The moment

Three tiny exchanges from one ordinary morning: a neighbor in the elevator, a colleague at the coffee machine, and a client arriving for a meeting. Each one is four lines. First listen to both voices, then play only Liam's side and say Bella's lines yourself, then swap. The point is speed, not accuracy: greetings have to come out before you think.

The conversation

LiamBella
  1. Liam
  2. Bella
  3. Liam
  4. Bella
  5. Liam
  6. Bella
  7. Liam
  8. Bella
  9. Liam
  10. Bella
  11. Liam
  12. Bella

Words to know

talking about the weather is the default small talk with people you barely know

a casual goodbye, short for "have a good day"

"I agree, I feel the same" about something annoying

face to face, not by phone or video

"the same to you", a compact reply to "nice to meet you"

Check yourself

1What does "Tell me about it" mean here?
2Which exchange is the most formal?
3What is "Have a good one" short for?

Practice · 4 min

Round one: repeat every line. Round two: mute Bella and say her lines in the gap. Round three: mute Liam. If a line is slow, say it three times on its own before going back to the dialogue.

  1. LiamMorning.
  2. BellaMorning. Cold one today.
  3. LiamFreezing. Have a good one.
  4. BellaYou too.
  5. LiamHey, how's it going?
  6. BellaNot bad. Monday, though.
  7. LiamTell me about it. Coffee's fresh, at least.
  8. BellaThen today has one good thing.
  9. LiamMs. Wang? Welcome. I'm Liam, we spoke on the phone.
  10. BellaOf course. Nice to finally meet you in person.
  11. LiamLikewise. Can I get you a coffee or some water?
  12. BellaWater would be great, thank you.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.