Vocabulary · EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY
Explaining everyday tech problems
Describe what has gone wrong, explain what you have tried and ask for useful help with everyday technology.
Created by Denis M., British English teacher.
Your goal
Give a clear account of a technical problem using symptoms, actions and results.
Work from top to bottom. Speak aloud on your own or with a tutor. The situations are practice examples.
Listen and repeat
Each item has a British and an American button. Listen to the word and example, repeat them, then make your own sentence. Both tracks use the same eight items.
British English · Libby
Open or download british MP3American English · Amanda
Open or download american MP3Choose an accent on any word below.
Describe the symptom
Say what you can observe. A clear symptom is more useful than simply saying that something is broken.
freeze
verb
Stop responding while the screen or programme remains visible.
The screen freezes when I open the file.
the screen freezes; the app has frozen
The past forms are froze and frozen. Here freeze describes a technical problem, not a low temperature.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
crash
verb
Stop working unexpectedly, often causing a programme to close.
The app crashed during the video call.
the app crashes; the system crashed
A frozen app may stay visible but stop responding. A crash is an unexpected failure; it may close the app.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
cut out
phrasal verb
Suddenly stop working or stop transmitting sound or a signal.
The sound keeps cutting out during the call.
the sound cuts out; keep cutting out
Keep + -ing describes repetition: it keeps cutting out. Say whether the sound returns or stays off.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
run out of
phrasal verb
Use all of something so that none is left.
My phone has run out of storage space.
run out of space; run out of battery power
Name what is missing. Running out of space is different from losing your internet connection.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
Speak now: For 30 seconds, describe a real or imagined problem with a phone or computer. Say what happens and when it happens.
Possible model response
The app keeps freezing when I open a large file. The screen stays visible, but I cannot select anything.
Solo: repeat your account using a different symptom. Tutor: ask whether the problem happens every time.
Explain your actions
Separate what you have tried from what actually solved the problem. These are language examples, not a troubleshooting checklist.
plug in
phrasal verb
Connect equipment to a power supply or another device using a plug.
I plugged the charger in, but nothing happened.
plug in the charger; plug it in
A noun can come before or after in. Put a pronoun in the middle: plug it in, not plug in it.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
restart
verb
Start a device or programme again after stopping it.
I restarted the laptop before the meeting.
restart the device; restart the app
Restart does not mean erase everything. Do not use it as a synonym for a factory reset.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
back up
phrasal verb
Make a separate copy of computer information so it can be recovered if needed.
I backed up my photos before changing phones.
back up your files; back them up
The verb is two words: back up. A backup is the copy. Saving a document is not necessarily making a separate backup.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
workaround
countable noun
A different way to complete a task while the original problem remains.
Using another browser was a useful workaround.
find a workaround; a temporary workaround
A workaround helps you continue. It does not necessarily fix the cause of the problem.
Word + example. Listen, then repeat.
Speak now: For 30 seconds, explain one action you tried and its result. Then describe a temporary way to continue if the problem remains.
Possible model response
I restarted the app, but it still crashed. Using the website instead was a temporary workaround.
Solo: add a sentence saying what you still need help with. Tutor: ask whether the cause has been fixed.
Try it in context
Say each answer aloud before opening the explanation.
1. The picture stays on the screen, but you cannot click anything. Choose freeze or run out of space.
Check answer 1
freeze
The symptom is a lack of response. You do not yet have evidence that storage is full.
2. Replace the charger with it: Please plug the charger in.
Check answer 2
Please plug it in.
With plug in, a pronoun goes between the verb and the particle.
3. You can send a file from the website, but the app still crashes. Is this a permanent fix or a workaround?
Check answer 3
A workaround.
The alternative lets you finish the task while the original problem remains.
Solo: describe a symptom, an action and a result in three sentences. Tutor: ask one question to clarify the sequence.
Check and use your learning
Mastery quiz · 8 questions
Ask for technical help · 45 seconds
Speak for 45 seconds. Describe one symptom, say when it happens, explain what you tried and give the result. Mention a workaround if you have one.
It keeps … / It happens when … / I tried … / It still … / A temporary workaround is …
Possible model response
The sound keeps cutting out when I join a call. I plugged the headphones in again, but the problem continued. Using the laptop speakers is a temporary workaround. Could you help me work out why the headphones stop working?
Solo: record yourself and check that the symptom and result are clear. Tutor: ask a follow-up question without offering a solution immediately.
Make the words yours
Tomorrow, explain the same problem without reading. Include the symptom, one action and its result. Use an imagined situation if your devices are working well.
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