Greet like a native English speaker Chapter 1: Greetings Greet like a native English speaker

Are you ready?! Lets go!! Greeting others In English there are many ways to greet other people and many different ways that we can respond. In this lesson we will learn how to use and understand the most common greetings and responses used in English. Are you ready?! Lets go!!

Shaking hands We usually shake hands when meeting someone for the first time. We can shake our friends hands every time we see them. If we see someone everyday such as at work or a close friend we usually don’t shake hands. Men usually shake hands more than women, and the person of the higher status usually start the handshake. To shake or not to shake? It is up to you. If you are unsure wait for the other person to put out their hand first.

Waving You can wave to anybody anytime you meet them. Women are more likely to wave when you first meet them rather than shake hands. You can wave to people you know when you are far away to say hello. You can also wave goodbye to people as well.

Head nod We can nod our head downwards to show respect to someone older or of a higher position then us to show respect. We also nod our head downward when we agree with someone. We can nod our head upwards to say hello to our friends. It shows that we are close to the other person because we open our necks to the person to show we trust them.

Initial greetings Good morning. Good day. Good afternoon. formal Informal Good morning. Good day. Good afternoon. Good evening. Hello. Hi. Morning. Afternoon. Evening. Hey. Hey man. Yo. Hiya. Hello. Hi. G’day mate.

Greetings using How How are you? How are you today? Formal Informal How are you? How are you today? How are you this afternoon? How are you this evening? How do you do? How are ya? How is it going? (How’s it goin’?) How are you going? (How’re ya goin’?) How are you doing? (how’re ya doin’?)

Greetings using How How have you been? (How’ve ya been?) How are you travelling? How are things? (How’s things?) How’s life? How’s life been treating you? How’s your day? How’s your day been? How’s your day going? How’s your day been going?

Greetings using What What’s up? Sup? Wazup? What’s doing? What’s new? What’s news? What’s the news? What’s happening? What have you been up to? What’s been going on?

Other Common Greetings Anything new? Good to see you. Great to see you. Nice to see you. Long-time no see. It’s been awhile.

Common responses Good morning. Hey man. Good day. Yo. Good afternoon. Greeting Response Good morning. Hey man. Good day. Yo. Good afternoon. Hiya. Good evening. Hello. Hi. G’day mate Morning. Afternoon. Evening. Hey. Good morning. Hey man. Good day. Yo. Good afternoon. Hiya. Good evening. Hello. Hi. G’day mate Morning. Afternoon. Evening. Hey.

Common responses How are you? How are you going? (How’re ya goin’?) Greeting Response How are you? How are you going? (How’re ya goin’?) How are you today? How are you doing? (how’re ya doin’?) How are you this afternoon? How are you travelling? How are you this evening? How do you do? How are ya? How is it going? (How’s it goin’?) Not too bad. I’m doing well. Yeah, not bad. I’m doing fine. Yeah, good. Pretty good. Yeah, fine. Pretty well. Yeah, alright. I’m going well. Yeah, okay. Just fine. Fine thanks. I’m going alright. Good thanks. Goin’ alright. Pretty good thanks. I’m doing good. Can’t complain. Doin’ good.

Common responses How have you been? (How’ve ya been?) Greeting Response How have you been? (How’ve ya been?) How’s your day going? How’s your day been going? How are things? (How’s things?) How’s life? How’s life been treating you? How’s your day? How’s your day been? Not too bad. Pretty good thanks. Yeah, not bad. Can’t complain. Yeah, good. Yeah, fine. It’s going alright. Yeah, alright. It’s going well Yeah, okay. Just fine. Pretty good. Fine thanks. Good thanks.

Common responses What’s up? What have you been up to? Sup? Greeting Response What’s up? What have you been up to? Sup? What’s been going on? Wazup? What’s doing? What’s new? What’s news? What’s the news? What’s happening Not much. Not a lot. Nothing much. Nothing special. Nothing really.

Joining greetings Initial greeting + How greeting Good morning. How are you this afternoon? Initial greeting + What greeting Hey. What’s up? Initial + How + How Hey man. How are ya? How’s things? Initial + How + What Morning. How’s it going? What’s news? Initial + What + What G’day mate. What’s happening? What have you been up to? Initial + What + How Hi. What’s going on? How are you doing? Initial + Initial Hi, hey. How’s it going? We can join our greetings together to make your speech more natural. To do this we use an initial greeting followed by a how or what greeting. Initial greeting + How/What Sometimes people will use three greetings at once. You can also join initial greetings.

Starting with what or how greetings Sup How’s it going? What’s doing? What’s going on? What are you up to? What’s up? How’s life been treating you? What’s happening? Sometimes people will begin a conversation without an initial greeting. Instead they will start with a how or what greeting.

Q. Hey. Whazup? What’s happening? How to respond? Q. Hey. Whazup? What’s happening? A. Not much. Not a lot. Nothing much. Nothing special. Q. Hiya. How are ya? What’s new? A. Yeah, pretty good. Nothing really. Yeah, alright. Not much. Q. Sup. What’s doing? A. Not much. Not a lot. Nothing much. Nothing special So how do we respond to a greeting which has more than 2 questions? We have two choices. 1.We can choose to answer the last greeting. This is probably the most common way to respond. 2. We can respond to both questions. Most of the time the two questions will have the same meaning.

Conversation Dictation

Example conversations Person A Person B Hey how ya goin? Yeah pretty good. What’s been happening? Hey man, how are you? Yeah not bad, how’s things? Hey. What’s up? Not a lot. How’s your day been? G’day. What’s doing? How’s your day been? It’s going fine. Nothing special. Hey Jules. What’s doing? Yeah same. I’m just watching telly. Hey, not bad yourself? Not much just work as usual. Good thanks. You? Ah…. Same old. Nothing really. What about you? Yeah, it’s been alright. Can’t complain. Hey. Yeah, it’s been good. What about yourself. Not much. Just relaxing. You? .

Example conversations Person A Person B Morning, how are you? I’m good thanks. Yo. What’s doing? What’s news? Not a lot. Just went to the shops earlier to get some lunch. Good evening. How are you? I’m fine thanks. How has your day been? What’s up George. How’s life been treating you? Pretty good. Hello. Ah, not much. Just the usual. Yourself? Good thanks. How about yourself? Sup. Nothing much, just the usual. What have you been up to? I’m good thanks you? It’s been alright. Not too busy, so can’t complain. Aw yeah, can’t complain. How are you? That’s good. Sup man. What’s been going on? Yeah same. Just been studying for uni. .

With a partner create five short conversations of your own using the greetings and responses you have learned.

Extra listening and conversation practice http://www.talkenglish.com/lessondetails.aspx?ALID=522 (Basic conversation practice) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWP9Riq-ZBg (How to introduce yourself basic) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQnD3qJiJPo (revision) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-lk0ez66Ko (Basic conversations)