Worksheet for teachers and learners: both levels, with quiz and answer key. Free to print and share in class.

    ← Back to story

    Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: sending a text message to the wrong person

    Sofia Texts the Wrong Person at the Market

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Sofia is at a busy market. She loves shopping there on the weekend. There are many stalls with fruit, vegetables, and clothes. The market is loud and full of people. Sofia walks slowly between the stalls. She has a list of things to buy. She wants tomatoes, bread, and some fresh flowers. Sofia is also thinking about her friend, Marta. She wants to tell Marta something funny. Sofia takes out her cell phone. She starts to type a message. She writes: "I can see a man selling hats. He looks just like our old teacher! So funny!" Sofia smiles and presses send. She puts her phone back in her bag. A few seconds later, Sofia's phone makes a noise. She gets a new message. She takes out her phone and reads it.

    The message says: "I am your old teacher. This is Mr. Reyes. I think you sent this to the wrong person." Sofia's face turns red. She feels very embarrassed. She looks around the market quickly. She sees a man near a hat stall. He is looking at his phone. He looks up and sees Sofia. Sofia freezes. She does not know what to do. The man smiles at her. He waves his hand in a friendly way. Sofia takes a deep breath. She walks over to him slowly. "Mr. Reyes, I am so sorry!" Sofia says. "I did not mean to send that message to you." Mr.

    Reyes laughs. "Do not worry," he says. "It is funny. I like hats very much!" Sofia laughs too. She feels a little better. They talk for a few minutes. Mr. Reyes tells Sofia he sells hats now. He left his teaching job two years ago. Sofia buys a small blue hat from him. "It is a good color," Mr. Reyes says. Sofia smiles and says goodbye. She takes out her phone again. She sends the story to Marta. This time, she checks the name very carefully before she presses send.

    Key vocabulary

    stall (noun)a small table or stand where someone sells things, usually at a market“Sofia stops at a stall that sells fresh fruit.”
    embarrassed (adjective)feeling ashamed or uncomfortable because of something you did“Sofia feels embarrassed when she sends the message to the wrong person.”
    freeze (verb)to suddenly stop moving because you are shocked or scared“Sofia freezes when she sees Mr. Reyes looking at her.”
    press (verb)to push a button or key to make something happen“She presses send and the message goes to the wrong person.”
    wave (verb)to move your hand from side to side to say hello or goodbye“Mr. Reyes waves at Sofia in a friendly way.”
    message (noun)a piece of written or spoken information sent to someone“Sofia types a message on her cell phone.”
    carefully (adverb)giving close attention to what you are doing so you do not make a mistake“She checks the name carefully before she sends the message.”
    friendly (adjective)kind and pleasant to other people“Mr. Reyes smiles and waves in a friendly way.”

    Useful phrases

    • take out (something) — to remove something from a bag, pocket, or container“Sofia takes out her cell phone to type a message.”
    • press send — to push the button that sends a message from your phone“She presses send without checking the name first.”
    • turn red — when your face becomes red because you feel embarrassed or shy“Sofia's face turns red when she reads Mr. Reyes's reply.”
    • take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly and deeply to help yourself feel calm“Sofia takes a deep breath before she walks over to Mr. Reyes.”
    • do not worry — a phrase used to tell someone there is no problem and they should feel relaxed“"Do not worry," Mr. Reyes says, and he smiles.”
    • I did not mean to — used to say that you did something by accident, not on purpose“"I did not mean to send that message to you," Sofia says.”
    • look up — to raise your eyes to look at something or someone above or in front of you“Mr. Reyes looks up from his phone and sees Sofia.”
    • this time — used to say that on this occasion something is done differently from before“This time, Sofia checks the name before she presses send.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLM
    1UACYLDNEIRFIQ
    2CUPCQECUUKCEM
    3ODYKQPUWQLMLE
    4RSKRJIIFQBMLS
    5VDPCSQRXAVNVS
    6GECTAEMRDSPCA
    7XOAYERRTSZUMG
    8LLAZGAEEMSQRE
    9LDELSTRFWWAVE
    10ABXSVPPPUHQQM
    11VBEPYZPAJLXTO
    12TDUBVWLIZELKQ
    13YVBNJLYMLOLYY

    Comprehension quiz

    1. Where is Sofia at the beginning of the story?

      • A) At a park
      • B) At a busy market
      • C) At a café
      • D) At a school
    2. Who does Sofia want to send the message to?

