UNIT 1

Greetings and Introductions

General Objective : To meet people in business and get to know them
Specific Objectives : To introduce yourself and other people
: To practice small talks
To address people
Grammar Points : Sentences pattern with BE

The structure of an introduction is like this:

a. First Meeting:
Identification Company Information
Formal:
Good morning**, I'm . . . I'm from . . .
Hello, my name is . . . I work for . . .
I'm with . . .
I'm in charge of . . .
I'm responsible for . . .
Informal:
Hi, I'm . . . from . . .
** morning/afternoon/evening

b. Response to Introduction:

• Initial Greeting
Formal:
How do you do? I'm pleased to [finally*] meet you.
It's nice to [finally*] meet you.
Informal:
Hi, Nice/good to meet you.
Hello, Pleased to meet you.

• Response to the Greeting

Formal:
How do you do? It's nice to meet you too.
I'm pleased to meet you too.

• Informal:
How do you do? Nice/Good to meet you too.
Hello, Pleased to meet you too.
Hi, (very informal)
* finally makes the greeting more cordial and friendly

c. Follow up with the initial response from the host might include:

• Formal:
Please have a seat. Please join us at the table.
Please take a seat. Can I get you a drink?*

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 • Informal:
Have seat. Sit over here.
Take a seat. Would you like a drink?*
Please sit.
* It is polite in many countries to offer tea or coffee to even an unscheduled
guest. Later in the day, in certain countries or in a less informal setting, alcohol
might be offered.

Situation: Ms. Anderson arrives at the Bangkok Post to meet the circulation director
Khun Suwat.
A. FORMAL DIALOGUE B. INFORMAL DIALOGUE
Anderson : Good morning, I'm Janet Anderson Anderson : Hi, I'm Janet Anderson
from JiffyTransport Company. from Jiffy Transport.

Suwat : How do you do? I'm pleased to

finally meet you. Please have a Suwat : Welcome, come have a
seat. seat.
NOTE: You can easily see that less formal dialogues tend to be shorter and use ellipsis
(leave out parts of the sentence). Look at the differences in the formal and informal
dialogs above to note how one is different from the other.

INTRODUCING THIRD PARTIES:

1. Introduce your guest : May I introduce Mr. Jonathan Spencer from

Citibank?
2. Introduce the other person : Mr. Spencer, this is Maria Stephenson.
to your guest
3. Describe the other person's : She's responsible for international logistics
job function

Note:
When we introduce other people, we say their names and usually give other information—
what company they are from, what they do, where they work, and so on.

Formal:
May I introduce (name) from (company)?
Informal:
I'd like you to meet (name) from (company).

Formal: Job Function

She's responsible for pricing our underwriting business
He's in charge of negotiating our shipping rates
I'm** training our sales representatives
Informal: our purchasing department
takes care of hedging our raw material costs.

** you can also use this format for introducing yourself

Note: This phrase above can be used to describe any person’s job function, at any level in
the company.

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 Now add the responses you learned in the Greetings Section

Initial Greeting
Formal:
How do you do? I'm pleased to [finally*] meet you.
It's nice to [finally*] meet you.
Informal:
Hi, Nice/good to meet you.
Hello, Pleased to meet you.
Response to the Greeting
Formal:
How do you do? It's nice to meet you too.
I'm pleased to meet you too.

Informal:
How do you do? Nice/Good to meet you too.
Hello, Pleased to meet you too.
Hi, (very informal)
* finally makes the greeting more cordial and friendly

The complete dialogue would go like this:

You : May I introduce Jonathan Spencer from Citibank?

You : Mr. Spencer, this is Martin King.
He's responsible for our air cargo division.
Mr. J : How do you do. I'm very pleased to meet you Mr. King.
Mr. M : I'm pleased to meet you too, Mr. Spencer.
** depending on the country and culture, conversation may remain formal using
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. etc.

