How to use word being in conversation

By Robby Kukurs

If you are new here please read this first.

MY NAME IS ROBBY, and I’m the author of the English Harmony System – Read About My 5 Year Long Journey to English Fluency HERE!

Hi my foreign English speaking friends! Here I’ve created a list of the most important English small talk phrases so that you never have situations when you get stuck when bumping into someone on the street or greeting your colleagues in the morning!

Here you’ll also find a good number of English phrases you can use to respond to typical greetings. And even more – some of the phrases below will help you add more substance to what you’re saying to your chat partner and also help you take time and think over the question.

At the end of the list you’ll find typical good-bye phrases and you’ll definitely find them handy when finishing off a conversation or even if you want to get rid of the person you’re chatting with! 🙂

There’s also industry small talk phrases – and they’re definitely going to come in handy in work-related situations. Whenever you want to ask your work colleague to cover you for a couple of hours and tell them you’re going to keep a low profile because you went out the night before – all this is covered in the industry small talk section!

So, click on the links below and they’ll take you to the respective section of English small talk phrases! 😉

• Introductions
• Conversation Starters & Greetings (UPDATED!)
• Event Small Talk (NEW!)
• Typical Responses
• Industry Small-talk
• Departure Phrases (UPDATED!)

• English phrases with the word “thing”.
• 1001 Ways To Use The Simplest English Verb ‘To PUT’!
• English Verb “To GET” & How To Use It in Phrasal Verbs, Expressions & More!
• 45 Must-Know Phrases to Land a Job!
• Customer Support & Service Industry English Phrases
• Give Weight to Your Opinion by using Smart English Phrases!
• Common English Phrases to Use at Home & With Kids
• 25 Perfect Ways of Starting Sentences in English!
• 38 Typical English Sentence Endings
• 68 Industry-Specific English Expressions & Phrases for Non-native English Speakers

Introductions

I’m so pleased to meet you – have you just been introduced to a new person and you want to tell them how nice it is meeting them? Well, this is just the right phrase to use on such an occasion!

I’ve heard so much about you – in case the person you’re being introduced to is well known, this is just the right English small talk phrase to tell them during the introduction!
It’s good to have you here! – sometimes you may want to make the new person feel welcome at the party or event, so this is what you tell them to make them feel included.

I’d like you to meet someone! – this is a typical way of introducing a new person to one or more people.

I am indeed! And you must be… – when someone else approaches you and calls you by your name, and you’re pretty sure who that person is, this is the right English small talk phrase to use: “Hello, is it Mark?” – “I am indeed! And you must be James!?”

I’ll leave you two to get acquainted! – if you have to leave two people you just introduced to each other, this is the perfect phrase for such a situation.

Please, call me… – a few minutes into the conversation with a new person you may want to lighten up the mood by giving the other person a permission to call you by your name or a more friendly version of your name: “And by the way Michael…” – “Please, call me Mike!”

I almost didn’t recognize you! – sometimes we get to see people we haven’t seen for a long, long time – and this English small talk phrase is the typical way of expressing your excitement at seeing them again.

Have we met before? – in case you really don’t recognize the person saying hello to you, you can use this phrase to ask them if you’ve met before. Yes, it’s a bit awkward, but there’s really no better way of putting it!

It’s good to see you again! – this is how you recognize the presence of an old friend or acquaintance when you meet them after a while.

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Conversation Starters & Greetings (UPDATED!)

New! Hi, I’m …. . What brings you here? – this is an effective way to start a conversation with someone you meet an event, and allows you start a discussion about why you are there.

New! Hi, I’m …. . Are you the first time here? – if you are the first time at an event you can use this phrase to start a conversation and also see if the other person is also the first time there or he/she has already been there and can give you information about the last time.

New! Hi, I’m …. .  I wanted to introduce myself.  – this is a straight forward way to introduce yourself and start a conversation.

I was wondering if – this is a beautiful way to strike up a conversation with someone you might know, yet you haven’t spoken to them too often. Typically it would be some occasion when you get to meet your work colleagues and talk about something else other than work-related matters!

 Sorry to bother you – this starter phrase is pretty universal and can be used in a lot of situations – ranging from chatting up strangers on the street when asking for directions and ending with addressing a busy co-worker when approaching them for the advice!

Excuse me, would you happen to know – this is another one of those phrases you can use when asking people for advice in pretty much any life situation – be it when trying to find the nearest grocery shop or when navigating a new building you’re visiting for the first time.

What have you been up to lately? – this is a great English small talk phrase used to inquire what the other person has been doing lately. You’ll probably notice that there’s something wrong with the way the sentence is constructed – it should really say “What HAVE you been up to lately?” – but guess what? It’s typical to leave out words in spoken English, and as a matter of fact, when you speak in real life, this phrase sounds more like “Watch you bin up to lately?” Try it – and you’ll realize that you sound WAY MORE native-like this way! By the way – are you interested in sounding like a native English speaker? Then check out the Accent Genie Program HERE!

How are you getting on? – just another way of saying ‘how are you?’

Are you doing OK? – asked when the person has had some tough experience recently and you want to ask politely if they’re OK.

Hi, …! What’s new? – this is a very informal way of greeting a close friend or anyone who you see on a regular basis and you want to ask has anything happened since you last met.

Hi, …! What’s up? – the same as above with a difference that you’re probably not that interested in what news the other person might have.

Hi, …! Long time no see! – used when you haven’t seen the person for a long period of time and you want to state that fact in the greeting.

Hi, …! Have you been keeping busy? – just a standard inquiry with little or no direct meaning.

Do you mind me asking…? – a typical way of asking something that might be a slightly personal question.

OK, here’s the thing … – a very handy way to start making your point if you’re not sure how to begin the sentence.

