𝔸 guy rings one of his co-workers over the weekend. A small voice replies, 'Hello?'
The man says, 'Can you call your dad to the phone?'
'I'm afraid he's busy,' says the little boy.
'In that case I'll talk to your mum.'
'I'm sorry, but she is busy.'
'Is there anyone else over there?'
'Yes, the police.'
'The police! Let me talk to a police officer, then.'
'I'm afraid they're all busy—the police and the firefighters.'
'They're all busy?! What do you mean they're all busy? Your father's busy, your mother's busy, the police and the firefighters are busy! But what in Heaven's name are they doing?'
And the little boy whispers gently into the telephone, 'They're looking for me...'
We use "I'm afraid" just before we announce bad news, unpleasant news, negative news. Look at this example: "I'm afraid I wasn't able to send the e-mail on time". Or this one, in French, for which in English we would certainly use I'm afraid or I regret to...: "Je suis au regret de vous annoncer que la réunion a été annulée".
The man says, 'Can you call your dad to the phone?'
'I'm afraid he's busy,' says the little boy.
'In that case I'll talk to your mum.'
'I'm sorry, but she is busy.'
'Is there anyone else over there?'
'Yes, the police.'
'The police! Let me talk to a police officer, then.'
'I'm afraid they're all busy—the police and the firefighters.'
'They're all busy?! What do you mean they're all busy? Your father's busy, your mother's busy, the police and the firefighters are busy! But what in Heaven's name are they doing?'
And the little boy whispers gently into the telephone, 'They're looking for me...'
We use "I'm afraid" just before we announce bad news, unpleasant news, negative news. Look at this example: "I'm afraid I wasn't able to send the e-mail on time". Or this one, in French, for which in English we would certainly use I'm afraid or I regret to...: "Je suis au regret de vous annoncer que la réunion a été annulée".
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