Phrase Lists

English expressions that waiters, waitresses, and restaurant staff use

When you go to a restaurant, you usually have a good idea of what's going to happen. That's because eating at a restaurant usually follows a set script. The wait staff isn't actually given a written script to memorize, of course. But even so, waiters and waitresses usually stick to a very narrow...

Ways to talk about crime in English

There are a lot of specialized words and phrases in English. There is formal terminology that judges, lawyers, and newspaper reporters use. There's also informal language that people use when talking about crimes in casual conversation. This list will get you started with some common phrases...

Wedding phrases in English: the ceremony

Here are some phrases to describe what happens at a traditional American wedding ceremony. Of course, there are people from all different backgrounds living in the U.S., so this doesn't describe all weddings. But this is a very common wedding style that you often see on TV and movies.

• The...

Things to say to a sick person in English

Here are some things that you can say to someone who's seriously sick or in a hospital:

• I'm here for you.
• Is there anything I can do to help?
• You're in my prayers.
• I can only imagine what you're going through.
• I hope you feel better soon.
• How do you feel?
• Can I get you anything?
• Are you...

The different uses of "get"

A reader asked about all of the different ways that "get" is used in English. Here are links to dozens of PhraseMix lessons which include the word "get", broken into different categories. 

I'm sure I've missed some, so if you think of any other uses of "get" that aren't on these lists, let...