Greetings English learner!
Just like that, there are many ways to greet and respond to people in English. They depend on a variety of things, like the time of day, the situation, familiarity and even your own mood. Here we’ll look at three types of greetings you can use to spice up your English greetings and responses.
Table of Contents
Interjections: Options Options Options
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It’s always nice to start a greeting with an interjection. An interjection is the starting point of a good greeting. Here are the interjections we’ll use in this article:
- Hello
- Hi
- Hey
- Woah
That’s all we’ll use for now, but remember that there are a lot of interjections for greetings.
Don’t Forget
Check out the course at the end of the article to see more examples of interjections, greetings and conversations. And join our online conversation classes to practice with us live!
Greetings and Conversations
A Warm Greeting: It’s nice to see you.
A: Hello, it’s nice to see you. How have you been?
B: Pretty good, thanks for asking. It’s nice to see you too. I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately, I’ve been really busy with work. How about you, how have you been?
A: Good thanks. I’ve been on vacation since last week. It’s nice to have some free time.
B: Oh nice, I’m jealous! So what have you been doing?
A: Nothing special really. I’ve just been staying at home, cleaning up and watching TV.
B: Haha, sounds like a ‘staycation’ to me.
A: You can definitely call it that! Hey, tomorrow’s Saturday. If you’re not busy why don’t you come over for lunch?
B: Actually, I’m not busy tomorrow so that sounds perfect. What time should I get there?
A: Come over anytime between 12 and 1.
B: Great, I’ll be there. Unless you’re making that horrible stew again!
A: Oh come on! …
A Friendly Greeting: Hey, how are ya?
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A: Hey, how are ya?
B: Pretty good, thanks. I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately, work has been nuts. What’s going on with you?
A: Not much. I’ve been on vacation since last week. It feels good to have some downtime.
B: Oh nice, I’m totally jealous! So what have you been up to?
A: Honestly? Nothing special. I’ve just been puttering around the house, cleaning up and watching TV.
B: Haha, sounds like a ‘staycation’ to me.
A: Yeah, pretty much! Hey, it’s Saturday tomorrow. If you’re not busy you should come over and hang out.
B: Oh sweet, I’m free and clear tomorrow so that sounds perfect. What time should I head over?
A: Anytime after lunch works.
B: Great, I’ll be there around 1 o’clock. Unless you’re just inviting me so I can help you clean up!
A: Oh come on! …
An Energetic Greeting: You look happy!
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A: Woah, you look happy! What’s going on?
B: Haha, thanks! Not much, I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately, work has been insanely busy but I’m on vacation next week!
A: Ahh, that explains it. Well, I’ve been on vacation since last week and I can tell you that it definitely feels good to chill out.
B: I bet, I can’t wait! So what have you been keeping yourself busy with?
A: Not a whole lot, I’ve just been hanging around the house, cleaning up and catching up on some TV shows.
B: Haha, sounds like a ‘staycation’ to me. Well I’m definitely going to use my vacation to be more active.
A: Good for you! Hey, if you’re not busy during your vacation why don’t you come over? We can hang out.
B: Sounds great! I have plans on Monday and Tuesday, but I’m free on Wednesday if that works for you.
A: Like I said, I’m on ‘staycation’ so Wednesday works for me. Come over anytime after lunch.
B: Okay cool, I’ll be there around 1 o’clock but let’s go do something instead of just sitting around like couch potatoes!
A: Oh come on! I’m not that bad …
Be Yourself and Have Fun
Greetings are designed to be fun so you and the other person can feel comfortable talking. So don’t let the details confuse you. The most important thing is to choose some that feel good and practice using them in different situations and with different people. Using a variety of English greetings and responses will make your conversations sound more natural and more fun!
So what are you waiting for? Go on!
Of course there are many more interjections and greetings, so take some time to look them up on your favourite websites – or right here at Onword with our courses and glossaries. And don’t forget about our online conversation classes where you can practice with us live! Hope to see you soon, ciao!
