Kolridg
Junior Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2016
- Member Type
- Native Language
- Russian
- Home Country
- Russian Federation
- Current Location
- Russian Federation
If I am saying "I missed the planned conference call. I will not join the call, because I have already missed a half of the discussion, let us go for a walk", the person who I am talking to can take it either ways:
1) As I missed the call because I didn't heard the phone ringing because I was busy with something in other room.
2) As I missed the call because I got home late, as I was late for this conference call.
I want to convey the sense that is described in the case two. I could say "I was late for the planned conference call, let us go for a walk", but I don't like "I was late" here because in fact the conference has started just five minutes ago or so.
Maybe it could be better to say in the present "I am late for the conference call, let us go for a walk"?
I am only afraid that saying in the present (I am late) strictly suggests that the conference probably hasn't yet started, because according to my knowledge of English, if I say, for example, "I am late for the bus", it means that I don't have time to get to the bus stop before the bus arrives — that is, I am in the process of missing the bus. But in my case the conference has already started, I have already missed it.
Thank you.
1) As I missed the call because I didn't heard the phone ringing because I was busy with something in other room.
2) As I missed the call because I got home late, as I was late for this conference call.
I want to convey the sense that is described in the case two. I could say "I was late for the planned conference call, let us go for a walk", but I don't like "I was late" here because in fact the conference has started just five minutes ago or so.
Maybe it could be better to say in the present "I am late for the conference call, let us go for a walk"?
I am only afraid that saying in the present (I am late) strictly suggests that the conference probably hasn't yet started, because according to my knowledge of English, if I say, for example, "I am late for the bus", it means that I don't have time to get to the bus stop before the bus arrives — that is, I am in the process of missing the bus. But in my case the conference has already started, I have already missed it.
Thank you.
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