Feeling Too Cold in an Office
An employee is feeling uncomfortably cold in their office space and wants to ask a colleague or building management to turn up the heating or adjust the AC.
Dialogue7
Excuse me, Michael? Are you feeling a bit cold in here?
Actually, yes, Emily. I was just about to grab my jacket. It feels like the AC might be on a bit too high.
I thought so too! My fingers are freezing. Do you think we could ask building management to adjust the temperature?
Good idea. I can send an email to facility services right now. What temperature would you prefer?
Maybe just a few degrees warmer? Enough to feel comfortable, not too stuffy.
Got it. I'll ask them to raise it to, say, 22 degrees Celsius and see if that helps. I'll let you know what they say.
Thanks, Michael, that would be great. I really appreciate it!
Vocabulary9
- excuse me
A polite phrase to get someone's attention or start a conversation, often used before asking a question.
- cold
Describes low temperature that makes you feel chilly; in this context, it's about the room feeling too cold.
- jacket
A piece of clothing you wear to keep warm when it's cold; useful for talking about dressing for weather.
- AC
Short for air conditioning, a system that cools the air; common in offices to control temperature.
- freezing
Very cold, like ice; an informal way to express extreme coldness, e.g., 'My fingers are freezing.'
- adjust
To change something slightly to make it better, like adjusting the temperature on a thermostat.
- temperature
The level of heat or cold in the air, measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.
- raise
To increase something, like raising the temperature to make a room warmer.
- appreciate
To feel grateful for someone's help or kindness; used to express thanks politely.
Key Sentences7
- 1
Excuse me, Michael? Are you feeling a bit cold in here?
This is a polite way to start a conversation and ask about someone's feeling; 'a bit' softens the question to be less direct. Useful for checking if others share your discomfort in shared spaces.
- 2
It feels like the AC might be on a bit too high.
Expresses an opinion about the cause of the problem using 'feels like' for speculation; 'a bit too high' means slightly excessive. Good for politely suggesting why something is wrong.
- 3
Do you think we could ask building management to adjust the temperature?
A polite request using 'Do you think we could' to suggest an action indirectly; 'building management' refers to office staff who handle maintenance. Useful for proposing solutions in a work environment.
- 4
What temperature would you prefer?
Asks for someone's preference using conditional 'would' for politeness; helps in collaborative decisions. Practical for discussions about settings like room temperature.
- 5
Maybe just a few degrees warmer? Enough to feel comfortable, not too stuffy.
Suggests a small change with 'maybe' for tentativeness; 'a few degrees warmer' specifies the adjustment, and 'not too stuffy' means not overly warm and airless. Useful for expressing balanced preferences.
- 6
I'll ask them to raise it to, say, 22 degrees Celsius and see if that helps.
Offers to take action with 'I'll' for future intention; 'say' introduces an example suggestion. 'Raise it' means increase the temperature. Great for confirming and acting on a request.
- 7
Thanks, Michael, that would be great. I really appreciate it!
Expresses gratitude with 'thanks' and 'appreciate'; 'that would be great' shows positive response to help. Common way to end a polite interaction in English.