Listen to the conversation:
Francine: “So how’s the job hunt going?”
Samantha: “I’ve sent out about 30 resumes and gone to four interviews so far this month.”
Francine: “Wow – you’re on a roll! Any word about that consulting job for the cosmetics company? It seemed like the perfect fit for you.”
Samantha: “Not yet – they said they’d get back to me by last week, but I haven’t heard from them.”
Francine: “Ah, okay. Well, make sure you follow up with all the places where you’ve interviewed – it shows initiative.”
English Words & Phrases from the Conversation
about = approximately
“About” and “around” are often used in spoken English to mean “approximately” – when you are giving an estimate, not an exact number.
“I’m not sure about the exact number, but I’d say there were about 200 people at the wedding.”
so far = until now
“Far” in this case doesn’t refer to distance. Instead, the expression “so far” means “until now.”
You can say “so far this month/week/year” like in the conversation, or you can say “so far” without a specific time to talk about all time until the present moment.
“I haven’t had much difficulty in English class so far – but let’s see what happens when it’s time for the tests!”
on a roll = to have a sequence of successes or accomplishments
If you say someone is “on a roll,” it means that they have done many good things recently and will probably continue to accomplish things.
“I’m on a roll this semester – I’ve gotten A’s in all my classes!”
any word on…? = is there any news about…?
This is an informal way to ask if there has been any news about something.
“Any word on the next Mission Impossible movie? I heard it might come out this summer.”
get back to (someone) = make contact with someone to give them some information that you didn’t give them the last time you saw them
That’s a long definition for a simple idea! When you “get back to someone,” it means that there are two contacts:
1 – The previous conversation (in the case of Samantha, the interview). However, some information was not given at that time – specifically, if Samantha got the job or not.
2 – The next conversation, when the information missing from the previous conversation is given.
“Have you decided whether or not you want to rent the apartment?”
“Ummm, I’m not sure. I have to talk with my wife first. Could I get back to you tomorrow?”
