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本帖最后由 图书馆 于 2015-11-2 20:53 编辑 8 h( C! j) a* o) b1 A+ |4 q
l( |& Y+ b8 U2 x3 tHow to respond to "How are you?", "What's up?", and other conversation starters" K" ?5 F. m3 Z1 B( M
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There are a few questions that English speakers ask at the beginning of a conversation. These questions are simple tools to find out if there are any interesting topics to discuss.
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You've certainly heard these questions, but you might be confused about how to answer. Here's a list of common answers to the questions "How are you?", "How's it going?", "What's up?", and "What's happening?"( t; \6 d% T2 k# A3 ^
& d' r [3 M# w$ b) ~- G7 z+ QHow are you?: i) y+ c: b }4 r: f) H, v/ X3 m
Fine.
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$ r& i5 F4 ?0 Y8 }* }8 JThis is a simple, straight answer. If you don't say anything else, though, it might be a signal that you don't want to continue the conversation.
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Not bad.
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This is a more friendly-sounding answer than "fine".! ^/ ~7 J* v H# `( c& A2 l% Z
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Fine, thanks.0 `) ~4 [# H+ D$ f
4 N6 \: {8 @' d7 {+ T, jThis answer is formal. You might answer this way if someone you don't know, like a waiter at a restaurant, asks how you are.$ c, K$ A5 @. y' q1 |
@: d, g o# y& Z: DVery well, thanks.6 Y9 m q; z9 H0 U
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A person who likes to be grammatically proper might answer this way. Technically, the question "How...?" should be answered with an adverb. However, a lot of English speakers don't know or care about this. The people who do are "by the books" types who insist on using grammatically correct language.- k" @$ x/ O' c+ B2 W4 D' Q" A
3 V& d& \) j! d/ T# cPretty good.7 A( @/ P+ f2 ?, O- J* x
$ n6 r5 y+ `) [. {6 RIf you don't care as much about grammar, you can answer "Good" or "Pretty good". It's more common and much, much more casual.
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" i* V7 O% S8 x, a* L. ~& h7 NGreat! How are you doing?3 z8 `5 R! E1 m+ M- A1 o* j
$ C" n9 x R; lThis is an enthusiastic, excited response. It's always good to ask a question back to the other person if you want to continue the conversation.& Z# R* ]+ f4 ~) N4 q! i
1 W! m0 A" k$ g$ SI'm hanging in there.
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This answer makes it sound like you're having a tough day./ |. m) @5 h% g. P& c8 V
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I've been better.
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% X" Q. y+ q" B( k2 h0 lPeople usually give positive answers to the question "How are you?" If you give a negative answer like this one, it usually means that you want to tell the listener your sad story. So they'll usually ask what's wrong:
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A: How are you?* u( d- _( g6 a- K% ~6 G$ s
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B: I've been better.
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A: What's wrong?
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0 P1 n, U- G' ~B: I just found out that I'm being laid off.' g+ V' Y, u1 t! `/ z( a
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How's it going?
9 A; ?! x# G# ?$ G3 n4 OThis question is similar to "How are you". The answers discussed above all work for "How's it going?" as well.
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' Y4 j1 N8 x; r2 O7 ZHere's another answer that will also work for "How's it going", but not for "How are you?"; O, U8 c9 H9 s1 C* o
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It's going well. ( Q2 e8 G; W# K' J4 H% Y
4 o, A7 w# K* UThis is a friendly, polite answer that's suitable for coworkers, clients, and acquaintances that you haven't seen in a while. 4 n$ l$ m+ K6 \; _# U
$ ]/ u$ W; L2 ^What's up?
6 g+ J2 `8 U1 f% x. @/ I4 @This question means "What's happening in your life?" But you don't have to answer honestly. If you don't want to start a long conversation, you can use one of these standard replies:9 E+ v6 O5 ~9 f) l
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Nothing much.; {# @4 c# `2 t) M9 M2 Q
% K" t, M, ?3 S# N/ |/ H2 y1 YThis is the most common answer. You can follow it by sharing something interesting that's happening: "Nothing much. Just getting ready for Vanessa's graduation.": w/ l8 N! G. m8 ^& |$ C% z
! w; ~0 f$ |! B: Z7 QNot a lot.% F% y3 H; c! S; l- B
& l: C, m( }: D% ~4 V& r6 `# pThis is another really common answer. It's just a bit fresher than "Nothing much" because it's a little less common., q$ F0 x7 J3 j6 p3 k- ]
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Nothing.) @; j. \7 w/ U& P, S( M
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This is more to-the-point. It might make you seem a little angry or rude.- R c7 O* p) k- x
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Oh, just the usual.* c; c( D1 {" {/ H+ \/ c0 ~& j! S
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Answer this way if you do mostly the same things each day.
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Just the same old same old.
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This phrase means that you're doing the same things every day, and you're a little bored of it.
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& F( @$ [$ h U! m/ x; w' H( L* `Oh gosh, all kinds of stuff!! u3 n& g0 s% }
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You can answer this way if your life has been really busy and exciting lately.* {2 G' j Q8 G2 W# z5 P- Q
" D ?7 E8 b E6 m7 n9 j1 SWhat's happening?
) u8 |+ A4 ?) d# t9 ]2 }This question means the same thing as "What's up" and can be answered in the same way.: S6 U; h* K$ R+ O6 _/ B& a
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