Let’s get down to business and talk about using different greetings in English. (Thanks to Inklyo.com for this information).
Different circ*mstances call for different levels of formality. You would not greet a prospectiveemployerin the same manner or tone that you would use for a classmate or friend (that is, not if you really want the job that employer has to offer.)
Here are a few common English greetings (and examples of exchanges) that you can use in formal, informal, or casual situations.
Formal greetings: “How do you do?”
The phrase featured in the heading above is formal, a bit outdated, and not often used today. However, certain greetings are appropriate for use in more formal situations or when respect and courtesy are called for. These instances include business meetings, formal classroom or workplace presentations, or meeting a friend’s parents. You may encounter such greetings when doing business in restaurants and shops. There are many other options, but here are six of the most common formal ways to say “hello”:
1.“Hello!”
2.“Good morning.”
3.“Good afternoon.”
4.“Good evening.”
5.“It’s nice to meet you.”
6.“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” (These last two only work when you are meeting someone for the first time.)
Let’s take a look at how these phrases might be used:
Mr. Piper (arriving at his client’s office): “Good morning, Mr. Drummer. How are you today?”
Mr. Drummer: “Hello, Mr. Piper. I’m very well, thank you! Please come in and we can review that contract.”
or
Dr. Feelwell (addressing a group of colleagues at a seminar): “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I would like to present the results of my study on ‘Healthy Fast Food Options.'”
or
Mary: “John, I’d like you to meet my father.”
John (shifting from one foot to the other): “Er . . . ah . . . It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wolverine, sir.” (This exchange is sometimes accompanied by a polite handshake. However, if—like poor John here—you are indeed meeting Mr. Wolverine, you should be sure that the claws have not already appeared. If they have, it is perfectly acceptable to skip the handshake . . . perhaps you should just run!)
Informal general greetings
These greetings can be used in most informal situations when you are saying hello to a colleague or to someone you meet on the street.
7.“Hi!” (Probably the most commonly used greeting in English)
8.“Morning!” (A more casual way of saying “Good morning”)
9.“How are things (with you)?”
10.“What’s new?”
11.“It’s good to see you.” (Used when you haven’t seen someone in a while)
12.“G’day!” (Short for “Good day”)
13.“Howdy!” (Often used in the southern regions of the United States)
Even though some of these expressions look like questions, the “greetee” is not always meant to answer them. In fact, confusing as it may seem, sometimes a question is answeredwitha question. And sometimes these greetings can be used in combination:
Jane: “Hi, Jake. What’s new?”
Jake: “G’day, Jane. How are things?” or “Morning, Jane. It’s good to see you!”
Casual informal greetings
These ways to say “hello” are used in very casual, friendly, and familiar contexts. They can be used in spoken English, text messages, voicemail messages, or emails with people that you know well. While they’re not exactlyrudeto use with strangers, they aren’t exactly polite, either. Using these greetings with people you don’t know well might cause confusion, and these greetings are not considered appropriate in certain contexts. You shouldn’t use these casual greetings in formal situations, as doing so might make the person you’re talking to think you aren’t taking that formal situation as seriously as you should be. For example, it would be wildly inappropriate to say “What’s happening?” to someone you were greeting at a funeral, and I would strongly advise against using “Yo!” when meeting a prospective employer at a job interview.
14.“Hey” or “Hey there.”
15.“What’s up?” (Sometimes expressed as “‘Sup?”)
16.“How’s it going?”
17.“What’s happening” or “What’s happenin’?”
18.“Yo!”
These words and phrases are mostly used by young people to greet their friends when they arrive somewhere like a party, an exam, or a class. Again, although some of these greetings look like questions, no answers are expected.
Biff (as he approaches his classmates): “Yo! What’s happenin’?”
The Gang: “Hey. ‘Sup?”
