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Dialog 1
Formal Greetings and Farewells
Paul: Hello. How are you?
Don: Fine, thank you. How are you?
Paul: fine, thanks. Oh, excuse me—here’s my bus. Good bye.
Don: Good-bye.
Dialog 2
Informal Greetings and Farewells
Dick: Hi! How are you?
Helen: Fine, thanks—and you?
Dick: Just fine. Where are you going?
Helen: To the library.
Dick: O.K. I’ll see you later. So long
Helen: So long.
Dialog 3
Formal Introductions
Margatet: [Link], I’d like you to meet [Link] Smith.
Mr. Wilson: How do you do, Dr. Smith.
[Link]: How do you do.
Margaret: [Link] is an economist. He’s just finished writing a book on international trade.
[Link]: Oh? That’s my field, too. I work for the United Nations.
[Link]: In the Development Program, by any chance?
[Link]: Yes. How did you guess?
[Link]: I’ve read your articles on technical assistance. They’re excellent.
Dialog 4
Informal Introductions
Jim: Who’s the tall girl next to Barbara?
Charles: That’s Mary Anderson. Didn’t you meet her at Steve’s party?
Jim: No, I wasn’t at Steve’s party.
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Charles: Oh! Then let me introduce you to her now. Mary, this is my cousin Jim.
Mary: Hi, Jim, I’m glad to meet you.
Jim: I’m glad to meet you. Can’t we sit down somewhere and talk?
Mary: Sure, let’s sit over there.
Dialog 5
Time
Margaret: What time is it?
Toni: It’s a quarter to five.
Margaret: Aren’t we supposed to be at Jim’s house by five o’clock?
Toni: Five or five-thirty. He said it didn’t make any difference.
Margaret: Then maybe we could pick your suit up at the clearers.
Toni: Sure, we have plenty of time.
Dialog 6
A Telephone Call
Barbara: Hello.
Fred: Hello. May I speak to Alice Weaver, please?
Barbara: Just a minute…Alice, it’s for you.
Alice: hello.
Fred: Hi, Alice. This is Fred. Would you like to go to a movie tonight?
Alice: Thanks, I’d love to. I haven’t been to a movie for a long time.
Fred: Good. I’ll pick you up around seven-thirty, then. The movie starts at eight.
Alice: Fine, I’ll be ready. (Phone clicks down)
Dialog 7
Happiness
Linda: You look happy today!
Frank: I am happy. I just heard I passed my physics exam.
Linda: Congratulations! I’m glad somebody’s happy.
Frank: Why? What’s the matter?
Linda: Oh, I’m just worried, I guess I have to take a history exam next week.
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Dialog 8
Ordering A Meal
Waiter: Are you ready to order now, sir?
Ralph: Yes. I’ll have tomato soup, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and peas.
Waiter: That’s tomato soup…roast beef… mashed potatoes… and peas.
How do you want the beef—rare, medium, or well-done?
Ralph: Well-done, please.
Waiter: Anything to drink?
Ralph: Hmmm… just water. I’ll have coffee with my dessert.
Dialog 9
Birthdays
Patty: How old are you?
Susan: Nine…but I’ll be ten on May sixteenth.
Patty: I’m older than you! I’ll be ten on May fourteenth.
Susan: Are you going to have a birthday party?
Patty: Maybe. I’ll have to ask my mother.
Dialog 10
A Crowded Theater
Bob: Excuse me, is this seat taken?
Larry: No, it isn’t.
Bob: Would you mind moving over one, so my friend and I can sit together?
Larry: No, not at all.
Bob: Thanks a lot.
Dialog 11
Mistakes
Bruce: Where did John go?
Laura; He went to the drugstore.
Bruce: To the bookstore?
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Laura: No, I said he went to the drugstore.

Bruce: Oh, I misunderstood you. I thought you said bookstore.
Laura: How could you make a mistake like that? Weren’t you paying attention?
Dialog 12
Games
George: Say, Joe, do you play bridge?
Joe: No, I don’t play any card games. But I know how to play chess. How about you,
George?
George: Well, I happen to be one of the best chess players around.
Joe: O.K. Let’s play, then. We’ll see who’s the best.
Dialog 13
Health
Jane: I hear you’ve been ill.
Cathy: Well, I had the flu for a couple of weeks, but I’m fine now.
Jane: You’re looking well. By the way, did you hear about Mrs. Jackson?
Cathy: No, What about her?
Jane: She had such a bad case of the flu that they had to take her to the hospital.
Cathy: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that!
Dialog 14
Sports
Phil: Say, what’s your favorite sport?
Jack: Hmmm…it’s hard to say. I like golf a lot—but I guess I like tennis better.
Phil: Do you play much tennis?
Jack: Yes, quite a bit. How about a game sometime?
Phil: Sorry. I’m strictly a spectator—football, baseball, basketball, golf…I watch them all.
Dialog 15
Asking Directions
Marilyn: Excuse Me. Could you tell me which way Dobson’s bookstore is?
Nancy: Yes, it’s that way. You go two blocks, then turn left. It’s on the corner opposite the
post office.
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Marilyn: Thanks. I’ve only been in town a few days, so I really don’t know my way around
yet.
Nancy: Oh, I know how you feel. We moved here a year ago, and I still don’t know where
everything is.
Dialog 16
Coincidences
Allen: Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?
Julia: No, I don’t think so.
Allen: But your face is so familiar. Wait a second…I know…
We were on the same flight to New York last month.
Julia: Oh, yes. Now I remember. What a coincidence to meet in San Francisco!
