Introduction

Jazz Chant "Harry, this is Mary"

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• Harry, this is Mary!
• Hi!
• Hello!

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• Harry, this is Mary!
• How do you do!
• How do you do!

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• 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.

Making Introductions (Formal)

If you know two people who haven't met, you can introduce them to each other. If you want to meet someone, you can introduce yourself. Here are some examples of phrases of introduction.

When Introducing Other People (starting with formal versions and moving to informal versions)

• I'd like you to meet Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms./Dr. (last name).
• I'd like to introduce (first and last name).
• (First name), this is (first name).

When Introducing Yourself (starting with formal versions and moving to informal versions)

• I don't think we've met. May I introduce myself?
• Hello. My name is (first name and last name).
• Hi. I'm (first name).

Greeting Responses that Follow an Introduction (starting with formal versions and moving to informal versions)

Greeting

• How do you do?
• I'm (pleased, happy, glad) to meet you.
• (It's) (Nice, Good, Great) meeting you.

Response

• (It's a) Pleasure meeting you.
• (Pleased, Happy, Glad) to meet you, too.
• Same here.

Greeting Responses for People You Know (starting with formal versions and moving to informal versions)

Greeting

• Good (morning, afternoon, evening) (name).
• Hello, (name). How are you?
• Hi. How are you doing?
• Hi, (name). What's new?

Response

• Good (morning, afternoon, evening) (name).
• Very well, thank you.
• Fine, thanks. And you?
• Nothing much.

Introductions (informal)

Introducing Yourself

Here are some expressions that you can use when you are in an informal situation and you want to introduce yourself. You will remember some of the expressions from formal introductions because they include neutral words like 'good morning'.

-Good morning / afternoon / evening*. My name's Matthew Ray.

-Hello, I'm Steven.

-Hi. I'm Susan.

*It is not correct to say 'Good night' when you introduce yourself.

You can also say Nice to meet you / Nice to meet you, too in an informal situation, although it is not obligatory. Some people shake hands when they introduce themselves in an informal situation but others do not. Kissing is not common in Anglo-Saxon culture during introductions.

Introducing Others

There are fewer expressions to introduce another person in an informal situation, compared to formal situations, and some of them are the same. Here are some phrases that you can use.

-Do you know Matthew Ray? Matthew, this is Amanda Heller.

-Matthew, meet Amanda. Amanda, meet Matthew.

-This is my good friend, Jody.

Taking Leave

When you are leaving a person that you have just met, you can use one of these phrases.

-Goodbye. Nice talking to you.

-If you'll excuse me. Hope to talk to you later.

-Nice meeting you. Bye!

Example Conversation

Amanda: Hi, I'm Amanda. I work across the street.

Jody: Nice to meet you, Amanda. I'm Jody. And this is my brother-in-law, Rick.

Rick: Hi Amanda. So, you work across the street? You look familiar.

Jody: That's right. Oh, here comes my husband. Hi honey! Jody and Rick, meet Tony, my husband. Tony, meet Jody and Rick.

Tony: Hi there. Great party, isn't it?

Jody: It sure is! If you'll excuse me. I have to go and help the hostess. Nice talking to you both.

Amanda: Bye!

Arragements

Making an Appointment for a Meeting

A: I would like to make an appointment for a project meeting.

B: Of course, I have Monday or Tuesday available. What day would be best for you?

A: I would like to meet on Monday.

B: Very well then. Are mornings or afternoons best?

A: I want to come in the morning.

B: I will have my assistant check my calendar and get back to you with the exact time. Can you bring me an outline of the project when you come?

A: Yes, I can bring the outline when I come to the meeting.

B: Do you think that we should include the entire committee in the meeting or just our sub-committee?

A: I think that we should have just the sub-committee.

B: OK then, I will make the arrangements for them to attend. Do you know how to get there?

A: No, I need directions, please.

B: Fine, we will make sure that we send you all of the information that you need. See you there!

How to ask for an appointment

The following sentences are ways to ask for an appointment:

• Are you available on Monday?
• Are you available next Monday?
• Are you free on Tuesday? Are you free next Tuesday?
• How does the third sound to you? Can we meet on Wednesday? Can we meet next Wednesday? Would next Thursday be ok?
• What about next Friday? Is next Saturday ok?

How to confirm an appointment

• Yes, Monday is fine.
• Yes, Tuesday would be fine.
• Wednesday suits me.
• Thursday would be perfect.
• Please confirm if this date and time is suitable / convenient for you.
• Can you let me know if this is works for you?

How to say a time/date is not convenient

• I’m afraid I can’t on Monday.
• I’m sorry, I can’t on Tuesday.
• I won’t be able to meet on Wednesday.
• I really don’t think I can on Thursday.

How to cancel an appointment

Sometimes, things come up and we have to cancel a previous engagement or appointment. When this happens, the best thing you can do is apologise and find another time to meet:

• 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?
• 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?

Example of a phone conversation 1

– Hello! Can I speak to Dr. Merissa, please?

– I’m afraid she’s in a meeting, but I can leave her a message.

– I would like to arrange an appointment to see her.

– She is available tomorrow morning.

– I could make it at 11:30.

– I’m sorry, she’s busy at that time. Would 12 be ok?

– Excellent. I will see you tomorrow at 12 then!

– Goodbye!

Learn How to Make a Suggestion in English

What Shall We Do?

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.

Compliments

Compliments on performance

When someone does an activity or task particularly well, let them know about it by saying “You did a great job!”. To make this compliment even more meaningful, make it more specific and mention the aspect that you especially liked. For example “That was a great presentation! I particularly liked the funny examples you used.”

Compliments on appearance

Everyone likes compliments about their appearance, especially if we’ve just bought a new outfit or had a haircut. You can use “I like…” or “I love…” to start compliments about appearance, for example, “I like your haircut” or “I love your hair today”. These phrases work for clothes, too, for example, “I like your skirt”. A great way to continue the conversation is by asking, “Where did you get it?”

Be careful with compliments about appearance, though. Don’t compliment someone’s body or mention their weight unless you know them very, very well.

Compliments on possessions

When you’ve bought something new, it feels great when other people are excited about it, too. For example, if you take out your new mobile phone and a colleague says, “What a cool phone!” it makes you feel like you made the right decision to buy it. Return the favour by complimenting others on nice things they own. If you’re invited to someone’s home, give a compliment about certain aspects of the house that you like. You can make a general statement like “You have a beautiful home” or try something specific like “I love this table”.

Compliments on personal qualities

Compliment someone on their qualities, and you’ll make a new friend! For example, if you like how a work associate is always happy, then tell them. Say, “You are always so happy. It makes my day better!” Use compliments like this for any quality that you appreciate in a person. If you like how organized another colleague is, tell them, “I really appreciate how organized you are. I would love to be as organized as you.”

So, now you know how to give compliments in English. Remember, though, it’s important that the compliments you give people are sincere and not too personal, unless you know the person really well. Try giving someone a compliment in English today and see their reaction. Who knows? You might even make a new friend!