It is night — after eleven o'clock. You are in bed. You have work early tomorrow. But you can't sleep. Your neighbour is playing loud music, and you can hear it through the wall.
You are tired, and a little angry. But you don't want a fight. This person lives next to you, and you will see them every day. So you want two things: some quiet, and to still be friends.
You get up, put on a jumper, and take a big breath. You walk to their door. You knock. Now — be calm, be friendly, and ask for what you need.
Warm up — talk for one minute
Do you have neighbours? Are they quiet or loud? Do you know them well?
When someone makes you angry, do you say something, or stay quiet? Why?
Who's who
You
The Neighbour 🚪
Tired, but kind. You want to sleep — but you also want to keep the peace. You will knock, smile, and ask nicely.
The other person
The One With the Music 🎧
Not a bad person — they just did not know. A little worried at first, but kind and helpful, if you are kind too.
Next: learn the phrases you need in the next tab. Then see them in a real conversation. See how the person stays friendly. They never say "you are too loud!" They talk about the wall, not the person. That is the trick.
Useful Phrases 🧰
Here are the phrases for this conversation. Read each one and say it out loud once. Choose the ones you like. Keep this page open when you practise.
The shape of this conversation
1 · Knock softly2 · Say the problem3 · Ask for a change4 · Keep it friendly
It's a map, not a script. Real talk can skip steps or go back.
Cover it later, when you want to test yourself.
When you're the neighbour
🚪 Knock softly
"Hi, I'm your neighbour. I live next door."
"Sorry to knock so late."
🗣 Say the problem
"I can hear the music through the wall."
"The wall is very thin, so I can hear everything."
🤝 Ask for a change
"I get up early, so at night I need to sleep."
"Can you turn it down a little?"
💛 Keep it friendly
"If we are ever too loud, please tell us."
"Thank you, that's very kind. Good night!"
When you're the one with the music
"Oh, sorry! Is it too loud?"
"I did not know."
"I will turn it down."
"Thanks for telling me."
When something changes
"Are you OK?"
"I have a small party today."
"It ends at eleven."
When you need help
"Sorry, can you say that again, please?"
"Can you speak more slowly, please?"
"Do you mean…?"
"How do you say … in English?"
Speed round 🎯
Draw a card. Say what you would say, out loud. Then look at one answer.
Press the button to start.
Try a few more rounds with the toolkit covered. When it feels easy, you are ready.
The Conversation 💬
Read it out loud, one person each, then change. Find the phrases from your toolkit. Listen for the friendly, polite words.
NeighbourHello? Can I help you?
YouHi! Sorry to knock so late. I'm your neighbour — I live next door, in flat 12.
NeighbourOh, hello! Nice to meet you. Is everything OK?
YouYes, everything is fine. I don't want to make a problem. But I can hear your music through the wall.
NeighbourOh no. Is it too loud? It's not very late…
YouIn the day it's fine. But at night it's hard. The wall is very thin, so I can hear everything.
NeighbourI'm sorry. I didn't know.
YouIt's OK, don't worry. The problem is, I get up early — at six. So at night I need to sleep.
NeighbourYes, of course. What can I do?
YouCan you turn the music down a little at night? That's all. In the day it's fine.
NeighbourYes, no problem. And I can move the speakers away from the wall too.
YouThat's very kind. Thank you! And if we are ever too loud, please tell us.
NeighbourOK, I will! Thank you for being so nice about it.
YouNo problem. Good night!
From memory — don't look up!
1. What does the guest say first, before they talk about the music?
2. Why is the night hard for the guest? (There are two reasons.)
3. At the end, the neighbour offers to do two things. What are they?
1. They say who they are, in a friendly way: "I'm your neighbour, I live next door, in flat 12." They say hello first, before the problem. 2. The guest gets up early (at six), so they need to sleep at night. And the wall is very thin, so they can hear everything. 3. The neighbour will turn the music down at night, and move the speakers away from the wall.
Your Turn 🎭
No script this time. You have a real talk with a real person. You have a goal.
1 · Warm up your voice 🎤
Say each sentence out loud. Use your own words in the gaps.
Knock softly. Hi, I am your ___.
Say the problem. I can hear ___.
Ask for a change. Can you turn it ___?
Keep it friendly. If we are ___, please tell us.
2 · The scene 🎬
Pick a situation. Your partner plays the other person.
Your card
Where
The situation
You have
You want
Your ruleSay sorry first, then say the problem.
Who you're talking to
🏆 The noise stops and you stay friends.
⏱ 3:00
Twist deck
🎲 Something changes
Start the scene. After a minute, draw a card. What it says just happened.
Nothing has changed yet.
3 · Swap seats 🔁
Now you are the other person. Your partner takes your old part.
Your card
WhereAt the neighbour's door
Your goalListen and say sorry
Your partnerPlays the neighbour now
Draw another twist if you like.
4 · Afterwards ✅
Tick what you did, in either seat.
Phrases I want to use next time
Go again
⚡ Same situation, one more time
Do it again. Draw a twist before you start. Try to do it faster this time.
The Echo 🕰️
Long ago in Rome, there was an emperor named Nero. One day, a big fire burned many people's homes. But Nero was not sad. He took the land, and he built a huge golden palace just for himself — with a big lake, in the place where people used to live.
Nero was the worst kind of neighbour. He did not care about anyone else. He only thought about himself.
You are the opposite of Nero. You knock, you smile, and you ask nicely. You care about the people next to you. That is what makes a good neighbour — and a good person.