Simple greetings General greetings
Greetings For various times of the day
Greeting a person, you haven’t seen in a long
Welcoming someone who has returned
Expressing surprise at meeting someone
After you have greeted someone Concerning a journey or vacation
Expressing your state of health and happiness
Telling how you have been doing—Positive
Telling how you have been doing—Neutral
Telling how you have been doing—Negative
Explaining that you have been busy
Inviting a friend to a drink or coffee
Introducing someone to someone else
When you have just been introduced to someone
After you have been introduced to someone
Asking how someone is
Asking someone how things are going
Signalling the end of a conversation
Ending a telephone conversation
Ending a conversation abruptly
Simple good-byes Taking leave of someone Leaving a place
When someone is leaving on a journey
Making plans to keep in touch with someone
Simple agreement Stating your concurrence
Expressing acceptance Stating that you understand
Making sure you are understood
Disagreeing
Stating simple disagreement or refusal
Stating categorical disagreement
Stating strong disagreement
Stating your disagreement with a proposition
Expressing rejection
Expressing refusal
Stating that someone is wrong
Arguing about the facts
Conversational Encounters
Focusing Attention
Getting someone’s attention
Getting someone to listen to you
Directing attention to an object
Confirming that you are paying attention
Launching the Conversation
Starting an informal conversation
Inviting someone to talk
Coming to the point of the matter
Requesting that the speaker get to the point
Various conversational phrases
Encouraging someone to speak plainly
Noting digressions in a conversation
Repeating what you have said
When someone is being repetitious
Agreeing with a speaker
Answers to “How did you find our?”
Making Friends
Expressing friendship
Commenting on the uniqueness of someone
Commenting on personal similarities
Expressions used to make friends at a bar or cafe
Inviting someone to dance
Approaching the opposite sex
Asking someone for a dare
Turning someone down
Bringing a conversation to an end
Complex Matters
Expressing support for someone
Offering help to someone
Expressing trust in someone
Expressing encouragement
Encouraging someone to try something
Encouraging someone to stop stalling and do something
Expressing dissatisfaction with someone’s efforts
Asking someone to wait
Encouraging someone to be patient and take things slowly
Encouraging someone to be prudent—cliches
Giving advice to someone whose life is too busy
Giving instructions to someone you’ve lent something to
Introducing a secret Instructions about keeping a secret
Promising to keep a secret Forgetfulness
When you are in trouble When someone is in trouble
When you are out of money
When someone is in debt
Expressing stress or anxiety
When you are overworked and doing too much
When someone is anxious and under stress
Encouraging someone not to be offended
Encouraging someone not to be excited
Encouraging someone to relax
Encouraging someone to be less aggressive
When someone is cold and unfeeling
What to say to a smoker?
A smoker s response to a nonsmoker’s complaint
Questions a smoker might ask
Disputes
Criticism of someone with whom you disagree
Calling someone crazy
Questioning someone’s sanity
Asking about the alertness of someone
Encouraging someone to be more sensible
Asking in disbelief or disagreement
When someone says something outrageous
Discussion and Resolution
Asking for an explanation
Encouraging an explanation
When you do not understand someone
When someone does not understand you
Criticizing someone’s misunderstanding
Attempting to put an end to a misunderstanding
Encouraging someone to believe you
Asking to be trusted
Stating that something is settled
Claiming that something is easy to understand
Showing disbelief
Expressing ignorance
Expressing reluctance
Making the best out of a bad situation
Blaming something on fate or destiny
Knowing something alter the fact
Business English Communication Skills
Expressing indifference
Polite Encounters
A preface to asking a question
A preface to making a statement
Asking if someone speaks a particular language
When you do not speak a particular language
When you do not understand what was said
When you do not understand what a foreign visitor has said
Telling Time
Asking the time of day
When you’re moving about may bother someone
Offering to let someone enter in front of you
Apologizing to someone you have bothered
Returning someone’s good wishes
Agreeing to something—polite
Explaining that you will attend to someone soon
Asking for permission to leave a place
Saying good-bye
Business Pleasantries
Announcing your arrival for an appointment
Being assertive
Sincere apologies
Offering a very polite apology
Accepting the blame for something
Admitting your errors
Promising never to repeat a particular mistake
Offering to make amends
Asking for forgiveness
Simple forgiveness
Forgiveness—informal
Encouraging someone to end a dispute
Saying “thank you”—formal
