THE LIVING SISTERS ⇓ Video by Michel Gondry [2011]
How are you doing? How are you doing?
I’ll be fine, how about you?
I’m fine too
How is it going? How is it going?
Yes it goes, what about you?
It goes for me too.
Nothing new, can’t complain – Skies are blue, sunshine or rain
Something to eat, watch a show – After that, I’ll sleep like a baby
What are you up to? What are you up to?
Not much, nothing to do
What about you? What about you?
Me too
After hours, … are sweet – Holding hands, watching tv
Nothing to say, nowhere to go – After that, I’ll sleep like a baby
How are you doing? How are you doing?
I’m fine, what about you? I’m fine, what about you?
I’m fine, what about you? I’m fine, what about you?
Me too – Me too – Me too
* * *
¶ Softening . . . ⇐
Sometimes we want to soften the impact of what we’re saying … Try the quizzes too!
Φ Ways of speaking … ⇒[01] ⇔ [02]⇐
- speak: make use of words in a normal voice. _ May I speak to George?
- talk: speak to give information, say things. _ What are they talking about?
- hesitate: be slow to speak (or act) because one is uncertain or unwilling to talk. _ He hesitated before answering my question.
- whisper: speak softly, without vibrating the vocal cords, privately or secretly._She whispered the secret word in my ear.
- hiss: say something in a loud whisper. (Snakes also hiss)._‘Get out!’ she hissed at me furiously.
- mumble: speak unclearly, so that others can’t hear._He mumbled something at me which I didn’t understand.
- mutter: speak in a low voice, which is hard to hear._She was muttering something to herself as she went out.
- murmur: speak in a soft, quiet voice that is difficult to hear clearly._The classmates murmured during the test.
- hum: make a low continuous sound, when you take a long time deciding what to say._She hummed at the beginning of the oral exam.
- grunt: make short sounds or say a few words in a rough voice, when you don’t want to talk. (Pigs also grunt)._She grunted a few words and left the table.
- stammer: speak with pauses and repeating the same sound or syllable, habitually or from fear or excitement.‘_P-p-please give me the p-p-pen,’ he stammered.
- stutter: stammer._‘P-p-please give me the p-p-pen,’ he stuttered.
- quaver: speak tremulously, because you are nervous or upset._Her voice quavered for a moment but then she regained control.
- lisp: speak with /th/ sounds instead of /s/ sounds._You’re very thilly, Thimon. (You’re very silly, Simon.)
- babble = gabble: talk foolishly, in a way difficult to understand._Her fever made her babble without stopping.
- ramble: talk continuously, in a confused way._Stop rambling and get to the point, please!
- slur: speak unclearly, without separating the words correctly._He was so drunk that he slurred to the bartender for more.
- chat: have a friendly informal conversation._They chatted away in the corner.
- chatter: talk quickly and at length about something unimportant._Please stop chattering, I’m trying to listen to the TV!
- gossip: talk about the affairs of other people._She was gossiping about her neighbours all day.
- whine: complain in a sad, annoying voice about something._‘I don’t want to go,’ whined Peter.
- croak: speak with a deep hoarse voice._She had such a terrible cold that she could only croak.
- blurt out: say something suddenly and tactlessly._She blurted out the bad news before I could stop her.
- snap: say something quickly in an angry way._‘What do you want?’ the waiter snapped.
- splutter: talk quickly in short confused phrases, in anger or surprise._‘But… what… where… how could you?’ she spluttered.
∞ Collocations with «TALK» … ⇒[01] ⇔ [02]⇐
•→Verbal Communication Skills⇐
¤ Debates & Discussions ⇐ (Compiled by Marina Canapero):
⇒Money⇐ / ⇒Tax⇐ / ⇒Movies⇐ / ⇒Stereotypes⇐ / ⇒Risk⇐ / ⇒Pornography⇐ / ⇒Sex⇐ / ⇒Terrorism⇐ / ⇒War⇐ . . .
♦ Conversation Skills ⇓ (exchanging opinions, agreeing, disagreeing…)⇐quiz
•→ 10 English phrases for CHANGING YOUR MIND ⇐
¤ Being sarcastic ← [quotes]
People are sarcastic when they say the opposite of the truth, or the opposite of their true feelings in order to be funny or to make a point. It is often thought that along with drinking tea and waiting in queues, the British have a fondness for sarcasm.
