回復(fù)問候
除了最初的"Hey"或是"Hello",還有兩種基本的英語問候方式:一種是以"how" 開始而另一種是以"what." 開始。常見的例子有"How are you?", "How's it going?", "How've you been?" 以及 "What's up?", "What's going on?" 和"What've you been up to?"
對于"how"開頭的問候,你可以用形容詞短語的回答,例如"Good", "Great"甚至是"Exhausted!"另一方面,對于 "what"開頭的問候,合適的回答有"Nothing" 或者"Not much."
然后繼續(xù)談話......
然而一個(gè)單詞的回答,可以會(huì)影響你的對話,并導(dǎo)致尷尬的冷場。因此在你"Great"或"Not much"的回答后,你需要繼續(xù)下去告訴別人更多有關(guān)你生活的信息??梢允怯嘘P(guān)你現(xiàn)在正在做的事:"Not much. I'm just out shopping for my sister's birthday gift."
或者,可以是你生活中最近發(fā)生的事情:"Great! I've just started a new job, and I love it!" 告訴別人更多的信息可以讓別人有更多可以回復(fù)的內(nèi)容,而且在某種意義上,這種談話是非常真實(shí)的。
繼續(xù)和開始談話
在對他們最近所做之事進(jìn)行了些評論后,能干的善談?wù)呔湍芾^續(xù)話題并引出更多的對話。例如,如果你的朋友說他換了新的工作,你就可以用"Oh, really?"接著說,然后通過問有關(guān)新工作的話來引出更多的談話: "So what company are you working for?" 仔細(xì)聽每個(gè)回答,和對方分享你的想法并問更多的open-ended questions,或者需要很長回答的問題,而不是僅僅一個(gè)字就對付過去。
遵循這個(gè)例子,兩個(gè)同事在離開辦公室的時(shí)候互相交談:
Tracy: Hey Lily! How's it going? (greet)
Lily: Good. Just headed to meet my husband at the movies. (respond)
Tracy: Oh really? (follow-up) What are you going to see? (initiate)
Lily: Hopefully Lord of the Rings, if it's not sold out. (respond)
Tracy: Oh yeah, the theater can get really busy on Friday night. Good luck! (follow-up)
Lily: Tell me about it! See you Monday. (respond)