‍ . How are you?

1
‍This is the most common way to start any conversation when you see a friend,
family member, or anyone that you strike up a new conversation with.
Hey, how are you today?
‍
2. I'm good, you?
‍You can say this phrase when someone asks how you're doing. Feel free to mix
this up with, 'I'm doing well' or 'Couldn't be better!' if you're in a particularly
good mood.
‍
‍3. Thank you
‍Use this to thank someone if they provided you with a service or a generous
deed.Person A. Would you like more water? (at a restaurant)You: Yes, thank
you.
‍
4. I'm sorry
‍Did you do something that you feel bad about? You can apologize to them by
saying: 'I'm sorry.'
‍
5. Excuse me
‍Pass through a crowded street or get someone's attention if they're not looking
at you by saying: 'Excuse me.'
‍
6. Good morning
‍Greet someone in the morning instead of a traditional hello with this phrase.
‍
‍7. Good bye
‍It's the end of the night, and you're ready to go back home while with friends.
Tell them this before you separate paths.
‍
‍8. You're welcome
‍When someone says: 'Thank you', a polite way to respond to accept their thanks
is to say 'you're welcome'
‍

Basic Greetings in English

Now we'll go over the most common ways that you'll introduce yourself to a
fellow English speaker at work, school, at an event, or somewhere else.
‍
‍9. What's your name?
‍ f it's your first time meeting someone, you may want to ask for their name to
I
remember them by.
Person A: Hi, nice to meet you.
You: Nice to meet you as well. What's your name?
‍
10. My name is [first name], you?
‍When someone else asks you what your name is, you can respond this way.
‍
‍11. Nice to meet you
‍A simple greeting to let someone know that you're enjoying their company. You
can use this when you meet someone for the first time, or even when you're
about to end a conversation.
Person A. Sorry but I have to head out to meet my friend for dinner now.
You: No worries, it was nice to meet you!
‍
12. Where are you from?
‍A great small talk question to get a better understanding of a person's
background, whether it's their nationality or city they grew up in. Most of the
time, it is referring to someone's nationality.
You: Where are you from?
‍Person A: Well, I was born in Mexico but I actually grew up here in the United
States!
‍
‍13. How old are you?
‍Perhaps not the most polite question to ask if you don't know someone well, but
once you do get to know them better, you can ask this.
‍
‍14. See you soon
‍At the end of a conversation or event, you can say this to let them know that
you'd be interested in seeing them again.
‍

Useful English Phrases to Get Clarification

This is important for learners when they don't fully understand what the other
person is saying. Use the following phrases in English to get more clarification,
so you don't run into awkward conversations!
‍
‍15. Sorry, I don't speak English
‍Not able to have a conversation with someone or have no interest in conversing
with them? Let them know you don't speak any English.
Person A: Excuse me, do you have a moment to help me out with this problem?
You: Sorry, I don't speak English.
‍
16. Could you repeat that again?
‍Didn't quite hear what the other person was saying? This could be because
you're on the phone with bad reception or there is a lot of noise outside.
‍
‍17. Could you speak a little slower?
‍Is the person you're speaking to talking really fast? Or maybe they're speaking
at normal speed but you're not fully understanding what they're saying. Tell
them to slow down.
‍
‍18. What does [ABC] mean?
‍To get clarity on what a word, phrase, or anything means, you can use this
question.
‍
‍19. How do you spell that?
‍Did someone use a word that you haven't heard before? Or perhaps someone is
giving you a name or address and you want to make sure that you know exactly
what they're saying.Person A: Sure, no problem. Come to my house and we'll
talk. It's at 20 Bohemia Ave.
You: How do you spell Bohemia?
‍Person A: B-O-H-E-M-I-A
You: Perfect, thank you.
‍

How to Speak on the Phone in English

What do most English conversations look like, so that you can call that girl or
boy you like, or have the ability to speak to your family members?
‍
‍20. Hello?
‍
21. This is [Your Name] speaking
‍Let the other person on the phone who they're talking to by sharing your name.
Usually this will be your first name.
‍
‍22. Can I speak to?
‍Are you trying to get hold of someone, but a different person picked up the
phone?
Person A: Hello, this is Mariela speaking.
You: Hi Mariela. Can I speak to John?
‍
‍ 3. Thank you, I'll hold.
2
‍Person A: Yes, I'll connect you with John now.
You: Thank you, I'll hold.
‍
24. When is a better time to call back?
‍If the person you're trying to get in touch with is not available, you can get a
better idea of when to follow up with this question.
Person A: Sorry but John is not here.
You: No problem, when is a better time to call back?
‍
‍
‍

Most Common English Phrases for Travellers

Do you have a trip coming up in the United States, Australia, England, or
another English speaking country? You may want to keep these handy.
‍
‍25. How do I get to [location]
‍When you land in a new area, and you need to find your hotel, a restaurant, or a
touristic spot, this is a very useful question to know.
You: Excuse me. How do I get to Time Square from here?
‍
‍26. Where is the nearest ATM?
‍Whether you're at the airport or you're speaking to a local shopowner, you can
ask them where the ATM machine is.
‍
‍27. How much is this?
‍Generally used when you're shopping at a market or shop without a price tag,
you can use this to ask the price.
‍
‍28. Turn left/right or go straight
‍Directions are important mostly to understand when someone is giving it to you.
‍
‍29. What is your phone number/Instagram/Facebook?
‍Met a cute girl or boy that you want to keep in touch with? Or a cool person
that you want to reconnect with in the future? Ask them for their contact
information or social media.
‍
‍

Business English Phrases For Work

Lastly, we wanted to cover the most basic English phrases for business. If you
happen to have an English speaking co-worker or if you're currently working for
an English speaking organization, read on.
‍
‍30. Who am I speaking with?
‍Similar to the basic phrases we shared for phone conversations, this is useful to
know when you're on a call at work.
‍
‍31. What do you think about [proposal/project/idea]?
‍Feedback is vital to succeed at the workplace. If you want to know what your
colleague or boss thinks about your new idea/proposal/project, ask them this
question.
‍
‍32. I agree with you.
‍Share with a co-worker that you're on the same page as them.
Person A: Mary is a great colleague but I think she needs to do a better job
with motivating her team members.
You: Yes, I agree with you on that. But...
‍
‍33. I think we should...When you want to propose a new idea, you can
introduce it by saying this.
‍
‍34. I'd like to introduce you to my colleague, [first name]
‍Become a connector when a new team member joins your team or when you're
introducing someone to a friend.
‍
‍35. Is there anything else we need to discuss for today's meeting?
‍This is useful at the end of a meeting to ask everyone on your team if there's
anything else you need to talk about.
You: Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas and feedback. Is there anything
else we need to talk about?