Lesson 1

Formal Greetings: Arriving
 Good morning / afternoon / evening.

 Hello (name), how are you?
 Good day Sir / Madam (very formal)
Respond to a formal greeting with another formal greeting.
 Good morning Mr. Smith.

 Hello Ms. Anderson. How are you today?
Informal Greetings: Arriving
 Hi / Hello
 How are you?
 How are you doing?
 What's up? (very informal)
How are you? / How are you doing?
 Very well, thank you. And you? (formal)

 Fine / Great (informal)
 What's up?
 Not much.
 I'm just (watching TV, hanging out, cooking dinner, etc.)
Informal Greetings After a Long Time
If you haven't seen a friend or family member for a long time, use one these informal
greetings to mark the occasion.
 It's great to see you!

 How have you been?
 Long time, no see.
 How are you doing these days?
Formal Greetings: Departing
Use these greetings when you say goodbye at the end of the day. These greetings are
appropriate for work and other formal situations.
 Good morning / afternoon / evening.

 It was a pleasure seeing you.
 Goodbye.
 Goodnight. (Note: Use after 8 p.m.)
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Informal Greetings: Departing
Use these greetings when saying goodbye in an informal situation.
 Nice seeing you!

 Goodbye / Bye
 See you later
 Later (very informal)
Here are some short example conversations for you to practice greetings in English. Find a
partner to practice and take a role. Next, switch roles. Finally, make up your own
conversations.
Greetings in Informal Conversations: Practice Dialogue
Anna: Tom, what's up?

Tom: Hi Anna. Nothing much. I'm just hanging out. What's up with you?
Anna: It's a good day. I'm feeling fine.
Tom: How is your sister?
Anna: Oh, fine. Not much has changed.
Tom: Well, I have to go. Nice seeing you!
Anna: Later!
***
Maria: Oh, hello Chris. How are you doing?

Chris: I'm well. Thanks for asking. How are you?
Maria: I can't complain. Life is treating me well.
Chris: That's good to hear.
Maria: Good to see you again. I need to go to my doctor's appointment.
Chris: Nice seeing you.
Maria: See you later.
Greetings in Formal Conversations: Practice Dialogue
John: Good morning.
Alan: Good morning. How are you?
John: I'm very well thank you. And you?
Alan: I'm fine. Thank you for asking.
John: Do you have a meeting this morning?
Alan: Yes, I do. Do you have a meeting as well?
John: Yes. Well. It was a pleasure seeing you.
Alan: Goodbye.
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Notes
Greeting someone when you are introduced.
Once you have been introduced to someone, the next time you see that person it is important
to greet them. We also greet people as we leave people. In English (as in all languages), there
are different ways to greet people in formal and informal situations.
Introduction (first) Greeting: How do you do?
The question 'How do you do' is only a formality. In other words, the question does not need
to be answered. Rather, it is a standard phrase used when meeting some for the first time.
 Tom: Peter, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith this is Peter
Thompson.
 Peter: How do you do?
 Mr. Smith: How do you do?
Use these phrases to say that you are happy to meet someone when introduced for the first
time.
 It's a pleasure to meet you.

 It's nice to meet you.
Greetings after an Introduction: How are you?
Once you have met someone, it's common to use standard greetings such as 'Good Morning',
'How are you?' and 'Hello'.
 Jackson: Hi Tom. How are you?

 Peter: Fine, and you?
 Jackson: I'm great.
Introducing Yourself
In this example, Peter and Jane are meeting for the first time at a social event. After greeting
each other, they begin by asking simple personal questions. Working with a friend or
classmate, take turns practicing this role-play.
Peter: Hello.
Jane: Hi!
Peter: My name is Peter. What's your name?
Jane: My name is Jane. Nice to meet you.
Peter: It's a pleasure. This is a great party!
Jane: Yes, it is. Where are you from?
Peter: I'm from Amsterdam.
Jane: Amsterdam? Are you German?
Peter: No, I'm not German. I'm Dutch.
Jane: Oh, you're Dutch. Sorry about that.
Peter: That's OK. Where are you from?
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Jane: I'm from London, but I'm not British.
Peter: No, what are you?
Jane: Well, my parents were Spanish, so I'm Spanish, too.
Peter: That's very interesting. Spain is a beautiful country.
Jane: Thank you. It is a wonderful place.
Key Vocabulary
In the previous example, Peter and Jane are introducing themselves. Several important
phrases that they use in this exchange are:
 My name is...
 Where are you from?
 I'm from... (city, state, or country)
 Are you... (Spanish, American, German, etc.)
Introducing Other People