Is everything OK? – this is what you’d say to a person when you see that they’re distressed and obviously not OK. Normally you’d ask this to a close friend or a work colleague – but you can also say this to a stranger you meet in the street and if it’s obvious that that person needs help.

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Event Small Talk (New!)

You can use these phrases in networking events or other kinds of events.

New! How did you hear about this event? – this helps getting a conversation started with something you both have in common.

New! What a great place for an event! – a great way to start a discussion about the event location.

New! Are you from here? – if you are not from the city of the event, or you suppose your conversation partner is not, this is a good way to exchange some more information.

New! What are you doing [in your work – if it is not a work-related event]? – ask what the other persons job is.

New! Have you met … ? – in this way, you can introduce someone else into the conversation.

Typical Responses

Thanks, I’ve been keeping busy – just a standard response to a standard greeting with little or no direct meaning.

Thanks for asking, I’m fine, how are you? – a typical response and counter-question to a greeting phrase ‘how are you?’

Sorry, I didn’t catch that? – the verb “to catch” in this context means “to understand”, so this English small talk response phrase means “Sorry, I didn’t understand what you just said?” – it’s just that in conversational English we use these types of slang words to make it sound friendlier and easier to understand!

Help yourself! – this English small talk phrase is one of the traditional phrases you’ll find in all English phrase-books, and it’s an encouraging phrase used to let the other person know that they can go ahead with the action in question. Typically this is used as a response when the other person is asking for permission to take something, and then you tell them that they can certainly do it: “Sorry, do you mind if I take this cookie? Everyone seems to have taken theirs…” – “Sure, help yourself!”

Where were we? – imagine a situation when you’re speaking with someone, and then somehow you’re getting side-tracked and you veer off the original subject, or it could be that some other person distracts you and you forget where you left off. Now, this is the typical phrase to be used in situations like these – you’re basically asking your conversation partner what it was that you were talking about last.

How’s that sound for you? – let’s say for argument’s sake, you’re proposing something to your conversation partner. Well, in this case, this small talk phrase is ideal to ask for their opinion on your proposal! Here’s an example: “Listen, I know what we’re doing tonight. Let’s go to the movies, there’s a new blockbuster out! How’s that sound for you?”

…if that’s alright with you? – you can attach this small talk bit at the end of your sentence to ask for the other person’s permission. Let’s imagine for a second you’re telling your work colleague you have to leave your desk for a few minutes, but you just want to be sure he’s OK with that. So here’s what you say “Listen Jimmy, I’m gonna leave my desk for a few minutes to make a really important phone call if that’s alright with you?” 

Hi, how are you doing? It’s good to see you! – a typical response to a greeting from someone you haven’t seen for a while.

Can’t complain – a response to a standard greeting like ‘How are you?’ It’s not as exciting phrase as ‘Thanks, I’m great!’ but it doesn’t mean you’re having some problems in your life.

Can you say it again, please? – a request to repeat the question if you didn’t understand what was said. This can also be used when the native speaking person speaks a bit too fast – they should get the hint and slow down a bit. But if they don’t, you can ask a more direct question:

Can you slow it down a bit, please?

And how about you? – a typical response when you’re not sure what to ask next so you’re asking the other person the same thing they asked you. You can respond with this counter-greeting on nearly all standard greetings.

To the best of my knowledge … – when you’re 99% sure about the statement you’re making. Also a good start of a response you want to take a bit more time to consider what you’re going to say.

As far as I know … – the same as above.

Good for you! – a response to someone telling you about their success in something or some good news that they’re happy about.

Can’t argue with that – used when you agree with the statement of the other person.

How do you know? – a counter-question you can ask when someone surprises you with a question about something they’re not really expected to know.

That’s a good one! – a surprise response to funny or surprising news from your chat partner.

Really? Tell me more about it! – used when you want your chat partner to tell me about what he/she just said.

Frankly speaking, … – just a way to start your response. It indicates that you’re about to open up and be very honest with your chat partner. A great way of establishing immediate trust.

Well, to be honest with you, … – the same as above.

Sure, no problem! – a typical response to a small request you’re happy to do. This one is especially used when responding to superiors’ requests and it sounds more enthusiastic than if you simply say ‘sure’ or ‘OK’.

Never mind, it’s fine! – this phrase is used when the person offers to do a favor for you but it’s not really necessary.

Never mind, forget what I just said – this phrase is to be used when you said something that wasn’t important at all but your chat partner wants you to repeat it. You can also use this phrase if you feel that he/she might be slightly annoyed or offended by your question or comment so you want to end it there.

You got me there – this can be said instead of ‘I don’t’ know’ – it will sound more casual and not as defensive as the old ‘I don’t know’!

You’ve got to be kidding me! – said when someone tells you something that borders on the unbelievable and you want to express your surprise.

That’s a good question. – a phrase used when you want to take your time to think over the question. This is an ideal phrase to use when you’re stuck but instead of remaining silent, you can start your response with this phrase.

Well, how to put it in the right words… – the same as above.

That’d be great! – a response to an offer that you’re really happy about.

… Do you know what I mean? – this is quite an overused phrase but you can definitely use it at the end of a sentence if you want to emphasize what you just said.

You see, the thing is that … – this is how you begin a sentence when you’re asked to explain something.

SHOCKING! Did You Know That You Don’t Have to Know a SINGLE Grammar Rule to Speak Fluent English?

Industry & Office Small-talk

Another day! – this is just a short phrase you can use to start your working day with. It doesn’t necessarily mean your job is boring; it merely states the fact that you all have a brand new working day ahead.

Nose to the grindstone! – this one is a typical English idiom, and it means to start working hard and be 100% focused on what you’re doing. Typically you’d use this one at the end of a conversation as a way of indicating you’re going back to your work-related duties.

