Page 59 - English Vocabulary in Use (Pre & Intermediate)

2.6 Specific situations and special occasions

You will know many of these expressions but may not be sure exactly how they are used.

Greetings: ‘hello’
Hi/Hello. How are you? This is the normal greeting when you meet someone you
know. (also: How’s it going? infml) The usual reply is: Fine
thanks. And you? Or possibly, Not bad. How about you?
Good morning, good These expressions are used at different times of the day (most
afternoon, good evening —_— people say Good morning until lunchtime). British people
do not usually say Good day, but Australians do.
How do you do? For formal situations when you meet someone for the first
time. The reply can be the same (How do you do?) or
Pleased/nice to meet you.

Farewells: ‘goodbye’
Nice to meet you. For formal situations, when you say goodbye to someone you
(Nice to have met you.) have just met for the first time.
Bye. See you later. If you plan to see someone you know later the same day.
Bye. See you soon. When you know you will see them again, but have no specific
plans to meet them.
Goodnight When you say goodbye to someone late at night, or if you (or
they) are going to bed.
A: Have a nice weekend. The statement and reply when you say goodbye to a colleague/
B: Yes. Same to you. friend at work, school or college on Friday afternoon.

Happy occasions and celebrations

Happy Birthday To someone on his/her birthday. You can also say Many Happy
Returns, and write either expression in a birthday card.
Happy/Merry Christmas To someone just before or on Christmas Day. You also write
this in a card.
Happy New Year To someone at the beginning of the year.
Congratulations To someone who has just done something, e.g. passed an exam
or got a job. In many situations we can also say Well done.

Special conventions
Excuse me (a) To get someone’s attention (b) When you want to get past, e.g. ina
crowded place (c) To tell others you are going to leave the room.
Sorry (a) To say sorry, e.g. you stand on someone’s foot. You could also say I
beg your pardon in this situation. And (b) When you want someone to
repeat what they said.
Cheers To express good wishes when you have a drink with other people.
Informally it can also mean ‘goodbye’ (also cheerio) and ‘thank you’.
Good luck To wish someone well before a difficult situation, e.g. a job interview, an
exam, a driving test, etc.
Bless you To someone when they sneeze. They can reply by saying Thank you.
Note: In English there is no special expression when people start eating. If you want to say
something, you can use the French expression Bon appetit, but it is not common.

56 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate)