Formal
Greeting:
• Good morning (until about lunch time
or before 12 am).
• Good afternoon (12-6 pm).
• Good evening (until about 9 pm).
• Good morning, Sir.
Informal
Greeting:
• Hi, Lizzy!
• Morning, Jim!
• Hello.
Responding
to initial greetings:
• Very well, thank you and how are you?
• I’m good/okay/alright.
• Very well, thank you.
• Oh, pretty good.
• Not to bad, thanks.
• Fine, thanks.
• Excellent.
Initial Greetings:
• How are you?
• How’s it going?
• How are you doing?
• How’s Life?
Pre-closing:
• Ok then….
• I’ve got to go now.
• So, I’ll see you next week.
• I think I’d better be going now.
• Well, it’s time for me to leave.
• I think it’s already late at night.
• I must be going home.
Closing/leave-talking:
• Good bye (formal/informal).
• Bye-bye; Bye; Bye now; See you. Take
care.
• See you later… fine.
• See you soon… ok
• See you tonight…. all right
• Good night (after 8 pm or retiring
to bed)
Expressing
feelings
Expressing
happiness: Formal
• Oh, I’m so happy
• I can’t say how pleased I am
• I had a splendid time there
• What a marvelous place I’ve ever
seen
• It’s an outstanding adventure
• It’s an interesting experience
• It’s a sensational trip
Expressing
boredom: Formal
* I think it was a boring holiday
* It sounds boring
* It’s totally/awfully boring
* I’m rather bored
* How boring!!
* I don’t think the trip was very
interesting
* I’m fed up with it
Expressing
disappointment: Formal
* That’s very disappointing
* I must say I’m really disappointed
* It’s a great disappointment
* That’s too bad
Expressing
disappointment: Informal
* Oh, no!!
* That’s too bad
* That’s a real shame/pity
* It’s a real shame
* Bad luck!!
Expressing
boredom: Informal
*
It’s totally boring
* The film was awfully boring
* How boring!!
* How unexciting
* I’m fed up with all you gambling!!
* Not interesting
* Dull
Expressing happiness:
*
Great!!
*
Exciting!!
*
Fantastic!!
*
Super!!
*
Terrific!!
*
Smashing!! (British English)
*
Hey, that’s terrific/great
Asking if someone remembers
or not
Formal expressions:
*
I wonder if you remember….
*
You remember…. don’t you?
*
You haven’t forgotten…. have you?
*
Don’t you remember?
*
Do you happen to remembers is now?
Ways to respond:
* Let me think, yes, I remember
*
I remember especially the scenery
*
I’ll never forget that
*
I’ll always remember
*
I can remember it clearly
Informal expression:
*
Remember the old house we used to live in?
*
Remember that?
*
I’m sorry I don’t remember
Response if you forget:
*
Sorry, I’ve completely forgotten
*
I’m afraid I forget
*
I really can’t remember
*
I’m afraid I have no memory of him
*
Err, let me think. it’s gone
*
Sorry, it slipped off my mind
Ways to respond:
*
Hold no. yes, got it!!
*
I know…
*
It’s coming back to me now
Asking for and showing
attention (formal):
Asking for attention
(formal):
*
Excuse me, I wonder if I could trouble you…..
*
May I have your attention, please?
*
Excuse me…
*
Sorry to trouble you
*
Sorry to bother you
Asking for attention (informal):
*
Look at me
*
Look what I’ve got here
*
Look here
*
Look!!
*
Hey!!
*
Attention please!!
*
Excuse me!!
Showing attention:
*
I see
*
Oh, yes
*
Mm…
*
Aha…
*
How interesting!!
*
I know what you mean
*
Oh, oh!!
*
Well, well, well
*
Tell me more about it
*
Really?
*
Oh my god!! What happens next?
*
And then what?
*
What’s next?
*
Is that all?
*
Indeed
*
Oh, no!!
Inviting someone
Offering on invitation:
*
I’d like you to come to dinner
*
I’d like to ask you to comes swimming
*
Would you like to go to the theater with me on Saturday night….
*
How about going to the football match with me tomorrow afternoon?
Declining an invitation:
*
I’m so sorry. I’ll be very busy tomorrow night
*
I’m afraid that’s not too good for me, what about after lunch?
Accepting an invitation:
*
Thank you, I’d be glad to go
*
Yes, thank you. I’d be happy to go
*
Thank you so much for inviting me
*
Let’s meet at the school canteen
*
Yes, I’d love to
*
Sure
*
Great
*
All right
Expressing sympathy
Offering condolences:
*
I’m sorry
*
I’m sorry to hear about your father
*
I’m sorry to hear that your little Twettie died
*
Let me offer my condolences
*
Let me tell you how sorry I am to hear about your grandmother
*
I know how you much feel
*
You must feel terrible about losing your brother like that
Responding to condolences:
*
Thank you
*
That’s very kind of you
*
There’s nothing that can be done about it
*
It’s God’s will, I suppose
*
God gives and God takes away
*
That’s life
Offering
Offering to older people:
*
Would you like a cup of coffee, Mr. Green?
