How to show interest in the

conversation
Mostrando interesse na conversa
ECHO QUESTIONS

SHOWS SURPRISE INTERACTION

INTEREST
 SHOWING INTEREST
WITH ECHO QUESTIONS
Echo questions are essential when reacting to what your conversational partner has
said to you. They are used to show interest and surprise. When said correctly, with the
appropriate intonation, they will make your spoken English sound very natural. And
most importantly, they help to avoid uncomfortable silences mid-conversation and
encourage your conversational partner to keep talking.
Example A
• “I love swimming.”
• Where is the auxiliary verb in this sentence? The truth is, it is hiding.
The auxiliary is ‘do’ but in most affirmative sentences, it hides.
• “I (do) love swimming.”
• Echo Question = Do you?
In a conversation

A: What are your hobbies?

B: I’ve got lots of hobbies but I love swimming.

A: Do you?

B: Yes, I go swimming three times a week.

EXAMPLE 2

“I have been living here for six years.”

The auxiliary is ‘have’

Echo question = Have you?

IN A CONVERSATION

A: How long have you been living here?

B: I have been living here for six years.
A: Have you?
B: Yes, it’s a long time! How about you?
Example C

“I arrived on Monday.”
The auxiliary is hiding again. It is ‘did’.
“I (did) arrive(d) on Monday.”
Echo question = Did you?
IN A CONVERSATION

A: It’s great to see you! When did you arrive?

B: You too! I arrived on Monday.
A: Did you?
B: Yes, I know…it was a few days ago.
MORE EXAMPLES
It’s cold here today. → Is it?

I really like this song. → Do you?

Steve is going to cook dinner tonight. → Is he?

My friends arrived early. → Did they?

I knocked on my sister’s door, but she wasn’t home. →

Wasn’t she?
We have already moved back to Scotland. → Have you?
EXAMPLES
A: “Matt and Anna have been seeing each other for a
while now.” B: “Oh, have they? I didn’t know that.”
A: “Jeremy is going to Alabama University next
year.” B: “Is he? That’s nice!”
A: “Anthony lived in Japan in 2018. He came back
last year.” B: “Did he? Sounds exciting.”
WHEN NEGATIVE

A: “Mary is not coming to the concert with us

tonight.” B: “Isn’t she? I thought she said she
was free.”
A: “I can’t make it tonight. I’ve got a late
business meeting.” B: “Can’t you? You can
join us later.
The intonation rises and then falls when
saying an echo question.

Did ↗️ you ↘️ ?

Have ↗️ you ↘️ ?

Is ↗️he ↘️?
SHOWING INTEREST WITH ECHO QUESTIONS

I am fluent in English!
I work in a new hotel.
I have been working in the hospitality industry for ten years.
My son is a doctor.
I arrived at the hotel last night.
I can speak five languages.
The F&B manager is new.
This hotel is magnificent.
The Grammar Goat’s English classes are fantastic!
I went to the Maldives three years ago for a holiday.
ANSWERS
1. Are you?
2. Do you?
3. Have you?
4. Is he?
5. Did you?
6. Can you?
7. Is he?
8. Is it?
9. Are they?
10.Did you?
Normal response

Uh-huh.
That’s interesting.
Oh, I see.
Right.
Stronger response

Really?
Wow! That’s amazing!
That’s incredible!
No way!
You’re joking!
WHEN YOU DON´T UNDESTAND

I don’t understand.
Could you repeat that?
Could you say that again?
What do you mean, exactly?
I’m not sure what you mean.
Can you explain that?
Explain what you mean

What I mean is ...

In other words ...
Expressions Of Interest In English
It is a good idea!
It is a great idea!
That is really interesting!
What a great idea!
I’m really interested in that!
Wow, that sounds amazing!
That is really wonderful!
What a wonderful idea!
2 Situations
• A: Hi Bob, we are going to go to the • A: Amin told his friend, “I won the
beach next Sunday. Would you like to lottery”
join us?
• B: his friend said, “That’s wonderful,
• B: Wow, that is a great idea. I would wow!”
love to.
surprise
• Oh my God!
• Oh my goodness!
• What a surprise!
• Wow, that’s surprising!
• What a wonderful surprise!
• Really!
• I’m so surprised!
• I really didn’t expect that!
example
• A: Najat was out of the city for a long time. Now, she is talking to her father and she
is coming to visit them!
• B: her father says: “what a wonderful surprise! When will you come?”.
Interested
That’s really interesting.
Oh really!
That’s amazing.
That’s very interesting.
Great idea, I must say.
That’s a good idea.
What an idea!
I’m genuinely interested in this.
It seems very interesting.
I appreciate the plan.
What a remarkable finding.
It sounds more exciting than anything else.
Do you really mean it? Can you please tell me something more?
Wow! I’m certainly in.
I didn’t think this way. Thank you for sharing this fantastic idea.
practice
I felt really ill last week.
I´m afraid I have got some bad news for you.
Sorry, but we´ll have to put the meeting off until next month.
I failed my exam last week!
David and Phil really don´t get on very well.
The fire alarm went off in the middle of the night!
I received a really strange email this morning.
I still haven´t managed to contact sally.
I´m worried about my friend, Tony.
I had to go to the dentist yesterday morning.
I’ve hurt my leg!
I´ve just won the lottery!
I´ve just been sacked!
Last week I met Bruce Willis.
I´m going to learn Chinese next year.
I´ll have to go to New York next week.
I don´t feel like going to the party tonight.
I had a wonderful time last night.
Peter is going to split up with Vicky!
I don´t know what to do about my son.
Good News/ Bad News / Surprising
a. Really?
b. That’s brilliant!
c. No way!
d. Poor you.
e. How cool!
f. Oh no!
g. That’s great!
h. I’m sorry to hear that.
i. You’re joking!
MATCH THE FIRST PART WITH THE SECOND PART

1. …… I didn’t know that a. to hear that.

2. …… How b. joking!

3. …… You’re c. you.

4. …… I’m sorry d. you lived in Canada!

5. …… Oh no. Poor e. way!

6. …… No f. cool!
Complete the dialogue.
No/ didn’t know that Really / way /you /joking /that’s/ to
hear
A: It’s so rainy today.

B: Yes, but the weather was even worse when I was on holiday last week.

A: (1)……………………………… ? I (2)……………………………… you were on holiday last week!

B: We went to the beach but we had a horrible time.

A: Oh (3)……………………………… ! You’re (4)……………………………… !

B: I wish I was. The hotel was terrible and the food was really bad.

A: No (5)……………………………… ! I’m sorry (6)……………………………… that. Poor (7)……………………………… .

B: But something good happened. We met some really nice people.

A: Oh, (8)……………………………… great! B: Yes, I suppose it is!

1. Noelia thinks that the weather in the UK is horrible.
TrueFalse
2. Bob has always lived in the UK.
TrueFalse
3. Bob broke his leg in the summer.
TrueFalse
4. Bob still has problems with his leg today.
TrueFalse
5. Bob met his wife when he was in the hospital.
TrueFalse
6. Bob and his wife have been together for 14 years.
TrueFalse
Obrigado
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