Having Trouble Finding Accommodation
Lauren has just received her A level results. She is going to The University of Liverpool in September and she needs to find student accommodation. She calls the student accommodation office…
Student Advisor: Hello, student accommodation office, how can I help you?
Lauren: Hi, my name is Lauren Watson. I’ve just accepted my place at The University of Liverpool, and I need to organise accommodation.
Student Advisor: No problem at all - I can help with that. When does your course start?
Lauren: It starts on the 20th of September, but I’m planning to arrive for Freshers’ Fair which starts on the 13th, so I need accommodation then.
Student Advisor: OK. Unfortunately, we only have one room still available in the halls of residence here on campus. Would you like to live on or off campus?
Lauren: I would prefer to live on campus. Does the room have an en-suite?
Student Advisor: Unfortunately, it doesn’t. You would be sharing a bathroom with four other people. There are rooms with an en-suite available at private halls of residence in the city centre. It only takes 20 minutes to walk to the campus…
Lauren: Mm… and how much are the rooms there?
Student Advisor: They are £600 per month and the internet and bills are included.
Lauren: That’s way above my budget! I really don’t know what to do…
Student Advisor: Let me see what I can do… I’ll take your name and number and if an en-suite room becomes available here on campus, I’ll call you straight away!
PHRASAL VERBS
Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example sentence | Categories |
|---|---|---|---|
To run up against | To experience something difficult and unexpected. | The politicians ran up against strong opposition from the people. | Problem |
To wrestle with | To try very hard to deal with a problem or a difficult situation. | I wrestled with the decision for a few months before deciding to quit. | Problem |
To think through | To carefully consider the possible results of doing something. | I need some time think this through before making a decision. | Problem |
To knuckle down | To start working or studying harder. | He’s going to have to knuckle down if he wants to pass the course. | Problem |
To talk over | To discuss a problem or situation with someone. | We talked over the issues in the meeting before making a decision. | Problem |