Introductions in Formal Situations
Introductions can occur between more than two people, for example at a party or at a
business meeting. When you meet someone for the first time, it is common to greet them by
saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you," or "Pleased to meet you." It is polite to respond by
repeating the statement back at them, as Mary does in this example:
Ken: Peter, I'd like you to meet Mary.

Peter: It's a pleasure to meet you.
Mary: It's a pleasure to meet you too!
Ken: Mary works for...
Introductions in Informal Situations
In informal situations, especially in North America, introductions are also made simply
saying, "This is (name)." It is also common to just say "Hi" or "Hello" as a response in this
informal setting.
Ken: Peter, this is Mary.
Peter: Hi. How are you?
Mary: Hello! Pleased to meet you.
Ken: Mary works for...
Common Introductory Phrases
As you can see in the previous examples, there are a number of different phrases that are
commonly used to introduce strangers:
 (name), I don't think you've met (name).

 I don't think you know (name)
 May I introduce you to (name)
 (name), do you know (name)?
 (name), I'd like you to meet (name)
Saying Hello and Goodbye
4
Many people begin and end conversations by saying hello and goodbye to each other. Doing
so is considered good manners in many parts of the English-speaking world, and it's also a
simple way to express friendly interest in whoever you're chatting with.
A simple greeting followed by asking about the other person is all that is needed to begin an
introduction. In this brief scenario, two people have just met:
Jane: Hello, Peter. How are you?

Peter: Fine, thanks. How are you?
Jane: I'm fine, thank you.
Once you're finished speaking with someone, it's customary to say goodbye as you both part,
as in this example:
Peter: Goodbye, Jane. See you tomorrow!

Jane: Bye bye, Peter. Have a nice evening.
Peter: Thanks, you too!
Key Vocabulary
Key phrases to remember include:
 Hello... How are you?

 I'm fine, thank you
 Goodbye
 See you... (tomorrow, this weekend, next week, etc.)
 Have a nice... (day, evening, week, etc.)
 Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word for these formal and informal
greetings.
1. Saul: "I'd like to __________ you to Mary. Mary this is Helen." Helen: "How do you
__________."
 point...do
 introduce...do
 show...go
 give...be
2. Helen: "It's __________ to meet you." Mary: "It's my __________."
 nice...pleasure
 good...pleasure
 great...pleasure
 All of the answers are correct
3. Jason: "I'm going home now. See you __________." Paul: "__________!"
 tomorrow...later
5
 later...later
 soon...sounds good!
 All of the answers are correct
4. Ron: "Hey Jack. What's __________?" Jack: "Not much. I'm __________ watching
TV."
 on...trying
 home...sitting
 going...not
 up...just
5. Hey there, Joe, What's __________?
 going on
 in the way
 on

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Formal Greetings: Arriving

 Good morning / afternoon / evening.

Respond to a formal greeting with another formal greeting.

 Good morning Mr. Smith.

Informal Greetings: Arriving

How are you? / How are you doing?

 Very well, thank you. And you? (formal)

Informal Greetings After a Long Time

 It's great to see you!

Formal Greetings: Departing

 Good morning / afternoon / evening.

Use these greetings when saying goodbye in an informal situation.

 Nice seeing you!

Greetings in Informal Conversations: Practice Dialogue

Anna: Tom, what's up?

Maria: Oh, hello Chris. How are you doing?

Greetings in Formal Conversations: Practice Dialogue

Greeting someone when you are introduced.

Introduction (first) Greeting: How do you do?

 It's a pleasure to meet you.

Greetings after an Introduction: How are you?

 Jackson: Hi Tom. How are you?

Introducing Other People

Ken: Peter, I'd like you to meet Mary.

 (name), I don't think you've met (name).

Saying Hello and Goodbye

Jane: Hello, Peter. How are you?

Peter: Goodbye, Jane. See you tomorrow!

Key phrases to remember include:

 Hello... How are you?

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