(Company name), (Your Name) speaking, how can I help you? – if you’re working in a company’s helpdesk answering phone, this is the most common line you’ll be using in your daily work! So basically you substitute information in the brackets with your own credentials, something like this: “ABC Recruitment, Marie speaking, how can I help you?”

Sorry for keeping you waiting! – and this is what you say to someone who’s been waiting for a while on the line while you’ve been trying to get through to the right person.

I’ll be with you in a minute… – this English small talk phrase will come in handy if you’re working as a receptionist, for example, and you have to leave the client for a short period of time while you’re looking up relevant information in another room or finding the right person to deal with the client’s query.

Just bear with me for a moment… – this is just another way of telling the client that you’ll be with them in a short while. In this context to “bear with me” simply means to be patient with the fact that I’ll be gone, simple as that!

Leave it with me! – if you want to tell the customer that they can leave the matters with you and that you’re going to deal with the issue, this is the right English small talk phrase to use.

How was your weekend? – you can use this small-talk greeting to inquire about the person’s weekend and it’s a typical small-talk phrase you’d hear on a Monday morning.

Anything new going on? – again, a typical phrase to be used when coming into work – especially after a weekend or a few days off.

The boss is in a mood… – you can use this small-talk phrase to let your colleagues know your boss is in a bad mood and it’s best to steer clear to avoid trouble. Please note you don’t even have to say “in a BAD mood”; the word “mood” says it all just on its own.

All work and no play! – this is another English idiom and you can use it when having a conversation about going out and taking some rest. Here’s a typical sentence: “Hey Jim, why not go out tonight, we’ve been working so hard – all work and no play!”

Better keep the head down today – this English idiomatic expression comes in handy when you need to advise someone to stay quiet and avoid problems. Maybe it’s because that person’s been out drinking the night before, maybe it’s because they’ve been giving others hard time and the boss is after them – there are many situations when this small-talk phrase can be used!

Thank heavens it’s Friday – quite obviously you’ll be using this English small talk phrase when greeting your work colleagues on a Friday morning – as we all know, Fridays are the most awaited days of the week, and everybody’s looking forward to the weekend ahead!

You working at the weekend? – in case you’re doing shift work, this is a handy phrase to use when asking your colleague if she or he is going to work during the weekend.

Are you working hours in? – let’s say, for argument’s sake, you notice someone staying at work longer than normal, so you want to inquire for the reason they’re doing this. Your best guess is that the person in question has taken some extra time off work, so you want to ask them if they’re working those hours in now. Well, this is the perfect phrase for the occasion!

I’m tired – I got no sleep last night – I guess this phrase is pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? 😉

I had a few drinks so I’m flying under the radar! – if you went out the night before, it’s totally understandable you’ll want to stay put and keep a low profile in case someone from the management realizes you’re not fully capable of fulfilling your work-related duties! 🙂

Can you cover me? – this is a typical way of asking someone if they can work in your place while you’re taking a couple of hours off work to deal with your personal stuff.

It’s so boring! – this is quite a self-explanatory phrase to be used whenever you’re bored. It can be used as a handy conversation starter if there’s another person nearby doing the same job – if they also look bored you can simply exclaim “It’s so boring!” and see if they respond to that.

I wish I had her job! – if someone else’s job looks better than yours, you can use this English small talk phrase to either start a conversation or respond to someone else making a remark about how easy it is for that person compared to the situation that you’re in.

We’re not paid enough! – if you think you’re not remunerated adequately (show me an employee who thinks he’s getting paid enough!), here’s a phrase to be used when you’re having a small talk with some colleague of yours and you have to express your opinion in relation to the small wages.

That’s one job I wouldn’t do! – this is how you refer to a job you definitely wouldn’t be willing to do no matter who asks you to do it. But then again – everything has a price, isn’t that right?

That’s a cushy number! – English idiomatic expression “cushy number” means a very comfortable and easy job. So when you’re seeing someone sitting around all day doing nothing, you can tell your friend “That’s a cushy number!” meaning that the job in question is really easy.

I don’t know how he got that job! – there’s always someone in the company who doesn’t know what they’re doing and you often wonder how they got the job in the first place, right? So, next time around when you make a comment about such a person when having a small talk with someone, you can use this phrase.

INTERESTING! Find Out Why So Many Foreigners CAN’T Speak Fluent English!

Departure Phrases (UPDATED!)

NEW! It’s time for me to head out. –  this is a polite way to let your conversation partner know that you have to go and have to finish the conversation.

And just before I go – this is something that you can say just before you’re leaving. Typically this would be a situation when you just thought of something else to say: “Oh yes, and just before I go – can you please remind Charlie to drop by and collect his stuff?”

We’ll catch up later! – if you’re saying goodbye to a very close friend or an acquaintance, this phrase is just what you need!

Be back in a minute – this is kind of a departure phrase, yet at the same time, you’re letting others know that you’re going to be back. Please notice that you don’t have to say “I’ll be back in a minute” – conversationally it’s totally OK just to say “Be back in a minute!”

I’d better be going – followed by a simple phrase like ‘it’s too late’, or ‘have lots to do’ – and indicator you’d like to walk off and finish the conversation.

I really gotta go – this is the least formal way of telling someone that you definitely have to leave now. This is the best way of two friends, for example, finishing a conversation and personally I use this phrase quite often!

OK, I’m sorry but I have to leave now! – used when your chat partner has clear intentions of continuing the conversation but you just need to go so you’re making it clear that you need to go.

See you later! – used when you know that you’ll be seeing each other again sometime.

See you around! – the same as above

See you in a couple of minutes! – this phrase is typically used when you’re leaving the other person for a short while during an event, for example.

Keep in touch! – a good-bye phrase meaning you want the other person to get in touch with you every now and then and that you’ve the same intentions.

It was nice seeing you, take care! – a good-bye phrase used when you know that you won’t see the person for a while.

