Episode 3
Use expressions like these to show surprise when talking to people you know well:
- Oh! Gosh!
- Really? Oh, my gosh!
- Wow! You’re kidding!
- Oh, wow! Are you serious?
- No way! No!
For example:
A: I’m working two jobs this semester.
B: You’re kidding! Two jobs? Wow.
A: I just got married, nobody knows!
B: Really? Are you serious?
A: My sister’s taking her driver license test for the third time.
B: No way!
Now, to keep the conversation going it’s a good idea to ask follow-up questions. We often use follow-up questions to show that we are interested and engaged in the conversation.
To show surprise when talking to people you don’t know well, use Oh! or Really!
A: I’m working two jobs this semester.
B: You’re kidding! Two jobs? Where are you working?
A: I just got married, nobody knows!
B: Are you serious? When are you telling your parents?
A: My sister’s taking her driver license test for the third time.
B: No way! Hadn’t she been practicing for a while?
So, remember to ask follow-up questions to show that you are a good listener. One tip is to remember the question words what, when, where, why, who..?
Here’s an example of how not to have an English conversation:
A: How was your weekend?
B: Pretty good, yours?
A: It was OK.
Unfortunately, the conversation stops here because there’s no natural way to continue it. Now take a look at these examples.
A: how was your weekend?”
B: Pretty good! I went to the movies.”
A: Really? What did you see?
B: Aladdin, have you seen it yet?
A: No, I’m not into animated films.
B: No way! They’re amazing!
A: “Hey, how was your weekend?”
B: “Pretty good! I went to a soccer match with my brother.”
A: “Really? Who was playing?
B: Colombia vs.Argentina. You know, the Copa America match.
A: I know next to nothing about Copa America. I’m don’t care for soccer.
B: Are you serious?
A: Yeah, I’m just not into it.
Listen to episode 3 here:
WeSpeak Idiomas 