English Conversation Skills: 48 Essential Phrases

"How's everything going?"

a friendly, open-ended check-in that invites the other person to share whatever is on their mind

"He passed his colleague in the corridor and said, "How's everything going?" — she immediately started talking about the project."

"What have you been up to lately?"

a casual question asking what someone has been doing in their personal or professional life recently

""What have you been up to lately?" she asked her old university friend when they bumped into each other at the supermarket."

"Did you catch the game last night?"

a common sports-related opener used to spark a shared topic with someone who might follow the same team

""Did you catch the game last night?" is one of the easiest ways to start a conversation with a sports fan you've just met."

"I don't think we've met — I'm …"

a polite self-introduction used to start a conversation with someone new in a social or professional setting

"He walked up to the new hire at the company party and said, "I don't think we've met — I'm Daniel from the marketing team.""

"What do you think about …?"

an opinion-seeking opener that draws the other person into a discussion on a specific topic

""What do you think about the new office layout?" she asked, and within minutes the whole team was sharing views."

"Excuse me, could I ask you something?"

a polite way to approach a stranger or acquaintance before asking a question, softening any potential intrusion

""Excuse me, could I ask you something?" he said to the person reading the same book at the café."

"Long time no see!"

an informal greeting used when reconnecting with someone you haven't seen for a long time

""Long time no see!" she exclaimed when she spotted her former colleague at the conference after two years."

"Have you heard about …?"

a news-sharing opener that introduces a topic and creates immediate common ground

""Have you heard about the new coffee shop that opened on the high street?" he asked his neighbour, who had not."

"That's really interesting — tell me more."

an encouraging response that explicitly invites the speaker to elaborate and shows genuine curiosity

""That's really interesting — tell me more about how you decided to move abroad," she said, leaning forward."

"What was that like for you?"

a follow-up question that shifts focus from facts to feelings, deepening the personal connection

"After he described the expedition, she asked, "What was that like for you personally?" and he opened up completely."

"And then what happened?"

a natural story-continuation prompt that shows you are following the narrative and want to hear the outcome

""And then what happened?" the group asked in unison as she paused mid-story about the mix-up at the airport."

"I know exactly what you mean."

an empathetic phrase that builds rapport by affirming shared understanding or experience

""I know exactly what you mean — I felt the same way the first time I tried public speaking," he said."

"Could you elaborate on that a bit?"

a polite request for more detail, showing you are paying attention and want a deeper explanation

""Could you elaborate on that a bit? I'm not sure I fully understand the technical side," she said."

"That reminds me of …"

a phrase that naturally transitions the conversation by linking the current topic to a related story or idea

""That reminds me of a similar situation I had when I worked in Tokyo," he said, keeping the conversation alive."

"How did you feel about that?"

an emotionally intelligent question that invites the speaker to share their reaction or inner experience

"After she described the difficult feedback from her manager, he asked, "How did you feel about that?""

"What do you make of it?"

an informal way of asking someone's interpretation or opinion about a situation

""What do you make of it?" she asked after they had both read the confusing email from HR."

"In my view, …"

a neutral and widely used phrase for introducing a personal opinion in both formal and informal contexts

""In my view, remote working has made teams more productive, not less," she argued at the panel discussion."

"To be honest, …"

a phrase signalling candour that prepares the listener for a frank or perhaps unexpected opinion

""To be honest, I thought the presentation could have been shorter," he said diplomatically after the meeting."

"I see it differently."

a polite way to disagree without dismissing the other person's point, opening space for respectful debate

""I see it differently — I think the data actually supports the opposite conclusion," she said calmly."

"You've got a point, but …"

an acknowledgement that partially agrees with the other person before introducing a contrasting perspective

""You've got a point, but I think we also need to consider the cost implications," he replied."

"As far as I'm concerned, …"

a phrase used to stake a clear personal position, often implying the speaker has made up their mind

""As far as I'm concerned, the deadline is non-negotiable — we either deliver on time or lose the contract.""

"It's hard to say, but I'd lean towards …"

a tentative opinion phrase used when the speaker acknowledges uncertainty but still takes a position

""It's hard to say, but I'd lean towards accepting the offer — the growth opportunities seem real," she said."

"I can see both sides, but …"

a balanced opener that acknowledges competing views before explaining which position the speaker favours

""I can see both sides, but ultimately I think the environmental argument outweighs the economic one," he said."

"That's a fair point."

a concise acknowledgement that the other person has made a valid argument, useful for de-escalating tension

""That's a fair point," she conceded. "I hadn't considered the impact on the junior staff.""

