Urgent Message Delivery
You need to interrupt a meeting or conversation to deliver an urgent message to someone.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
interrupt
To interrupt means to stop someone from speaking or doing something by entering the conversation suddenly. Use it when you need to break in politely, like in meetings.
urgent
Urgent describes something that needs immediate attention or action. It's useful for explaining why you're interrupting in important situations.
critical
Critical means very important or serious, often related to a problem that could cause issues. Use it to emphasize the importance of a message.
alert
An alert is a warning or notification about a potential problem. In work or tech contexts, it refers to system messages that need quick response.
immediately
Immediately means right away, without any delay. It's a polite way to stress the need for quick action in urgent scenarios.
apologies
Apologies are expressions of regret for doing something wrong. Use it to say sorry formally, especially after interrupting.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but this is urgent.
This sentence is a polite way to start interrupting. 'Excuse me' gets attention, 'I'm so sorry to interrupt' shows regret, and 'but this is urgent' gives a reason. Use it in professional settings to deliver important news without seeming rude. Grammar note: The 'but' connects apology to justification.
No worries, John. What's up?
This is a casual response to an apology, meaning 'it's okay.' 'No worries' reassures the interrupter, and 'What's up?' asks for details. Useful for friendly conversations to show understanding. It's informal but polite among colleagues.
There's a critical system alert that just came in. Michael needs to see it immediately.
This explains the urgent message clearly. 'There's... that just came in' describes a new event, and 'needs to see it immediately' urges action. Practice this for reporting problems at work. Grammar: Present simple for facts, 'that just came in' uses relative clause for description.
Michael, did you catch that? It sounds important.
This checks if someone understood the interruption. 'Did you catch that?' means 'did you hear/understand?', and 'It sounds important' highlights significance. Use it to ensure the message is received in group talks. Question form helps confirm attention.
Thanks for understanding. Apologies again for the interruption.
This thanks the group and apologizes once more. 'Thanks for understanding' shows gratitude, and 'Apologies again' reinforces politeness. End interruptions with this to leave a good impression. It's a common closing phrase in English etiquette.
No problem at all, John. We understand.
A reassuring reply meaning 'it's fine.' 'No problem at all' emphasizes no issue, and 'We understand' shows empathy. Use this to respond positively to apologies in team settings. Simple structure makes it easy to remember for everyday use.