Real conversations, practised before they happen.
Find your moment.
Pick the place. Read three things you could say and why each one fits. Options, not a script.
For adults
At work
New job, second day.
Work · Ask for help
At a shop
Self-checkout.
Everyday · Ask for help
At the pharmacy
The pharmacy form asks for a medication name you cannot read on the bottle.
Health and appointments · Ask for help
In a long meeting
A meeting has run ninety minutes with no pause.
Work · Ask for a break
At a loud bar
Friends are at a bar.
Friends · Ask for a break
On a first date
A first date at a busy café.
Dating · Ask for a break
At work
You ask a colleague a question.
Work · After a “not now”
With a friend
You suggest meeting this weekend.
Friends · After a “not now”
Messaging a match
You ask a match to meet this week.
Dating · After a “not now”
At work
Your manager explains a new process in one long stretch: log in, find the form, attach two files, tag the client, submit.
Work · One step at a time
At home
The building portal for reporting repairs has six tabs and a login you have never used.
Housing · One step at a time
At the bank
A bank worker explains how to set up the app: download, verify, add a card, set a limit.
Everyday · One step at a time
At work
Your manager likes to give feedback in quick chats at your desk.
Work · A way to say it
At a clinic
At the clinic reception, speaking is hard today.
Health and appointments · A way to say it
Messaging a match
A match suggests a phone call before meeting.
Dating · A way to say it
At work
Your manager asks you to cover a weekend shift.
Work · A clear no
With a friend
A friend asks to borrow money.
Friends · A clear no
At a shop
At the till, the cashier offers a store card, then an extended warranty, then a charity donation.
Everyday · A clear no
At lunch at work
At the lunch table someone says, "I went hiking at the weekend."
Work · Share one detail
With a friend
A friend says, "I have been watching a lot of cooking shows lately."
Friends · Share one detail
On a date
On a date, they say, "I have two cats and they run my life."
Dating · Share one detail
At work
A colleague says, "I finally finished the migration on Friday.
Work · A connected question
With a friend
A friend says, "I started the new job on Monday.
Friends · A connected question
On a date
On a date, they say, "I spent a month in Portugal last year, mostly cycling."
Dating · A connected question
In a meeting
You asked a colleague for their view.
Work · Leave some space
With a friend
A friend is telling you about a hard week.
Friends · Leave some space
On a date
You asked, "What do you want out of the next year?" They look thoughtful and have not answered yet.
Dating · Leave some space
At work
The 2pm meeting has moved to 3:30, in a different room, with a new agenda.
Work · Check the new plan
With friends
A friend texts: "Change of plan, we are doing food first then the film, meet at 6 not 7."
Friends · Check the new plan
At home
The repair visit was booked for Thursday morning.
Housing · Check the new plan
At work
You sent a short email that read as blunt.
Work · Repair a mix-up
With a friend
A friend says, "You never replied to my message last week." You did not see it.
Friends · Repair a mix-up
On a date
You made a joke on a date and their face changed.
Dating · Repair a mix-up
At work
A colleague is struggling with a spreadsheet you know well.
Work · Ask before helping
With a friend
A friend is venting about their sister for the third time this month.
Friends · Ask before helping
On your street
A neighbour is carrying three boxes and one is slipping.
Everyday · Ask before helping
First day at a new job
Your first day at a new office is Monday.
Work · Before a new place
A new clinic
You have a first appointment at a new clinic.
Health and appointments · Before a new place
A new class
You have signed up for a gym class you have never done.
Everyday · Before a new place
After a meeting
A meeting was hard: the thread got away from you and you stayed quiet.
Work · Replay with care
After seeing a friend
You said something awkward to a friend and have been replaying it all evening.
Friends · Replay with care
After a date
A date went quiet in the second half and ended early.
Dating · Replay with care
At work
Your manager wants to "have a chat about how things are going".
Work · Choose your plan
At home
The landlord has not fixed the heating in two weeks.
Housing · Choose your plan
A party invitation
You are invited to a party you half want to go to.
Friends · Choose your plan
Moving day
You are moving flat on Saturday.
