Dont Be Shy How to Start a Conversation in British English

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welcome to English class 101.com British

English in three minutes the fastest

easiest and most fun way to learn

English hi I’m Gina nice to meet you in

this series we’re going to learn some

easy ways to ask an answer common

questions in English it’s really useful

and it only takes three minutes in this

lesson you’re going to learn new more

common ways to ask and answer the

question how are you in English you’ve

probably learned how are you and I’m

fine in textbooks before but in the

United Kingdom people will usually ask

this question and answer it in a

different way

first let’s review if someone says how

are you you can say I’m fine thanks I’m

fine thanks here are some other ways to

answer I’m good thanks this means about

the same as I’m fine thanks I’m good

thanks we also have not too bad you can

use this if you are feeling just okay or

so-so

not too bad

let’s look at our question again how are

you this is the most well known way of

asking how someone is you could use it

when you want to be polite but now let’s

look at some different ways to ask how

someone is these ways are more casual

and much more common first hi how are

you doing hi how are you doing all hey

how’s it going hey how’s it going all in

an especially casual situation you could

say you’re right

you all right

what if you’re not doing alright

although it’s the British way to say

you’re doing fine even if you’re not if

you feel comfortable with the other

person you could also choose to tell

them when you’re not doing fine you

could say not so good not so good

not great not great all I’ve been better

I’ve been better

careful if you say one of these the

other person will usually ask why what’s

wrong then you will have to explain

however if you’re feeling particularly

well you could answer more

enthusiastically fantastic fan tastic

fabulous fab you loose or even and very

well indeed

I’m very well indeed

now it’s time for Gina’s tips because of

the popularity and influence of American

film and media some American phrases

have become common in the United Kingdom

as well how are you doing was originally

an American phrase but these days you

can hear it on either side of the pond

hey everyone

Gina here in this series we’re going to

learn some easy ways to ask and answer

common questions in English it’s really

useful and it only takes three minutes

in this lesson you’re going to learn how

to ask what someone’s hobbies are

without using the word hobbies you’ve

probably seen the question do you have

any hobbies or what are your hobbies

in an English textbook before however

native English speakers almost never use

the word hobbies when asking about them

a much more natural way to ask the same

question is what do you do for fun what

do you do for fun you can also ask what

do you do in your spare time what do you

do in your spare time so how would you

answer this question let’s look at how

native speakers would do it the easiest

way is to say I liked you or just I like

followed by what you like to do for

example if you like watching films you

could say I like to watch films or I

like watching films I like to watch

films or I like watching films and if

you like golf you could say

I like to play golf all I like playing

golf I like to play golf all I like

playing golf you can emphasize how much

you like your hobby by adding a word

like really in front of like for example

I really like watching films on the

other hand if you want to play down how

much you like something you can say kind

of for example I kind of like playing

tennis now it’s time for Gina’s tips if

you don’t have any special hobbies or

you don’t want to be specific

a good way to reply is I like spending

time with my friends and stuff like that

I like spending time with my friends and

stuff like that just use I like and add

spending time with my friends and then

add and stuff like that

hey everyone I’m Gina in this series

we’re going to learn some easy ways to

ask and answer common questions in

English it’s really useful and it only

takes three minutes in this lesson

you’re going to learn how to compliment

someone on what they’re wearing this is

a great way to break the ice and to come

across as friendly and kind when meeting

someone new if the conversation slows

down a little and you can’t think of

anything to ask a good way to get it

restarted is to compliment the other

person if you don’t know them well yet a

safe way to do this is to say something

nice about something they’re wearing or

something they have like a bag or phone

case the way to do this is to say I love

your bag or top or shoes etc

this can sound a little bit feminine so

if you’re a guy you could say I really

like your and then the item a normal

response to this is just Thanks

or if you want to be modest or really

thanks

a great way to follow this up and keep

the conversation going is to ask where

did you get it or where did you buy it

this gives the other person a chance to

talk about the shop country or situation

in which they bought it and from there

the conversation can develop naturally

if you’re complimented and then ask this

question of course the reverse is true

and you have a chance to tell the other

person more about the item and where you

got it the usual answer - where did you

get it or where did you buy it

is something like I got it at the shop

name in and then the town or city this

is appropriate if you bought the item in

the country you’re currently in so the

other person may know of the store if

you bought it in a different country

though its usual to say I got it in and

then the country name you don’t need to

say the name of the store unless it’s

world famous as the other person

probably won’t have heard of it anyway

now it’s time for Gina’s tips in some

cultures it’s considered totally fine

