GIVING AND RECEIVING INFORMATION
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from São Paulo."
"Oh really? What part of São Paulo?"
Notice the use of "really" in that example. Its use can allow a conversation to continue through asking an add-on question.
"I'm from America."
"Really? Is this your first time here?"
"I live in South Quay."
"Really? Isn't that close to Canary Wharf?"
"I work as an engineer."
"Oh really? In which field?"
You can also use "really" and follow it with a statement of your own that relates to the other person's statement.
"I'm from Ireland."
"Oh really? My grandfather's family came from Cork"
"I live in Tokyo."
"Oh really? I have a friend in Osaka."
"I am an airline pilot."
"Really? I have a private pilot's licence."
Ask W/H questions and combine them with "really" to find out more information.
"Where are you working these days?"
"I work in Harrods."
"Really? What do you do there?"
"I work in the warehouse, in the Despatch Office."
Asking for Information
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CONVERSATIONAL PRACTICE
Ask simple information questions, using appropriate W/H words.
EXAMPLES:
"How are you [doing] today?"
"I'm fine. Thanks."
"Where is the Boss today?"
"He's gone to a meeting with the accountant."
"What's in the lunch-box today?"
"Corned beef and lettuce [sandwiches], an energy bar and an apple. I'm on a diet."
"Who's that with Gillian?"
"That's the Pastor from her church."
"Why's he here?"
"She asked him for some advice on a personal matter."
Notice the use of abbreviations "what's", "who's", "that's", "why's" replacing "what is", "who is", "that is", "why is". The English like to shorten conversational sentences as much as possible, and so use abbreviations like these to do so.
INTRODUCING PEOPLE
In these examples we will be using three people. Ann knows both Ben and Carol, but they do not know each other.
ANN: Have you two met each other?
BEN: No, we haven't.
ANN: Ben, this is Carol. Carol this is Ben.
(Carol and Ben smile and shake hands, or air kiss if socially appropriate.)
BEN: Nice to meet you Carol.
CAROL: (Nice to meet) you too, Ben.
After you have been introduced to someone new, it is polite to ask a few general* questions to get acquainted.
BEN: Where are you from, Carol?
CAROL: I'm from Zimbabwe.
BEN: Really? Zimbabwe? Which part?
CAROL: Harare, the capital. How about you?
BEN: South Carolina. A place called River Bend. It's a small backwater near Charleston.
CAROL: You've lost your accent?
BEN: I've lived in London for over thirty years.
Notice the use of the statement "You've lost your accent?" as a question. In print this is easy to show with a "?" - question mark. In conversation you must remember to raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence to indicate that this is a query. [Similar to the Brazilian method of asking questions.]
*NOTE When meeting someone for the first time, it is not appropriate to ask certain types of question:
Do NOT ask:
A person's age or birth date.
Their salary.
Their weight.
Their marital status
You MAY ask general questions about the situation:
CAROL: How do you know Ann?
BEN: Is this your first visit?
BEN: What do you do (for a living)?
CAROL: I work as an analyst for IBM.
BEN: Really? How long have you worked for them?
Identifying People and Things
This is Vicky Potter.
That is Doctor Morgan.
Vicky is a writer.
Doctor Morgan is an American.
He is a mechanic.
She is an engineer.
He's a banker.
She's a dentist.
I am a data programmer.
I'm a businessman.
I'm a businesswoman.
I'm not a plumber, I'm a heating engineer.
We are writers.
They are students.
You were a patient of mine.
You are athletes.
This is an apple.
This is a banana.
That is an orange.
That's not an orange, it is a mandarin.
It's a cart horse.
It's not a donkey.
NOTE the use of abbreviations "he's", "she's", "I'm", "that's", "it's"
It is important to practise English conversation every day. Set aside 15 or 20 minutes each day to speak only English. Across the breakfast table, or at lunch, perhaps.
Point to people (with your open hand, not with your finger) and tell (an)other person(s) who they are and something about them..
"This is Sophie. She's a news reporter with the BBC."
"This is Arnie. He was a movie star. He'll be back."
Introduce yourself to a group of people and tell them what you do for a living [your occupation]. 080
"I'm John Glenn. I was an astronaut with the Mercury and Apollo programmes."
"I'm Bonnie Parker. I rob banks for a living."
EXERCISE
Practise with a partner, making these introductions.
With your partner practice pointing to objects and describing them, or asking questions about them.
DISCUSSING FAMILY
Introduce your family
These are my parents.
This is my mother/This is my mum.
This is my father/This is my dad.
This is my husband.
This is my wife.
I have three siblings. My brother, Dom, is the eldest, and I have an older sister, Gladys and then there's Penny, who is younger than me.
[That sentence contains a broad statement and then greater detail. How much you share depends on the social situation.]
I have two brothers. One brother is older than me, the other is my twin.
I have one sister.
I have three sisters. I'm the baby of the family.
Asking about family
"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"
"What number are you?" "I'm the oldest (of three children)."
"How many children do you have?" "We have two. A boy and a girl."
"Do you have any kids?" "No. I'm not married."
Answering questions about family
"She's the youngest of five."
"Barb doesn't have any siblings."
"I'm an only child."
It is up to you how much information you supply in answering questions. In some social situations you may not feel comfortable doing more than answering a question with a plain statement. At other times, giving a little more information, such as a sibling's name, may allow you to expand your conversation. Beware of turning an answer into a long monologue.
EXERCISE
Talk about your family
[If you have a family photograph, you may wish to use it here.]
"There are five people in my family. My mum, dad, older brother, younger sister and me."
OR
"There are five of us. Mum, Dad, Jackie, Diane and me"
[NOTE here "Mum" and "Dad" have initial capitals because they are being used as names (proper nouns). In the previous example they are used only as nouns.]
"My mother is a dentist. My father is a heart surgeon. I have two younger sisters."
OR (while showing a photograph)
"This is my grandma...My dad...And this is me, age nine."
Ask a friend about their family, listen to their answers and ask appropriate, related questions.
"How many brothers and sisters do you have, Rachel?"
"I just have one sister."
"What's her name?"
"Sonia."
"What does she do?"
"She's a student at Keele University."
"What's she studying?"
"Electronics and engineering."
Talking about here and now
1. What is Ms Chan doing now? She is writing a letter. In that case, I'll come back later.
2. What is he doing? He's playing hockey. Is he any good (at it)?
3. What are you doing? I'm reading a book. Is it interesting?
4. Who is singing that song? Frank (is). He's very good.
5. Who is washing the dishes? The children are. You've got them well trained!
6. Where are you going now? To the library, to study. Good luck with that.
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