Friends · Ask for help
On a date
You are at a restaurant on a date.
Dating · Ask for help
At home
The smoke alarm in your flat has been chirping every minute for an hour.
Housing · Ask for help
At the dentist
You are in the dentist's chair.
Health and appointments · Ask for a break
A viewing
You are viewing a flat with an agent who talks fast and moves quickly room to room.
Housing · Ask for a break
Getting a haircut
Halfway through a haircut, the chat and the noise are too much.
Everyday · Ask for a break
At a clinic
You ask the nurse a question at check-in.
Health and appointments · After a “not now”
With a neighbour
You knock to ask your neighbour about the shared bins.
Housing · After a “not now”
At a shop
You ask a shop assistant where something is.
Everyday · After a “not now”
A board game
Friends are explaining a new board game.
Friends · One step at a time
Planning a date
Your date texts a plan: a market, then a walk, then dinner at a place they love, then maybe a show.
Dating · One step at a time
A new medication
The pharmacist explains a new medication: when to take it, what to avoid, what to watch for, when to come back.
Health and appointments · One step at a time
A group chat
Your friends plan everything in a fast group chat.
Friends · A way to say it
Landlord calls
Your landlord prefers phone calls.
Housing · A way to say it
A café order
At a busy café counter, speaking is hard today.
Everyday · A way to say it
End of a date
At the end of a date they ask, "Do you want to come back to mine?" You do not.
Dating · A clear no
At an appointment
A doctor suggests a treatment you are not comfortable with and asks if you want to start today.
Health and appointments · A clear no
At the door
Someone at your door is selling a broadband package and will not stop talking.
Housing · A clear no
At physiotherapy
Your physio asks how the exercises went this week, making conversation.
Health and appointments · Share one detail
With a neighbour
In the lift, your neighbour says, "Finally the weather has turned."
Housing · Share one detail
A regular café
The barista who knows your order says, "Big weekend?"
Everyday · Share one detail
At a support group
Someone at a group says, "I finally told my manager about my diagnosis last week."
Health and appointments · A connected question
With a flatmate
Your flatmate says, "Work has been mad.
Housing · A connected question
At the gym
Someone at the gym says, "I am training for a half marathon in October."
Everyday · A connected question
At a clinic
You asked the doctor a hard question.
Health and appointments · Leave some space
With a flatmate
You asked your flatmate whether the bills split feels fair.
Housing · Leave some space
At a counter
You asked a shop assistant whether they can order an item in.
Everyday · Leave some space
A changed date
Your date texts: "Can we make it Thursday instead, and maybe the park rather than the café?"
Dating · Check the new plan
A changed appointment
The clinic texts that your appointment has moved from Tuesday morning to Wednesday.
Health and appointments · Check the new plan
At the station
The board changes: your train now leaves from platform 6, not 2, and stops at a station you do not recognise.
Everyday · Check the new plan
At reception
You arrived for a 2pm appointment.
Health and appointments · Repair a mix-up
With a flatmate
You ate what you thought was shared food.
Housing · Repair a mix-up
On a call
On a customer service call, you gave the wrong reference number and the agent has spent five minutes on the wrong account.
Everyday · Repair a mix-up
On a date
Your date is talking about a work problem with obvious frustration.
Dating · Ask before helping
Visiting someone
You are visiting a friend after surgery.
Health and appointments · Ask before helping
A neighbour
Your elderly neighbour is struggling with a heavy front door and a bag of shopping.
Housing · Ask before helping
A friend's party
A friend has invited you to a party at their flat.
Friends · Before a new place
A first date venue
Your date has picked a bar you have never been to.
Dating · Before a new place
A new building
You are moving into a building with a concierge, a fob system and bin rules you do not know.
Housing · Before a new place
After an appointment
An appointment ended and you realise you did not ask the one question you came with.
Health and appointments · Replay with care
After a call
A call with the letting agent went badly: you agreed to something you did not want.
Housing · Replay with care
After a shop
You paid for something you did not want because the cashier was fast and you froze.
Everyday · Replay with care
A second date
You liked the first date and want a second, but you are anxious about asking.
