 鲜花( 101)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
本帖最后由 图书馆 于 2015-11-2 20:53 编辑
0 d+ k: G) i5 g) q- Z5 F2 K# k; v8 i5 G" i7 Y: {/ Z s
How to respond to "How are you?", "What's up?", and other conversation starters- f" a' ^) D- }" h: d, Z$ N
4 J9 p) A k! V& n1 m8 j$ P9 k- AThere are a few questions that English speakers ask at the beginning of a conversation. These questions are simple tools to find out if there are any interesting topics to discuss.( M" A, F9 t1 L+ r7 t
5 F8 V3 r$ d2 _9 h
You've certainly heard these questions, but you might be confused about how to answer. Here's a list of common answers to the questions "How are you?", "How's it going?", "What's up?", and "What's happening?") H3 k1 A4 S# h# ]) [9 Q% T
: u/ ^) B0 f, ~, u: T
How are you?
% h* c6 s3 }) C; m' P4 E1 G+ MFine.
6 q* Q! _+ ^! f# f% d; l
% u, }( r0 D! `+ b! nThis is a simple, straight answer. If you don't say anything else, though, it might be a signal that you don't want to continue the conversation.2 w3 z! N' G1 o0 U: T
/ p& @: q8 \4 `" {, N
Not bad.
. e( F {7 u, T& H3 [8 `9 U8 ~4 f7 i8 }6 D( F* n* ?2 D* {% G
This is a more friendly-sounding answer than "fine".
5 m" U) e \0 j
- T6 }3 |- O3 o. j1 t4 a1 }, f& AFine, thanks.9 s. ^4 A; q) d- n! H
6 H( X0 j* E$ tThis answer is formal. You might answer this way if someone you don't know, like a waiter at a restaurant, asks how you are./ n. q! e6 Q& N7 q1 n8 h Z: p3 [
% m% R. ` `4 B; JVery well, thanks.) W" H* r! s8 ?7 |) \# o7 W3 Z
7 u/ c( w/ W( }- V7 ^
A person who likes to be grammatically proper might answer this way. Technically, the question "How...?" should be answered with an adverb. However, a lot of English speakers don't know or care about this. The people who do are "by the books" types who insist on using grammatically correct language.
& {1 J3 z0 S. U' \
+ P$ Q1 H) ?6 N& E3 S( lPretty good.
; J" `5 ]) [7 x" j1 o1 {; o& X7 R' {% h: ~& _
If you don't care as much about grammar, you can answer "Good" or "Pretty good". It's more common and much, much more casual.
! _+ u2 }; p0 }3 c4 t1 A3 k' y: z( s1 e7 X/ l
Great! How are you doing?9 `' n& ?0 t$ v
) Q; u B. G7 j- t8 W# M: {
This is an enthusiastic, excited response. It's always good to ask a question back to the other person if you want to continue the conversation.
7 n+ j n) `) L: I; D1 D, ~& ]: z$ S9 y+ |! W. |. _
I'm hanging in there. u0 B% }' e2 s6 B8 J
; ?% ~! c: {' F# B
This answer makes it sound like you're having a tough day.
7 X) X: k4 d/ k7 R1 [
) V; m# d8 O7 A ~" bI've been better.
9 Q5 K* k8 W M/ G8 [- N! U( K$ P# `" ~4 Q: x: h) i8 K
People usually give positive answers to the question "How are you?" If you give a negative answer like this one, it usually means that you want to tell the listener your sad story. So they'll usually ask what's wrong:
0 o1 A2 u, @, B4 V$ H, j, ? v
; W6 e3 o; R$ j7 A. H" G& |A: How are you?
; r! O6 T! p) T7 f; V0 }
H0 d- W% Q- V! w% X$ _1 rB: I've been better.5 k) @" _: u; j6 c# j6 F6 y1 v
$ a( a6 g9 y- O& U6 D$ i; U2 V, [
A: What's wrong?
+ ^9 \8 K W9 J9 U5 }1 E- b! ~* \ c) h6 m# I( @" z
B: I just found out that I'm being laid off.
$ ~8 H8 H, u5 s& m Y3 a2 C% z( |3 S; L# A* H' v
How's it going?
. ^" Z" l) u) _This question is similar to "How are you". The answers discussed above all work for "How's it going?" as well.* \$ V" q7 W; E4 D3 I {% n' e# I
; d( B/ N& W8 o3 q! H
Here's another answer that will also work for "How's it going", but not for "How are you?") o4 s d0 ~4 q4 A" i
( k( e# i; P2 ~4 i; L1 VIt's going well. 3 ?* m0 d, v( h$ z3 o9 h4 O i
3 ~( V% P& _/ h( e7 I1 mThis is a friendly, polite answer that's suitable for coworkers, clients, and acquaintances that you haven't seen in a while.
( Z/ W$ \6 {, |2 x! @& g; K) ^: }& y" T6 }
What's up?* Q- x, s# y- ^' t9 p6 }+ ?
This question means "What's happening in your life?" But you don't have to answer honestly. If you don't want to start a long conversation, you can use one of these standard replies:
" _* @: P; U4 ^4 C! s2 U' [* d! F. j" B% t' M8 A; p& K X
Nothing much.
4 \/ ]/ w$ f" W Q% f' T$ m& M. T, M4 b+ Y' F/ G0 \7 X$ @' u/ ^
This is the most common answer. You can follow it by sharing something interesting that's happening: "Nothing much. Just getting ready for Vanessa's graduation."
6 Z, X) s% D1 n5 X
4 t$ i/ H% @ f0 p( _+ MNot a lot.
9 y: B( T, q" X- T( k
# n- Y' o! s3 Q. `, IThis is another really common answer. It's just a bit fresher than "Nothing much" because it's a little less common.+ i' K s4 m/ Q6 Z
% F) B* y1 w; o' F8 X& Q! s
Nothing.' s% ?, S3 F/ g" X7 T K/ U0 x
$ ]+ p$ O. T: \( ^( b& ~- KThis is more to-the-point. It might make you seem a little angry or rude.- ]8 w' Q2 Y" D' H1 w
+ \9 c' A( L+ x- v* x8 AOh, just the usual.
9 E( H+ A3 l D ]' y l' M6 `& C0 N# F
Answer this way if you do mostly the same things each day.
, P, S5 K5 D; r$ U0 w" X/ z0 X+ y. |/ J4 W
Just the same old same old.4 F: ^% y( r' m! t& E
2 ~( P3 _' J7 EThis phrase means that you're doing the same things every day, and you're a little bored of it.
; n' ?7 h3 _) s; x- j- |0 n; t ^1 j# A* z C* m
Oh gosh, all kinds of stuff!
6 c- ~4 l) S9 g. a" e8 L- y n8 V* q+ n* R3 @. [- J" Y
You can answer this way if your life has been really busy and exciting lately./ C N! u4 c ]- F0 t
7 Z5 `! @4 P r/ z
What's happening?
; }9 Z& w/ ]1 k: M9 q7 T4 _: ~This question means the same thing as "What's up" and can be answered in the same way.
. P1 K/ {) [: t, Y* m2 X5 Y# t9 x
; p; e3 o9 H: f- k+ h- ]5 Z2 i$ K, Y9 }9 V5 w7 C4 [& T
|
|