Joining a Conversation Gracefully
You want to join an ongoing conversation without being rude or abrupt.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
interrupting
The act of stopping someone else's conversation to say something. Use it when you need to join in politely, like 'Excuse me for interrupting.'
timeline
A schedule showing when events or tasks will happen. Common in work or projects, e.g., 'the project timeline.'
delay
A situation where something happens later than planned. You can say 'there might be a delay' to ask about changes.
confirmed
When information is officially verified or agreed upon. Use in questions like 'Has anything been confirmed?' to check facts.
pushing back
Postponing or moving something to a later time. Informal way to say delaying, e.g., 'We're pushing back the meeting.'
revised
Changed or updated, often for improvement. Used for documents or plans, like 'revised schedule.'
breaking in
Similar to interrupting, meaning to enter a conversation suddenly. Polite in apologies, e.g., 'Sorry for breaking in.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Excuse me for interrupting, but I just wanted to quickly ask about the updated project timeline.
This is a polite way to join a conversation. 'Excuse me for interrupting' apologizes for stopping others, and 'but' introduces your reason. Useful when you need information without being rude.
No problem at all, Emily. We were just finishing up.
A friendly response to an apology. 'No problem at all' means it's okay, and 'finishing up' means almost done. Use this to reassure someone who interrupted.
I heard there might be a slight delay. Has anything been confirmed?
This asks for updates based on rumors. 'I heard there might be' shares what you know, and the question seeks confirmation. Great for professional discussions about changes.
We're pushing back the final presentation by two days.
Explains a postponement. 'Pushing back' is informal for delaying, and 'by two days' specifies the change. Use in emails or meetings to inform about schedule shifts.
Perfect, thanks so much for the quick update. Sorry again for breaking in.
Shows gratitude and apologizes again. 'Perfect' means it's ideal, 'thanks so much' is emphatic thanks, and 'sorry again' reinforces politeness. End interruptions positively.
No worries, Emily. Glad we could help.
Dismisses the apology casually. 'No worries' means don't worry about it, and 'glad we could help' expresses pleasure in assisting. Common in informal English to keep things light.