It’s been good talking to you! – the same as the above phrase.

Hope to see you again! – you can use this phrase when finishing a conversation with someone you’ve just met.

Say hello to …! – a short and handy way of saying to remind someone from you.

Now You’ve Finished Reading this List… What’s Next?

You’re pretty excited having found my blog and especially this list of English small-talk phrases, isn’t that right?

There’s one small problem though…

The chances are, you’re going to forget MOST of these phrases within a matter of hours, and next week you’ll be lucky to remember ANY of them!

Please don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to insult your intelligence and imply that you have a bad memory. It’s NATURAL to forget all kinds of information after just one exposure; it’s just human nature.

So I guess it poses the next logical question – “How to make sure you can actually use such and similar phrases in YOUR daily conversations with work colleagues, college friends and people you meet?”

Here’s the Most Effective Way to Learn These Small Talk Phrases…

The best way of imprinting these small talk phrases into your mind is by utilizing spaced repetition. It might sound very technical, while in fact it simply means you have to repeat and memorize a phrase a number of times over a certain period of time.

1. Repeat each phrase three times.
2. Then do it once more tomorrow.
3. Go back to it after a longer period of time – say, a week or two.

This spaced repetition principle ensures that the small talk phrases you’re memorizing REMAIN in your ACTIVE vocabulary. It basically means you’ll be able to USE those phrases in relevant situations, and that’s definitely what you want, isn’t it?

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What if I told you I’ve compiled 1350 similar phrases and expressions and also made it SUPER-EASY for you to memorize them using the spaced repetition technique?

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• EH System imprints natural English phrases into your mind;
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So, do you want to develop your ability to speak FLUENTLY and use all these and MANY MORE English phrases, expressions and idioms just like NATIVE English speakers do?

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1. Introducing a point

• First of all I’d like to point out…
• The main problem is…
• The question of…
• Speaking of…
• What we have to decide is…

2. Enumeration of points

• First of all, I’d like to say…
• In addition to that…
• Moreover,…
• Furthermore,…
• Another example of this is..
• First, second, third…
• Finally,…

3. Expressing a personal opinion

• It seems to me that…
• I have the feeling that…
• I feel that…
• I’m absolutely convinced that…
• You can take it from me that…
• I think/don’t think that…
• In my opinion,…
• Well, if you ask me…
• As I see it…
• The way I see it, …
• Personally, I  believe/suppose/feel (that)…
• I’m convinced that…
• Expressing pros and cons
• There are two sides to the question.
• On the one hand…,on the other hand…
• An argument for/ in favour of/ against if…
• While admitting that…one should not fornet that…
• Some people think that…,others say that…

4. Expressing pros and cons

• There are two sides to the question.
• On the one hand…,on the other hand…
• An argument for/ in favour of/ against if…
• While admitting that…one should not fornet that…
• Some people think that…,others say that…

5. Expressing doubt

• I’m not sure if…
• I’m not convinced that…
• I wonder if you realize that…
• I doubt that.

6. Expressing disagreement

• I don’t agree with you about…
• I can’t accept your view that…
• I’m of a different opinion…

7. Expressing support

• You’re quite right.
• That’s a very important point.
• You’ve got a good point there.
• I couldn’t agree with you more.
• You look the words right out of my mouth.
• Giving reason
• The reason for this is (that)…
• I base my argument on…
• I tell you all this because…

8. Keeping to the point

• It would be more to the point if…
• Come to the point.
• That’s not the problem.
• What we are discussing is…
• …has nothing to do with my argument.
• That’s not relevant.
• Drawing conclusion and summing up
• The obvious conclusion is…
• Last but not least…
• The only alternative (left) is…
• The only possible solution/conclusion is…
• Summing up, I’d like to say that…
• In conclusion we can say that…
• To cut a long story short,…
• Just to give you the main points again,…

9. Filers in conversation (used only in speaking)

At the beginning of a sentence

• Um…
• Ok/ All right, …
• Well/ Well, anyway…
• So/ So then,…
• By the way,…
• At any rate…Anyhow…
• You know,…
• What I mean is…
• So…where was I saying? /where was I?

In the middle of a sentence (usually)

• I mean: This is, I mean, going to be challenging.
• I guess: Well, I guess the problem is that I’m tired.
• Kind of: This kind of makes sense
• Adverbs such as “absolutely”, “actually”, “really”, “sure”, “seriously”: I mean, seriously, do you believe that?

At the end of a sentence

Though: This is going to be hard, though.
Right?: This is going to be easy, right?

Phrases for Discussing and Debating | Image

Useful Phrases for Discussion and Debate in English.

Want to boost your conversational English vocabulary? This guide will help you improve your small talk so you can start conversations in English more easily.

Small talk is the polite kind of chat that strangers, colleagues and friends use in native English conversations to greet each other, get conversations started, and to get to know more about each other.

Greetings

Most conversations in English, and in many languages around the world, begin with a greeting. In English you’ll find formal and informal greetings that can be used in various situations.

Formal ways to greet someone include:

• Hello
• It’s a pleasure to meet you
• Good morning/afternoon/evening

Some informal greetings:

• Hi
• Hello
• Hey
• Yo!
• What’s up? – this is an informal way to say: how are you?

Questions

Questions are an important part of conversational English. It’s polite to ask about another person, to find out more about them, and to get to know them.

Generally when people start a conversation in English with someone they know it’s polite to enquire about how the other person is.

• How’s it going?
• Hi, how are you?
• How’s your day going?
• Having a busy day?
• How’s life?
• How’s everything?

And there are some basic questions that you can ask anyone, anywhere.

• What’s your name?
• Where do you live?
• Where are you from?
• What do you do?

The type of questions you ask someone in a conversation depend on various factors.

How well you know the person

You would speak more formally to someone you’ve never met, to a work colleague, or to someone older than you. You would speak more casually to a good friend, and to people in your own age group.