Allen: well, you know what they say—it’s a small world.
Dialog 17
Safety
Peter: There’s the shoe store we’ve been looking for. It’s just across the street.
Gail: Wait! You can’t cross the street in the middle of the block!
You have to cross at the corner.
Peter: Oh, come on. Let’s go across here.
Gail: look out! You nearly got hit by that car! Now do you see why you should cross at the
corner?
Peter: I guess you’re right. I’ll be more careful after this.
Dialog 18
Musical Instruments
Anne: Listen! Somebody’s playing the piano.
Betty: Yeah, it sounds nice, doesn’t it? I wish I could play a musical instrument.
Anne: Don’t you play the violin?
Betty: No, but my sister does. Actually, she’s pretty good at it.
Anne: I took flute lessons for a couple of years, but I never learned to play very well.
I guess I don’t have any musical talent.
Betty: Oh, that’s not true. You sing very well. I can’t even do that!
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Dialog 19
Taking a vacation
David: Did you say you’re going to take a vacation next month?
Ruth: Yes, my family and I are going to New York for a week. We want to visit the
museums and see some plays.
David; I envy you. I haven’t had a vacation for a long time. I wish I could get away for a
while.
Ruth: You can take a vacation sometime soon, can’t you?
David: No, there’s too much work to do. Maybe next year, though.
Dialog 20
Recipes
Shirley: Would you like some cookies? I just made them.
Louise: Thank you. Yes, I would.
Shirley: These are chocolate, and those are almond-flavored.
Louise: I guess I’ll try a chocolate one first. Mmmm… this is delicious. Are they hard to
make?
Shirley: No, they’re really quite easy. Wait a minute, I’ve got the recipe right here. See…
these are the ingredients and then you just follow the directions.
Louise: That does look easy. I think I’ll make some tonight.
Dialog 21
Weather
Karen: Brrr! I’m cold. I thought it was supposed to get warmer today.
Ed: Yeah, I thought so, too That’s what the weatherman said.
Karen: It must be the wind that makes it so cold. I’m freezing!
Ed: Me, too. Let’s go inside.
Karen: O.K. It’s no fun standing out here, even if the sun is shining.
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Dialog 22
Having Things Done
Steve: Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me.
Mike: Sure. What is it?
Steve: I want to have my hair cut, but I can’t find a barber shop.
Mike: I know where one is. Come on—I’ll show you.
Dialog 23
Mailing Letters
Dean: Do you mind if we stop by the post office? I have to mail these letters and I don’t have
any stamps.
Carol: Oh, I have some. We don’t need to go all the way to the post office.
Dean: That would save time. Can you let me have two airmail stamps and one regular one?
Carol: Here you are. Are you sure that’s enough?
Dean: Yes, that’s fine. Now all we have to do is find a mailbox.
Dialog 24
Animals
Connie: That’s a beautiful cat. I wonder who it belongs to.
Gary: It belongs to the Browns. They live across the street from us. They have three cats,
two dogs, and a canary.
Connie: They certainly must like pets! But how do all those animals get along with each
other?
Gary: Don’t ask me. Ask the Browns!
Dialog 25
Shopping
Saleslady: Can I help you?
Gloria: Yes, I’m looking for a pair of white gloves. I think I wear size six.
Saleslady: The white gloves are on this counter. Let’s see…here’s a size six. These are very
nice, and they’re washable, too.
Gloria: Oh, I’ll try them on. Hmmm…they seem to fit. How much are they?
Saleslady: Five dollars.
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Gloria: All right. I’ll take them.

Saleslady: That’ll be five-twenty with the tax.
Dialog 26
Transportation
Joyce: Shall we take a taxi or a bus to the meeting?
Bill: We’d better take a bus. It’s almost impossible to find a taxi during rush hour.
Joyce: Isn’t that a bus-stop over there?
Bill: Yes…Oh, oh! There’s a bus now. We’ll have to run to catch it.
Joyce: O.K…Oh, no! We just missed it.
Bill: Never mind. There’ll be another one in ten minutes.
Dialog 27
Comparing
Jean: I think this material is much prettier than that, don’t you?
Lois: Well, I don’t know. I like them both. Why do you like that one better?
Jean: Well, the design is more interesting and the colors are brighter. And it’s not as
expensive, either.
Lois: Oh, I see what you mean. And besides, these colors are more becoming to you.
Jean: Do you really think so? I’ll buy it, then.
Dialog 28
Pastimes
Roger: What do you do in your spare time?
Barry: Oh, nothing special. I read…watch TV…go to the movies.
Roger: Don’t you have any hobbies, like stamp collecting or things like that?
Barry: No, I don’t have any hobbies. How about you?
Roger: I have just one—photography. It’s expensive, but it’s a lot of fun.
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Dialog 29
Weddings
Bonnie: Guess what! Paul and Susan are engaged!
Janice: Really? When did that happen?
Bonnie: A week ago. They met last summer-and now, just think… they’ll be married soon.
Janice: Have they set a date for the wedding?
Bonnie: No, not yet. But Susan says they’d like to get married in November or December.
Then they’ll go to Hawaii for their honeymoon.
Dialog 30
Effort
Debbie: I give up! I simply can’t learn French!
Helen: Why do you say that? I think you’re making a lot of progress.
Debbie: No, I’m not. I try and try and I still can’t speak it very well.
Helen: Learning any language takes a lot of effort. But don’t give up. Why don’t we practice
those dialogs together?
Debbie: Good idea. That just might help.