1 B. Informal Greetings and Farewells:

Tom: Hi, Helen! How’s it going?

Helen: Fine, thanks – and you?

Tom: Just fine. Where are you off to?

Helen: To the library. I’ve got a statistics exam next week and need to start studying. Ugh.

Tom: Oh, no. Well, I’ll see you later then. Good luck!

Helen: Thanks. See you later.

Language Notes:

• “Hi” is an informal way of saying “hello”.

• “How’s it going?” is an informal way of saying “How are you?”

• “Where are you off to?” is an informal way of saying “Where are you going?”

• “Oh, no” is a way of saying “I sympathize with you” or “I understand you are not happy.”

• “See you later” is an informal way of saying “goodbye.”

2 A. Formal Introductions:

Jane: Mr. Wilson, I’d like you to meet Dr. Edward Smith.

Mr. Wilson: It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith: Pleasure to meet you, too.

Jane: Dr. Smith is an economist. He has just finished writing a book on international trade.

Mr. Wilson: Oh? That’s my field, too. I’ve read your articles. They’re excellent.

Language Notes:

Addressing people:

• Mr (mister) – for a man

• Mrs (mistress) – for a married woman

• Miss – for an unmarried woman (a girl)

• Ms – for a married or unmarried woman (for a businesswoman)

• Dr. – doctor

• Prof. - professor

2 B. Informal Introductions:

Jim: Who’s the tall woman next to Emma?

Charles: That’s her friend Mary. Let me introduce you to her now. Mary, this is my friend Jim.

Mary: Hi, Jim. Nice to meet you.

Jim: You, too. Would you like a drink?

Mary: Sure, let’s go get one.

Language Notes:

• Mary, this is my friend Jim. This is a friendly way to introduce two people. It’s common to follow this with “Jim, this is Mary.” In this case, Mary says “Hi, Jim” first.

• Nice to meet you. This is a typical response after you’ve been introduced to someone.

• “Sure” is often used in informal conversation to mean “yes”.

Topics for small talk:

Introductions: “Hello. May I introduce myself? My name is Mark.”

Travel: “Did you have a good journey?”

Family: “How is your family?” (only if you already know about the person’s family)

Hospitality: “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

The weather: “It's a lovely day today, isn't it?”

Holidays: “Are you going anywhere this weekend?” or “Are you going anywhere on holiday this year?”

Nature: “The garden looks lovely, doesn't it?”

Pets: “What a lovely dog. What is his name?”

General news: “What do you think about the recent floods?” (avoid gossip and politics) Films: “Have you seen the film Bridget Jones’s Diary?”

Television: “Did you see The X Factor last night?”

Music: “What sort of music do you like?”

Books: “Have you read any good books recently?” (only if you know the person likes reading) Sport: “Have you been watching Wimbledon?” (British people, especially men, enjoy talking about football)

Hobbies: “What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?”

Business: “How's your business going?” (only if you know the person has a business) Studies: “What are you studying?” (only ask if you know the person is a student) Work: “What sort of work do you do?”

Food: “I had a lovely Chinese meal last night - do you like Chinese food?”

General matters about the person you are talking to: “Have you lived in this area long?” General matters on subjects that you know that interests the person you are talking to: cars, film stars etc

Topics are best avoided for small talk:

be careful when you talk about some topics, especially with people that you’ve only just met, people who are older than you, people who appear to have strong religious or political views, or people who may have some personal problems.

Be cautious if you discuss these subjects:

Age: “How old are you?” Appearance or weight: “You seem to have put on some weight.” Personal gossip about somebody you know. Jokes that might offend. Money: “How much do you earn?” Previous or current relationships: “Do you have a girlfriend?” Politics: “Who did you vote for at the last election?” Religion: “Do you believe in God?” Criticisms or complaints: “Why is British food so bad?”