      • A) Mr. Reyes
      • B) A sales clerk
      • C) Her friend Marta
      • D) Her mom
    3. What does Sofia write in her message?

      • A) She sees a man selling hats who looks like her old teacher.
      • B) She sees a man selling bread who looks like her teacher.
      • C) She sees a man selling fruit who looks like Mr. Reyes.
      • D) She sees a man selling flowers who looks like her friend.
    4. What does the word 'stall' mean in this story?

      • A) A kind of cell phone
      • B) A small stand where someone sells things at a market
      • C) A type of hat
      • D) A room inside a building
    5. How does Sofia feel when she reads Mr. Reyes's reply?

      • A) Happy and excited
      • B) Tired and bored
      • C) Angry and upset
      • D) Embarrassed and shocked
    6. What does Mr. Reyes do when he sees Sofia at the market?

      • A) He calls her on her phone.
      • B) He smiles and waves at her.
      • C) He walks away quickly.
      • D) He asks her to leave.
    7. What does Sofia buy from Mr. Reyes?

      • A) Some flowers
      • B) A bag
      • C) A blue hat
      • D) A red hat
    8. True or False: Mr. Reyes still works as a teacher at the end of the story.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) Not mentioned
      • C) False
      • D) True
    9. What does 'freeze' mean as used in the story?

      • A) To wave at someone
      • B) To send a message quickly
      • C) To become very cold
      • D) To stop moving suddenly because you are shocked
    10. What does Sofia do differently at the end of the story when she sends a message?

      • A) She does not send any message.
      • B) She checks the name carefully before pressing send.
      • C) She asks Mr. Reyes to help her.
      • D) She uses a different phone.

    Answer key (A2 (Elementary))

    1. B 2. C 3. A 4. B 5. D 6. B 7. C 8. C 9. D 10. B

    Word search answer key (A2 (Elementary))

    Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

    carefully: D5 ↘ · embarrassed: L2 ↙ · freeze: H4 ↙ · friendly: K1 ← · message: M2 ↓ · press: F10 ↗ · stall: E5 ↙ · wave: J9 →

    Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: sending a text message to the wrong person

    Sofia's Embarrassing Text at the Market

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Sofia is browsing the stalls of a crowded market one Saturday morning, her shopping list tucked into her jacket pocket. The air smells of fresh bread and ripe fruit, and the noise of sellers calling out prices fills her ears. As she pauses at a hat stall to examine the colorful display, she spots something that makes her laugh. A heavyset man behind the counter reminds her so strongly of her old teacher, Mr. Reyes, that she immediately pulls out her cell phone to share the joke with her friend Marta. She types quickly, distracted by the surrounding noise: "You would not believe it! There is a man selling hats here who looks exactly like Mr. Reyes. Absolutely hilarious!" Without glancing at the name at the top of the screen, she presses send and drops her phone back into her bag.

    Seconds later, her phone buzzes with a reply. Sofia assumes it is Marta responding with a laughing emoji, so she pulls the phone out with a grin. Instead, she reads: "Sofia, this is actually Mr. Reyes. I believe this message was meant for someone else." Her stomach drops. She stares at the screen, her face burning with embarrassment, and slowly raises her eyes toward the hat stall. The heavyset man she had noticed is holding his phone and looking directly at her with an amused expression. Sofia is completely mortified, yet she forces herself to walk over rather than flee. "Mr.

    Reyes, I am so sorry," Sofia says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I cannot believe I did that." To her relief, her former teacher throws his head back and laughs. He explains that he left teaching two years ago to run the hat stall, and that he finds the whole situation genuinely funny. "Honestly, you made my morning," he tells her warmly. Feeling her embarrassment melt away, Sofia buys a small gray hat from him as a kind of peace offering. Before she leaves, Mr. Reyes gives her some advice: "Always check the name before you hit send." Sofia laughs, promises she will, and takes out her phone one more time, this time reading the contact name very carefully before telling Marta the whole story.

    Key vocabulary

    browse (verb)to look at things in a relaxed way, without a specific plan to buy“Sofia is browsing the stalls when she spots something funny.”
    distracted (adjective)not able to concentrate because your attention is on something else“She types the message quickly, distracted by the noise around her.”
    mortified (adjective)feeling extremely embarrassed and ashamed“Sofia is completely mortified when she realizes what she has done.”
    amused (adjective)finding something funny or entertaining“Mr. Reyes looks at Sofia with an amused expression on his face.”
    flee (verb)to run away quickly from a place or situation“Sofia wants to flee, but she forces herself to walk over to Mr. Reyes.”
    former (adjective)describing something or someone that existed or had a role in the past, but not now“She apologizes to her former teacher, Mr. Reyes.”
    genuinely (adverb)in a way that is real and sincere, not pretended“Mr. Reyes says he finds the situation genuinely funny.”
    offering (noun)something you give to show respect, apology, or goodwill“Sofia buys a hat from Mr. Reyes as a kind of peace offering.”