Make your own conversation:

YOU start Peter Spencer

Check your visitor’s identity Answers.

Introduce yourself and greet Greets you.

the visitor. Jane Macrae

Introduce Jane Macrae and Greets Peter

explain her job function. Spencer.

Greets Jane

Ask about the visitor’s Macrae.

arrival time. Answers.

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 Using Other Expressions

Expression Response
Hello, I’m ( ... Ms. White). Hello, Ms. White, I’m Susan Appleton.

My name is ( ... John Grey). Nice to meet you Mr. Grey, I’m Mrs. Adams.
I’m (... George Franks. What's your name)? My name is Syafira, Syafira Hasan.
It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Franks.
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm delighted to meet you Mr.Jeffers.
My name is ( ... Frank Jeffers). My name is Angela Dubois.

Introducing others
On occasion, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to introduce one person
to another. Look at these possible expressions that are used for this.

English Expressions

Expression Response
Sam : Peter, I would like to introduce Peter : Hello Miss Keller, nice to meet you.
(... Miss Helen Keller).
Helen : Nice to meet you too Mr. Kellogg.
Bob : Wang Chen, this is Wang Chen : Hi Ms. Watson, a pleasure to meet
( ... my friend Betty Watson). you.
Betty : Same here.
Alice : Harry, let me introduce Harry : Mr. Lee, it’s good to meet you.
( ...my supervisor, Mr. Lee).
Mr. Lee: Good to meet you too.
But please, call me Sammy.

Point to remember
The expression “Nice to meet you” is only used at a first meeting, not after that. Instead,
if greeting a person for the second time, use “Nice to see you again”

Titles in English
1. Men/Boys Mr.
Married women Mrs. Or Ms.
Single women/girls Miss or Ms.
Doctors Dr
Mrs. and Miss are the traditional titles. Many women and girls now prefer the title
Ms. They do not think it is important to day if they are married or not.
What is your title?

2. Anne Marshall likes the title ‘Ms’

Look at this:
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Underline as appropriate
Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms Delete as applicable
Mr. /Mrs. /Miss / Ms Circle as appropriate
Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms Tick as applicable

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 3. Now complete the details about yourself :
Title Mr. / Mrs. /Miss /Ms Delete as applicable.
Age Group: Under 21 Tick as appropriate.
21-30
31-50
Above 50
Sex: M F Circle as appropriate.
Marital Status: Married/Single/Divorced/Widowed Underline as appropriate

4. The title in English is used only with a surname.

We can say Ms. Marshall
or Anne
or Ms. Anne Marshall
but not Ms. Anne
Your name is ____________________ title and surname
Or ____________________ first name

Farewells
Just as there are several standard expressions for greetings, there are also expressions of
farewell. The farewell itself is generally very short- one or two words. However, many
times people add something to the expressions, depending on what they want to happen in
the future or the situation.

Expressions
Goodbye Bye
So long Catch you later
I have to run I have to be going now
So long Later dude
Good day

Extensions to farewells
See you again I hope to see you again
See you later (soon) Call me

Point to remember
Bye Bye is an expression that very young children use when they are first beginning to
learn to talk or on very rare occasions by women, but almost never by most adults.

Well Being

One of the most common ways is ask about the other persons well being. Lets take a look
at these.

Expressions Responses
IF GOOD
How are you? Great.
How’s it going? Couldn’t be better.
How are things? Fantastic.

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 IF SO-SO
How are things going? Could be worse.
How have you been? I can’t complain.
How do you feel? Not bad

IF BAD
How goes it? I’ve had better days.
How are you doing? Not too good.
How's life treating you? Lousy.

Dialogue

Note the expressions used in the dialogue and the progression of the conversation. The
dialogue can be used as a model to have similar conversations.

Sam : Hello, you look lost. Can I be of assistance?