Saying ‘thank you”—informal
Topic and Situation
Acknowledging someone’s thanks
Acknowledging someone’s thanks
Seeing a new baby
Asking about a new baby
Congratulating someone for doing a good job
Wishing someone well
Expressing sympathy at a funeral or wake
When someone is conceited or vain
When someone is overhearing
When someone has been insolent or rude—shocked response
When someone has been insolent or rude—firm response
When someone has been insolent or rude—rude response
Encouraging a timid person
Insulting a coward
When someone argues too much
When someone is being annoying
Inviting an annoying person to leave
When someone is very annoying or hurtful
Getting someone to stop doing something
When someone is making you angry—rude
Asking to be left alone
Describing a bothersome person
When someone has done something wrong—polite
When someone has done something wrong—amazed
When someone has done something wrong—sarcastic
When someone makes an unwelcome intervention
Telling someone to stay away or keep us
Asking someone’s intentions Starting a fight
Asking someone to leave your property alone
Asking someone to stay out of your affairs
When someone is harassing you—angry and direct
When someone is harassing you—rude
When someone is presumptuous
When someone has underestimated your intelligence
When someone interrupts with an opinion
Apologizing—sarcastic
When someone overreacts
When punishment is in store for someone
Explaining harsh justice
Threatening retaliation
Requesting silence
Requesting someone to stop needless talk
When someone is not doing enough
When someone starts trouble
Expressing mock sympathy
Expressing mock sympathy—sarcastic
When you are helpless to help—rude
Guests and Hosts
Asking to visit someone
When you are invited to an informal meal in a home
Asking about an invitation you have received
Apologizing for being late
Explaining why one is late
When you finally arrive after being late
Greetings for visitors
Inviting a visitor to come in
After greeting a visitor
Making a visitor feel welcome and comfortable
Inviting a visitor to stay for dinner
Encouraging a guest to feel at home
Offering a guest, a seat
Steering a guest to a particular room
Encouraging a guest to be independent
Mingling with other guests
What a guest says to a host or hostess

Starting a conversation using the topic of weather
Asking a question to start a conversation
Starting a conversation with someone you know well
Starting a conversation in a waiting room
Talking about the weather
What to say when in a crowded place
Preparing to leave home
Stating when you will return home
Preparing to leave a host or hostess
When departing
Questions asked of departing guests
Saying good-bye to departing guests
Religious expressions
Expressions meaning “almost “
Leaving things as they are
Expressing differences between people
Regarding order and procedure
Describing a messy place
Concerning unity
Concerning nostalgia
Concerning strength
Concerning rigidity of character
Feeling warm or feeling cool or cold
Describing additional unspecified people or things
Concerning cleanliness Concerning surprise
Concerning expectation Concerning a premonition
Concerning being busy
Making an extra effort
Demanding to be given an object
When someone is preparing lor an important event
When someone is dressed up
When you feel you are not wanted?
Regarding something less than what was desired
Describing a reprimand
When something is broken
When something is out of order
On being pushed to the limit of your patience
Beginning a new project or activity
Concerning the deceptively difficult
Concerning the impossible
Concerning futility
When something is unimportant
Starting over again on a project
Personal Matters
Asking if someone is all right
Asking why someone looks so unhappy
Offering someone help and advice
Encouraging someone who is unhappy
When you are depressed
Expressing despair and emptiness
When someone looks very happy
When someone is very happy—idioms
Expressing enthusiasm lor life
When someone is content
When someone is carefree
When someone is resigned to life as it is
Expressing displeasure with something
Asking someone to stop being unpleasant
Dullness and boredom
Dullness in people
Excitement in people
When you feel out of place
Expressing anger
Expressing fright
When you do not know what to say
Difficulty in hearing a car lor music
Hearing loud and soft sounds
Concerning ears or hearing the taste of foods
Offering someone a small portion of food
Expressing hunger
Identifying smells
Physical responses
The sense of touch
Difficulties with seeing
Concerning good vision
Concerning vision and belief
Health and Appearance
When someone is in good health
Observing that someone looks disorderly
When someone looks very bad
Inquiring about someone’s health or well-being
When someone does not look well
Concerning allergies
Allergic problems with the nose and breathing
When someone sneezes
Allergic problems with the eyes
Allergic problems with the skin
Expressing general feelings of illness
Expressing mild discomfort owing to illness
When you feel like vomiting
