Requesting Attention from a Busy Colleague
Your colleague is talking to someone else, but you urgently need their input or help on a task.
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 or activity suddenly. Use it when you need to politely break into a discussion, like 'I'm sorry to interrupt.'
moment
A moment means a short period of time. In polite requests, say 'Do you have a moment?' to ask if someone is free briefly for your question.
no worries
No worries is a casual way to say 'it's okay' or 'don't be sorry.' It's used to reassure someone that their action, like interrupting, is not a problem.
discrepancy
A discrepancy is a difference or inconsistency between two things that should match. In work, use it for errors in data, like 'There's a discrepancy in the numbers.'
reconcile
To reconcile means to make two things agree or match after checking. It's common in accounting or data work, as in 'I can't reconcile the figures.'
spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a computer program like Excel for organizing data in rows and columns. Say 'Can you look at the spreadsheet?' when asking for help with numbers.
appreciate
To appreciate means to feel grateful for someone's help. Use it to thank others politely, like 'I really appreciate your input.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Excuse me, David. I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you have a moment?
This is a polite way to start interrupting someone. 'Excuse me' gets attention, 'I'm sorry to interrupt' apologizes, and 'do you have a moment?' asks for time. Use it in professional settings to request help without being rude.
No worries, Emily. What's up?
This reassures the interrupter that it's okay. 'No worries' means don't apologize, and 'What's up?' casually asks for the reason. It's useful for responding positively to interruptions in informal work talks.
I really apologize for breaking in, but I'm having a bit of trouble with the data analysis.
Here, 'breaking in' is another way to say interrupting. The sentence explains the urgent reason after apologizing. Use this pattern to justify why you're interrupting, making it more acceptable.
I've double-checked everything, but I can't seem to reconcile them.
'Double-checked' means checked twice for accuracy. 'I can't seem to' softens the statement to show effort without complaining. This is useful for describing problems in work tasks and seeking help.
Do you have a moment to take a look at the spreadsheet with me?
This politely asks for specific help. It uses 'do you have a moment' again and specifies the action. Great for collaborative work environments when you need someone to review something together.
Thanks so much, David. I really appreciate it. And again, my apologies for cutting in.
This thanks and apologizes again. 'Thanks so much' is emphatic gratitude, 'cutting in' means interrupting. Repeat apologies to be extra polite, especially after getting help.
Don't worry about it, Emily. It's fine.
A simple way to dismiss concerns. 'Don't worry about it' means forget the apology, and 'It's fine' confirms no issue. Use this to end the conversation positively and make the other person feel at ease.