The pattern

"There's something wrong with" plus a noun reports a problem without needing to know the cause. "There's something wrong with my laptop" is enough to start a conversation with IT, a hotel desk or a repair shop. It is the right sentence when you know something is broken but not why.

Follow it with the symptom: "There's something wrong with the shower. The water's cold." The symptom helps the other person fix it. The question form, "Is something wrong?", checks on a person: they look upset, so you ask gently.

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

  7. Checks on a person gently. Said with concern.

  8. The shorter, more direct version.

Check yourself

1When is "There's something wrong with..." most useful?
2A friend looks upset. How do you ask gently?
3What makes a problem report most helpful?

Practice · 3 min

Report a problem clearly. Prompt on the left, one natural sentence on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.