Talking About Getting Together with Friends In English

In English there are expressions used when we want to make plans, get out and have fun or "get together" with others. But what does "get gether" means? It means to meet or gather with family members or friends at an informal social gathering.  I am going to take a look at how to apply those expressions in everyday conversations.

Phrases:

"Let's get together..."
"Let's hang out..."
"Let's meet up..."/"Let's meet..."
"Let's do something fun and interesting..."
"Let's join up with..."

Possible Responses:

"Sure!  I would love together."
"I have (other) plans. Maybe another time."
"Sorry, I won't be able to make it."
"Sorry.  Maybe another time."
"I'm sorry, but I will have to take a rain check."
"Sure! When is it and where would you like to meet?"
"Great! Sounds like a plan."
"I love coffee/Chinese food/American food/to shop. Let's meet up!/I'll be there."

Dialog:

Nina is studying for the TOEFL.  She then decides to call her friend Joe, who is also preparing for the TOEFL, to study with her.

The phone rings...

Joe:  Hello.

Nina: Hi Joe.  How are you doing?

Joe:  Good, and you?

Nina:  Not so good.  I am studying for the TOEFL and really having a tough time focusing. I was wondering if you would like to meet up at the library and study together?

Joe:  Sounds great.  I haven't looked at the TOEFL practice exercises for days now.  I am so unmotivated right now.

Nina: Okay. Then let's get together! Can you be ready in a hour?

Joe:  I can be ready in less time.  However, see you within the hour.

Nina:  I'll be in the study area on the second floor. See you then.

Joe:  Thanks for calling.  See you.

Now Your Turn!

Create a scenario using the expressions above.  Call a friend, an acquaintance or family member and make plans to "get together".

You: Would you like to ______________________(expressions above) and have some coffee?

Your friend:  Sure!  I would love to get together! (Use the responses above).

Switch and keep practicing until you are comfortable with the dialog.

Great job today!

Click on the link and image below if you are looking for a text to help you prepare for the TOEFL.

Expressions to Use When Shopping in a Retail Store

Shopping can be overwhelming when you are looking for something specific.  How do you explain to the sales representative what it is that you are looking for, especially when they don't have a large number of that product or item. 

Shopping can be much easier when you are shopping for yourself, but what if you are shopping for someone else, children or a spouse?  Below are a list of phrases that one can use as a guide.

Phrases/Expressions:

When Shopping for Yourself:

"Excuse me? Can you help me?"


"I am looking for a suit/pants/shirt/sweater/skirt/dress..."


"I am a size 3/7/9/11. Do you have this in my size?"


"Do you have this/that in another color?"


"Is this on sale?"


"There isn't a price tag on this. Could you do a price check for me?"


"What is the price for this?"


"Could you tell me the price for this?"


"Do you have a bag/pair of shoes/earrings/hat/... to go with this?"



When Shopping for Someone else:

"I am looking for a shirt/dress/pants/sweater/shoes/... for a 7 year old/for my nephew/for my spouse..."


"I am shopping for my spouse/friend/....  Could you help me decide?"

"I am shopping for my spouse/friend/niece/sister/...  Could you suggest/recommend something?"


When Shopping for an Occasion:

"What do you think would make a good birthday gift for a 40 year old man?/a 4 year old child?/a friend?"


"What would be a good Christmas gift/Mother's Day/Wedding gift/....?


"Do you think that this would make a good house-warming/Father's Day/birthday/... gift?"


"Could you suggest something for a house-warming/wedding/Father's Day/birthday/... gift?

Dialog:

Now let's take a look at how to apply the phrases above in a natural English conversation.

Molly has decided to join a gym and is now shopping for a new pair of workout shoes.

Molly walks into the shoes store...

Sales Agent: Welcome to the Shoe Lockers.  Can I help you?

Molly:  As a matter of fact, yes.  I am looking for a comfortable pair of workout shoes.

Sales Agent:  What size are you?

Molly:  I am a size 7. 

Sales Agent:  What kind of exercise will you be doing?