and even polite to ask how much

something costs but in most

english-speaking countries like the UK

Australia and America this is considered

very rude and there’s a question that

can only be asked by very close friends

and even then it’s risky remember not to

say something like it looks expensive or

how much was it when you’re

complimenting something that someone

else owns

a man is picking up his female friend’s

daughter

which one is the friend’s daughter and

sorry to trouble you but could you

please go and pick up my daughter okay

does she know me yes she’s seen you in

photos before so she should be able to

recognize you all right what does she

look like her hair is black and curly

and she’s slim and taller than average

girls okay anything else she says she’s

going to wear a hat that they bought her

it is a white hat with a black ribbon on

it that sounds easy to find okay I’ll go

and pick her up now thank you

which one is a friend’s daughter

a man is picking up his female friend’s

daughter

which one is a friend’s daughter

sorry to trouble you but could you

please go and pick up my daughter okay

does she know me yes she’s seen you in

photos before so she should be able to

recognize you all right what does she

look like her hair is black and curly

and she’s slim and taller than average

girls okay anything else she says she’s

going to wear a hat that I bought her

it is a white hat with a black ribbon on

it that sounds easy to find okay I’ll go

and pick her up now thank you

a man and a woman are talking while

looking at a picture

which one is the woman’s your other I

heard you had a twin brother I didn’t

know that yes but people say that we

don’t look alike see my brother is in

this picture but can you tell which one

he is well I don’t see anyone who looks

like you maybe this one with the cap no

not that one

he has black hair just like mine well

then this tall one no he’s not that tall

I still can’t find him you really don’t

look alike I know maybe glasses are

making it more difficult glasses than

this one

second from left you got it do I

resemble him no not really

which one is the woman Java

a man and a woman are talking while

looking at a picture

which one is the woman Java

I heard you had a twin brother I didn’t

know that yes but people say that we

don’t look alike see my brother is in

this picture but can you tell which one

he is well I don’t see anyone who looks

like you maybe this one with the cap no

not that one

he has black hair just like mine well

then this tall one no he’s not that tall

I still can’t find him you really don’t

look alike I know maybe glasses are

making it more difficult glasses then

this one second from left you got it do

I resemble him no not really

a husband and wife are shopping on the

Internet

when will the vacuum cleaner be

delivered hey what do you think about

this vacuum I think it looks nice are

you going to order it yeah I will it

will take three or four days to be

delivered

we should specify the date how about

next Saturday we’re going to play tennis

early Saturday morning oh that’s right

then sunday is better okay I’ll do that

hey don’t forget to come home early

Friday evening because we’ll leave home

early on Saturday I know

when will the vacuum cleaner be

delivered

a husband and wife are shopping on the

Internet

when will the vacuum cleaner be

delivered hey what do you think about

this vacuum I think it looks nice are

you going to order it yeah I will it

will take three or four days to be

delivered

we should specify the date how about

next Saturday we’re going to play tennis

early Saturday morning oh that’s right

then sunday is better okay I’ll do that

hey don’t forget to come home early

Friday evening because we’ll leave home

early on Saturday I know

a man and a woman are talking which

clock are they looking at and what time

is it

what time is it

oh I’m sorry I forgot my watch today

I see I’m worried that we might miss the

train

oh there’s a clock at the entrance to

the train station good Oh No the train

will be here in five minutes that’s ten

o’clock train right yeah so we’d better

hurry up

which clock are they looking at and what

time is it

a man and a woman are talking which

clock are they looking at and what time

is it

what time is it oh I’m sorry I forgot my

watch today

I see I’m worried that we might miss the

train

oh there’s a clock at the entrance to

the train station

good I know the train will be here in

five minutes

that’s ten o’clock train right yeah so

we’d better hurry up

a man and a woman are talking what is a

woman going to do during the summer

holidays have you already planned your

summer holiday not yet I think I’d like

to go to the sea or the mountains I’m

going to the sea with my friends we’re

going surfing that’s nice

why don’t you come with us that would be

fun yes I’ll go with you

what is a woman going to do during the

summer holidays

a man and a woman are talking

what is a woman going to do during the

summer holidays

have you already planned your summer

holiday not yet I think I’d like to go

to the sea or the mountains I’m going to

the sea with my friends we’re going

surfing that’s nice

why don’t you come with us that would be

fun yes I’ll go with you

a man and a woman are talking how old is

the man now your birthday is really soon

yes it’s the day after tomorrow how old

are you going to be I’ll be sixty years

old

congratulations we should celebrate

thank you very much I’m very grateful

how old is the man now

a man and a woman are talking

how old is the man now your birthday is

really soon yes it’s a day after

tomorrow how old are you going to be

I’ll be sixty years old

congratulations we should celebrate

thank you very much I’m very grateful

did you get it right I hope you learned

something from this quiz let us know if

you have any questions see you next time

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