I must be off now.

PEOPLE AND CAREER

START UP

1. Study what you should say when you meet people:

Introductions and Conversation Openings

A person performing an introduction in a formal situation says, for example Mrs. Johnson, may I introduce Mr. Bentley? Mr. Bentley — Mrs. Johnson.Less formal alternatives to May I introduce...? are (in order of decreasing formality):

Let me introduce...

I'd like you to meet...

This is...

Meet...

The two people who have been introduced both say:

How do you do? — in formal and semi-formal situations;

Hallo — in informal and semi-formal situations.

Pleased/Glad to meet you.

Two phrases often used before introducing someone are:

Have you met...?

eg Have you met my sister? I don't think you've met...

eg I don't think you've met my sister.

If you have to introduce yourself, you may say, for example:

May I introduce myself? My name's Victor Petrov. I'm your guide.

Let me introduce myself.

When two people have been introduced, one of them usually has to start a conversation. One way to do this is to ask a question such as:

Is this your first visit to...?

Have you been here/to... before?

Have you visited/seen...?

How do you like/find (our)...?

(How) are you enjoying...?

Are you finding... interesting/useful?

What do you think of...?

Are you interested in...?

Greetings and Inquiries About Health

When you already know someone, the following formal greetings should be used:

Good morning — until lunch-time (12-2 p.m.)

Good afternoon — until 5-6 p.m.

Good evening — until 10-11 p.m.

Morning/Afternoon/Evening — semi-formal. Used, for example, to neighbours, colleagues and other people whom one sees regularly but does not know well.

Hallo — semi-formal, informal

Hi — informal, used mainly in America. The name of the person greeted is often added.

Greetings are often followed by an inquiry about the other person's health:

How are you? - formal

How are you getting on? — semi-formal, informal

How's life? —informal

How are things (with you)? — semi-formal, informal

The answer may be:

(I'm) very/fairly/quite well, thank you. — formal, semi-formal

Fine, thanks. — semi-formal, informal

Not too/so bad (thank you/thanks). — semi-formal, informal

All right, thank you/thanks. — semi-formal, informal

OK, thanks — informal, familiar

A bit tired, otherwise all right. — semi-formal, informal

Leavetaking

When you want to take your leave of someone it is often necessary to use some introductory sentence such as:

(Well,) I must go (now).

I'm afraid I must be going (now).

It's time I was going/off.

I must be off now.

When you actually leave, you may say:

Good-bye. — formal, semi-formal

(Good-) bye for now. — semi-formal, informal

Bye (then). — semi-formal, informal

Bye-bye. — semi-formal, informal

Cheerio. — semi-formal, informal

See you. — very colloquial.

See you later/tonight/tomorrow/on Saturday/next week, etc,

See you at the theatre/concert/party, etc.

When leaving someone we sometimes want to be remembered to some member(s) of his family or a mutual friend or acquaintance. The following phrases are used for this purpose:

(Please) give my (kind) regards to... — formal

(Please) remember me to... — formal, semi-formal

Give my love to... — informal, for close friends and relations