It’s a good idea to wait until someone speaks casually with you before you speak casually with them. You may find that people will begin to use casual greetings with you over time, as you get to know each other better.

Someone you’ve just been introduced to:

• Nice to meet you!
• Pleased to meet you!
• How do you two know each other?
• So, what do you do for a living? – this means what do you do for a job?
• How long have you been doing that?

Someone you haven’t seen for a while:

• How are you keeping?
• What have you been doing lately?
• How’s your family?
• Long time no see!

Where you are

If you meet in the workplace, you may want to talk more formally. If you meet in a more casual environment, like at a party, in a bar, at a concert, or at the theatre you can talk more casually too.

Wherever you meet, you can talk about something you have in common. For example, if you’ve met at a party you could ask:

• How do you know (the host of the party/the person who has introduced you to each other)?
• Would you like a drink?
• I love this song – do you like this kind of music?

Answers

It’s polite to ask a person questions about themselves when you meet them, but it’s also important to respond to questions they’ve asked you. This helps to keep the conversation flowing.

You can combine your answers with follow-up questions based on information the other person is giving you. For example, if someone mentions they used to live in New York you could say:

• Oh, you lived in New York? How long did you live there?
• I’ve never been to New York; did you enjoy living there?
• I loved visiting New York. Are there things you miss about living there?

Mirroring, or repeating some of the things the other person has said to you or asked you is a polite and easy way to respond too. For example:

• Hi, I’m Anna. It’s nice to meet you
  Hi, I’m John. It’s nice to meet you too

• Hi, I’m Anna. Are you enjoying the party?
  Hi, I’m John. Yeah, it’s been great! Are you enjoying it too?

Listening tips

Having a conversation outside of the classroom can be more challenging – but don’t give up! The more practice you have in the real world the better, and English speakers will be happy to help you.

When you’re listening to someone during a conversation focus on the words you recognise and understand more than the words you don’t.

You can practise by listening to conversations native English speakers have with each other on the radio, in interviews online, in movies, TV shows and more. Listen out for useful questions and expressions you can use in your own conversations in the future.

Still have any doubt? Download our free English Vocabulary Ebook for more tips and broaden your horizons with EF English Live.

Google’s mission statement.

What do you think it says?

Google employs a complex algorithm to analyze and index information so that it’s universally attainable and advantageous?

Nope.

Our company mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

This, my friends, is conversational copywriting. And it’s what your audience wants. In your emails, ads, landing pages, website, and more. So read on to find out:

• What is conversational tone?
• Why you should be using it in your marketing.
• How to write in conversational tone.
• 30+ awesome examples of conversational copywriting that works.

What is conversational tone?

Conversational tone is an informal style of writing. The word choice, sentence structure, and other elements give the effect that a human being (and not a business or a robot or a court judge) is chatting with (and not reciting a speech to) the reader (and not an audience).

While it is a more relaxed, more direct form of communication, conversational writing isn’t disrespectful, unprofessional, or careless. It’s meant to make the reader feel more connected to the writer. In fact, any business or brand—even lawyers and accountants—can (and should) use conversational tone in their marketing.

Why conversational tone?

The short answer? Because people like people. Some more than others, of course, but we are drawn to what we’re familiar with. Let’s unpack this a bit more:

• Connect with your audience. Conversational tone has more personality, allowing you to humanize your business and give your audience a tangible character to relate to. Sounding too professional can make you seem less inviting, even intimidating at times.
• Stronger, more memorable messaging. Complex words and choppy sentences are hard to read. Informal writing is more direct and it flows, enabling your readers to easily comprehend—and store—the information.
• Earn trust. According to copywriting psychology, the easier it is to read something, the truer we perceive it to be. This happens on a subconscious level, but it’s also pretty obvious when someone is using fancy words just to sound smart.
• It’s inclusive. Simple language ensures that anyone can access and benefit from your content.
• It helps with SEO. Conversational writing uses the words and phrases your audience uses, which in the SEO world, are keywords. The more your content uses their language, the more likely it is to show up in search results.

How to write in conversational tone

The idea you’re going for here is approachable expert.

Professional pal.

Friendly faculty.

Likable la—I’ll cut myself off here. You get the point. There are all kinds of tactics to use, depending on just how conversational you want to be.

Here’s how to write in conversational tone:

• Use contractions. The apostrophe is your friend here.
  ❌  If you are looking to track leads, it is a best practice to use a CRM.
  ✅  If you’re looking to track leads, it’s a best practice to use a CRM.
• Use active voice.
  ❌  It’s a best practice to use a CRM.
  ✅  We recommend you use a CRM.
• Use plain language.
  ❌  We will assist you with your request.
  ✅  We’ll help you.
• Use personal pronouns.  “you”
  ❌  For advertisers looking to save money, monthly audits are recommended.
  ✅  If you want to save money, we recommend auditing your account monthly.

Here’s how to write in really conversational tone:

• Use parentheses to add side notes.
  You can find it all in our free (and award-winning!) app.
• Relax (or abandon) grammar. Do it. Start sentences with “and” or “but” 😶 . Write incomplete or one-word sentences 😮 . Make up words that don’t even exist 😱 . It’s liberating, I tell ya.
• Ask questions. Questions your readers are likely asking themselves is a good way to relate to the reader. You can also ask questions like “See what I mean?” and “Don’t you think?”
• Use bucket brigades. This copywriting technique uses conversational bridge phrases that keep your reader glued to your content.
  • Here’s the deal
  • Sounds good, right?
  • Still not convinced?
  • Now you’re probably wondering
  • Here’s another thing.
  • And the best part?
  • Here’s the kicker
  • What does that mean for you?
  • Long story short
  • Truth is
  • I’ll show you what I mean
• Add emotion. Formal tone is neutral or serious….aka boring. Be funny. Be relatable. Express your frustration with something. Put passion behind your writing. Use emotional words.
• Use slang. It’s important to note here that jargon, slang, colloquialisms, idioms and the like can sometimes be offensive or not inclusive, so make sure you know your audience and always have a second pair of eyes review your conversational content.
• Spell it like it sounds.
  Whaddaya think? It’s gotta be juuust right.

