Confirming Your City by Phone

Read/Listen first

This is a phone call to confirm the city of a customer. A support agent asks, “What’s your city, please?” The caller answers slowly. She says, “My city is Milan.” She uses short sentences to be clear. She spells each letter: “M as in moon, I as in ice, L as in lamp, A as in apple, N as in nest.” The agent repeats the letters to avoid errors. They both check the postcode and the street name later. The agent says, “Thank you. Could you say the city again?” The caller repeats calmly. They complete the form step by step. At the end, the agent reads the city aloud and asks for confirmation. The caller says yes and thanks the agent for the careful check. We speak slowly and check again to avoid mistakes.

⚡ Learning goals

• Ask and repeat key details politely on the phone.
• Spell names, cities and e‑mail addresses clearly.
• Confirm information with short, simple sentences.

These goals match typical A1 needs: short sentences, frequent words, and clear pronunciation support.

✨ Grammar Points — 4 Structures

1️⃣ Present simple of ‘be’ (name/city/e‑mail)
Rule: Use “I’m … / My name is … / What’s your … ?”
Examples: I’m Ana → My name is Leo → What’s your city?.
Practice prompt: Introduce yourself with “My name is …”.
✅ ✅ My name is Ana.
Exercise: Choose the correct form: “I ___ Ana.”
✅ ✅ am — Subject + be (am/is/are).
Common pitfall + fix: Avoid “I be”; use “I am/I’m”.

2️⃣ Polite requests with ‘can/could’
Rule: Use “Can/Could you repeat, please?” to ask again politely.
Examples: Can you repeat, please? → Could you spell that? → Could you say it again?.
Practice prompt: Ask to hear the e‑mail again.
✅ ✅ Could you repeat the e‑mail, please?
Exercise: Choose the best option: “___ you repeat, please?”
✅ ✅ Could — More polite than “can” in many contexts.
Common pitfall + fix: Avoid “Repeat!” — too direct; add “please”.

3️⃣ Spelling pattern: ‘X as in X‑word’
Rule: Link letters to common words: “B as in banana”.
Examples: A as in apple → H as in hat → Z as in zebra.
Practice prompt: Give two letters with anchors.
✅ ✅ M as in monkey; N as in nest.
Exercise: Pick the correct preposition: “A as ___ apple.”
✅ ✅ in — Fixed expression “as in”.
Common pitfall + fix: Don’t say “as at apple”; use “as in”.

4️⃣ Questions with “What’s …?”
Rule: Contract “what is” → “what’s”: “What’s your name?”
Examples: What’s your name? → What’s your city? → What’s your e‑mail?.
Practice prompt: Ask the person’s city clearly.
✅ ✅ What’s your city?
Exercise: Choose the correct question:
✅ ✅ What’s your name? — Correct auxiliary and word order.
Common pitfall + fix: Avoid “What your name?”; add “is”.

✍️ Vocabulary (6 entries)

 alphabet

Meaning: set of letters used in a language
Synonyms: letters, ABCs, script
Chunk/Idiom: ““learn the alphabet””
Example: We learn the alphabet in class.
Morphology: noun; singular; neutral register
Self-practice: Say it aloud with your own variation.

 spell

Meaning: say the letters in order
Synonyms: letter, name, state
Chunk/Idiom: ““spell your name, please””
Example: Please spell your last name.
Morphology: verb; base/present/-ing; neutral
Self-practice: Spell your first and last name aloud.

 repeat

Meaning: say something again
Synonyms: say again, restate, echo
Chunk/Idiom: ““repeat, please””
Example: Could you repeat the city, please.
Morphology: verb; base/present/-ing; neutral
Self-practice: Ask someone to repeat one item.

 email address

Meaning: electronic mail address
Synonyms: e-mail, contact, address
Chunk/Idiom: ““What’s your e-mail address?””
Example: What’s your e-mail address, please.
Morphology: noun; countable phrase; neutral
Self-practice: Say your e-mail address slowly.

 city

Meaning: large town where people live
Synonyms: town, place, area
Chunk/Idiom: ““in the city of …””
Example: My city is Paris.
Morphology: noun; singular/plural cities; neutral
Self-practice: Say a sentence with your city.

 again

Meaning: one more time
Synonyms: once more, anew, over
Chunk/Idiom: ““say it again””
Example: Please say the name again.
Morphology: adverb; invariable; neutral
Self-practice: Make a sentence with “again”.

☁️ Examples (+ audio)

• • 🔊 Play What’s your city, please?.

• • 🔊 Play M as in moon; N as in nest.

• • 🔊 Play Could you say the city again?.

• • 🔊 Play Thank you for confirming.

✏️ Exercises

1) Grammar

1. 1. Choose the best request to ask again:
      1) Say your name. 2) Can you repeat, please? 3) I no understand.
      ✔︎ Answer: 2) — Polite request form with “can”.

1. 1. Pick the correct sentence:
      1) What is your name again? 2) What you name again? 3) What your name again?
      ✔︎ Answer: 1) — Correct auxiliary “is”.

1. 1. Fill with the best answer: “My name ___ Ana.”
      → Solution: is — Simple present of “be”.

1. Fill with the best answer: “___ sorry. Can you repeat, please?”
   → Solution: I’m — Contraction of “I am”.

2) Vocabulary & Comprehension

1. 1. Which phrase helps with spelling?

      1) “C as in cat.” 2) “I don’t know.” 3) “Maybe later.”
      ✔︎ Answer: 1) — It gives a clear letter anchor.

1. 1. Which is a polite way to ask again?

      1) “Say it.” 2) “Repeat now.” 3) “Could you repeat, please?”
      ✔︎ Answer: 3) — Polite modal “could”.

1. 1. Fill with the best answer: “H as ___ hat.”
      → Solution: in — Fixed pattern “as in”.

1. Fill with the best answer: “What’s your name ___?”
   → Solution: again — Common phone-check phrase.

⚙️ Integrated content

Mini-dialogue — Natural situation
A: Hello, what’s your name?
B: I’m Irene. I-R-E-N-E.
A: Thank you. Could you repeat the e-mail address, please?
B: Sure — i.rene@example.com.

Why this matters
We often spell names or addresses on the phone. Clear spelling avoids mistakes and saves time.

Verb & Adjective Pack (ready-to-use chunks)
• spell clearly → “Please spell clearly on the phone.”
• ask politely → “Ask politely if you need repetition.”
• sound friendly → “Sound friendly when greeting someone.”
• check again → “Check again to avoid errors.”

️ Try and compare — guided production + model answers
Exercise 1 — Fill the blank
“I’m ___ . Can you repeat, please?”
→ ✔︎ sorry (Correct: polite formula).

Exercise 2 — Self-correction
You said: “What you name?”
→ Better: “What’s your name?” (Use “what is”).

Exercise 3 — Practice aloud
Say three sentences to spell your first and last name.
Example: “A as in apple.” / “R as in rainbow.” / “E as in egg.”