Molly:  Well, I will be doing some high impact aerobics, jogging outdoors and on the treadmill.

Sales Agent:  In that case, you need something with good  traction and fit.  More so, something that absorbs shock is good. Here, try this on.

Molly:  This fits comfortably, but it doesn't quite fit.  It's a little big for my feet. Do you have something in probably a 6 and a 1/2 ?

Sales Agent:  We do carry half sizes in that brand.  Give me a minute...

Molly:  No problem.

Sales Agent:  Here you go... This should do the trick.

Molly:  These fit perfectly.  Sometimes I wear a half size bigger or smaller depending on the make of the shoes.

Sales Agent:  That's pretty common, because every brand of shoes is made differently.

Molly:  I like this pair; however, do you have it in another color?  I would prefer anything but pink and grey.

Sales Agent: As a matter of fact, we do carry that pair in a dark blue with white trimmings.

Molly:  Great!  That's actually my favorite color. I will take that.

Sales Agent: Great! I will ring that up for you.

Molly: Thank you very much.

Now your turn!

Create your own dialog using the expressions above and the outline below as a guide.

You: Excuse me? Can you help me?

Your friend:  What are you looking for?

You:  I am looking for a ____________ (describe what you are shopping for).

Your friend:  We have that in red/pink/white/blue/...and a size 5/6/7/...  (use the expressions above).

Keep the dialog going for as long as you can and then change roles.

Great Job Today!

Talking About What You Do

In social settings we are often asked about what we do.  This usually refers to one's job or occupation.  There are a number of things that one can say whether you are talking about what you do or inquiring about what someone else does.

Phrases/Expressions when giving information about your job:

"I'm a teacher/lawyer/technician..."

"I'm a professional student/student."

"I'm a stay-at-home mom."

"I oversee the technical department."

"I am a self-employee."

"I work from home."

"I sometimes work from home and the office other times."

"I travel (sometimes/a lot/...) for my job/work."

"I am usually away from the office."

"I primarily run my real estate business out of my home."

"I mainly work as a customer service representative."

"I work part-time/full-time as an office manager/teacher/internet technician..."

Phrases/Expressions when inquiring about what someone does:

"What does your job involve/entail?"

"What do you do (for a living).?"

"What does IT/... mean?

"What do podiatrists/prosecutors/... do?"

"Do you work full-time/part-time?"

"Are you a full-time/part-time employee?"

"Do you travel for your job/work?"

"Do you travel a lot?"

"Do you work from home or the office?"

"What are your responsibilities?"

"Does your job pay well?"/"What's  your annual salary?" (This question can be quite personal depending on the person and the job).

"Do you get a lot of time off or a lot of vacation days?"

"Do you tend to take (a lot of) time off?"

"Do you study or do you work?"

"Do you work and go to school (part-time)?"

"Are you a full-time/part-time student?"

"What's your major?"

"What are you majoring in?"

"What subject are you studying/majoring in?"

"How long have you been in school?"

"What university/college are you going to?"

"When do you graduate?"

"What do you want to do when you graduate?"

"How did you choose/decide on your major?"

"Why did you choose that school?"

"Is the tuition high/a lot?"

"Are books/texts/text books costly?"

"What are your grades like?"

"Do you like university/college life?"

"Do you live at home/on/off campus?"

"What is student life like (in university/college)?"

DIALOG:

Now let's take a look at another way to use the expressions above.

Jiao was on her way to her 10AM lecture when John stopped her to ask for directions.

John:  Excuse me.  Do you know how to get to room 301?

Jiao:  Yes, I am heading to my 10 o'clock lecture in room 304B.  You can follow me if you like.

John:  Thank you.  I would really appreciate that.

Jiao: Are you new here?

John:  Yes, I am. It's my first year here. How about you?

Jiao:  This is my last year here. I am graduating in June of next year.

John:  That's great! Good for you.  What's your major?

Jiao:  Thank you. I am majoring in business finance and political science.  How about you?

John:  I am majoring in Internet technology.  However, I did my masters in business 10 years ago at Harvard.  I just wanted to get out of the workforce and do something a little different.  To be honest, I just needed a change.