*
Should I get you a bottle of water?
*
Could I offer you a glass of lemonade, Mrs. Lina?
*
Would you care for some salad?
Offering to friends:
*
Want some?
*
Have some
*
Chocolate?
*
Glass of lemonade?
*
Grab some for yourself
Less formal expressions:
*
Would you like to have a pancake?
*
Why don’t you have some lemonade?
*
What can I get for you?
*
What will you have?
Declining an offer:
*
No, thank
*
No, I really won’t, thank you
*
Not for me thanks
*
No, thanks. I’m not hungry
Accepting an offer:
*
Thank you
*
Yes, please
*
I’d like it very much
*
Thank you, I would
*
That’s would be very nice
Expressing thanks
Expressing gratitude:
*
Thank you
*
Thanks
*
Thank you very much
*
Many thanks
*
Thanks a lot
*
I thank you
*
I’m very much obliged to you
*
Thank you for your kindness
*
Thank for everything
*
Thank for (your help)
Showing gratitude when
refusing:
*
Thank anyway
*
No, thank you
*
No, thanks
Expressing compliments
Expressing compliments:
*
That’s a lovely cake
*
That was a nice lunch
*
You look good in that dress
*
What a lovely garden
*
You’re really a good cook
*
You’ve done a great job
*
You did it very well
*
Well done
*
You’re doing just fine
*
You’re doing great
Responding to compliments:
*
Thank you
*
I’m glad you enjoy it
*
Thanks. Do you really think so?
*
Thank you very much. It’s nice of you to say so
*
I’m glad you like it
*
Thank a lot
Asking for information:
*
I’d like to know. . . .
*
I’m interested in. . . .
*
Could you tell me . . .?
*
Do you know . . .?
*
Could you find out . . . ?
*
Could I ask . . .?
*
Do you happen to know . . .?
Guessing:
*
I’d say. . .
*
Could it be. . .
*
Perhaps it’s. . .
*
I think it’s. . .
*
It looks like. . . .
*
It’s difficult to say, but I’d guess. . . .
Right or wrong:
Correct:
*
That’s
*
right.
*
Right.
*
OK.
*
Yes.
*
Exactly!
Wrong:
*
No, I’m afraid not
*
Are you joking?
*
Oh?
*
Where? Show me.
*
I can’t see that
*
Goodness!
*
What?
Useful phrases to
express location:
*
To face (is facing, faces)
*
To be opposite (is opposite, are opposite)
*
On, at, in.
*
Under, beneath.
*
Over, on the top of
*
At the top of, on the site of, at the bottom of
*
Inside
*
Outside
*
Beside, next to, near, between
*
In back of, in the middle of, in front of
*
(to)(on) the left (of), (to)(on) the right (of)
*
Across from
*
(at)(on) the corner of
*
At the end of
*
To be located (is located)
*
To be situated (is situated)
*
To lie (lies, lie)
Expression congratulations:
Expression of
congratulation:
* Congratulation!
* Congratulation on your promotion
* May I congratulate you on winning the
contest?
* I must congratulate you on your
success
* Please accept my warmest
congratulations on your wedding day
* I
congratulate you on your being admitted in one of the favorite senior high
school in our district
* Please
accept my heartiest congratulations
Responses
to congratulations:
* Thank!
* Thank you
* thank you very much
]
Expressions
used in an interview
Opening the interview:
* Good afternoon
* Excuse me, I didn’t quite catch your
name
* Have a good time
* Thank for your. . . .
* It is a big surprise
* I congratulate you on. . .
Asking
for information:
* Could I ask?
* Where was it?
* I’m calling to find out. . .
* Do you realize that. . . . .
* Actually. . .
* And?
* Well, let me see. . .
* First/then/after that/at the end
The
expression used to say believe or not believe are:
Asking
if you believe it or not:
* Do you believe it?
* Wouldn’t you believe it?
* Can you imagine that?
* You don’t believe it, do you?
* Don’t you think it’s odd that . . .
.?
Responding
to believe it or not:
* No, I don’t believe it
* Are you serious?
* Are you joking?
* Are you kidding?
* You must be joking/kidding!
* Oh, no! That not true!
* You don’t say!
* Seeing is believing.
Expressing
being surprised
Telling
surprising news:
* Guess what!
* Surprise!
* I’ve got news, for you
* Do you know what?
* You won’t believe it
Responding
to believe or not:
* Oh, no that’s not true.
* You don’t say
* Really? That sounds interesting
* Really? It’s surprising that. . .
* Seeing is believing
* Good heavens
* My goodness!
* This is really a surprise!
