When you need this

Office machines break at the worst moment. The printer jams ten minutes before a client meeting, the copier runs out of toner halfway through a stack of handouts, the coffee machine flashes a light nobody understands. Everyone walks past, and everyone assumes someone else has reported it.

Two kinds of language help here. First, the words for what's wrong: jammed, out of toner, out of order, making a strange noise. Second, the words for what to do about it: report it, put a sign on it, call facilities, use the one on the next floor. When you ask a coworker for help, say what you've already tried. "I've opened the tray and cleared the paper, but it still says jammed" saves both of you a trip.

Phrases

paper is stuck inside the printer or copier

the machine has no ink powder or no paper left

broken and not in use

the same problem happens again and again

the machine sounds wrong

a warning light is on or blinking

tell the right person that it's broken

the team that looks after the building and its machines

checks before you report it again

another machine you can use instead

change which printer gets your file

the machine is working again

Say it out loud

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

Practice · 3 min

Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line 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.