•→ Listen to mp3⇐ / •→ Read script⇐
Φ Some common examples of sarcasm
Remember to judge when and with whom to be sarcastic – you can offend people with inappropriate use of this language.
After something bad or annoying happens:
Oh terrific / great / brilliant! That’s just what I need.
After something unsurprising happens:
Well what a surprise!
After somebody makes a mistake:
Oh nice one! / Oh well done!
After someone says something obvious:
No?! Really? You’re quick / clever!
Φ The language of sarcasm
There are no fixed rules about what language to use when being sarcastic, but the following features are quite common (but this language is used when people aren’t being sarcastic too!):
Tag questions:
Of course, you’re the real expert at driving, aren’t you?
‘Yes’ … ‘because’:
You can use this to disagree or argue with someone by seeming to agree:
A: Slow down! You’re driving too fast!
B: Yeah right, ‘cause you never drive too fast, do you?
‘I forgot’:
A: Slow down! You’re driving too fast!
B: Sorry, I forgot you were the expert driver! How many times have you crashed in the last year?
‘If’ … ‘must’:
Well if you read it on the Internet it must be true!
Φ Make it clear that you are being sarcastic
It’s really important that your conversation partner realises that you are being sarcastic. Here are a couple of ways of doing this:
Exaggerate your feelings using strong words and a lively intonation. So if something bad happens, instead of saying ‘Good, I’m glad that’s happened’ try ‘Great! That’s just what we need!’
People will also sometimes use old-fashioned English to exaggerate: ‘Gosh, you’re quick!’ ‘I say, that’s a surprise!’
Sometimes, the situation will make it obvious that you are being sarcastic and you don’t need to worry about people misunderstanding you. But if you are worried that people might misunderstand you, then after your sarcastic comment, say
‘Just kidding!’ or ‘I’m only joking!’ or ‘I’m sorry! … I’m just being sarcastic.’
If you want to be sarcastic in writing (for example in an email), try putting an exclamation mark in brackets after your sarcastic comment, like this: ‘So then we visited an enormous steam train museum and you can just imagine what fun that was(!)’
•→Example dialogues [pdf] / •→Listen to mp3 // •→How to be sarcastic [quiz]
♦ Six idioms about talking ↓ [explanation + practice]
to shoot the breeze / speak the same language / talk a mile a minute / spill the beans / talk someone into something / talk someone out of something♦ King Crimson ⇓ ‘Elephant Talk’ ←
Talk, it’s only talk
Arguments, agreements, advice, answers,
Articulate announcements
It’s only talk
Talk, it’s only talk
Babble, burble, banter, bicker bicker bicker
Brouhaha, boulderdash, ballyhoo
It’s only talk
Back talk
Talk talk talk, it’s only talk
Comments, cliches, commentary, controversy
Chatter, chit-chat, chit-chat, chit-chat,
Conversation, contradiction, criticism
It’s only talk
Cheap talk
Talk, talk, it’s only talk
Debates, discussions
These are words with a D this time
Dialogue, dualogue, diatribe, dissention, declamation
Double talk, double talk
Talk, talk, it’s only talk
Too much talk
Small talk
Talk that trash
Expressions, editorials, expugnations, exclamations, enfadulations
It’s all talk
Elephant talk, elephant talk
♦ Liz Lochhead ⇓ «Men talk» [poem]
= = =
• wikihow.com/Break-Bad-News →
•→www.englishclub.com/giving-bad-news.htm←
•→ Giving & Responding to Good & Bad News ←
«…We usually don’t just blurt out the bad news; we tell the person who’s receiving bad news that we’re going to tell them something they’re not going to like…»
«I’m sorry to say…/tell you (that)…» / «I’m afraid (that)…» / «I regret to inform you (that)…» ⇓
«There’s no nice/easy way to say this…» / «There’s good news and bad news…» / «You might want to sit down before you hear this…» / «Brace yourself…»
♦ Paying compliments ⇓
¤ English for Emergency Situations ←
⇐listenaminute.com/e/emergencies
•→ Talking About Fear ⇔ [vid + quiz←]
I was shocked to hear…
The news came as a complete shock.
Everyone’s reeling from the shock of…
I (just) can’t get over ….
We were completely taken aback by…
I was just stunned by…
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