Speaking

Recognizing someone’s good qualities or appreciating people for their good deeds motivates them to keep up the good work. However, many of my ESL students face difficulties appreciating people in English as they have limited knowledge about appropriate expressions of appreciation.

There are hundreds of ways you can appreciate someone. I’ll share some specific expressions to appreciate someone in English in this post.   

To appreciate someone, you can talk about their inner and outer beauty and good qualities, including their creativity, professionalism, sense of art, singing, cooking, voice, eyes, smile, etc. You should be honest and thankful from the core of your heart while appreciating someone rather than saying good things merely to make them happy.

Asking for a discount may seem impolite and disgraceful to many people. However, I think before spending money on anything, especially while buying expensive products, you should ask for a deal that may benefit you. There is no shame in saving your money by asking for a discount.

If you think the same way, this post is for you. Here I’ll share some exclusive ways of asking for a discount in English without sounding impolite.

As a general rule, while asking for a discount, you are expected to be polite, rational, and indirect. Your choice of words & tone must be so persuasive that the person you ask for a discount from agrees to the deal. You can ask for a discount by saying, “May I expect a discount on this?” or “Do you have any promotion right now?”

Ordering food in English at a restaurant may seem terrifying to some of us. However, knowing appropriate expressions and culturally appropriate etiquette will undoubtedly help you. No worries! In this post, I’ll share some expressions & tips that will surely help you order food in English at a restaurant confidently.

To order any food in English at a restaurant, you can say, for example, “Can I have a large pepperoni pizza, please?” Be specific and clear about any special requirement, and appreciate the suggestions from the server. Being polite and thankful to the server while ordering food in a restaurant can bring you the best service.

In both personal & professional life, we need to talk to people surrounding us in person or through phone calls for different purposes. In many cases, we may need to ask for permission to call them later or politely request them to call us. Here I’ve got some polite expressions, including some tips that you can use to ask someone to call you.  

“Would you please call me at your earliest convenience?” is the most appropriate way to ask someone to call you. You can also ask someone to call you by simply saying, “Please call me when you are available.” You should be polite in your choice of words & tone while asking someone to call you, no matter in which context: formal or informal you are.

The most common way of asking someone for their opinions is “What do you think about it?” or “What is your opinion about it?” In our daily life communication, we ask for opinions from many different people in different places, … continue reading

Whenever we buy anything, it’s obvious to ask for the price. In many cases, we need to negotiate the price. And indeed, the negotiation conversation starts with “How much does this cost?” However, the way someone should ask about the cost of something may vary depending on what types of items they are buying.

We politely say, “How much is this?” to ask for the price of daily needs like food, groceries, vegetables, household items, etc. However, when it comes to making a business deal or buying something, i.e., a house, car, or a piece of land that costs substantial money, the language and approach may vary depending on the context while asking for the price.

To compliment someone, you should say positive things about their appearance, inner quality, any kind of possession, ability, achievement, performance, and so on. You are expected to be honest in picking up appropriate phrases and be polite in your word choice, facial expressions, and body language while complimenting someone.

We interact with a lot of people every day, and we usually happen to make polite requests to them. Making a polite request means asking someone to do something politely. For example, “Can you please tell me the time?” or … continue reading

Whoever you talk to or wherever you are, time is a constant feature of your life. From a corporate to a social gathering, time remains a significant factor. You need to ask people about the time of a meeting, seminar, … continue reading

In formal settings at night, you can greet someone by saying “Good evening” if the time is before midnight, and you can say “Good morning” if it is after midnight.  And, of course, whether it is night or daytime, you can greet someone by saying “Hi” or “Hello.” However, we say “Good night” to bid someone farewell at night, not to greet or start a conversation.