ESL 257: Finding a book at a bookstore.

Learn how to find a book at a bookstore. The episode is about a customer walking into the bookstore and asking one of the employees where certain kinds of books are.

Dialogue:

Clerk: Can I help you find something?

Adrian: Yes. Can you tell me where the non- fiction books are?

Clerk: Are you looking for hardbacks or paperbacks?

Adrian: I’m not sure. I think hardbacks.

Clerk: Well, the non-fiction new releases are at the front of the store. The non-fiction section is behind the fiction shelves on your right. The hardbacks are on the top shelves and the paperbacks on the bottom ones. Is there a specific book I can help you find?

Adrian: I’m looking for an old book and I’m not sure of the title. It’s something like, “The Literary Crisis.”

Clerk: Do you know the name of the author?

Adrian: No, I don’t. I saw it mentioned online and I actually wrote down the ISBN, but I can’t find it now.

Clerk: Well, if it’s an old book, it may be out- of-print, but let me look it up in our system. If it was a bestseller at one time, there’s a chance that it’s still in print. Let me check…Okay, here it is. It was published in 1982, and unfortunately, it is out-of-print. You may want to try a used bookstore, like Bookwoman’s down the street.

Adrian: Thanks, I’ll give them a try. I’m also looking for a biography. Can you tell me where they are?
Clerk: Sure. The biographies are behind the reference section over there. Let me know if you need any more help.

Adrian: Thanks. I appreciate it.

Sentences:

Can I help you find something?

Yes. Can you tell me where the non-fiction books are?

ŸCan you tell me / Could you tell me..: is nicer way to ask question, it’s more polite.

Ÿnon-fiction books: are the books that they are true. The opposite of non-fiction is fiction.

Ÿfiction books: are imaginary, they are not real.

Are you looking for hardbacks or paperbacks?

ŸA hardback book: is a book that has a hard cover, one that does not bend easily.

ŸA paperback book: is the book that has a flexible paper on the cover, so the cover of the book is made of a soft, flexible paper. It isn’t hard.

I’m not sure. I think hardbacks.

Well, the non-fiction new releases are at the front of the store. The non-fiction section is behind the fiction shelves on your right. The hardbacks are on the top shelves and the paperbacks on the bottom ones. Is there a specific book I can help you find?

Ÿnew releases books: are the books that have recently been published. They became available very recently.

I’m looking for an old book and I’m not sure of the title. It’s something like, “the Literary Crisis”?

Ÿtitle : is the name of the book or a magazine or an article.

Do you know the name of the author?

No, I don’t. I saw it mentioned online and I actually wrote down the ISBN, but I can’t find it now.

ŸISBN: International Standard Book Number. This is a number that is given a book when it’s published. It’s a unique number; meaning it’s only for that book, no other book has that same number. This is the number that the bookstore and the library use to identify, locate and order books

Well, if it’s an old book, it may be out-of-print, but let me look it up in our system. If it was a bestseller at one time, there’s a chance it’s still in print. Let me check. Okay, here it is. It was published in 1982, and unfortunately, it is out-of-print. You may want to try a used bookstore, like Bookwoman’s down the street.

Ÿout-of-print: means the company that published the book is not making new copies of the book. It isn’t in print any more.

Ÿto look something up: means to search for something. Usually in a computer, a reference book, the book that gives you information about things. You’re trying to find something, usually a fact or a piece of information about the book on their computer.

Ÿa bestseller: a very popular book.

Ÿto publish: it was made, produced and then sold to the public, people who want to buy the book.

Ÿused; old, second hand.

Thanks, I’ll give them a try. I’m also looking for a biography. Can you tell me where they are?

Ÿto give something a try: means to do something to see if it will work, try to do something to see if you like it.

Sure. The biographies are behind the reference section over there. Let me know if you need any more help.