Jiao:  That's also impressive.  That means you have a lot of work experience!  What did you do?

John:  Well, I was the Chief Financial Officer for GE; General Electric.  Which is a Fortune 500 company. 

Jiao:  What does a Chief Financial Officer do?

John:  I was in charge of finance, so that means training the finance unit and other staff members about finance management matters, developing new business for the company, overseeing all purchases and payroll and so on. It was a lot of responsibility.  I was always in the office.

Jiao:  Wow... It sounds like it!  But I am sure you were paid well.

John:  Yes, I had a six figure salary. What do you plan to do with your business finance and political science major? 

Jiao: I want to do what you did.  However, right now I am looking forward to completing my masters in business.   Here we are!  There is room 301.

John:  Thank you for your help.  It was nice talking to you.

Jiao:  No problem.  See you around. 

John: Bye.

Now  Your Turn!

Create a dialog using the phrases and dialog above as a guide.

You: What do you do?

Your friend: I'm a __________ (job/student).

You:  Where do you go to school?/What does that entail?

Your friend:  _______________ (describe your job/major/student life).

Switch roles and continue.  Try to keep the dialog/conversation going for as long as possible.

Vocabulary Review:     

six figure salary - Refers to a job that pays at least 100 000 dollars.  It's called "six figures" because there are six figures to the left of the decimal place.

oversee - Means to watch and direct usually a project or a task.

in charge of - Means to be responsible for something.

To be honest - Means "honestly" or just another way to be direct or frank with someone.

entail - Means involve.

See you around - It means to see you again sometime or in passing.  You can also say "see you later" in place of it.  However, keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily mean that you will see the person again.

Great job today!

Talking About Routines

It's commonplace  in the American culture for one to talk about routines or a typical day or week.  This topic of conversation is a great way to make small talk; thus, a common way to sum up a typical day in a casual conversation.  A routine is a habitual or ongoing task/chores completed regularly/often. We can describe these 'routines' by using adverbs of frequency and infrequency like, 'always', 'usually', 'sometimes', and so on.

Adverbs of Frequency:

usually
always
frequently
constantly
typically
regularly
predominantly
generally

Adverbs of Infrequency:

Sometimes
rarely
never
seldom
occasionally
from time to time
every now and then
intermittently
once in a blue moon
hardly ever

Dialog:

Now let's take a look at how to use the frequency and infrequency adverbs listed above in a basic English conversation.

Lilly and Jill are studying for a math test.

Lilly:  I am so tired, Jill.  I  have had three tests this well and I will have one more next week and two essays that I am still researching.  I am so behind...

Jill:  That is hectic.  My schedule is no different, but that's just university life. However, keep in mind that that's a typical week for most university student.

Lilly: That's true!  Out of curiosity... What's a typical day like for you?

Jill:  A typical day... Let me think.  Hmmmm... Well, a routine day for me begins at 7:00AM.  I always get up at 7:00AM and brush my teeth and shower immediately afterwards.  After that, I usually eat breakfast at 7:30AM, then get dressed for work.  I am generally out of my house by 8AM, because my first lecture begins at 8:30AM and it takes me about 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at school by bus.  The first lecture goes until 9:30AM and the second begins at 10:00AM and goes until noon, and it goes like that until 3:00PM. 

Lilly: Wow... That's quite a busy school day.

Jill: I know.  Then we always meet at the library and study until 5:00PM.  I typically arrive home at 5:00PM and then eat dinner at 6:00 sometimes 6:30PM. My parents and I usually sit down around 7:00PM and watch television, play a game and catch up on our day. Finally, I take another shower, brush my teeth and head to bed by 8:30PM. That's a typical day for me!

Lilly: And it starts all over again. I am tired just listening to that! A routine school day for me is not very different, however, I am not usually up until 8AM and I always arrive at school by 9:25AM, just in time for my 9:30AM lecture.  My lectures also go until 3:00PM and I we usually meet in the library and study until 5:00PM together.  However, after I leave the library I usually go to my part-time job downstairs in the school bookstore until 8:00PM and I am usually in my dorm around 8:15PM.  Then I microwave the frozen food my mom makes for me.  Finally, I take a shower, brush my teeth and then hit the hay typically around 10:00PM.

