Episode 0113

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 going to 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 going to 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.

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. Oh, 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 pile up 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.

All right, 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.

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 one.

Sorry I'm late, honey. I got tied up at the office.

Example two.

I was tied up on the phone all afternoon and didn't get any work done.

Example three.

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, well, 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 pile-up.

A pile-up.

A huge pile-up.

Okay, a huge pile-up. Now, if a pile-up 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.

So this could be a reason of why there was a traffic jam.

Mhm, and also a reason for why you are 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 two.

Traffic is really bad, so I'm running late.

Example three.

I'm running a bit late, so please start without me.

Now, our last phrase, what 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, it 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 um an appointment can run over.

So I can say my meeting ran over 15 minutes. I'm going to be a little bit late.

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.

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 pile up 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.

All right, 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.

Okay, we got some some more great phrases for describing being late. Let's look at them now in fluency builder.

Fluency builder.

When Joe 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.

But what about this word sec?

Ah, 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 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, yeah, you're stopped there for like 20 minutes, you can't move.

Okay, I'm stuck in traffic. I I'm going to be late.

Um and the reason they were stuck in traffic was because traffic was backed up for miles.

Okay, traffic is backed up for miles.

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 it how does that work?

Well, okay, imagine there is an accident, and that has caused the traffic jam. And the cars are lined up for 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.

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. Oh, 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 pile up 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.

All right, 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 9:00 o'clock,

usually people will be there at 9:00 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 9:00 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 when we're talking about social events. Like if you go to someone's house for 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 uh after the time that was specified just to, you know, give the house owner a little bit of time.

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 6:30 or 7, and of course, food isn't ready until like maybe 8:00 or 9:00.

Mm. But I but in German countries, from what I know, um, you've got to be there. If they say be there at six, you're there at 6:00, right? Not 6:01.

Okay.

And also, I think it's about um, when people start work, right?

Mm, yeah.

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 if you're supposed to start work at nine, you have to be at your desk working at nine.

At nine.

Yeah. Yeah, see that in in in other countries, people get there at nine, get their coffee, maybe take a quick glance at their emails or the newspaper, and then, you know, start working at around 9:30 or 10.

So I guess the important thing is to know um 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.

The English Pod audio review.

Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.

The quality of always being on time.

Punctual.

Blocked, so you can't move forward.

Backed up.

Later than planned, late.

Behind schedule.

Sleep later than planned.

Sleep in.

Become busy, unable to leave.

Got tied up.

The quality of often being late.

Tardiness.

Move very quickly.

Hustle.

Going to be late.

Running late.

To go beyond a limit.

Ran over.

So many cars on the road that you cannot drive or move forward.

Stuck in traffic.

Soon.

In a sec.

Very big.

Huge.

A lot of cars stopped from moving.

Traffic jam.

An accident where many cars crash into each other.

Pile up.

Let's try that faster.

Going to be late.

Running late.

Soon.

In a sec.

Move very quickly.

Hustle.

Sleep later than planned.

Sleep in.

To go beyond a limit.

Ran over.

Become busy, unable to leave.

Got tied up.

The quality of often being late.

Tardiness.

An accident where many cars crash into each other.

Pile up.

Blocked, so you can't move forward.

Backed up.

The quality of always being on time.

Punctual.

Later than planned, late.

Behind schedule.

A lot of cars stopped from moving.

Traffic jam.

Very big.

Huge.

So many cars on the road that you cannot drive or move forward.

Stuck in traffic.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

Stuck in traffic.

Hello Daniel, it's me. Listen, I'm gonna be late today because I'm stuck in traffic.

Stuck in traffic.

We should leave early this morning or else we'll get stuck in traffic.

Stuck in traffic.

Ran over.

The meeting ran over by more than 30 minutes.

Ran over.

I always leave an extra 15 minutes in my schedule just in case meetings run over a bit.

Ran over.

Frank always forgets about the time and runs over the time limit of his presentations.

Running late.

Jane is running late. She'll be here in 10 minutes.

Running late.

Traffic is really bad, so I'm running late.

Running late.

I'm running a bit late, so please start without me.

Got tied up.

Sorry I'm late, honey. I got tied up at the office.

Got tied up.

I was tied up on the phone all afternoon and didn't get any work done.

Got tied up.

I got tied up in traffic on the way here.

The accident backed up traffic for miles.

Don't take the 405 Freeway today. There was an accident, so there are cars backed up for miles.

Our highway system is very inefficient. Traffic is backed up for miles every morning.