Learn English English in Three Minutes Asking About Names

Welcome to EnglishClass101.com’s English
in Three Minutes. The fastest, easiest, and

most fun way to learn English.

Hey everyone, I’m Alisha!

This series will teach you 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 some
new ways to ask someone, “What’s your

name?” including one that you can use when
you’ve forgotten someone’s name.

Now, “What is your name?” was probably
one of the first questions you learned when

you started studying English. I have to tell
you, though, that most native speakers of

English would never say this! In English,
just like in other languages, it is often

more polite to be a little indirect.

Of course, the easiest way to avoid asking
the question directly is to not ask at all!

Just introduce yourself, and most people will
respond by doing the same.

When introducing yourself, simple is nearly
always best. Just say…

“Hi, I’m Alisha!”

To show that you want to know the other person’s
name, just add, “And you?” at the end.

“Hi, I’m Alisha! And you?”

Just like before, take out my name, Alisha,
and put your name in its place.

After you say this, the other person will tell you
his or her name.

Okay, now let’s talk about an embarrassing
situation that happens to EVERYBODY: you’ve

already met this person once before, but you’ve
forgotten their name!

The most polite thing to do in this situation
is to apologize and ask again. There’s a

simple way to do this that’s also polite.

“I’m sorry. What was your name again?”

This sentence is very similar to “What’s
your name?” but it has three important differences.

First, we say, “I’m sorry.” A small
apology can go a long way.

After that we say “What was your name?”

This is just like “What is your name?”
but instead of “is”, we use the past tense

“was”. This is really important, as it
tells the other person that you remember meeting

them. You haven’t forgotten HIM or HER,
you’ve just forgotten the NAME. This little

word makes all the difference!

“I’m sorry. What was your name…?

Finally, we add “again” to the end. This
is another hint that tells the other person

that you remember learning his or her name
before, but you just can’t recall it right now.

“I’m sorry. What was your name again?”

This phrase is appropriate for both formal
and informal situations.

Now it’s time for Alisha’s Advice!

In the United States, it’s normal to address
people by name in conversation more than once.

In both formal and informal situations, it’s
a way to show respect or interest in the other

person, and can help you make friends.

It is also a great way to practice someone’s
name so you don’t forget it!

If you are talking to someone named Ann, for
example, instead of just: “What do you do

for fun?”, you could say:

“Ann, what do you do for fun?”

You can also put the name at the end of the
sentence:

“What do you do for fun, Ann?”

You don’t want to say the person’s name
too often, or it will sound a little strange,

but if you practice someone’s name like
this, you won’t forget it. And people love

to hear their own name!

In this lesson, we learned what to say when
we forget someone’s name.

In the next lesson, you’ll learn what to
say when you want to get in touch with someone,

whether by telephone, email, or even newer
ways to communicate. What’s your favorite?

Let us know in the comments, and join us next
time for the sixth English in 3 Minutes lesson!

See you next time!