Description
Keeping a conversation going
To keep a conversation going it is important to show you are listening and want the conversation to continue.
Here are some things you can say to keep a conversation going:
‘Really’
A: I went to the beach yesterday.
B: Really?
A: Yes, we drove there in the morning and had a lovely day.
‘I see’
A:I usually walk along the path by the river.
B: I see.
A: It’s lovely there in the morning.
‘That’s interesting’
A: My son is a great swimmer, he would swim all day if I let him.
B: That’s interesting.
A: Yes, he’s going to start competing for his school.
You could ask a short question to keep the conversation going:
A: I’m really looking forward to the party on Saturday.
B: Are you?
A: Yes, I think everyone will be there.
We can also repeat part of what the other person has said to link to a follow up response.
B: I live in Paddington.
A: Paddington, that’s very close to the city isn’t it?
Flickr CC: Kevin Dooley
Tear and desert
‘Tear’ and ‘desert’ are words that are pronounced differently to indicate their meaning. The noun tear, which is a drop of fluid from the eye, rhymes with the word dear.
‘She shed a tear when her cat died.’
But when we use ‘tear’ as a verb, meaning to rip, it's pronounced...
Published 06/02/16
Gonna and Gotta
In informal English conversation, we often use shorter, versions of common word combinations.
One of the most common is ‘gonna’ - short for ‘going to’.
When we say the words ‘going to’ very quickly, they run together and sound like ‘gonna’.
So ‘Are you going to wash the car...
Published 05/16/16