Learning how to introduce yourself is an essential part of learning how to converse in English. Introductions are also an important part of making small talk at parties or other social events. Introductory phrases are different than the ones we use to greet friends, but they're often used together as parts of the broader conversation, as you'll see.
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.
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?
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.
In the previous example, Peter and Jane are introducing themselves. Several important phrases that they use in this exchange are:
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...
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...
As you can see in the previous examples, there are a number of different phrases that are commonly used to introduce strangers:
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 phrases to remember include:
Once you're mastered introducing yourself, you can practice your English skills with more exercises, including telling time, shopping at a store, traveling at an airport, asking for directions, staying at a hotel, and eating at a restaurant. Work with a friend or classmate to practice these role-playing dialogues, just as you did for these exercises.
Learning how to introduce yourself is an essential part of learning how to converse in English. Introductions are also an important part of making small talk at parties or other social events. Introductory phrases are different than the ones we use to greet friends, but they're often used together as parts of the broader conversation, as you'll see.
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?
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.
In the previous example, Peter and Jane are introducing themselves. Several important phrases that they use in this exchange are:
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...
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...
As you can see in the previous examples, there are a number of different phrases that are commonly used to introduce strangers:
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 phrases to remember include:
Harry, this is Mary!
Hi!
Hello!
Harry, this is Mary!
How do you do!
How do you do!
Harry, I`d like you to meet my sister Mary.
How do you do, Mary. I`m very glad to meet you!
Thank you. I`m glad to meet you.
Being able to make, change and cancel appointments is an important skill in business English. Here are some expressions you can use in an email to do this concisely and clearly.
Asking for an appointment
(formal situations)
I would like to arrange an appointment to discuss….
Please would you indicate a suitable time and place to meet?
(neutral)
Would it be possible to meet on (date) at your / our offices to discuss…?
(informal)
Can we meet (up) to talk about…?
Suggesting a time
(neutral)
Would Tuesday suit you?
Would you be available on Tuesday?
(informal)
What about…?
Let’s say…
Agreeing to an appointment
(formal)
Thank you for your email. I would be available to discuss…. on (date) at (time and place).
(neutral / informal)
Tuesday sounds fine. Shall we say around (time) at (place)?
Saying a time is not convenient
(formal)
Unfortunately, I will be away on business during the week of July 6 – 11, so I will be unable to meet you then. However, if you were available in the following week, I would be glad to arrange a meeting with you.
I will be out of the office on Wednesday and Thursday, but I will be available on Friday afternoon.
Cancelling an appointment
(formal)
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen business, I will be unable to keep our appointment for tomorrow afternoon.
Would it be possible to arrange another time later in the week?
(neutral)
I’m afraid that I have to cancel our meeting on Wednesday, as something unexpected has come up.
Would you be free to meet early next week?
Apologising
(formal)
I apologise for any inconvenience.
(informal)
I’m sorry about cancelling.
Asking for confirmation
(neutral)
Please confirm if this date and time is suitable / convenient for you.
(informal)
Can you let me know if this is OK for you?
Writing to someone you don’t know
If you don’t know the person, you’ll need to give some background information about yourself or your company.
I am… and I would be interested to meet you to discuss…
I would be grateful if you could indicate a convenient time to meet during this week.
I look forward to hearing from you.
- Can you come over for dinner tonight?
- I'd like that very much.
- Can you come over for dinner tonight?
- I'd like that very much.
- What time should I come?
- What time should I come?
- Come around six, if you can.
- Fine.
- Come around six, if you can.
- Fine.
- Can you come over?
- Can you come over?
- Can you come over for a drink tonight?
- I'd love to.
- I'd love to.
- Can you come over for a drink tonight?
- I'd love to.
- Can you come over for lunch tomorrow?
- I wish I could but I'm afraid I can't.
- Oh, I'm sorry. That's too bad.
- I really wish I could.
Formal
Informal
Formal
Informal
Formal
Informal
Formal
⚡️Pro Tip: These expressions can also be used when you are not ready to speak in English on the phone. You can use this moment to calm yourself and prepare yourself to speak English.
Informal
Formal
Informal
Formal
Informal
Formal
Informal
Formal
Informal
When you make a suggestion, you're putting forward a plan or an idea for another person to consider. People make suggestions when they're deciding what to do, offering advice, or helping a visitor. Learning how to make a suggestion is a good way to improve your English conversational skills. If you already know how to tell time, ask for directions, and hold a basic conversation, you're ready to learn how to make a suggestion! Try out this role-play exercise with a friend or classmate to practice.
In this exercise, two friends are trying to decide what to do for the weekend. By making suggestions, Jean and Chris make a decision that they're both happy with. See if you can identify where the suggestion is.
Jean: Hi Chris, would you like to do something with me this weekend?
Chris: Sure. What shall we do?
Jean: I don't know. Do you have any ideas?
Chris: Why don't we see a film?
Jean: That's sounds good to me. Which film shall we see?
Chris: Let's see "Action Man 4."
Jean: I'd rather not. I don't like violent films. How about going to "Mad Doctor Brown?" I hear it's quite a funny film.
Chris: OK. Let's go see that. When is it on?
Jean: It's on at 8 p.m. at the Rex. Shall we have a bite to eat before the film?
Chris: Sure, that sounds great. What about going to that new Italian restaurant Michetti's?
Jean: Great idea! Let's meet there at 6.
Chris: OK. I'll see you at Michetti's at 6. Bye.
Jean: Bye.
Chris: See you later!
When Jean says, "I'd rather not. I don't like violent films. How about going to 'Mad Doctor Brown?' I hear it's quite a funny film," he is making a suggestion.
Once you've mastered the dialogue above, challenge yourself with some additional role-playing exercises. What suggestions would you make if a friend said to you:
Before answering, think about your response. What will you suggest? What related information should you tell your friend? Think about the necessary details, such as time or location.
If you're being asked to make a decision, that suggestion usually comes in the form of a question. For example:
If someone else has made a decision and they want your opinion, it may be made as a statement instead. For example:
It feels great to receive a compliment. Research shows getting a sincere compliment gives us the same positive boost as receiving cash. The health and happiness benefits of the compliment giver are also well-documented.1 Compliments really are one of the easiest two-way streets available in terms of spreading happiness around you and increasing your own. The more you compliment, the better you feel. Here are a hundred ready-made compliments to try out for yourself.
These compliments focus on the joy, fun, and positive outlook the person brings.
These compliments acknowledge different qualities the person exhibits.
These compliments show that you appreciate the person's abilities.
It is often good to compliment a specific action or achievement.
These compliments focus on how the person relates to others.
These compliments can be problematic as complimenting appearance can come across as flirting, and so they should be avoided in many business and social contexts.
These compliments may be a little too general. As with complimenting appearance, consider whether they are appropriate or may be bordering on being flirtatious.
Start complimenting and find out for yourself how great it makes you feel. If you pick any of these, be sure to personalize it so it truly reflects what you appreciate about the person you are complimenting.