Excellent examples of conversational copywriting

Now that we’ve nailed down how to write in an informal, approachable style, let’s look at some examples.

Unbounce’s email

In this email copy for a content download, Unbounce’s conversational tone has you feeling like a friend is sharing this report. It reads:

But sometimes their campaigns can use a liiittle more science…Hey, we feel that. Getting your hands on data-validated insights is tough for a whole bunch of reasons.

That’s why we created the Conversion Benchmark Intelligence report—to help you start workin’ with Conversion Intelligence.  As an agency marketer, this report should be your jam. It’s slam-packed with all-new insights…

We also see conversational tone in its website copy, such as with:

(Yep, that means more leads, sales, and signups.)

Search Engine Journals’ email opt-out

Conversational doesn’t have to mean playful. SEJ has a pretty informative tone as you can expect from an industry publication site, but at the bottom of its emails, we read:

Because you signed up for our email newsletter…we sometimes send sponsored emails to help keep the engine running. We won’t bombard you with spam and we never share your email address with our advertisers.

And then before the opt-out text, it reads:

Inbox overwhelm? 

B2Linked’s homepage headline

B2Linked has an awesome headline on its homepage. Instead of something formal like “We run LinkedIn ads that outperform Facebook,” it reads: LinkedIn ads that outperform Facebook? Yep!

Hey B2Linked…

Talkroute’s 404 page

The best 404 pages are the funny ones. Nothing’s worse than seeing an ugly, serious message when you’re trying to access a page. In this example by Talkroute, we read:

Oops! You blew up the Internet. The page you are looking for is no longer here, or never existed in the first place (bummer). You can try searching for what you are looking for using the form below.

99design’s email signup CTA

Here’s an example of those little asides that give a conversational feel to your copy. This email newsletter signup CTA from 99designs says:

Want design tips & business trends (and the occasional promotion) in your inbox?

I’d also like to direct your attention to the conversational “rawr” coming out of the T-rex’s mouth.

Sofi’s Facebook ad

Sofi’s website is somewhat conversational in general, but its Facebook ad copy is most relatable. It reads:

SoFi Personal Loans have no origination fees, no pre-payment fees, and no shady hidden fees…(Yes, you read that right.)

You can find more conversational ad copy in our Facebook ad examples.

This chatbot greeting

I enjoy this example. For a chatbot greeting at the bottom right of a website homepage, we see:

☝️ Down here, can I ask you a quick question?

It’s just…cute.

The Clikk’s newsletter signup

The Clikk gets clever here with its signup copy. It reads:

A free daily newsletter from your smart ass friends in digital business. [With ass is in strikethrough font.]

Cypress North’s about page

As mentioned above, conversational tone feels more trustworthy because of its direct nature. Cypress North describes this perfectly when talking about its core value of being always forthright:

We don’t beat around the bush. We don’t keep you in the dark. We maintain an open line of communication and involve or clients at every turn. 

And it stays true to this value. For example, the other values read:

• Lean by design: We are not bloated or top-heavy. We have no B, C, D, E or F team. We keep our volume intentionally low to ensure a direct leadership-to-client relationship.
• Build to last: We aren’t blinded by shiny toys or fancy trends. We are not limited to a special skill set. We choose our tools and methods based on the objectives, not the other way around.

Another fun piece of copy?

We create. We develop. We market. For web, mobile…really anything with zeros and ones. 

Oh and one more thing. The cityscape with the little annotations of We love our city  and We live here but we work everywhere.

Big fan, Cypress North…big fan.

Hideaway’s  blog post title

Here’s another way to write conversationally—using symbols and font styles to emphasize a particular word. In the example below, the title of the blog post is 14 Designer-Loved Hacks That Only *Look* Expensive. 

Asterisks feel more conversational than italics, don’t you think?

MarketingProfs’ pop-up

An organization with Ann Handley as the Chief Content Officer is bound to have impressive copywriting. In this email signup popup, the title immediately grabs your attention with WHOAH! Hold on a minute, friend.

Brands with conversational brand identity

Some businesses use conversational tone in certain types or aspects of their content. Others incorporate conversational tone into their brand identity.

Basement’s entire website

Take Basement, for example. Let’s start with its appearance on the SERP:

Our work is serious, we are not

Moving on to its homepage, Basement calls itself a digital studio making cool shit that performs.

Then in its “what we do” section, we read:

Been there, done that. From basic Kanban to full-fledged AGILE teams, we’ve got to a point that allows us to adapt to your team, and we’re proud to say this is our best feature.

We lead, we advise, or we just build the thing, it depends on you and the role you want us to take in your project.

Copywriting tip: In these more extreme examples of informal, casual tone, it’s important to be all-in like Basement is. Fully embrace it and use it everywhere so that no one element feels out of place or lacking in taste.

Really Good Emails’ event invite

Really Good Emails is… really good at informal (and funny) copywriting. Take a look at this email invite for its UNSPAM Conference:

We understand if you like going to meetings in boring, ugly cities. We understand if you like crowded conferences where speakers pitch you an expensive software solution instead of useful knowledge. We understand if you like to spend more money on an entry ticket than you do on your mortgage.

But if you’re not into all of that, then RGE’s UNSPAM Conference is exactly your kinda thing…and tickets are now officially on sale for our first event.

Then it finishes off with a fun call to action phrase:

Get yo’ tickets while they’re hot.

