Everyday English · Read, listen and speak
Reporting a Problem at Home
Describe a household maintenance problem, explain when it happens and agree on a follow-up.
Your speaking goal
Report a maintenance problem with its location and timing, then check the next action.
Before you start: Imagine a dripping kitchen tap in a fictional flat. Choose a time when someone can visit.
Your six-step practice plan
- Understand: Read the goal and check the useful phrases.
- Listen or read: Follow both roles. Audio is optional.
- Repeat: Say one short line at a time, then join the words smoothly.
- Change details: Replace two details with imaginary ones.
- Role-play: Read the other person’s question, cover your reply and answer aloud. Then swap roles.
- Review: Use the “I can” checks below. Repeat any part that still needs help.
Work at your own pace. A clear message matters more than copying a particular accent.
Listen, read and notice
Roles: Resident and Building manager
Browser-generated English voice; availability and sound vary by device. Use the written dialogue if audio is unavailable.
Resident: Hello. I’d like to report a problem in flat four.
Manager: What seems to be the problem?
Resident: The kitchen tap keeps dripping, even when it’s turned off.
Manager: When did you first notice it?
Resident: Yesterday evening. Could someone come and look at it?
Manager: I can ask the maintenance team to visit tomorrow. Will you be home between nine and eleven a.m.?
Resident: Yes. Should I contact you if they haven’t arrived by eleven?
Manager: Yes, please call the building office.
Resident: Thank you. So someone will visit tomorrow morning, between nine and eleven?
Manager: Yes. I’ll confirm the visit with the maintenance team and let you know.
Resident: Thank you. I’ll wait for your confirmation.
Useful phrases and what they do
- I’d like to report a problem in ___. — State the reason for contacting someone.
- The ___ keeps ___. — Describe something that happens repeatedly.
- Could someone come and look at it? — Request an inspection.
- Should I contact you if ___? — Check how to follow up.
Say it clearly
Make the problem and location clear: “the KITCHEN tap / in flat FOUR”. Say the whole time window: “between nine / and eleven / in the morning”.
Build your own replies
The ___ keeps ___. Could someone look at it? → I’ll contact the maintenance team.
Ask and check
Is the visit confirmed, or should I wait for a message? → Please wait for my confirmation.
Common mistakes and alternatives
Say “between nine and eleven”, rather than “between nine to eleven”. British English often uses “tap” and “flat”; American English often uses “faucet” and “apartment”. This is language practice for routine maintenance, not repair instructions.
Check what you understood
Answer aloud before revealing each explanation. Natural replies with the same meaning also count.
Question 1
What happens even when the tap is turned off?
Show answer 1 and explanation
It keeps dripping. The resident gives both the location and the repeated problem.
Question 2
Must the maintenance team arrive at exactly nine?
Show answer 2 and explanation
No. Nine to eleven a.m. is a time window. The manager still needs to confirm the visit with the team.
Question 3
What should the resident do if nobody has arrived by eleven?
Show answer 3 and explanation
Call the building office, as agreed in this dialogue. The resident checks the follow-up instead of assuming what to do.
Your turn: make it a real exchange
Practise alone: read the other person’s line, cover your reply and answer aloud. Then swap roles. No partner is needed.
Role A
Describe the fictional problem, say when it started and ask about the visit and follow-up.
Role B
Ask a question about the problem. Offer a time window and explain whether confirmation is still needed.
Make it easier: Keep the model visible and change one detail at a time.
Add a challenge: You will not be home during the offered time window. Ask for a different time and confirm the arrangement.
Ready to move on?
Try again with less reading. Use these checks and repeat any part that needs more practice.
- I can state the problem and its location.
- I can discuss a visit time.
- I can check confirmation and follow-up.