    Line 2
  3. Emma 0:08

    Navigation says eighteen minutes behind, maybe twenty if lights are slow.

    Line 3
  4. Tom 0:14

    Then we should call now, not after we're already late.

    Line 4
  5. Emma 0:17

    I'm worried they think we're unreliable weekend customers.

    Line 5
  6. Tom 0:21

    Honest updates usually earn more trust than silence.

    Line 6
  7. Emma 0:25

    I'll call and request a twenty-minute grace period politely.

    Line 7
  8. Tom 0:29

    Offer to pre-order appetizers to show commitment.

    Line 8
  9. Emma 0:32

    Good idea, I'll mention our exact car location too.

    Line 9
  10. Tom 0:37

    I'll text everyone so nobody panics in the group chat.

    Line 10
  11. Emma 0:40

    If hold is denied, we switch to the nearby noodle place.

    Line 11
  12. Tom 0:44

    Nice backup plan, and we still get to spend the evening together.

    Line 12

Native audio, line-by-line recording and pronunciation scoring for this dialogue are in the EngTalk app.

Key vocabulary

Content words from this dialogue, ranked by the CEFR level at which they appear across the whole 500-dialogue library. Function words and proper nouns are excluded.

  • exactly /ɪɡˈzæktli/ adverb

    precisely; in every detail

  • unreliable /ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/ adjective

    not able to be trusted

  • honest /ˈɑnəst/ adjective

    truthful and fair

  • earn /ɝn/ verb

    to receive money in return for work

  • trust /trʌst/ noun

    belief that someone or something is reliable

  • silence /ˈsaɪləns/ noun/verb

    quietness; to make quiet

  • period /ˈpɪriəd/ noun

    a length of time; a full stop

  • commitment /kəˈmɪtmənt/ noun

    a promise or firm decision to do something

  • mention /ˈmɛnʃən/ verb/noun

    to briefly refer to something

  • location /loʊˈkeɪʃən/ noun

    a place or position

  • denied /dɪˈnaɪd/ verb

    past tense of deny; refused or said untrue

  • spend /spɛnd/ verb

    to use money or time

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