Intermediate· B1–B2Health & doctor8 min

Calling for help in an emergency

Give a clear location, explain what happened and follow the call taker's questions.

The scene

A cyclist has fallen off his bike in front of you and hurt his leg badly. You call the emergency number and speak to the call taker.

Speaker A
Emergency call taker
Speaker B
You (caller)

Your goals

  • Say which service you need and give an exact location
  • Describe what happened and the person's condition
  • Answer questions calmly and follow instructions

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • ambulance

    a vehicle that takes injured or sick people to the hospital

    We need an ambulance.

  • injured

    hurt in an accident

    A cyclist is injured.

  • conscious

    awake and able to respond

    Is he conscious?

  • breathing

    taking air in and out

    Yes, he's breathing normally.

  • bleeding

    losing blood

    His knee is bleeding a little.

  • intersection

    the place where two roads cross

    We're at the intersection of Oak and Fifth.

  • to stay on the line

    to not hang up the phone

    Please stay on the line.

Useful phrases

  • I need an ambulance.

    Saying which service you need

  • We're at the corner of … and …

    Giving the location

  • A cyclist has fallen and hurt his leg.

    Explaining what happened

  • He's conscious and breathing.

    Describing the person's condition

  • What should I do now?

    Asking for instructions

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Emergency call taker

    Emergency. Which service do you need?

  2. You (caller)

    I need an ambulance. A cyclist has fallen off his bike and hurt his leg.

  3. Emergency call taker

    What's the exact location?

  4. You (caller)

    We're at the intersection of Oak Street and Fifth Avenue, next to the post office.

  5. Emergency call taker

    Thank you. Is he conscious and breathing?

  6. You (caller)

    Yes, he's awake and breathing normally, but he says he can't move his leg.

  7. Emergency call taker

    Is there any heavy bleeding?

  8. You (caller)

    No, just a small cut on his knee. His leg looks badly hurt, though.

  9. Emergency call taker

    An ambulance is on the way. Don't move him, and stay on the line with me.

  10. You (caller)

    OK, I'll stay with him. What should I do now?

You speak 5 lines as You (caller); Emergency call taker is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Give the exact location of your home or workplace as if you were calling for help.

  2. 2. Describe an accident in two sentences: what happened and how the person is.

  3. 3. Practice answering: 'Is he conscious?' and 'Is he breathing?'

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. What should you say first on an emergency call?
  2. 2. 'Is he conscious?' means…
  3. 3. What is an 'intersection'?
  4. 4. 'Stay on the line' means…

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: Please come fast, accident!

    Say: I need an ambulance. A cyclist has fallen at Oak Street and Fifth Avenue.

    Full, clear sentences with the location help responders most.

  • Avoid: He is not breath.

    Say: He's not breathing.

    Use the verb 'breathing' after 'is'; 'breath' is a noun.

  • Avoid: We are in the corner of Oak Street.

    Say: We're at the corner of Oak Street and Fifth Avenue.

    Use 'at the corner' for streets and name both roads.

Tips

  • Learn the emergency number where you live: 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK and 112 across the European Union.
  • Look for street signs, building numbers or landmarks before you call.
  • Speak slowly, answer each question and do not hang up until you are told to.

Questions about this lesson

What do you say when you call 911 in English?

Say which service you need ('I need an ambulance'), give the exact location, then explain what happened. Answer the call taker's questions and stay on the line.

How do you describe an accident in English?

Common phrases are 'He fell off his bike', 'She slipped and hurt her ankle' and 'There's been a car accident'.

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Discussing treatment options with a doctor

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