Office Routine

Topic Goal

Build reusable English for arriving at your desk, dealing with interruptions, taking a short break, and handling lunch at work.

Core Phrases

• go through my emails

  • Use: Use this when you read and handle a group of emails one by one.
  • Context: I usually go through my emails as soon as I sit down at my desk.
  • My sentence:

• come in for a conference call

  • Use: Use this when someone asks you to join a work call right away.
  • Context: My project manager asked me to come in for a conference call with headquarters.
  • My sentence:

• get back to my desk

  • Use: Use this when you return to your desk after a meeting or another task.
  • Context: I didn’t get back to my desk for nearly two hours.
  • My sentence:

• head down to the break room

  • Use: Use this when you leave your desk for tea, water, or a short rest.
  • Context: At 10:30, I head down to the break room to make some tea.
  • My sentence:

• run into a friend from work

  • Use: Use this for an unexpected meeting with a coworker.
  • Context: I ran into a friend from work in the break room and chatted for a while.
  • My sentence:

• pack a lunch

  • Use: Use this when you prepare lunch before work and bring it with you.
  • Context: If I have time in the morning, I pack a lunch and eat it at my desk.
  • My sentence:

• go across the street for some take-out

  • Use: Use this when you leave the office briefly to buy lunch nearby.
  • Context: If I don’t pack a lunch, I go across the street for some take-out.
  • My sentence:

Sentence Patterns

• When I get to my desk, there is/there are ...

  • Use: Use this to start a retell with what is waiting for you at work.
  • My example:

• Just as I start in on ..., ...

  • Use: Use this when one task gets interrupted right away.
  • My example:

• I didn't get back to my desk for ..., so by that time, I was ready for ...

  • Use: Use this to show how a long interruption affects the rest of your morning.
  • My example:

• If I don't have time to ..., I ...

  • Use: Use this to explain your backup lunch habit.
  • My example:

• The only trouble is ..., so I have to ...

  • Use: Use this to describe a common lunch problem like long lines or crowded stores.
  • My example:

Context Notes

• This topic fits the part of the day after your commute: checking your inbox, getting pulled into calls, stepping into the break room, and figuring out lunch.
• Keep the office chunks fixed so your retell sounds more natural: go through my emails, come in for a conference call, get back to my desk, and go across the street for some take-out.

Linked Lessons

• 7. At My Desk, on Break, and at Lunch