Lunchbox.io

As you can see right off the bat, Lunchbox has a playful and loud brand style. Upon arriving on its site, you get a cookie notification that reads:

You only have to do this once so let’s get this over with
We use cookies to make Lunchbox’s website the best in the food tech game. To learn more about our cookies, check out our Privacy Policy.

And then once you accept, you can tour a boatload of fun, slangy, engaging content.

Hook your customers up with food perks, cash perks, and all the perks you can imagine to keep ’em coming back. After all, the fastest way to their hearts is through their stomachs (and wallets).

Fibery

Here’s another conversational brand. Fibery’s website is full of fun-to-read copywriting. In its FAQ page, instead of including a question like “What is the free year for startups offer?” it writes What about this free year for startups? in a voice-of-skeptical-customer kind of way.

In a second example, it explains what you can do with the platform which includes building spaces for your processes, reflecting your company culture, and creating de-eee-ep work hierarchies.

And then we have emojis…

abbreviations…

…and more. Excellent conversational copywriting! Good talk guys.

Allyens

As a brand whose mission is to make society more inclusive, you can bet that Allyens’ website copy will be conversational. Here we see plain language and then the bucket brigade of Guess what?

Allyens has been around for five years. That’s five years of hard work, of making society more inclusive, of breaking stereotypes, of making communications more accessible, and of bringing people together. Guess what? That’s exactly what we plan on doing the following five years and more.

With the little asides like (yes, we do have our grump moments) phonetic spellings like fi-nal-ly and creative language like nag and grumble, you find yourself wanting to read more.

InGoodCo

InGoodCo’s website is a casual, conversational delight. Here are just two examples.

In its footer, instead of Certifications, Contact us, and Social, it labels its sections with We’re purposeful, We like hellos, and We get social.

Then in it’s newsletter signup, instead of something boring like To stay up to date on the latest news, sign up for our email, it reads:

Want to know when it all goes down? Get on the list!

Stryve

Aside from lots of engaging but not distracting movement (a website design trend), we see approachable copywriting throughout Stryve’s site. In one section, it “interrupts” its voice-of-the-customer statement:

The perfect candidate does not exi…

We also see little side notes in green boxes throughout the site with playful language.

GDPR…nailed it!

Conversational tone: get on it

Whether it’s an ad, landing page, homepage, social post, or more, check to see if any of your copy could use a conversational facelift. You can always A/B test one version against the other. The bottom line? Don’t take yourself too seriously. Loosen up the reigns a bit and see what comes to mind!

Общий разговор и обсуждение

Asking for an opinion

Просьба высказать мнение

What do you think about it?

Что вы думаете об этом?

What do you think?

Что вы думаете? / Как вы думаете?

What is your opinion?

Каково ваше мнение?

What is your point of view?

Какова ваша точка зрения?

What is your attitude to this problem?

Каково ваше отношение к этой проблеме?

Alex, would you like to say something about it?

Алекс, вы не хотите что-либо сказать об этом?

Giving an opinion

Высказывание мнения

I think that we should consult a specialist.

Я думаю, что мы должны проконсультироваться у специалиста.

In my opinion, we need a detailed plan of actions.

По моему мнению, нам нужен детальный план действий.

In my view, it’s a difficult task.

На мой взгляд, это трудная задача.

The way I see it, it might be difficult to realize at the moment.

На мой взгляд, это может быть трудно осуществить в настоящий момент.

As far as I know, it could be very expensive.

Насколько я знаю, это может быть очень дорого.

As far as I’m concerned, time is the biggest problem.

Что касается меня, время самая большая проблема.

As for me, I’m not ready to discuss it.

Что касается меня, я не готов обсуждать это.

This is a crazy idea, if you ask me.

Это бредовая идея, если вы хотите знать мое мнение.

Adding information

Добавление информации

In addition to that, we don’t have enough people for this work.

Вдобавок к этому, у нас недостаточно людей для этой работы.

I’d like to add that we will need new equipment for this project.

Я хотел бы добавить, что нам понадобится новое оборудование для этого проекта.

What’s more, this office is too small for all of us.

Более того, этот офис слишком мал для всех нас.

Besides, there might be travel expenses.

Кроме того, могут быть расходы на поездки.

Also, we will need extra cash for food and other daily expenses.

Также / К тому же, нам понадобятся добавочные наличные деньги на еду и другие ежедневные расходы.

Making a suggestion

Предложение идеи

I suggest getting a bank loan.

Я предлагаю получить заём в банке.

Why don’t we get a bank loan?

Почему бы нам не получить заём в банке?

How about using our out-of-town laboratory for this project?

Как насчет использования нашей загородной лаборатории для этого проекта?

We could rent some equipment instead of buying it.

Мы могли бы взять напрокат оборудование вместо того, чтобы покупать его.

You could publish an article about the project in a local newspaper.

Вы могли бы напечатать статью об этом проекте в местной газете.

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to start a fund-raising campaign?

Было бы неплохо начать кампанию по сбору средств.

Let’s ask James for help.

Давайте попросим помощи у Джеймса.

Asking to explain

Просьбы объяснить

I’m afraid I don’t understand.

Боюсь, я не понимаю.

Could you explain it, please?

Не могли бы вы объяснить это, пожалуйста?

Would you mind explaining it in detail?

Не могли бы вы объяснить это в деталях?

What do you mean?

Что вы имеете в виду?

Why? Why not?

Почему? Почему нет?

Asking for clarification

Просьбы разъяснить

I’d like to know where you are planning to sell the product.

Я хотел бы знать, где вы планируете продавать продукцию.

What do you mean by saying that we don’t have enough people?

Что вы имеете в виду, говоря, что у нас недостаточно людей?

Do you mean that we should hire someone to manage the project?

Вы имеете в виду, что нам следует нанять кого-то для управления проектом?