Ÿreference section: are places where they have books such as dictionaries, or encyclopedias . This would be a place where you sell the books that have lots of different kinds of information about a specific topic. In the library they have the reference section where have dictionaries, encyclopedias, telephone books and often books that you can’t take out of the library, you must use them in the library; those are sometimes called reference books.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

ESL 255 Questions about a product

Dialogue:

Paul: Could you help me? I have a few questions about this computer printer.
Clerk: Sure. I’ll try.
Paul: What I’m wondering is whether this machine can be used as a copier as well as a printer.
Clerk: Yeah, it can. This is a multifunction machine. It can be used as a printer, copier, and a fax machine.
Paul: Can you show me how that works?
Clerk: Well, it’s pretty straightforward. Just hook it up to your computer and you can use it like any other printer. If you want to make copies, just put your document on the glass or in the feeder and press this button.
Paul: That seems pretty simple. How do I use it as a fax machine?
Clerk: Just put your document in the feeder like you would for copying, but instead of pushing the “copy” button, press the “fax” button. Make sure it’s hooked up to a phone line, of course.
Paul: Okay. I think I’ve got it. Does this model come with a warranty?
Clerk: All of the machines made by this company have a one-year warranty against defects. If there’s a problem with it, the manufacturer will repair or replace it.
Paul: That’s good. If I change my mind or decide it’s not what I want, can I return it?
Clerk: You can return the item for an exchange or a refund within 30 days.
Paul: Is there a restocking fee?
Clerk: No, we don’t have a restocking fee. Just make sure you have your receipt.
Paul: I think those are all the questions I had. I appreciate your help.
Clerk: You’re welcome. Let me know if you have other questions.

Sentences:

Could you help me? I have a few questions about this computer printer.

• a printer: is a machine that puts an image or words that on your computer on a piece of paper.

Sure, I’ll try.

What I’m wondering is whether this machine can be used as a copier as well as a printer.

• What I’m wondering is: “I want to know. I would like to know. I’m curious about something.” Here it is a polite way of asking something, instead of saying “Can this machine be used as a copier as well as a printer? ”
• a copier: is a machine that makes a copy in a piece of paper that gives you another piece of paper with the same information on it.

Yeah, it can. This is a multifunction machine. It can be used as a printer, copier and a fax machine.

• Multifunction: means something can do more than one thing. It’s a common word that we used when we talk about a machine that can be a copier and a printer and something else.
• Multi: means many.
• a fax machine: is something you use to send an image or some words on a piece of paper to a machine somewhere else and that machine will make a copy of that page.

Can you show me how that works?

• Can you show me…..: means please show / tell me. Please demonstrate it.
• Can you show me where the bathroom is? I can’t find it. – you ask them to point you or to take you to where the bathroom is.

Well, it’s pretty straightforward. Just hook it up to your computer and you can use it like any other printer. If you want to make copies, just put the document on the glass or in the feeder and press this button.

• Straightforward: means easy to understand, not difficult, not confusing, basic.
• means: It’s easy to use. You don’t have a problem with it.
• to hook something up: means usually you connect two machines together or one machine to another machine using cables.
• Feeder: is the part of a copier or a printer or a fax machine that holds the paper so it enters automatically into the machine.

That seems pretty simple. How do I use it as a fax machine?

Just put the document in the feeder like you would for copying, but instead of pushing the copy button, press the fax button. Make sure it’s hooked up to a phone line, of course.

Okay, I think I’ve got it. Does this model come with a warranty?

• to come with: mean something that it includes, that it has. Here means it’s included in the price of the machine or the purchase of the machine.
• warranty: is an agreement from the company that sells you the product to repair it if something doesn’t work. So if the machine breaks, it stops working, you can bring it back and they will fix it.
• It’s under warranty.: means it’s still in the time that it covered or included in your warranty.

All of the machines made by this company have a one-year warranty against defects. If there is a problem with it, the manufacturer will repair or replace it.

That’s good. If I change my mind or decide it’s not what I want, can I return it?

• to change your mind : means you decide to do something different.

You can return the item for an exchange or a refund within 30 days.

• exchange: means you give the machines back and you get a different one. Maybe the same machine but the new model of the machine.
• refund: mean to give money back.

Is there a restocking fee?

• restocking fee: when you buy a machine and you bring it back to the store, sometimes the store doesn’t give you all of your money back. They keep 10% or 15% as a restocking fee, meaning they have to do something to make the machine can be sellable again, can be able to sell the machine again.

No, we don’t have a restocking fee. Just make sure you have your receipt.

I think those are all the questions I had. I appreciate your help.

• I appreciate your help.: It’s a polite way to say thank you.

You’re welcome. Let me know if you have any other questions.