Dating · Choose your plan
A hard call
You need to call the clinic about a result you are anxious about.
Health and appointments · Choose your plan
A returned item
You need to return a faulty item to a shop known for arguing about returns.
Everyday · Choose your plan
For teens
In class
The worksheet has a question you do not understand.
School · Ask for help
A group project
Your group chat has the project split up, but nobody sent you your part.
Friends · Ask for help
At a shop
You are buying a gift and cannot find the right aisle.
Everyday · Ask for help
In a lesson
The classroom is loud and bright and you have hit your limit.
School · Ask for a break
A sleepover
It is late at a sleepover.
Friends · Ask for a break
A family dinner
A big family dinner has gone on for two hours.
Family · Ask for a break
After class
You ask a teacher a question after class.
School · After a “not now”
With a friend
You ask a friend to hang out after school.
Friends · After a “not now”
In a game
You ask to join a friend's game lobby.
Online · After a “not now”
Homework instructions
The teacher gives the homework in one go: read chapter three, answer the questions, make notes, prepare a two-minute talk.
School · One step at a time
A chore list
A parent says: "Tidy your room, put the washing on, take the bins out, and then we will go." It is a lot at once.
Family · One step at a time
A new bus route
Your first time taking a bus across town: which bus, which stop, how to pay, where to get off.
Everyday · One step at a time
A presentation
You have to present to the class.
School · A way to say it
Voice notes
A friend keeps sending voice notes.
Friends · A way to say it
A café order
At a café counter, speaking is hard today.
Everyday · A way to say it
A dare
Friends want you to do something you do not want to do.
Friends · A clear no
A group chat
Someone in a group chat asks everyone to send a photo of themselves.
Online · A clear no
At home
A relative offers you a hug you do not want.
Family · A clear no
At lunch
At the lunch table someone says, "I was up till two playing that new game."
School · Share one detail
Walking home
Your friend says, "I might join the climbing club."
Friends · Share one detail
In the car
A parent asks, "How was school?"
Family · Share one detail
In a group
A classmate says, "My band has our first gig on Saturday."
School · A connected question
Messaging
A friend texts, "Failed my driving theory test again."
Friends · A connected question
In a chat
In a group chat someone says, "Just finished building my first PC."
Online · A connected question
Asking a teacher
You asked a teacher whether you can change groups.
School · Leave some space
A hard chat
A friend is telling you something upsetting.
Friends · Leave some space
A big ask
You asked a parent for something big.
Family · Leave some space
A moved lesson
The timetable says your lesson has moved rooms and a different teacher is covering.
School · Check the new plan
Plans by text
The group chat says: "Cinema is off, we are doing the park instead, 3 not 4."
Friends · Check the new plan
A changed pickup
A parent texts: "Can't collect you at 4.
Family · Check the new plan
With a teacher
You handed in the wrong file for homework.
School · Repair a mix-up
In a chat
You sent a message meant for one friend to the whole group chat.
Friends · Repair a mix-up
At home
A parent thinks you ignored their texts all afternoon.
Family · Repair a mix-up
In class
The person next to you is stuck on the same maths question you just finished.
School · Ask before helping
A friend is upset
A friend is upset about a fight with their parents.
Friends · Ask before helping
At the bus stop
An older person at the bus stop is squinting at the timetable.
Everyday · Ask before helping
A new school
You start at a new school on Monday.
School · Before a new place
A new club
A friend invited you to their drama club.
Friends · Before a new place
A first shift
Your first shift at a weekend job is Saturday.
Everyday · Before a new place
After a presentation
Your presentation was hard: you spoke fast and skipped a slide.
School · Replay with care
After a hangout
You think you talked too much and interrupted a friend.
Friends · Replay with care
After an argument
You had a row with a parent and said something you regret.
Family · Replay with care
A teacher meeting
A teacher wants "a quick word after class".
School · Choose your plan
A party invite
You are invited to a party you half want to go to.
Friends · Choose your plan
Asking for something
You want to ask a parent for more independence, like going into town with friends.
Family · Choose your plan
At home
The online form for your school trip keeps rejecting the date.
