Effective Responses to "How Are You?" in English

May 6, 2024

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Class Notes: Effective Ways to Respond to "How Are You?"

Introduction

  • Instructor: Teacher Tiffany
  • Topic: Different ways to respond to the question "How are you?" in English, focusing on sounding natural and engaging.
  • Key Objective: To teach students how to avoid sounding robotic and provide responses that native English speakers would use.

Summary of Teaching Points

  • Commonly taught responses, like "I'm fine, thank you" are not typically how native speakers respond.
  • Two effective response strategies were introduced:
    1. Response with a Basic Question
    2. Response with a Connection Question

Detailed Explanation

1. Response with a Basic Question

This involves giving your emotional state or a brief comment on how you're doing followed by a simple inquiry about the other person.

Examples and Usage

  1. Happy response:

    • Example: "I’m doing great, thanks! How about you?"
    • Usage: Use "How about you?" rather than "And you?"

  2. Normal state:

    • Example: "I'm pretty good, thanks. What's new with you?"
    • Usage: "What's new with you?" is used to learn about any recent events in the person's life.

  3. Busy state:

    • Example: "I’ve been a bit busy, but okay. How have things been with you?"
    • Usage: "Bit" emphasizes a slight increase in business.

  4. Stressed state:

    • Example: "Things have been a bit rough lately, but they're getting better. How have you been?"
    • Usage: "A bit rough" suggests going through a challenging period.

  5. Satisfied state:

    • Example: "Never been better! What about you?"
    • Usage: Indicates that the speaker is doing extremely well.

2. Response with a Connection Question

This strategy involves responding and then asking a question that connects to something personal or recent in the life of the person you are speaking to.

Examples and Usage

  1. Upon hearing good news:

    • Example: "I'm doing great, thanks! I heard you got a new job, how's that going?"
    • Usage: Shows you are informed and care about the other person's life changes.

  2. Acknowledging a public post:

    • Example: "I’m pretty good, thanks. I saw your Facebook post about your business, what's the update?"
    • Usage: Reflects active engagement with the person's social media shares.

  3. Recalling previous conversations:

    • Example: "I’ve been a bit busy, but okay. I remember you mentioned working on some projects, any update?"
    • Usage: Indicates you remember details from past conversations.

  4. When knowing personal circumstances:

    • Example: "Things have been tough, but improving. I know your mom had some good news recently, how is she?"
    • Usage: Personalized inquiries showing deeper relationships and care.

  5. Observing behavioral changes:

    • Example: "I’ve never been better. You seem really happy too, any special reason?"
    • Usage: Engages by noticing and inquiring into the other person’s mood.

Conclusion and Additional Resources

  • Students are encouraged to practice these patterns to improve conversation skills.
  • For further learning, Teacher Tiffany’s Academy is available for joining. A free PDF summary of the lesson can be downloaded.

Fun Fact About the Instructor

  • Tiffany revealed that she used to talk in her sleep during university, recalling a funny incident with her friends.

These notes summarize key points and examples from today's class on responding to "How are you?" They aim to help you sound more natural and engaged in English conversations.