Hello, English learners.
Welcome back to another great lesson here at EnglishPod.
My name is Marko.
And I'm Erika.
And today we are going to have a lesson that is going to be very useful when you arrive late.
Yes.
Well, we all have arrived late to something and we need a good way of saying sorry and saying why we were late.
So today we're not only gonna be looking at vocabulary used to explain why you are late, but also some typical excuses of why people are late.
Right, so some normal reasons for saying why you're late.
Well, why don't we get started with the dialogue?
Now, we're gonna hear five people in the dialogue.
So at the beginning we'll hear the boss and the assistant, and then we'll hear three people who are arriving late.
Where's everyone?
We were supposed to start 15 minutes ago.
Joe called and said she'd be here in a sec.
She said she got tied up with a client.
Sorry I'm late, everyone.
There was a huge traffic jam on the highway this morning.
Morning, everyone.
Were you stuck in traffic as well, Jess?
There was a huge pileup on the highway, and traffic was backed up for miles.
Scott just called and said that he's running late.
His last meeting ran over, but he's on his way now.
Guys, this is not acceptable.
If I say the meeting starts at 10, the meeting starts at 10.
Not 10.01.
And definitely not 10.20.
Alright, let's get started.
So the first thing I want to talk about is our- I'm really sorry, everyone.
I know I'm late, but really, it's not my fault.
I was getting a coffee at Starbucks and the line was way, way too long.
I was waiting for 20 minutes to get my coffee.
All right, so, well, good excuses in general, except the last one.
I don't think that's such a good excuse of why you're late, right?
Yeah, I don't really think if I was the boss, I would be very happy with this employee.
Yeah, I don't think coffee is that important.
But some of the excuses were good and some of the language they used to describe the excuses was really great.
So let's look at that now in Language Takeaway.
Language Takeaway.
All right, on Language Takeaway today, we have four words that we're going to be looking at, and well, let's get started with the first one.
So Joe called the office assistant and explained that she will be late because she got tied up with a client.
To get tied up.
So, I got tied up with a client.
All right, this is a really common reason for being late, but why don't we listen to some examples to help us understand what it means?
Example 1.
Sorry I'm late, honey.
I got tied up at the office.
Example 2.
I was tied up on the phone all afternoon and didn't get any work done.
Example 3.
I got tied up in traffic on the way here.
All right, so if you get tied up, it means that you get busy with something that you can't avoid.
Right, you're busy with something that's so important.
It's like you are tied by a rope to that thing.
Okay, I got tied up.
I'm sorry, I got tied up.
Yep.
All right now.
The first person that arrived to the office will explain that there was a huge traffic jam on the highway.
A traffic jam.
A traffic jam.
A huge traffic jam.
Now, we understand traffic, right?
Cars, a lot of cars.
So a jam, it means that it was like blocked.
It was stopped.
It was stopped.
There were a lot of cars on the highway and they weren't moving.
So a huge traffic jam is a very, very big stopping of cars.
Now, our next word explains why sometimes there is a traffic jam.
Well, we found out that there was a huge pileup.
A pileup.
A huge pileup.
Okay, a huge pileup.
Now, if a pileup is another way of saying an accident, right?
Yeah, an accident with many cars and they all get piled on top of each other.
All right, so many cars got into an accident.
Yep.
So this could be a reason of why there was a traffic jam.
And also a reason for why you were late.
All right.
Now, the other person, Scott, also called and he said that he's running late.
He's running late.
He's running late.
I'm running late.
Now, if I'm running late, am I actually running somewhere?
What am I doing?
What's happening?
You are going to be late and you know you're going to be late.
Okay, I know I'm going to be late.
So I'll call you and I'll say, hey, I'm running a little bit late.
Yeah, actually, this is the most common thing I say when I'm going to be late.
And I think it's really important to know how to use this phrase.
So let's hear some more examples.
Example one.
Jane is running late.
She'll be here in 10 minutes.
Example 2.
Traffic is really bad, so I'm running late.
Example 3.
I'm running a bit late, so please start without me.
Alright, perfect.
So running late, a very common way of explaining that you're going to be late, and well, it makes you sound very native.
Yeah, it's a great phrase.
Now our last phrase that we heard the reason why Scott was running late was because his last meeting ran over.
Okay, to run over.
My meeting ran over.
Now, ran over, my meeting ran over, it means it went too far?
Well, when something runs over, it goes longer.
Okay, longer than expected.
Yeah, so a meeting can run over or an appointment can run over.
So I can say, my meeting ran over 15 minutes.
I'm going to be a little bit late.
That's right.
A great excuse.
Very good.
Five great words.
And well, I think it's time for us to listen to this dialogue and understand these words as they were used in the dialogue.
And then we'll come back and take a look at more phrases.
Where is everyone?
We were supposed to start 15 minutes ago.
Joe called and said she'd be here in a sec.
She said she got tied up with a client.
Sorry I'm late, everyone.
There was a huge traffic jam on the highway this morning.
Morning, everyone.
Were you stuck in traffic as well, Jess?
There was a huge pileup on the highway, and traffic was backed up for miles.
Scott just called and said that he's running late.
His last meeting ran over, but he's on his way now.
Guys, this is not acceptable.
If I say the meeting starts at 10, the meeting starts at 10, not 10.01, and definitely not 10.20.
Alright, let's get started.
So the first thing I want to talk about is our-.
I'm really sorry everyone.
I know I'm late, but really it's not my fault.
I was getting a coffee at Starbucks and the line was way too long.
I was waiting for 20 minutes to get my coffee.
We got some more great phrases for describing being late.
Let's look at them now in Fluency Builder.
When Jo called, she said she'd be there in a sec.
I'll be here in a sec.
I'll be here in a sec.
So when someone will be here in a sec, it means they'll be here very soon, right?
Okay.
I'll be here in a sec.
I'll be there in a sec.
But what about this word sec?
It's a short way of saying second.
So S-E-C.
A sec.
Now it's an exaggeration obviously, because you won't be there in one second, but you're just explaining that you'll be there very, very soon.
What about the difference between I'll be here in a sec and I'll be here in a minute?
Well, if you say I'll be there in a sec, it means like I'll be there in one minute, right?
But if you say oh, I'll be there in a minute, it could be a minute or more, like three or four or five minutes.
Yeah, I think that's true.
Now, again, going back to this traffic issue, we saw that somebody was stuck in traffic.
To be stuck in traffic.
I got stuck in traffic.
Now, when you're stuck in traffic, you can't drive because there are too many cars stopped on the highway.
So you are actually in the traffic jam.
Yeah, you're stopped there for like 20 minutes.
You can't move.
Okay, I'm stuck in traffic.
I'm going to be late.
Really great excuse.
And the reason they were stuck in traffic was because traffic was backed up for miles.
Okay, traffic is backed up for miles.
Okay.
To be backed up for miles.
Now, if I say the traffic is backed up for miles, it means that it's very long, or how does that work?
Well okay, imagine there is an accident and that has caused a traffic jam and the cars are lined up for many miles behind you.
Okay, so it's backed up.
From that point, there are many miles of cars waiting to pass.
Yep, so it's backed up for miles.
Very good.
So great phrases.
And I think it's appropriate for us to listen to the dialogue for the very last time.
And then we'll come back and talk a little bit more about this being on time issue.
Where is everyone?
We were supposed to start 15 minutes ago.
Joe called and said she'd be here in a sec.
She said she got tied up with a client.
Sorry I'm late, everyone.
There was a huge traffic jam on the highway this morning.
Morning, everyone.
Were you stuck in traffic as well, Jess?
There was a huge pileup on the highway, and traffic was backed up for miles.
Scott just called and said that he's running late.
His last meeting ran over, but he's on his way now.
Guys, this is not acceptable.
If I say the meeting starts at 10, the meeting starts at 10.
Not 10.01.
And definitely not 10.20.
Alright, let's get started.
So the first thing I want to talk about is our... I'm really sorry, everyone.
I know I'm late, but really, it's not my fault.
I was getting a coffee at Starbucks and the line was way, way too long.
I was waiting for 20 minutes to get my coffee.
Well Marco, I know that ideas about time and ideas about being late are different in different countries.
Yeah, in different countries, people treat time or being on time in different ways.
Yeah, like I'm from Canada and I look at being on time really different than you do, right?
Yes, because for example, if you call for a meeting at nine o'clock.
Yep.
Usually people will be there at 9 o'clock because the meeting will start.
In America.
Right, in America.
Now, for example, in Latin America, we do have this, what we call sometimes the Latino time or Hispanic time, which is like 9 o'clock is like the time that everyone should be there.
But until people get there, get their coffee and whatever, then it'll be 9.15, maybe up to 9.30.
And I think it's a little bit even more noticeable when we're talking about social events.
Like if you go to someone's house for dinner.
In Canada, if they say, come to my house at 6 o'clock for dinner, you'll be there at 6.05, right?
Okay, yeah.
Yeah, usually you'll be there only a couple of minutes later after the time that was specified.
Just to you know, give the house owner a little bit of time.
Yeah.
But if we have a dinner invitation for six, we know that it's not really going to begin eating at six.
So people will get there at 630 or seven.
And of course, food isn't ready until like maybe eight or nine.
But in German countries, from what I know, if they say be there at 6, you're there at 6-0-0, right?
Not 6-0-1.
And also, I think it's about when people start work, right?
How on time you have to begin work.
Sometimes it's acceptable to be 10 or 15 minutes so-called late, but in other places, you know.
Yeah, North America.
If you're supposed to start work at 9, you have to be at your desk working at 9.
At 9.
Yeah, see that in other countries people get there at 9, get their coffee, maybe take a quick glance at their emails or the newspaper and then start working at around 930 or 10.
So I guess the important thing is to know what the tradition is in the country where you are.
Exactly.
So come to our website, englishpod.com, and let us know how it works in your countries.
I know that many different countries have a different way of treating time, so share it with us.
Yes, and remember, if you have any questions, please ask them at the website as well.
We're out of time today, but until next time, thanks for listening and goodbye.
Bye-bye.
Thank you.