Family · Ask for help
A class group chat
You cannot find the homework the teacher posted online.
Online · Ask for help
First training session
It is your first training session with a new team.
Clubs and activities · Ask for help
A group video call
A group video call for a project has run an hour.
Online · Ask for a break
A shopping centre
You are at a shopping centre with friends.
Everyday · Ask for a break
Drama rehearsal
Rehearsal has run late and the director keeps repeating one scene.
Clubs and activities · Ask for a break
At home
You ask a parent to look at your college application.
Family · After a “not now”
A shop counter
You ask the person at the counter whether a game is in stock.
Everyday · After a “not now”
After a match
You ask your coach about moving position.
Clubs and activities · After a “not now”
A friend’s house
A friend is teaching you a card game.
Friends · One step at a time
Voice chat
A friend is talking you through installing a game mod over voice chat: download, unzip, move the folder, edit a file, restart.
Online · One step at a time
A first shift
Your first shift at a café.
Clubs and activities · One step at a time
At home
A parent wants to talk about your grades face to face.
Family · A way to say it
A project group
Your project group wants to plan over a video call.
Online · A way to say it
Music group
Your music teacher asks each person to say what they found hard this week.
Clubs and activities · A way to say it
In class
A classmate asks to borrow your notes for the whole term.
School · A clear no
On the street
Someone with a clipboard stops you outside a shop and wants you to sign up for something.
Everyday · A clear no
A team chat
Your team captain asks you to cover a Sunday match.
Clubs and activities · A clear no
A group chat
In a group chat someone posts, "Finally finished that series, what a last episode."
Online · Share one detail
On the bus
A neighbour your age sits next to you on the bus and says, "This bus is always late."
Everyday · Share one detail
Before training
Before training a teammate says, "I have been doing early runs before school."
Clubs and activities · Share one detail
At dinner
Your older sibling says, "I had my first driving lesson today.
Family · A connected question
A haircut
The barber says, "I have been cutting hair for twenty years.
Everyday · A connected question
Coding club
Someone at coding club says, "I got my robot to follow a line, but it keeps overshooting the corners."
Clubs and activities · A connected question
Messaging
You asked a friend by text whether they are okay after a hard day.
Online · Leave some space
At the pharmacy
You asked the pharmacist whether a medicine is okay to take with another one.
Everyday · Leave some space
Asking a coach
You asked your coach if you can try goalkeeper next match.
Clubs and activities · Leave some space
A group chat
The group chat says the study session is "moved to tomorrow, same-ish time, maybe the library".
Online · Check the new plan
At the station
The screen says your train now leaves from a different platform in three minutes.
Everyday · Check the new plan
At training
The coach says training is "at the other pitch this week".
Clubs and activities · Check the new plan
A group chat
You typed "lol" after a friend’s message about a bad day.
Online · Repair a mix-up
At a café
You ordered "the usual" at a new café.
Everyday · Repair a mix-up
At rehearsal
You learned the wrong scene for rehearsal.
Clubs and activities · Repair a mix-up
At home
Your younger sibling is fighting with the zip on their coat and getting cross.
Family · Ask before helping
In a game
A friend in your game squad keeps dying at the same spot and getting frustrated.
Online · Ask before helping
Volunteering
At the community garden an older volunteer is struggling to lift a bag of compost.
Clubs and activities · Ask before helping
A family wedding
A big family wedding is on Saturday.
Family · Before a new place
A new online group
You have been invited to a new online group for a game.
Online · Before a new place
A Saturday job
You are starting a Saturday job in a shop.
Clubs and activities · Before a new place
After a chat
You sent a message in a group chat that got no replies, and you have been rereading it all evening.
Online · Replay with care
After a bus ride
You got off at the wrong stop because you were too worried to ask the driver.
Everyday · Replay with care
After a match
You froze when the coach asked you to explain a play to the team.
Clubs and activities · Replay with care
A hard message
You need to tell a friend you cannot go to their party.
Online · Choose your plan
A phone call
You need to call the dentist to change your appointment.
Everyday · Choose your plan
Leaving a club
You want to leave a club you no longer enjoy.
