Why 5?

My email address is lisasenglish5@gmail.com. But what's with the number 5? You can read my blog for quick help with improving your English. There will be new blog posts twice a week and I will usually give you 5 tips and points to review.

So, I'm giving you 5. You may know that we say this in America when we slap someone's hand to congratulate or celebrate something.

Last time I wrote about "How do you do?" Sometimes students try to say this when they greet people, but also when they meet people. We know "How are you?" is good for greeting people. We should also know that when you meet someone for the first time, "Nice to meet you" is best

But, what if you have to talk to someone you don't know? Maybe you're at a party, or in a class, or a meeting. This is a little difficult even for native speakers sometimes.

Here are 5 suggestions:

1. Start with something positive; say something nice. For example - This is a nice house, office, great party, good crowd, good turnout. (If you don't know what these mean, check back for more info.)

2. Ask a question about the person's connection to the party, office, event, where you are. e,g, (for example) - How do you know Name of party host)? How long have you worked here? Have you been here before? Do you know everyone, most, a lot of the people here?

3. Say something about the party, meeting, event, the person should know about. e.g. it's great that people came out / got together for the birthday party. It's nice that everyone came to celebrate the class graduation. This should be / was an interesting meeting / class.

4. Ask a question or say something about the area, city, neighborhood. e.g. Can we see the ocean from here? Is there a beach nearby? This is a really nice neighborhood. This house was a little hard to find, but it has a beautiful yard / view. Where's the best place to go get lunch / have a drink / a coffee around here? Do you know what time the cafeteria opens / closes?

5. End the conversation politely. e.g. Excuse me, I'm going to get ready for class, the meeting, go get a drink, look at the yard / view, say Hello to Name,

Check back and look for my Youtube channel soon to learn more. Contact me for questions or suggestions. 'til next time, Take care and take 5.

5!