Meeting People- Questions

Meeting people and meeting people again questions

Choose some questions from below that are suitable to ask your teacher, depending on how well you know them: 

• How was your week?/ Did you have a good week?/ Been busy?
• What (exactly) do you do?/ Who do you work for?/ What does your company do?
• Could I ask your name?
• Sorry, what was your name again?
• Terrible weather, isn’t it?
• How’s your family/ girlfriend/ boyfriend?
• How’s your love life?
• Do you have any plans for the weekend?
• Do you come here often?
• How long have you been coming here?
• May I introduce myself? ...
• What are you working on/ studying at the moment?
• Did you get much done this week?
• Did you see/ hear about…?
• Did you have any trouble getting here?
• Is it going to rain/ snow (do you think)?/ Did you hear the weather forecast (for today/ tonight/ this weekend)?
• Are you married?/ Do you have any children?
• Is there anywhere good to eat around here?
• Do you mind if I ask how old you are?
• How are you (today)?
• How are you feeling?

Do the same with your partner, again thinking carefully about how well you know them.

With your partner, discuss which questions above are particularly suitable for and unsuitable for:

• strangers
• acquaintances
• colleagues
• other colleagues
• close friends

What other questions and phrases can we use when we meet people for the first time and meet people again (e.g. “It’s so nice to see you again”)? Brainstorm them into the boxes below.

Meeting people for the first time phrases	Meeting people again phrases

Listen to your teacher reading out such phrases and hold up a card showing whether you think they are suitable the first time you meet (“First time”) or when you meet someone who you already know (“Again”).

Listen again and write the phrases down in one of the two boxes above.

How often do you need to speak English when you meet people? Which of the questions and phrases are most useful for you, do you think?

How much do you need to study language for meeting people? Are there are kinds of functional language which are more important for you?

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Suggested answers

• How was your week?/ Did you have a good week?/ Been busy? – friends or colleagues
• What (exactly) do you do?/ Who do you work for?/ What does your company do? – strangers and acquaintances
• Could I ask your name? – strangers (with acquaintances it would need to be something like “I don’t think we’ve ever been properly introduced”)
• Sorry, what was your name again? – strangers or acquaintances
• Terrible weather, isn’t it? – anyone, but maybe not young people with their friends
• How’s your family/ girlfriend/ boyfriend? – friends, and colleagues and business contacts you know well – but only if they have mentioned such people before
• How’s your love life? – friends
• Do you have any plans for the weekend? – colleagues, friends and business contacts you know fairly well
• Do you come here often? – no one (it sounds like a chat up line)
• How long have you been coming here? - acquaintances
• May I introduce myself? ... – strangers
• What are you working on/ studying at the moment? – colleagues/ business contacts
• Did you get much done this week? – friends, and colleagues and business contacts you know well
• Did you see/ hear about…? – anyone
• Did you have any trouble getting here? – anyone who visits your office or home
• Is it going to rain/ snow (do you think)?/ Did you hear the weather forecast (for today/ tonight/ this weekend)? – anyone, but probably not as a conversation starter
• Are you married?/ Do you have any children? – no one
• Is there anywhere good to eat around here? – only people you know well (otherwise it could sound like a chat up line), or business contacts when you visit their office
• Do you mind if I ask how old you are? – no one
• How are you (today)? – only people you know (although “How are you?” can be used as a very informal alternative to “Nice to meet you”)
• How are you feeling? – only people you know well

 

Meeting people for the first time phrases	Meeting people again phrases
Nice to meet you How do you do? Pleased to meet you. It was nice to meet you. Are you new here? May I introduce myself? We haven’t met, have we? I don’t think we’ve been introduced. Do you mind if I sit here? Is this seat free? I’ve heard so much about you. Thanks for inviting me to…	Long time no see. Good to see you again. Hello again. I almost didn’t recognise you. Have you changed your hair? You haven’t changed at all. Welcome back.