Jill:  I have come to realize that we need more fun in our lives. (Laughs).

Lilly: I second that! I never have any fun during the school year... (Laughs).

Now your Turn!

Verbs to describe your daily routine:

brush teeth
brush my hair
wash my hair
make breakfast
eat breakfast
take a shower
drive to work
get dressed
work out/exercise
order lunch
make lunch
play sports
go for a walk
go shopping for grocery
make dinner
prepare dinner

Use the dialog and vocabulary above as a guide to answer the questions above.

What's your daily routine?

What's a typical day like for you?

What's a typical weekend like?

What's your job?

What's your major?

When do you leave  home?

When do you return home?

Great job today!

How to Wish Someone Well for the Holiday Season

It's that festive time of year again when everyone around the world celebrates the end of the old year and beginning of the new year.   In the Western and Eastern culture a variety of celebrations take place like Diwali, American Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, Chinese Lantern Festival, Rosh Hashanah, and so on. This is the time of year when family and friends get together to celebrate the holidays home and abroad.  If you are someone who lives in the Western culture or has friends from or in other countries, you may want to wish them well for the holiday season; but is unsure of what to say or how to say what you want to say. Below is a list of phrases that you can use to wish someone well for the holiday season.

Politically correct/Generic Term:

"Happy holidays!" (This includes all  holiday celebrations).

"I wish you all the best for the holidays."

"Seasons greetings!"


More Specific Phrases:

"Happy Thanksgiving!" (A celebration of harvest).

"Merry/Happy Christmas!" (Is a Christian holiday greeting. "Happy Christmas" is used in both America and Britain; however more so in Britain).

"Merry/Happy X-mas." (A shorten or informal Christmas greeting).

"Happy Hanukkah!" (A Jewish holiday greeting).

"Happy Kwanzaa!" (An African-American celebration of family and community).

"Happy New Year!"


Dialog:

Now let's look at how to use the vocabulary above in a typical English conversation.
As Terry and Maya wrap-up for the holiday season; Terry hands Maya a Christmas card. 

Maya: Thanks Terry!  I am so sorry, but I did not get you anything.

Terry: Don't worry about it. This is my way of playing "Santa". We have only worked together for 5 months, plus you are new to the company.  I have been making homemade cards for my co-workers for 3 years now.

Maya: That's really nice of you! Let me take a look at your handy work! (She opens the envelope and reads the card). "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Season's greetings".  I love the illustration. This is really great!  However, I don't celebrate Christmas.

Terry:  Oh, I am so sorry!  I didn't think to ask.

Maya: That's okay.  Most people assume that I do.  I am a Christian, but I just don't celebrate Christmas.  I celebrate Kwanzaa.

Terry: I've heard of Kwanzaa; however, I am not sure what entails.

Maya: Kwanzaa means the first fruits of celebration. It's a 7 day celebration which begins December 26th and ends January 1st, annually.  It is celebrated with the lighting of 7 candles in a candle holder or kinera.  The focus is family and community; there is a feast, gift giving and of course great food! (laughs).

Terry:  It sounds wonderful. It sounds a lot like Christmas; but different... Well, for Christmas I will be volunteering at the homeless shelter.  I would like to invite you.

Maya.  Thank you. Let me check my calendar and call you tomorrow. I have gotta' run. Thanks for the card!

Terry:  You are welcome! I am looking forward to that phone call!

Maya: You can hold me to that! Bye.

Terry: Bye.

Now your Turn!

Use the phrases above to role play with a family member or friend!

You: What are you doing for the holiday season?

Your friend/family member:  I am ________________ (respond by stating what your plans are).

You:  That sounds great!/(other adjectives). (If it's a holiday celebration as for your friend to explain the meaning of the holiday).

Your friend/family member: Thank you!/(Respond to the explanation).

Great job today!