Forwarding a Phone Message (with Interactive Listening Exercise)

This post aims to help English learners, especially those who are taking a vocational education, improve their English conversation and listening skill. We will focus on the expressions commonly used in professional settings, such as office work. Hopefully, it will provide a useful ESP material for students majoring at office administration, sales and marketing, banking and accounting, etc. At the end of the post, you can try an interactive exercise to test your listening skill.

What's in this post?

• A. Introducing the Message
• B. Providing the Message Details
• C. Including Callback Information
• D. Adding Time Sensitivity or Urgency
• E. Forwarding a Message with Important Information
• F. If You Didn’t Fully Understand the Message
• G. If No Callback is Needed
• H. Offering to Help Further
• I. Closing the Message
• J. Exercises

When forwarding a telephone message, it's important to be clear and provide all necessary details. Here are some useful expressions and phrases for different scenarios when forwarding a message:

A. Introducing the Message

1. "You have a message from [caller’s name]."
2. "There was a call for you from [caller's name] regarding [subject]."
3. "I’m forwarding a message from [caller’s name] regarding [subject]."
4. "I received a call for you from [caller’s name] earlier today."

B. Providing the Message Details

1. "They wanted to inform you that [details of the message]."
2. "[Caller’s name] asked me to let you know that [message content]."
3. "They called to say that [reason or message]."
4. "The message is about [specific subject]."

C. Including Callback Information

1. "[Caller’s name] requested that you call them back at [phone number]."
2. "They asked if you could return the call when you have time. Here’s their number: [phone number]."
3. "They mentioned they’ll be available at [specific time] for a return call."
4. "They left a contact number: [phone number]."
5. "You can reach them at [phone number] if needed."
6. "They provided their direct line: [phone number], or you can contact them via email at [email address]."
7. "They'll be available at [specific time] for a callback."

D. Adding Time Sensitivity or Urgency

1. "They mentioned it’s quite urgent."
2. "They didn’t say it was urgent, but they asked for a callback at your earliest convenience."
3. "They said it’s important and asked you to get back to them today."
4. "[Caller’s name] asked if you could get back to them as soon as possible."
5. "This seems to be time-sensitive; they requested a quick response."
6. "Please note, [caller’s name] marked this as urgent. They would appreciate hearing from you today."
7. "There’s a sense of urgency in this message. [Caller’s name] asked for your earliest response."

E. Forwarding a Message with Important Information

1. "Just to let you know, [caller’s name] left a message regarding [topic]."
2. "I wanted to pass along this message from [caller’s name] concerning [subject]."
3. "[Caller’s name] contacted us and left a message. They mentioned that [message details]."
4. "[Caller’s name] wanted to make sure you’re aware of [specific issue]."

F. If You Didn’t Fully Understand the Message

1. "I believe they mentioned [subject], but you may want to call them back for more clarity."
2. "The message wasn’t entirely clear, but they asked for you to call back regarding [general topic]."
3. "I didn’t get all the details, but they said it was related to [topic], and here’s their number: [phone number]."

G. If No Callback is Needed

1. "They just wanted to keep you informed. No need to call back unless you have any questions."
2. "[Caller’s name] wanted to give you a quick update. There’s no need for a response unless you'd like to follow up."
3. "It wasn’t urgent. They simply wanted to pass on some information."

H. Offering to Help Further

1. "Let me know if you need any more details."
2. "If you’d like, I can follow up with them on your behalf."
3. "Please let me know if you’d like me to handle this."
4. "Let me know if you’d like me to follow up with them."
5. "If there’s anything else you need from me on this, feel free to ask."
6. "I can gather more details for you if needed."
7. "Would you like me to handle any further communication with them?"

I. Closing the Message

1. "That’s all the information they provided."
2. "Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with."
3. "I hope that helps, just let me know if you need anything else."

These expressions will help you deliver a message clearly and ensure that the recipient understands all the necessary information. Now try the exercises below.

J. EXERCISES

A. Dialogue Completion

In this exercise, listen carefully and type the correct word or phrase you hear to complete each sentence. If you provide an incorrect answer, the sentence will be repeated until the correct answer is given. Each correct answer will be scored 10, whereas each incorrect answer will be scored -10. Start the exercise by clicking the green flag icon.

B. Multiple Choice

In this exercise, choose the best answer based on the information from the previous dialogue.

1. Where does the dialogue most probably take place?
   1. A school
   2. An office
   3. A library
   4. A railway station
2. What was the caller's name?
   1. Jim
   2. Anne
   3. Nancy
   4. Gloria
3. Who received the call?
   1. Jim
   2. Anne
   3. Nancy
   4. Gloria
4. What was Jim doing when the caller called?
   1. He was having lunch.
   2. He was talking to Anne.
   3. He was meeting the manager.
   4. He was meeting a guest.
5. Did the caller leave a message?
   1. Yes, she did.
   2. No, she didn't.
   3. Probably.
   4. The dialogue doesn't mention it.
6. What did the caller say?
   1. She would call again later.
   2. She would meet Jim directly.
   3. She expected Jim to call back.
   4. She expected Jim to confirm a meeting with client.
7. Did the caller leave a contact number?
   1. Yes, she did.
   2. No, she didn't.
   3. Probably.
   4. It was not mentioned in the dialogue.
8. Why did Jim decide to call back?
   1. He would be out of town after lunch.
   2. He would have an important meeting after lunch.
   3. He would be away from the office.
   4. The message was urgent and confidential.
9. What would Jim probably do after the conversation?
   1. Make a call
   2. Meet a client
   3. See another guest
   4. Leave a message to Nancy
10. What is the most probable relationship between the speakers?
    1. Classmates
    2. Sibblings
    3. Family relatives
    4. Colleagues

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