Let’s start with informal greetings. Here is how you can say hello:
Hello! (A universal greeting that works for every conversation.)
Hi! (Sounds all right if you used to greet friends) it is also followed so often by ‘ Are you all right?!’ even you have just lost your purse and been fired ou better say ‘ Thank you , I am all right and you?’
Formal greetings
For a more formal way to greet someone, use the model “good + [time of day]”:
Good morning! (All right for mornings, but mind 1a.m. Is already MORNING.)
Good afternoon! (A very polite addressing after the noon.)
Good evening!(Any time after 5 ‘fiveish ’)
‘Cheerio’ Non-formal, but getting accepted even by tele-presenters;
See you later’ informal and sometimes played in a joe - ‘See you later alligator’ - ‘In a while crocodile’. And remember See you later does not mean meeting our friend in an hour as well as ‘ See you soon ‘ is not really promising meeting anytime soon.
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And if you do not remember name of a person, better to ask right away if you think you might talk. Something like ‘ Sorry, do not remember your name’
I see a lot of people and the best way to remember names to repeat it after they were introduced looking straight in face ( might be mask ) Then look at something special in his/hers features and remember something like ‘ Jodie lovely curly hair’. And then immediately repeat ‘ Jodie, nice to meet you.’
Making a Small Talk in English
‘Are you all right ‘ or ‘How are you ?’ is the conversation you call ‘a small talk’. You might remember very British ‘ How do you do’ question without an answer? It still exist! You use it in a very formal situation and only the first time you meet!
It happens daily on a bus, in a shop ... It is a bit annoying, but at the end of the day it is a nice way to tell you - we like you.Hence, as a grumpy old woman I do not like it...Better about the weather!
It is considered polite to add small talk to the beginning of the conversation before talking about the subject of the conversation, whether it is personal or professional.
There are several ways to ask someone how they are doing:
How are you? / How are you doing?
(Neutral and you can also ask about somebody else you both know)
How’s it going?
(More informal)
How are things?
(Informal)
What’s up?
(Very informal)
An interesting thing about asking these questions is that an answer is not really required as I mentioned. But each time I want to ask back something like: ‘Do you want a whole story or just current events’
What you have to be prepared to talk about...WEATHER
‘ the rain in Spain is mainly on the plain’
Where you can use this small talk and with whom?
Anytime.Anywhere.With Anyone!
We are passionate about it! Depend on it!
Bored standing at a train station ? Turn to somebody you are standing near and ask Do you know if it is going to be a nice day today Isn’t it a nice day today... This would not bring you a new friend. Here we like to keep ourselves for ourselves’ , but it might be get you a more meaningful conversation during your joney/flight/waiting.
Cheerio
You say yes, I say no You say stop and I say go go go, oh no You say goodbye and I say hello Hello hello I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello Hello hello I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello
I say high, you say low You say why and I say I don't know, oh no You say goodbye and I say hello (Hello goodbye hello goodbye) Hello hello (Hello goodbye) I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello (Hello goodbye hello goodbye) Hello hello (Hello goodbye) I don't know why you say goodbye (Hello goodbye) I say hello/goodbye
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