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Conversational Language (#12), by Dennis Oliver
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Conversational
Language
(#12):
More Informal Responses
to
"How
are you?" Questions
Here are some more common
responses to "How are you?"
(and variations on this question)
in informal situations:
Positive
Responses
| A: |
|
How
are you? / How's it going? / How've
you been? (etc.) |
| |
|
|
| B: |
|
Great! / Fantastic! / Wonderful!
/
Terrific! /
Super!
/ I couldn't be
better!
Note: Sometimes a positive response is
shown
by
using a gesture, not words: the person
being spoken to makes a fist with
the thumb
extended
up vertically.
|
Neutral
Responses
| A: |
|
How
are you? / How's it going? / How've
you been? (etc.) |
| |
|
|
| B: |
|
So-so. / OK. / I could be
worse. / I
can't
really complain. / OK, I guess.
Note: Sometimes a neutral response is
shown
by using a gesture,
not words: one hand
is
extended, palm down, and slowly
"tipped"
from side to side
in a
horizontal manner.
|
Negative
Responses
| A: |
|
How
are you? / How's it going? / How've
you been? (etc.) |
| |
|
|
| B: |
|
Terrible! / Awful! / I could
be better. /
Really
bad! / I couldn't be worse!
Note: Sometimes a negative response is
shown
by
using a gesture, not words: the person
being spoken to makes a fist with
the thumb
extended
down vertically.
|
|
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