Describing a pain in the head
Describing dizziness
Describing being exhausted or worn out
Offering care to a sick person
Concerning catching a disease
Questions for the hospital patient
Explaining that your health is improving
Explaining that you are receiving medical care
Explaining that you are cured of a health problem
Family Matters Home Life
Describing family relationships
Family solidarity Asking about a meal Announcing a meal
Instructions given to children in the kitchen
Blessing the food Second servings
Instructing children on good table manners
Asking to leave the dinner table early
Instructing children to finish eating
Concerning a radio or stereo
Concerning furniture or carpeting
Concerning television
Changing the television channel
Managing a television set
Concerning computers
Managing a computer
Taking a nap Going to bed and to sleep
Saying good night,
Commands for a dog Caring for pets

Getting ready to study or do homework
Talking to a child’s teacher
Returning to school after an absence
Questioning a college professor
Asking lor clarification in a college classroom
Asking about classroom examinations
Asking about a classroom assignment
Asking about grades
Meeting children
Concerning a child’s growth and development
Posing questions to children
Praising a small child
Scolding a child
Encouraging a child to be quiet
Asking a child to stop some behavior
Asking a child to leave things alone
Asking a child to leave people alone
Making sure a child understands
Concerning a child’s use of good manners
Asking for a table at a restaurant
Concerning seating in a restaurant
Concerning smoking in a restaurant
Explaining that someone else will join you at a restaurant
Greetings from a waiter or waitress
Questions a waiter or waitress might ask
Reciting special meal offers for the day
When a restaurant is out of some item
Questions asked of a restaurant customer
Requesting something to drink at a restaurant
Requesting attention from a waiter or waitress
Explaining to a waiter or waitress that you are not ready to order
Indicating readiness to order a meal at a restaurant
Asking about specific items on a restaurant menu
Requesting those certain foods not be served to you in a restaurant
Concerning food allergies when ordering at a restaurant
Telling how a steak is to be cooked in a restaurant
Requesting additional servings in a restaurant
Ordering wine in a restaurant
Making a complaint in a restaurant
Asking about the location of a restroom in a public building
Ordering food to be taken out
Requests to have uneaten food wrapped so it can be taken home
When your food is brought to the table in a restaurant
Asking for a diner’s opinion of a meal
A waiter or waitress seeking to be of further service
A waiter or waitress offering dessert
Asking for the bill in a restaurant
About payment for a meal in a restaurant
Concerning the payment of a bill in a restaurant
A bartender asking what you want
Asking what’s available at a bar
Requesting a glass or bottle of beer
Various requests for drinks from a bartender
Special instruction to a bartender
Buying drinks with friends
Charges for drinks at a bar
Expressions used with friends at a bar asking about drinks
Expressions about drinking additional drinks
Asking for a small drink of beverage alcohol
Encouraging someone to drink
Asking about the time chat a bar closes
Encouraging someone to finish a drink
Drinking coasts
When someone drinks too much
Stating that someone is drunk
Stating that you are hungry Asking when a meal will be ready
Asking what is for dinner Stating when food will be ready
Offering someone a bit of food Blessing the food
Concerning passing food at the table
Concerning additional servings of food
Enforcing good table manners
Cleaning up after a meal
Excusing oneself from the table
Encouraging children to eat
Asking about store hours
A salesperson greeting a customer
A salesperson offering help to a customer
Questions a salesperson might ask a customer
Offering merchandise to a customer
Offering additional help to a customer
Finding things in a department store
Shopping for something at a department store
When you are just looking and not buying
Choosing merchandise in a store
Questions a customer might ask in a store
When a customer wants to try on clothing
Encouraging remarks, a salesperson might make to a customer
Asking how a purchase will be paid for
When a salesperson cannot supply exactly what is wanted
When merchandise is not satisfactory
Asking about payment plans in a store
Getting a purchase gilt wrapped in a store
Telephones and Mobile Devices
Answering the Telephone
Receiving communications on your mobile device
Answering the telephone—residential
Answering the telephone—business
Asking whom a telephone caller wants to talk to
Screening someone’s telephone calls
Connecting or transferring a telephone caller
Putting a telephone caller on hold
Interrupting a telephone call with other business
Taking a call off hold
Offering to take a message from a telephone caller
Offering to help a telephone caller
Bringing a telephone call to an end