Emma worked at a small marketing company. She had been there for two years. Emma liked her job, but she felt tired. She had not taken a vacation in a long time. Her sister was getting married next month. The wedding was in another city. Emma needed at least four days off. She was nervous about asking her boss. Mr. Hansen was a busy man. He always had many meetings. Emma decided to send him an email first. She wrote a polite message. 'Dear Mr. Hansen, I would like to request some time off.' She explained about her sister's wedding. Mr. Hansen replied quickly. 'Please come to my office at 3 PM.' Emma felt her heart beat faster. Was he going to say no? At 3 PM, Emma walked to his office. She knocked on the door. 'Come in,' said Mr. Hansen. Emma opened the door and entered. Mr. Hansen was sitting behind his desk. 'Please sit down, Emma,' he said. Emma sat in the chair in front of the desk. 'So, your sister is getting married?' he asked. 'Yes, sir. The wedding is on the fifteenth,' Emma replied. 'That is a very important day for your family.' 'Yes, it is. I have not seen my sister in six months.' Mr. Hansen looked at his computer. 'I see that you have ten vacation days left.' 'Yes, I saved them for something special,' said Emma. Mr. Hansen smiled. 'A sister's wedding is definitely special.' 'Which days do you need exactly?' 'From Thursday the fourteenth to Sunday the seventeenth.' Mr. Hansen checked the calendar. 'We have the big presentation on Friday.' Emma's heart sank. 'I know, but I finished my part yesterday.' 'Really? Can you show me?' 'Yes, I will send it to you right now.' Emma took out her phone and sent the files. Mr. Hansen opened them on his computer. He read through the slides carefully. 'This is very good work, Emma.' 'Thank you, sir. I worked hard on it.' 'I can see that. You prepared everything in advance.' He thought for a moment. 'Can you brief Lisa on your project before you leave?' 'Of course. I will do that tomorrow.' Mr. Hansen nodded. 'In that case, I approve your request.' Emma could not believe it. 'Really? Thank you so much, Mr. Hansen!' 'You are a hard worker. You deserve it.' 'Have a wonderful time at the wedding.' Emma stood up with a big smile. 'I will. Thank you again!' She walked out of the office feeling happy. She called her sister immediately. 'Sophie, I have great news!' 'What is it?' asked Sophie excitedly. 'I got the time off! I can come to your wedding!' 'That is wonderful!' Sophie said happily. 'I cannot wait to see you, Emma.' 'Me too. I am so excited for your big day!' Emma went back to her desk. She started planning what to pack for the trip. It was going to be a wonderful weekend.
English Story (A2)Asking for Time Off
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Emma works at a marketing company and needs to take time off for her sister's wedding. She is nervous about asking her busy boss, Mr. Hansen. After sending an email, she meets with him in his office. He asks about the presentation, but Emma shows him that she finished her work early. Mr. Hansen approves her request and tells her she deserves the break. Emma happily calls her sister Sophie to share the good news.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Why did Emma need time off from work?
2
What had Emma already done before the meeting with Mr. Hansen?
3
How many vacation days did Emma have left?
4
What did Mr. Hansen ask Emma to do before she left?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
