Phone Rings During a Performance
Your phone rings during a quiet moment in a concert, play, or movie, disturbing the audience. You discreetly silence it and express regret.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
silent
Silent means making no sound. In this context, it refers to a phone setting that stops it from ringing or vibrating, which is useful in quiet places like theaters.
embarrassed
Embarrassed means feeling shy, ashamed, or uncomfortable because of a mistake. It's common when something awkward happens in public, like a phone ringing.
apologies
Apologies is the plural form of apology, meaning expressions of regret for doing something wrong. Use it to politely say sorry to a group of people.
startling
Startling means surprising or frightening someone suddenly. It's useful to describe a loud noise that shocks people in quiet situations.
rude
Rude means impolite or not showing respect to others. In social settings, actions like letting your phone ring loudly can be seen as rude.
disturbance
Disturbance means an interruption that bothers people. It's a formal way to refer to noise or disruption in places like concerts or meetings.
sincere
Sincere means genuine and honest, not fake. Use it with apologies to show you truly mean it, like 'sincere apologies' for emphasis.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
So sorry about that!
This is a quick, casual apology for a small mistake. It's useful in everyday situations like when your phone rings unexpectedly. The structure uses 'so' for emphasis before 'sorry' to make it stronger.
I thought I had it on silent.
This sentence explains a mistake by sharing what you believed was true. It's practical for apologizing with an excuse. Note the past perfect 'had it on silent' to describe a previous state.
No worries, just a little startling. It happens.
This reassures someone not to feel bad. 'No worries' means don't be concerned, and 'it happens' means it's common. Use it to comfort friends after minor errors; it's informal and friendly.
Still, it's incredibly rude of me.
This admits fault despite previous reassurance. 'Still' shows contrast, and 'incredibly rude of me' uses 'of me' to take personal responsibility. Useful for showing politeness by acknowledging rudeness.
My apologies to everyone.
A formal way to apologize to a group. 'My apologies' is a polite phrase, and 'to everyone' includes the audience. It's good for public situations; the possessive 'my' personalizes it.
Don't beat yourself up.
This idiom means don't blame or punish yourself too much. It's reassuring and casual, often used after someone apologizes for something small. Helps in conversations to ease guilt.
And again, my sincere apologies for the disturbance.
This repeats an apology sincerely. 'And again' indicates repetition, 'sincere' adds honesty, and 'for the disturbance' specifies the issue. Use it to end an apology strongly in formal or public settings.