Learning English | BBC World Service (2024)

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Greetings and farewells
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Learning English | BBC World Service (23) Learning English | BBC World Service (24) Ashfaq Quadir from Pakistan asks:

What is the difference between these two sentences: ‘How are you?’ and ‘How do you do?’

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Formal greetings

How do you do? is very formal and is not used very much, especially by younger people, these days. It may be used on first meeting and accompanied by a formal handshake when both partners issue the same greeting. The reply to How do you do? is How do you do? Then it would be a matter of getting straight down to the business in hand, e.g. ‘I see that your company has been performing very well in South East Asia...'

The more usual exchange between two people meeting with a handshake on a fairly formal basis for the first time would be: Pleased to meet you. Or: Nice to meet you.

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Informal greetings

The most common way of greeting someone both at an informal level and more formally would be: Hello! How are you? to which the standard reply is: Very well, thank you. or: Fine, thank you. (Note that the question is not usually meant or interpreted as a searching enquiry after the person’s health.) After we have given this reply, we often repeat: (And) how are you? or: (And) what about you? The response is still the same: Fine, thanks.

At the most informal level, among friends and particularly among young people, the most common greeting would probably be: Hi! to which the response is: Hi! This might then be followed by one of the following: How are things?, How’s things?, How’s it going?, (Are) you OK? to which the answer is probably: Yeah, fine! or with typical British understatement: Yeah, not so bad!

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Formal farewells

At a formal level, and again accompanied by a handshake, the most common farewell would probably be: (It was) nice to meet you or Nice to have met you. If a follow-up meeting has been arranged, this might be accompanied by: I’ll see you in three weeks. Bye, now.

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Informal farewells

At a more informal level too, on first meeting, it would be quite normal to say: Nice to have met you. Bye/Goodbye.

Among friends, farewell might be taken (by a combination of) some of the following:

  • 'Bye.'
  • 'Bye-bye.'
  • 'See you.'
  • 'See you later./tomorrow./on Saturday./etc'
  • 'Take care.

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FAQs

What happened to the BBC Learning English app? ›

Inspiring language learning since 1943. Hello and welcome to our page about our app. Unfortunately, the BBC Learning English app closed on 13th December 2023. Since that date, the app has no longer worked, and you will not be able to access any of the programmes in the app or any programmes that you have downloaded.

Is the BBC Learning English free? ›

In addition to the BBC Learning English app and lessons, the BBC also offers a variety of other educational materials, such as online lessons, practice exercises, downloads, and quizzes. These resources are all free to use and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.

How to learn BBC English? ›

How to use BBC English lessons. My suggestion is to log into the English lessons site and spend 10-15 minutes per day trying different activities. For example, do some grammar quizzes on Monday, some vocabulary practice on Tuesday, some listening practice on Wednesday and so on. Just have fun and explore what's there!

Who can teach me English for free? ›

USA Learns has several free courses to help you learn English, improve your skills, study for a job, prepare to become a U.S. citizen, and more! The 1st English Course is a video-based online English course for beginner students. Learn English with the video stories of the beginner students in an adult education class.

Why has the BBC app changed? ›

We have updated the BBC News App to modernise its look and feel. We have also refreshed the technology that powers the News App, which will allow us to introduce new features, bringing you the news in a way that works for everyone.

Which English news channel is best for learning English? ›

Spend some time on these 10 great news outlets and you'll improve your English AND stay up to date at the same time.
  1. BBC News / BBC World News. English dialect: British. ...
  2. Channel 4 News. English dialect: British. ...
  3. Sky News. English dialect: British. ...
  4. Al Jazeera. English dialect: Multiple. ...
  5. HuffPost. ...
  6. CNN. ...
  7. Vice. ...
  8. Quartz.

Do Americans pay for BBC? ›

Consequently, BBC America operates as a commercial-supported channel and accepts traditional advertising. It is also funded by television subscription fees. As of September 2018, BBC America is available to about 80.9 million television households (87.8% of pay television customers) in the United States.

What happened to BBC Learning Zone? ›

In 1997, when the BBC rebranded, The Learning Zone was renamed BBC Learning Zone, became a separate strand of programming in its own right and became independent of BBC Two. In 2015, the BBC confirmed that 'due to budget cuts', the service would be no longer be running on BBC Two.

Is there any free online English speaking course? ›

To learn to speak English online for free, simply register with Alison and go to the English Vertical. Here you will find an easy English Test that will show you which level of course to start with, from beginner through to advanced. You can also find more courses in language and literature in Alison's English Hub.

What is BBC Learning English app? ›

BBC Learning English has a wide range of topics and lessons, that can help you to learn many aspects of English grammar and pronunciation. Just choose one of the categories, and the app will show interesting texts and videos that can help you learn new English skills.

What is the best way to learn English? ›

12 effective tips to learn English fast and easy
  1. Start speaking as soon as possible. ...
  2. Start reading. ...
  3. Make yourself accountable. ...
  4. Set more useful targets than “I will become fluent” ...
  5. Keep your personal goal in mind. ...
  6. Try flashcards to boost your vocabulary. ...
  7. Learn whole sentences. ...
  8. Sing along.

How can adults learn English at home for free? ›

Free Websites to Practice English at Home
  1. ABCYa. This is a website for kids, but who says adults can't use it, too? ...
  2. Activities for ESL Students. ...
  3. BBC Learning English. ...
  4. Dave's ESL Cafe. ...
  5. Duolingo. ...
  6. Easy World of English. ...
  7. ESL Bits. ...
  8. GCF Learn Free.
Mar 12, 2020

What is the best free app for learning British English? ›

Speakometer is the best app to improve your English pronunciation and reduce your accent. It guides you with accent exercises and helps you to correct your English speaking. I like that you can compare British accent and American English for any word you search and practice your speaking.

How can I learn British English at home for free? ›

LearnEnglish website is the home of the British Council's free online resources to help adults learn English. You can find a wide range of videos, audios and texts at different levels, with online activities and downloadable worksheets.

Why are BBC apps not working? ›

Android: try clearing the app cache & data

Go to: Settings > Apps > BBC iPlayer and select the Clear Cache option. To clear the app data entirely, select Clear Data on the same page. Then sign back in and try playing a programme.

Does BBC America still exist? ›

Watch BBC America On your TV set BBC America is part of many standard cable and satellite packages in the US. On bbcamerica.com or the BBCA app I... Does bbcamerica.com offer full episodes that do not require you to sign in?

What happened to BBC HD? ›

The proposals were approved by the BBC Trust in May 2012 and subsequently, BBC Two HD launched on 26 March 2013, replacing BBC HD. The "BBC HD" name remains in use for a channel available to the maritime industry, including on select cruise ships.

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