Could you be more specific, please?

Не могли бы вы говорить более конкретно?

What are you trying to say?

Что вы пытаетесь сказать?

Explaining and clarifying

Объяснение и разъяснение

I mean that we will have to move to a different office and hire more people.

Я имею в виду, что нам придётся переехать в другой офис и нанять больше людей.

What I am trying to say is that we don’t have enough money for this project.

Что я пытаюсь сказать, это то, что у нас недостаточно денег для этого проекта.

What I wanted to say was that we could use volunteers.

Что я хотел сказать, было то, что мы могли бы использовать добровольцев.

In other words, we are not ready yet.

Другими словами, мы ещё не готовы.

You misunderstood. Let me explain.

Вы не так поняли. Позвольте мне объяснить.

Asking for agreement

Вопросы о согласии

Do you agree?

Вы согласны?

What do you think?

Как вы думаете?

Right? Is that right?

Правильно? Это верно?

Wouldn’t you agree with that? / Don’t you agree with that?

Разве вы не согласны с этим?

You agree, don’t you?

Вы согласны, не так ли?

Agreeing

Согласие

I agree. I agree with you on this. I agree with Alexander.

Я согласен. Я согласен с вами в этом. Я согласен с Александром.

I agree completely. / I couldn’t agree more.

Я полностью согласен.

That’s true. / That’s right.

Это верно.

You are right.

Вы правы.

Right.

Правильно. / Верно.

Of course. / Certainly. / Sure.

Конечно.

Exactly. Definitely.

Точно. Несомненно.

I think so.

Думаю, да. / Думаю, что так.

I suppose so.

Полагаю, что так.

Disagreeing

Несогласие

That’s not exactly true.

Это не совсем верно.

I’m afraid I don’t see it that way.

Боюсь, я вижу это по-другому.

Not really.

Не совсем.

I’m sorry, but it’s not quite right.

Извините, но это не совсем правильно.

I’m afraid I disagree.

Боюсь, я не согласен.

I’m afraid I can’t agree with that.

Боюсь, я не могу согласиться с этим.

I don’t really agree with you on that.

Я не совсем согласен с вами в этом.

To tell you the truth, I have a different opinion.

Честно говоря, у меня другое мнение.

Basically, I understand what you mean, but I think your conclusions are wrong.

В основном, я понимаю, что вы имеете в виду, но я думаю, что ваши выводы неправильны.

Understanding

Понимание

I understand.

Я понимаю.

I see.

Понимаю. / Понятно. / Ясно.

I see what you mean.

Я понимаю, что вы имеете в виду.

I see your point.

Я понимаю вашу мысль / ваш довод.

I got it.

Я понял.

When you don’t know the answer

Когда вы не знаете ответа

I don’t know.

Я не знаю.

I really don’t know.

Я действительно не знаю.

I’m afraid I couldn’t say.

Боюсь, не могу сказать.

I have no idea.

Не имею представления.

I wish I knew.

Хотел бы знать, но не знаю.

Don’t ask me.

Меня не спрашивайте.

Doubt

Сомнение

I’m not quite sure about it.

Я не совсем уверен насчёт этого.

Maybe, but I’m not sure.

Может быть, но я не уверен.

I’m not sure that I agree with your argument.

Я не уверен, что согласен с вашим аргументом.

I have to think about it.

Мне надо подумать об этом.

I have mixed feelings about it.

У меня сложные чувства по этому вопросу.

Are you sure that this information is correct / accurate?

Вы уверены, что эта информация правильная / точная?

Disbelief

Неверие

It can’t be true!

Это не может быть правдой!

I can’t believe it.

Не могу поверить этому.

I don’t believe it.

Я не верю этому.

Are you serious?

Вы серьёзно?

You must be joking.

Вы, наверное, шутите.

Approval

Одобрение

I think that it is a great idea.

Я думаю, что это отличная идея.

It’s great! / That’s great! / Great!

Это отлично! / Отлично!

It’s very good! / Very good!

Это очень хорошо! / Очень хорошо!

It’s a good point.

Это хороший аргумент.

You did a great job.

Вы отлично поработали.

Disapproval

Неодобрение

I don’t like this idea.

Мне не нравится эта идея.

I’m against this plan.

Я против этого плана.

I don’t think it will work.

Не думаю, что это получится.

It’s too expensive.

Это слишком дорого.

It will take too much time.

Это займет слишком много времени.

It’s too time-consuming.

Это требует слишком больших затрат времени.

Asking to repeat

Просьбы повторить

I’m sorry, but could you repeat what you just said?

Извините, не могли бы вы повторить то, что вы только что сказали?

I’m afraid I haven’t heard what you said.

Боюсь, я не услышал, что вы сказали.

Could you repeat it, please?

Не могли бы вы повторить это, пожалуйста?

Can you repeat it, please?

Можете повторить это, пожалуйста?

What did you say?

Что вы сказали?

Sorry? / Beg your pardon?

Извините? / Что, простите?

Interrupting the speaker

Прерывание говорящего

I’m sorry to interrupt you, but could you repeat the address, please?

Извините, что прерываю вас, но не могли бы вы повторить адрес, пожалуйста?

I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s a telephone call for Mr. Green.

Извините, что прерываю, но мистера Грина просят к телефону.

Forgive me for interrupting you, but I’d like to ask a question.

Простите, что прервал вас, но я хотел бы задать вопрос.

Excuse me for interrupting you, but I don’t think this information is relevant to the subject of our discussion.

Извините, что прервал вас, но я не думаю, что эта информация имеет отношение к предмету нашего обсуждения.

I’m sorry for the interruption.

Извините, что прервал вас.

(See related phrases in Phrases for Certain Situations in the section Phrases.)

(Посмотрите фразы на похожие темы в материале Phrases for Certain Situations в разделе Phrases.)