Clubs and activities · Choose your plan
For ages 9 to 12
In class
The maths sheet has a question you do not get.
School · Ask for help
At the park
You cannot get the swing seat to stop twisting.
Friends · Ask for help
At home
Your tablet will not connect to the wifi.
Family · Ask for help
A birthday party
The party is loud and everyone is shouting.
Friends · Ask for a break
A family dinner
Dinner with relatives has gone on a long time.
Family · Ask for a break
A supermarket
The supermarket is bright and busy and the beeping is too much.
Everyday · Ask for a break
At home
You ask a parent to play a game.
Family · After a “not now”
At the library
You ask the librarian where the comic books are.
Everyday · After a “not now”
At swimming
You ask the swim teacher if you can try the deep end.
Clubs and activities · After a “not now”
At the dentist
The dentist says: sit back, open wide, rinse, spit, then bite on this.
Everyday · One step at a time
At football
The coach explains a new drill in one go: run to the cone, pass, turn, run back.
Clubs and activities · One step at a time
Homework time
The teacher gives the homework fast: read the page, answer the questions, draw a picture, write a title.
School · One step at a time
At drama club
The drama leader asks everyone to say their name and a fact about themselves.
Clubs and activities · A way to say it
In class
It is your turn to tell the class about your holiday.
School · A way to say it
A sleepover
Your friends are all talking at once at a sleepover.
Friends · A way to say it
In the playground
A classmate wants you to give them your snack.
School · A clear no
A dare
A friend wants you to climb the high wall.
Friends · A clear no
A relative visits
A relative wants a big hug when they arrive.
Family · A clear no
At lunch
At lunch a friend says, "I got a new game at the weekend."
Friends · Share one detail
In the car
A grandparent asks, "What did you do today?"
Family · Share one detail
At the hairdresser
The hairdresser asks, "Doing anything nice this weekend?"
Everyday · Share one detail
At dinner
Your sister says, "I scored in netball today, right at the end."
Family · A connected question
A neighbour
Your neighbour says, "I have just got back from seeing my new grandson."
Everyday · A connected question
At art club
Someone at art club says, "I finished my dragon, but the wings look wrong."
Clubs and activities · A connected question
A shop
You asked the shopkeeper if they have a bigger size.
Everyday · Leave some space
At a club
You asked your club leader if you can be in the show.
Clubs and activities · Leave some space
At a table
You asked a classmate if you can sit with them.
School · Leave some space
At a club
Your club leader says, "Next week is at the hall, not here, and a bit earlier."
Clubs and activities · Check the new plan
A changed lesson
Your class is going to a different room for PE and a different teacher is taking it.
School · Check the new plan
A play date
Your friend’s parent texts your parent: "Can we do Sunday instead of Saturday, maybe the park?"
Friends · Check the new plan
In class
You handed in the wrong worksheet.
School · Repair a mix-up
At school
You told a friend to meet at the gate, but you meant the other gate.
Friends · Repair a mix-up
At home
Your dad thinks you ignored him calling you for dinner.
Family · Repair a mix-up
In the playground
A friend is trying to do a cartwheel and keeps falling.
Friends · Ask before helping
At home
Your little brother is trying to pour his own juice and it is wobbling.
Family · Ask before helping
At the shops
An older person drops their shopping bag and things roll out.
Everyday · Ask before helping
A family party
You are going to a family party at a house you have never been to.
Family · Before a new place
A new dentist
You are going to a new dentist.
Everyday · Before a new place
A new club
You are joining a new club on Wednesday.
Clubs and activities · Before a new place
After a shop
You wanted to ask for a bag at the till but did not, and carried everything in your arms.
Everyday · Replay with care
After a match
You got upset when your team lost and shouted at a teammate.
Clubs and activities · Replay with care
After a lesson
You got a question wrong out loud and everyone looked.
School · Replay with care
Leaving a club
You want to stop going to a club you no longer enjoy.
Clubs and activities · Choose your plan
A teacher talk
Your teacher wants a chat with you after school.
School · Choose your plan
A falling out
You and your friend fell out at lunch.
Friends · Choose your plan