My name is Marco.

I'm Amira.

Amira and I are here today with another interesting and useful lesson for you English learners.

Amira, why don't you explain a little bit of what this lesson is about today?

It's about calling in sick.

Oh, okay.

That's useful.

Yes, definitely.

It happens to everyone once in a while.

You don't feel so well or you feel well, but you don't want to go to work, so you call in sick.

Okay.

Okay.

Let's listen to this dialogue and I want everyone to keep their ears open and see if the boss believes this person.

Let's listen.

Hello, Daniel speaking.

How may I help you?

Hi, Daniel.

Julie here.

Oh, hi Julie.

How are you?

Actually, I'm feeling quite ill today.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

What's wrong?

I think I'm coming down with the flu.

I have a headache, a sore throat, a runny nose and I'm feeling slightly feverish.

I see.

So you're calling in sick?

Yes.

I was hoping to take the day off to recover.

Okay then.

Try and get some rest.

Marco do you think he believed her?

No, I don't think he believed her.

He didn't sound really convinced.

Yes, and Julie didn't sound really sick, huh?

Exactly.

Well, we have some really good vocabulary here.

Amira, why don't you begin with the first one?

The first phrase I've chosen for you is a very, very useful one.

I'm feeling quite ill today.

I'm feeling quite ill today.

I'm feeling quite ill today.

Alright.

What does this mean exactly?

It means that she's feeling sick.

Oh, okay.

That's clear.

So she is sick.

She's feeling sick.

Okay.

Let's look at another really useful phrase and this one is I'm coming down with the flu.

I'm coming down with the flu.

I'm coming down with the flu.

I'm coming down with the flu.

Alright and this phrase means that I am starting to get the flu or I am getting the flu.

Okay.

The next phrase I have for you is calling in sick.

Calling in sick.

Calling in sick.

Calling in sick.

It means calling your boss to tell him that you can't come to work today.

I personally love this phrase because it saves so much time and explanations.

Okay, perfect.

So if I say this then everyone will know that I am not coming to work today.

Yes, definitely.

Perfect.

Alright.

And the last phrase that we're going to take a look at today is I was hoping to take the day off.

I was hoping to take the day off.

I was hoping to take the day off.

I was hoping to take the day off.

Right.

And she says this to ask for permission because she does not want to go to work.

Okay.

Now, couldn't she just say like I can't come today?

Right.

She could say I can't come today but that would be a little bit impolite.

Okay.

Okay.

So when she says I was hoping to take the day off, it's a polite way of asking.

It's a polite way, exactly.

Because she is talking to her boss.

Very good.

So let's listen to the dialogue one more time.

The dialogue is a little different this time.

Listen carefully and see if you think the boss believes her this time.

Hello.

Daniel speaking.

How may I help you?

Hi Daniel.

Julie here.

Oh hi, Julie.

How are you?

Actually, I'm feeling quite ill today.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

What's wrong?

I think I'm coming down with the flu.

I have a headache, a sore throat, a runny nose, and I'm feeling slightly feverish.

I see.

So are you calling in sick?

Yes.

I was hoping to take the day off to recover.

Okay then.

Try and get some rest.

Okay guys, we're back.

And I do think he believed her this time.

Yeah, I think he was understanding when he said, okay then, try and get some rest.

Yeah, and Julie sounded pretty sick.

Yes, yes she did.

Yeah, it was convincing.

Well you know what?

I almost called in sick last week.

Really?

Yeah, I wasn't feeling very well and so I almost didn't come to work.

Oh, that would have been really bad for me.

I would have been stuck here without you, Marco.

Yeah, you would have had to do the podcast all by yourself.

Oh no.

You know, actually I had the same symptoms as Julie.

I also had a headache and I had a sore throat and also the worst thing and the thing that

I hate the most is I had a runny nose.

Oh no, that's really bad because then you have to like blow your nose all the time and then it gets red and it hurts, right?

Exactly, yeah.

Luckily, I didn't have a fever though.

Oh, thank God.

So did you take some medicine and it just killed everything?

Yeah, I had a friend and he had some pills for the flu and he just gave me a couple and

I felt better in about two days.

Oh, great.

Well, so guys, let me tell you about a very funny thing that really happens in real life in Egypt.

What story do you have for us today?

Well, it's actually not a story.

It's a fact.

I mean, people in Egypt, when they're sick, they never call in sick themselves.

They'll have someone do that for them.

Oh, that's interesting.

Why?

Why do they do this?

Well, there is this weird speculation about, you know, if you can make it to the phone, you can make it to the office.

I agree.

I agree.

If I were a boss, I would do the same thing.

Yeah.

All right, listeners, we're out of time today, but be sure to visit our website at EnglishPod.com where you can see other lessons and also you can leave your questions and comments at our community forum.

We hope you enjoyed our lesson and tomorrow we will be back with another fantastic lesson for you.

But for now, it's bye.

Bye.

Bye for now.

The EnglishPod audio review.

Listen to the meaning then say the vocabulary word.

Polite offer to help.

How may I help you?

Very sick.

Quite ill.

Getting acquiring.

Coming down.

Report that you will not go to work because you are sick.

Calling in sick.

To kindly expect.

Was hoping.

Assign indication.

Symptom.

Allow.

Permission.

Impolite.

Day off because you're sick.

Sick day.

Make it into work.

Let's try that faster.

Day off because you're sick.

Sick day.

Make it into work.

Impolite.

Assign indication.

Symptom.

Allow.

Permission.

Polite offer to help.

How may I help you?

To kindly expect.

Was hoping.

Getting acquiring.

Coming down.

Very sick.

Quite ill.

Report that you will not go to work because you are sick.

Calling in sick.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

Sir, you look lost.

May I help you?

May I help you find something?

I was wondering, may I help you prepare your report?

Quite ill.

I'm feeling quite ill today.

I don't think I can go to work.

Quite ill.

Andy can't get out of bed today.

He must be quite ill.

Quite ill.

The lesson was canceled because our teacher is quite ill.

Coming down.

You have a runny nose.

Are you coming down with the flu?

Coming down.

I can feel that I'm coming down with the flu.

Coming down.

My throat hurts.

I hope I'm not coming down with the flu.

Our meeting was postponed because my client called in sick.

If he calls in sick one more time, we'll fire him.

I almost called in sick today.

Was hoping.

We were hoping to meet with you after lunch.

Was hoping.

I was hoping to borrow your car this weekend.

Was hoping.

They were hoping to find you at the bus station.