English speaking lesson · Everyday Life
Missed delivery
You've come home to a missed-delivery card, and you're calling the courier company. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A phone call to a courier · you talk to the courier representative
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Report the missed delivery, give your reference, arrange redelivery, and check the details. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Hi there, thanks for calling — how can I help?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the courier representative.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Say you missed a delivery
Say you missed a delivery.
“Hi! I missed my parcel today — I wasn't home.”
- 02
Give your reference
Give the tracking number or reference.
“Here's the number from the card.”
- 03
Arrange a new day
Say what day would work for redelivery.
“Tomorrow, please.”
- 04
Check the plan
Check the plan is right.
“Yes, that's right.”
- 05
Confirm and finish
Say if there's a safe place to leave it, and say thanks.
“There's a safe place by the door. Thanks for your help!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the courier representative.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- parcel
- a wrapped package
- “I missed my parcel.”
- missed
- not there when it arrived
- “I missed my parcel.”
- card
- a small note left when nobody's home
- “I found a card at my door.”
- home
- where you live
- “I wasn't home.”
- tomorrow
- the day after today
- “Tomorrow, please.”
- again
- one more time
- “I might not be home again.”
- safe
- protected, not likely to be stolen
- “Is there a safe place?”
- please
- a polite word when you ask
- “Tomorrow, please.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks for your help.”
- number
- a set of digits
- “Here's the number.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- delivery
- bringing goods to your home
- “I missed a delivery today.”
- tracking
- following where a delivery is
- “Here's the tracking number.”
- reference
- a code identifying your parcel
- “Here's the reference number.”
- redeliver
- to attempt delivery again
- “Could you redeliver it tomorrow?”
- convenient
- suitable and easy for you
- “Thursday would be more convenient.”
- confirm
- to say something is definitely settled
- “Could you confirm the date?”
- correct
- right, with no mistakes
- “Yes, that's correct.”
- doorstep
- the area just outside a front door
- “Could you leave it on the doorstep?”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I appreciate you sorting that.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- consignment
- a batch of goods sent together
- “It's part of a small consignment.”
- courier
- the company or person delivering it
- “The courier left a card, apparently.”
- dispatched
- sent out for delivery
- “It was dispatched yesterday, I think.”
- reattempt
- to try delivery again
- “Could you reattempt tomorrow?”
- window
- a period of time for delivery
- “What's the delivery window like?”
- neighbour
- the person living next door
- “Could you leave it with a neighbour?”
- secure
- safe and unlikely to be taken
- “Somewhere secure would be ideal.”
- notified
- informed officially
- “Will I be notified beforehand?”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- stash
- to leave or store something safely (informal)
- “Could you stash it round the back?”
- ping
- to send quickly (informal)
- “Could you ping me a text when it's out?”
- heads-up
- advance warning (informal)
- “A heads-up would be great.”
- whereabouts
- roughly where
- “Whereabouts would you leave it?”
- doorstep
- the area just outside a front door
- “The doorstep's fine, honestly.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged, thank you.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, we're sorted.”
- reckon
- to think or estimate (informal)
- “I reckon tomorrow works best.”
- secure
- safe and unlikely to be taken
- “Anywhere secure is fine.”
More Everyday Life lessons
- Grocery shopping
- Making plans with a friend
- At the post office
- At the dry cleaners
- At the hairdresser
- Joining a gym
- Locked out