Calling In Late

Rahul is stuck in heavy traffic on his way to the office and realizes he will miss the start of an important meeting. He calls his manager, Ms. Kapoor, to explain the delay and let her know when he will arrive.

Meanings in Rahul, Ms. Kapoor

Key words and phrases

running latebehind schedule; going to arrive later than plannedI'm running late because of traffic.

stuck in trafficunable to move because of heavy road congestionHe's been stuck in traffic for over an hour.

heads-upadvance notice or warning about somethingI wanted to give you a heads-up that I'll be late.

estimated time of arrivalthe expected time someone or something will reach a placeMy estimated time of arrival is around ten thirty.

hold the fortto take charge or manage something in someone's absenceCan you hold the fort until I arrive?

rescheduleto change the planned time of an eventCould we reschedule the meeting to eleven?

unavoidable delaya delay that could not be preventedSorry for the unavoidable delay this morning.

join remotelyto participate in a meeting or event from a different location, usually onlineI'll join the meeting remotely from my phone.

diversiona different route traffic must take due to a block on the usual roadThere's a diversion near the flyover today.

keep someone postedto give someone regular updates about a situationI'll keep you posted on my location.

get held upto be delayed by something unexpectedI got held up by an accident on the highway.

kick offto start an event or meetingCan the meeting kick off without me for ten minutes?

make it upto compensate for something, such as lost timeI'll make it up by staying a bit later today.

apologize for the inconveniencea polite way to say sorry for causing troubleI apologize for the inconvenience caused by my delay.

on my waycurrently traveling toward a destinationDon't worry, I'm on my way now.

Useful sentences

Ask Where are you? The meeting is about to start.
Answer I'm stuck in traffic, I'm running about twenty minutes late.
Ask What's your estimated time of arrival?
Answer I should be there by ten thirty.
Ask Can the meeting kick off without me?
Answer Yes, we'll start and fill you in later.
Ask Can you hold the fort until I get there?
Answer Sure, I'll manage things till then.
Ask Should we reschedule the call to eleven?
Answer That would be really helpful, thank you.
Ask What caused the delay this morning?
Answer There's a diversion near my usual route.
Ask Will you join the first part remotely?
Answer Yes, I'll join remotely from my phone for now.
Ask Can you keep me posted on your location?
Answer Sure, I'll message you every ten minutes.
Ask Why were you held up today?
Answer There was an accident that blocked the road.
Ask How will you make up for the lost time?
Answer I'll stay a bit later this evening to finish everything.

Dialogue

RahulHello, Ms. Kapoor. I wanted to give you a heads-up that I'm running late today.

Ms. KapoorOh no, what happened?

RahulI'm stuck in traffic because of a diversion near the flyover.

Ms. KapoorI see. What's your estimated time of arrival?

RahulI should be there in about thirty minutes. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Ms. KapoorNo problem. Should we let the meeting kick off without you?

RahulYes, please go ahead. Can Vikram hold the fort until I get there?

Ms. KapoorSure, I'll ask him. Just keep me posted on your location.

RahulI will. Thank you for understanding.

Ms. KapoorNo worries, Rahul. Drive safe and see you soon.

Common mistakes

Saying "I am getting late" instead of "I am running late" — 'running late' is the natural phrase in English.
Saying "I am in traffic jam" instead of "I am stuck in traffic" — 'stuck in traffic' is more commonly used than mentioning a 'jam.'
Saying "I will reach by" without a time instead of specifying it clearly, e.g. "I will reach by ten thirty."
Saying "sorry for late coming" instead of "sorry I'm late" or "apologies for the delay."
Saying "start meeting without me" instead of "please start the meeting without me" — the article 'the' is needed before 'meeting.'
Saying "I will join on call" instead of "I will join the call" or "I will join remotely" — 'on call' has a different meaning in English.

Quick quiz

1. What does "running late" mean?

2. Complete: "Can you ___ the fort until I arrive?"

3. What does "estimated time of arrival" mean?

4. Which phrase means 'to give someone regular updates'?

5. What does "a diversion" mean on the road?

6. Complete: "I got ___ up by an accident on the highway."

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