WORDS, WORDS, WORDS

Do you find understanding informal greetings confusing? Well, don’t worry - you are not alone. Most students struggle with the meanings and how to respond to the many informal greetings in the English language.

Here are some common confusing questions and their typical responses:

"What’s up ?" (this means what’s new/interesting or how are you doing?)
RESPONSE: Nothing, Not much or What’s up? (means simply Hi)

"What’s going on?"( this means what are you doing or what’s new)
RESPONSE : Nothing, Not much, or tell them what you are doing now.

"What are you up to?"( this means what are you doing now)
RESPONSE : Nothing, Not much, or tell them what you are doing now.

"What have you been up to?" (this means what have you been doing since the last time I saw/talked to you)
RESPONSE: Not much, Nothing exciting, or tell them what you have been doing lately.

If you would like more information on WORDS, WORDS, WORDS, please email Doctor English with your questions at drenglish@vec.ca