"Sorry, could you say that again?"

a simple repair request used when you have not heard or understood something; polite and completely acceptable

"The noise in the café was too loud, so she said, "Sorry, could you say that again? I missed the last part.""

"What I mean is …"

a self-repair phrase used to clarify or rephrase something that may have come out unclear or ambiguous

""What I mean is, I don't object to the plan itself — I'm just worried about the timeline," he explained."

"Let me think about that for a second."

a filler phrase that buys processing time without making an awkward pause feel like a dead end

""Let me think about that for a second," she said, buying herself time before answering the tricky question."

"That's a good question."

a positive response that acknowledges the quality of a question while the speaker gathers their thoughts

""That's a good question," he said to the journalist, using the moment to formulate a careful answer."

"I'm not sure I follow — could you explain?"

a polite admission of confusion that invites the speaker to rephrase or simplify their point

""I'm not sure I follow — could you explain what you mean by 'distributed leadership'?" she asked."

"If I'm hearing you correctly, …"

a checking phrase that paraphrases what the listener understood to confirm accuracy before responding

""If I'm hearing you correctly, you want to postpone the launch, not cancel it entirely?" he asked."

"Well, you know how it is …"

a conversational softener used to appeal to shared experience when expressing a difficult or sensitive point

""Well, you know how it is when you work with a difficult client — sometimes you just have to stay patient," she said."

"Actually, come to think of it, …"

a phrase that introduces a new thought or revision, often following a pause for reflection

""Actually, come to think of it, I did see his name on that email chain," he said, correcting himself."

"So, what do you do?"

the most common small-talk question in English-speaking cultures, asking about someone's profession or occupation

""So, what do you do?" the man asked at the networking event, and she explained that she was a marine biologist."

"How do you know the host?"

a classic party conversation starter that establishes common ground and opens up multiple story lines

""How do you know the host?" is often the perfect question to ask when you're trying to connect with a stranger at a party."

"It's been great talking to you."

a warm closing phrase that ends a conversation positively without leaving the other person feeling dismissed

""It's been great talking to you — I hope we get a chance to continue this at the next meetup," she said."

"I'll let you get back to it."

a graceful exit phrase that politely ends a conversation by acknowledging the other person's time or task

""I can see you're busy — I'll let you get back to it. Let's catch up properly next week," he said."

"Are you from around here originally?"

a question about someone's geographical origins, a reliable small-talk topic that often leads to longer stories

""Are you from around here originally?" the taxi driver asked, and the passenger ended up telling him about growing up in rural Ireland."

"We should grab coffee sometime."

a casual, low-commitment invitation to meet informally, often used to maintain a new connection after a brief encounter

""We should grab coffee sometime — I'd love to hear more about your startup," she said, handing him her card."

"I've heard a lot about you."

a warm opener when meeting someone for the first time through mutual friends or professional contacts

""I've heard a lot about you from Maya — she says you're the best data analyst she's ever worked with," he said."

"What a small world!"

an exclamation used when you discover an unexpected connection or coincidence with someone you've just met

""What a small world!" she laughed when she realised they had both studied under the same professor in different countries."

"Anyway, I won't keep you."

a polite signal that the speaker is about to end the conversation, respectful of the other person's time

""Anyway, I won't keep you — I can see you're heading into a meeting. Let's pick this up later," he said."

"We'll have to do this again."

an enthusiastic closing that implies the conversation was enjoyable and the speaker would welcome a repeat

""We'll have to do this again — it's been so good catching up," she said at the end of their two-hour lunch."

"Take care of yourself."

a warm and sincere parting phrase that expresses goodwill and care for the other person's well-being

""Take care of yourself," he said to his friend who had mentioned feeling stressed, squeezing his shoulder."

"It was great to put a face to the name."

used when meeting in person for the first time after previously communicating only by email or phone

""It was great to put a face to the name at last," she said, shaking hands with her long-time email correspondent."

"Keep in touch."

a closing invitation to maintain contact over time, less binding than making a specific plan but still warm

""Keep in touch," he said at the airport gate, knowing they might not see each other for months."

"Let me know how it goes."

a closing phrase that shows continued interest in the outcome of something the other person mentioned

""Good luck with the interview on Thursday — let me know how it goes," she said as they parted."

"I'll leave you to it."

an understated exit phrase implying the other person has something they need to get on with

""I can see you've got a lot on your plate — I'll leave you to it and we'll catch up at the end of the week," he said."

"It's been a pleasure."

a slightly formal but versatile closing phrase expressing satisfaction with the interaction

""It's been a pleasure," she said, shaking hands at the end of the business meeting. "I look forward to working together.""