Half of modern life happens on a small screen, and it has its own set of words. These eight let you send, save, share and complain about anything on a phone.
1. No Signal
Ana: Can you hear me?
Tom: Barely. You're breaking up.
Ana: The signal's terrible here.
Tom: Move outside.
Ana: Better?
Tom: Much better.
2. The Battery's Dying
Ivo: My battery's at four percent.
Mila: Do you have a charger?
Ivo: In the car. Miles away.
Mila: Use mine. Same cable?
Ivo: You've saved me.
3. Send Me the Link
Dee: Where did you find that?
Karl: On their website.
Dee: Can you send me the link?
Karl: Sending it now.
Dee: Got it. Thanks.
Karl: Scroll down to the bottom.
4. Nothing Is Loading
Nils: The page won't load.
Ela: Are you connected?
Nils: It says connected.
Ela: Turn the wifi off and on again.
Nils: That worked. Why does that always work?
Ela: Nobody knows.
5. Downloading a File
Sara: Did the file download?
Ken: It's still going.
Sara: How big is it?
Ken: Ninety megabytes.
Sara: It'll take a minute.
Ken: Done. It's in my downloads folder.
6. A Message You Missed
Ravi: Did you get my message?
Hana: When did you send it?
Ravi: Last night.
Hana: My phone was on silent.
Ravi: I thought you were ignoring me.
Hana: Never.
7. Too Many Photos
Otto: My phone's full again.
Lea: How many photos?
Otto: Twelve thousand.
Lea: Back them up and delete the rest.
Otto: I can't delete photos.
Lea: Then buy more storage.
8. Which App?
Nina: Is there an app for that?
Sam: Three or four. This one's free.
Nina: Does it work offline?
Sam: Most of it does.
Nina: I'll install it tonight.
Sam: Let me know how it goes.
Words to know
| signal | the connection your phone gets from the network The signal's terrible here. |
| charger | the cable that puts power back in a device Do you have a charger? |
| link | text you click to open another page Can you send me the link? |
| load | to open and appear on a screen The page won't load. |
| download | to bring a file from the internet onto your device Did the file download? |
| back up | to save a second copy somewhere safe Back them up and delete the rest. |
| storage | the space on a device for keeping files Then buy more storage. |
| install | to add an app or program to a device I'll install it tonight. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: Can you hear me?
B: Barely. The ________'s terrible here.
2. A: My battery's at four percent.
B: Do you have a ________?
3. A: Where did you find that?
B: On their website. I'll send you the ________.
4. A: The page won't ________.
B: Turn the wifi off and on again.
5. A: My phone's full again.
B: ________ them up and delete the rest.
6. A: Is there an app for that?
B: Three or four. I'll ________ it tonight.
Show the answers
1. signal 2. charger 3. link 4. load 5. Back 6. install
Common mistakes
Not: I saw it in the internet.
Say: I saw it on the internet.
It is on the internet, on a website and on the screen.
Not: Can you send me the link of the page?
Say: Can you send me the link to the page?
A link always goes to something.
Not: My phone isn't working good.
Say: My phone isn't working properly.
Good describes a thing. To describe how something works, use well or properly.
Your turn
Pick up your phone and look at the screen. Say these five things aloud.
- Name three apps you open every day and say what each one is for.
- Explain to someone how to send you a photo.
- Describe a problem you had with your phone last month.
- Say what you would do first if your phone stopped connecting.
- Ask a friend to send you a link, in one polite sentence.
Quick review
Change your phone's language to English for one week. Every button you press teaches you a word in context — install, storage, back up — and you already know what each one does, so there is nothing to translate.