    Useful phrases

    • hit send — to press the button that sends a message from your phone“Mr. Reyes tells Sofia to always check the name before she hits send.”
    • her stomach drops — a physical feeling of sudden fear, shock, or dread“Sofia's stomach drops when she realizes she texted the wrong person.”
    • face burning — when your face feels hot because you are embarrassed“Her face burning with embarrassment, Sofia slowly looks up from her phone.”
    • to her relief — used to say that something happened which made you feel less worried or embarrassed“To her relief, Mr. Reyes laughs instead of getting angry.”
    • melt away — when a feeling gradually disappears“Sofia feels her embarrassment melt away when Mr. Reyes laughs.”
    • peace offering — something you give to someone to show you are sorry or to make a situation better“She buys a hat as a peace offering to apologize for her mistake.”
    • throws his head back — to tilt your head backward, usually when laughing loudly“Mr. Reyes throws his head back and laughs at Sofia's mistake.”
    • meant for someone else — intended to be given or sent to a different person“Mr. Reyes tells Sofia that the message was meant for someone else.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKL
    1HIYUEELFVMMN
    2WGNIREFFORFM
    3MPDDMAMUSEDF
    4MOSESVYRDMZE
    5LQRZTZTPNRNX
    6EYUTVCEMUOVX
    7SUZYITAYUFBO
    8WRQEAFMRSUND
    9OWELQHIKTSHB
    10RKBJGTLEESTU
    11BGKDZZUODIIY
    12SYLENIUNEGHD

    Comprehension quiz

    1. What is Sofia doing at the beginning of the story?

      • A) She is calling Mr. Reyes on her cell phone.
      • B) She is waiting for her friend Marta.
      • C) She is browsing stalls at a crowded market.
      • D) She is buying bread at a bakery.
    2. Why does Sofia send the message so quickly without checking?

      • A) She wants Mr. Reyes to read it.
      • B) She is distracted by the noise of the market.
      • C) Her phone battery is almost dead.
      • D) She is in a hurry to get home.
    3. What does the word 'mortified' mean as used in the story?

      • A) Very angry at someone
      • B) Feeling extremely embarrassed and ashamed
      • C) Confused and unable to understand
      • D) Feeling happy and surprised
    4. How does Mr. Reyes react when Sofia walks over to him?

      • A) He asks her to apologize in writing.
      • B) He laughs and tells her she made his morning.
      • C) He ignores her and keeps serving other customers.
      • D) He is angry and refuses to speak to her.
    5. True or False: Sofia runs away from the market after sending the wrong message.

      • A) True
      • B) False
      • C) Not mentioned
      • D) Not stated
    6. What does 'peace offering' mean in this story?

      • A) A formal written apology
      • B) A discount offered at a market stall
      • C) Something given to show you are sorry or to improve a situation
      • D) A gift you give only to teachers
    7. What hat does Sofia buy from Mr. Reyes?

      • A) A red hat
      • B) A blue hat
      • C) A gray hat
      • D) A green hat
    8. What advice does Mr. Reyes give Sofia before she leaves?

      • A) "You should buy a new cell phone."
      • B) "Next time, call your friend instead of texting."
      • C) "Always check the name before you hit send."
      • D) "You should visit the market more often."
    9. True or False: Mr. Reyes left teaching two years before the story takes place.

      • A) True
      • B) Not stated
      • C) False
      • D) Not mentioned
    10. What does 'her stomach drops' suggest about how Sofia feels?

      • A) She is feeling hungry after shopping.
      • B) She feels a sudden shock and dread when she reads the reply.
      • C) She suddenly feels sick from the food at the market.
      • D) She is tired from walking around the market.

    Answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    1. C 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. B 6. C 7. C 8. C 9. A 10. B

    Word search answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

    amused: F3 → · browse: A11 ↑ · distracted: L12 ↖ · flee: H1 ← · former: J7 ↑ · genuinely: J12 ← · mortified: A3 ↘ · offering: I2 ←

    Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/sofia-texts-the-wrong-person-at-the-market-2026-09-25