Texts for Individual Reading

UNIT 1. GETTING ACQUAINTED

Text 1. Greetings and Saying Good-Bye

Greetings:

The language of greetings in English depends mainly on the situation the speakers are in and the relationship they have with the people they’re talking to. In official situations (business meetings, official receptions, and conferences) such greetings as Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening! are used. But people who know each other generally say: Неl1о!

After the greetings, British people usually say: How are you? The answer usually is: Fine, thank you! And how are you? Another possibility is: Not too bad I’m glad to say. Remember, you don’t start to talk about your problems because this is a part of a greeting and not a question about your health. If you are not very well and want to mention it, you usually say later in the conversation: As a matter of fact I’ve got a cold, etc.

When greeting close friends, Hi! is quite possible. In fact, "Hi!" is an abbreviation of "hiya" which in turn is a corruption of "How are you?" While common enough as a casual, informal greeting, especially among young people, "Hi" would certainly not be considered correct use in any formal situation. It is better to say "Hello!"

Remember: the British don’t often shake hands when greeting each other. As a matter of fact, they normally shake hands with people when they meet them for the first time or if they meet someone again after a long time.

Here are some helpful ways of greeting guests in English:

Good morning/afternoon/evening, Mrs Smith/ Mr Brown, I’m so pleased you could come/it’s nice of you to come. (slightly formal)

Hi! Nice to see you. (informal)

Answering greetings for a guest:

It was very kind of you to invite us/me. (formal)

Thanks for asking me/us.

Saying good-bye:

It’s quite normal when you’re visiting your British friends and having a meal with them to say some time before you leave that you’re going to do so: I should really be going now and then some time later when you really are going - I really must go now. The second time you say you’re going, you go. It’s also usual to say why you’re leaving. The most helpful expressions here may be:

Well, I ‘think I’d better go now. I have an appointment/ a date/ a class in a few minutes.

Oh, look at the time. I must rush. See you later.

I think I have to leave now. Would you excuse me?

I’m in a bit of a hurry. I must be off, I’m afraid.

If you visited somebody you didn’t know very well, you would normally leave - unless they specifically asked you to stay for some reason - about 10.30 or rather 10 in the evening at the latest.

When the British leave, sometimes they like to say something to show their hosts that they want to see them again. The most common phrases for this are:

It’s been nice meeting you. (formal)

Nice meeting you. (informal)

Hope to see you again. (less formal)

See you later. See you then. See you. (informal)

The other most frequently used parting phrases are:

Good-bye! Cheerio! Bye! All the best!

It’s also common when you leave to ask your friends to remind you to someone else, say, other members of the family, etc.: Give my love to your parents. Please, remember me to your mother.