Situations
Awkward situations in English
The chapters phrasebooks skip. Each one opens with the sentence you actually need, then explains why it is harder than the words suggest, and ends with the whole conversation as it actually went.
How to tell a restaurant about a food allergy, in English
Say
I have a shellfish allergy. Could you check with the kitchen for me?
The word «allergy» is what flips the kitchen into its protocol.
The whole situation →
How to report a theft to the police, in English
Say
My bag's been stolen. I'd like to report a theft.
Present perfect — the tense English reserves for fresh news that still matters.
The whole situation →
How to describe something in English when you don't know the word
Say
I don't know what it's called, but it's the thing you use to tighten screws.
«The thing you use to…» — the reduced relative clause native speakers lean on daily.
The whole situation →
How to say the haircut is going wrong, in English
Say
Sorry, could we keep a bit more length? It's coming out shorter than I wanted.
The soft version — «could we» pulls the stylist onto your side of the problem.
The whole situation →
How to describe a symptom at the pharmacy, in English
Say
I've had a weird pain right here since yesterday. Can you recommend something?
No medical noun required — «right here» plus a pointed finger is diagnosis enough for a counter.
The whole situation →
Practise any of them out loud
Every situation here is a conversation in the app. Free, no subscription, and the first attempt is allowed to be terrible.
