INTRODUCING PEOPLE

        (Adapted from: Štěpánek, L.,deHaaff, J.:Akademická angličtina, Grada, Praha, 2018)


Read the dialogues below and decide which form of introducing would be appropriate for small talk
in formal (F) or informal (I) situations.


1)

A: Oh, Doctor Fischer, have you met my colleague, Ms Carraro? Doctor Fisher is the Head of our
Department. Ms Carraro is the Director of the Office of International Studies in Padova.

B: Hello, Ms Carraro, pleased to meet you.

C: Hello, Doctor Fischer, very nice to meet you too.


2)

A: Professor Colwell, there’s someone I’d like you to meet, it’s Mr Sanz. Mr Sanz is our National
Contact Point in Spain. Professor Colwell is responsible for the UK section.

B: Hello, Mr Sanz, it’s a pleasure to meet you.

C: The pleasure is mine.


3)

A: Hi, this is Garry. Garry, it´s Eva. Garry is the crazy guy I met in Morocco last year. Eva
studies Law and is Mark’s best friend.

B: Hi. How’re you?

C: Hi.


4)

A: Anybody going to introduce me?

B: Sure. This is Andrea, my room mate. And here’s Clara, Steve and Johann, we all met at Eramsus in
Barcelona.

A: Hi guys!

C,S,J: Hi!


5)

A: Hello, excuse me … I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt … I just wanted to introduce myself, I’m
Bob Font from the University Press.

B: Oh, hello, nice to meet you. I don’t believe we’ve met before.

A: No, no we haven’t. I saw your presentation this morning and I think it is great what you are
doing and I just wanted to know if I could ask some questions.


6)

A: Good evening, Mr Siddall, isn’t it?

B: That’s right, yes, hello.

A: Hi, it’s a very nice party you have put on here.

B: Oh, well, glad you’re enjoying it!

A: I don’t think we’ve actually met formally yet.

B: No, no I don’t think we have.

A: My name’s Linda Osborne and I work in our Research and Development Office.


7)

A: Sally, I think you´ve met Mr Lomell.

B: No, I haven´t actually.

A: OK, Mr Lomell is the colleague from Birmingham I told you about. They´ve been doing more or less
the same as us, you know the OPAL Project. Sally is my colleague, Sally is responsible for the
quality assurance management.

L: Hi, nice to meet you. And, call me Mark.

S: Hi, Mark. Nice to meet you.



                                            SMALL TALK


I'm being quiet now. That means it's your turn to talk. – I'm trying to think of what to
say.


  (Cagney & Lacey, 1982)


Task: Match the phrases with their turn taking functions.


1) Stating an opinion

2) Asking for an opinion

3) Agreeing with an argument

4) Offering an alternative

5) Clarifying

6) Requests to repeat

7) Finishing a discussion


a)

Sorry, I didn´t get that.

Pardon me, you were saying what?

What was that she said?


b)

Of course.

I agree completely.

You’re absolutely right.


c)

Personally I think it is obvious.

In my experience, this has never been easy.

Well, speaking for myself, I would not do it.


d)

Sorry, I am afraid, we should be going now as the sessions are about to start.

Oh, we could have something to eat now.

Excuse me for a sec, there´s a colleague of mine I need to talk to and I do not want to miss him.


e)

Well? What do you think?

Isn´t that true?

How would you react?


f)

No, no, what I said was just the opposite.

Well, I am afraid I have been misunderstood.

Yes, but I was only referring to that particular case.


g)

On the other hand, it does not have to be that straightforward.

OK, but when I come to think of it, there could be some different solutions, too.

Actually, now that I’ve thought about it more, I wouldn´t say it is the only way they could
proceed.