Mary : Oh, thanks. You’re right, I am lost. I’m looking for the Student Union building.
Sam : You’re close; it’s just across the lawn. It’s the three story brick building over
there.
Mary : I see, well thanks a lot. You’ve been a big help.
Sam : Excuse me for saying so, but you’re not from around here, are you?
Are you British or what?
Mary : Actually I’m Australian. I’m a new transfer student. You’re an American, I
assume?
Sam : Yes, by the way I’m Sam, Sam Jones.
Mary : I’m Mary Donald. Pleased to meet you.
Sam : So how long have you been in the States, Mary?
Mary : I’ve been here about three weeks now. So, what’s your major Sam?
Sam : I’m a pre-med student. What’s yours?
Mary : I’m not sure yet, but I’m kind of interested in sociology.
Sam : So, do you live in the dorm?
Mary : Actually no, I have a small apartment about five blocks from here. Well, I have
to run.
Thanks for your help. Maybe we’ll bump into each other again sometime.
Sam : Could be, it’s a pretty small campus. Nice to meet you, Mary. See you later.
Mary : So long.
Dialogue

Mr. Ando : Good morning. My name is Ken Ando. I’m the head of sales from
the Tokyo office. I have an appointment with Ms. Tod.
Receptionist : Oh yes, Mr. Ando. Good morning. Ms. Tod is expecting you.
Please go right in.
Mr. Ando : Thank you. (Sound of a knock at the door.) Good morning, Ms.
Tod. I’m Ken Ando from Tokyo.
Ms. Tod : Ah, yes, please come in, Mr. Ando.
Mr. Ando : How do you do, Ms. Tod? It’s nice to meet you.
Ms. Tod : How do you do, Mr. Ando? It’s nice to meet you, too. Welcome to
San Francisco. I hope you enjoy your visit.
Mr. Ando : Thank you. I’m sure I will.
Ms. Tod : Please take a seat. Would you like some tea or coffee?
Mr. Ando : Thank you, I’d like coffee please. Black with no sugar.

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Formal to Informal Greetings and Introductions

First meetings
Formal Introducing Introducing others Responding to an On Leaving
yourself introduction
• How do • Mrs. Hand, • Pleased • Goodbye.
you do? may I to meet It's a
My name introduce my you Mrs. pleasure to
is Mrs. boss, Mr. Hand. have met
Hand. Smith. you.

• Hello, • Lynne, I'd • Pleased • Goodbye.

Lynne like you to to meet Nice to have
Hand. meet John you met you.
I'm the Smith, our Lynne.
owner of salesman.
this web John, this is
site. Lynne Hand.

• Lynne • Lynne, meet • Hi, • Bye. It was

Hand. John, my Lynne. nice to meet
husband. How are you.
John, this is you?
my teacher
Lynne.
Informal

Note:

The first time you meet someone, use a “formal” or “neutral” greeting like
“How do you do?” rather than “informal” greeting like “Hello” or “Hi.”

Subsequent meetings
Formal Possible Greetings Possible responses
• Hello, Mrs. Hand. It's nice • What a pleasant surprise! How
to see you again. are you? It's been a while.

• Good morning Mrs. Hand. • I'm very well thank you. And
How are you today? you?

• Good afternoon, Mrs. Hand. • Thank you. It's nice to see you
It's good to see you. too. How are you?

• Hello Lynne. How are you • Fine thanks. What's new with
doing? you?

• Hi, Lynne! How's it going? • Not too bad, busy as ever.

• Hi, Lynne. How are things? • Oh fine. You know how it is.
Informal

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Note:
When you meet someone for the first time, it is usual to ask him/her some polite questions
to show your interest. Be careful not to ask too personal questions-they may offend.

Some suitable questions of general small talk topics:

Do you like living in (Japan)? What is the weather like in your contry?
What do you think of (capital city)? What is the population of the USA?
Do you play golf?

Example of unsuitable ones:

How much money do you earn a year? Are you married?
What is your religion? How old are you?
Are you a member of a political party? Do you have any children?

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