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Introductions and Polite conversation
Look at the name below:
Brad Robert Pitt
Sometimes foreigners have three names.
Example:
Brad is the first name. It is sometimes called the Christian name.
Robert is the middle name.
Pitt is the last name, surname, or family name.
Nicknames are also used in foreign cultures. Often longer names are changed to a shorter
form, e.g. Bradley Brad; Cynthia Cindy; Michael Mike
Introducing Yourself - Formally / Informally
When introducing yourself in an informal (casual) situation, use your first name. However, if
it is a formal situation, then you would use your first and last name.
Example: Informal
A: Hello, my name is Akiko. What's your name?
B: Hello, my name is Matthew.
A: Nice to meet you Matthew.
B: Nice to meet you also.
Note that the introduction above uses 'nice' to meet you, pleased, happy or glad could also
be used.
Being Friendly - Making Polite Conversation
Polite conversation often follows an introduction.
Asking a persons nickname, where they are from (or what province), if they have any
brothers and sisters, or how old they are, favourites and hobbies, are good ways to make
conversation.
Look at the sentence structure below:

What city / province

do you come
are you

from?

Answer: I come from Phuket province / I am from Phuket.

DO NOT say What city / province are you come from? If you use are you, don't use come.
Written by Paul Adams for Teach-This.com 2012

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Asking About Siblings
Study the following structure for asking about siblings. Siblings is a formal word for brothers
and sisters.
Example:
A: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
B: I have brother(s) and sister(s).
If you are an only child, you can answer:
- I have no brothers and sisters.
- I don't have any brothers or sisters.

Grammar note: Plurals

To make most singular nouns into plurals, we add -s to the noun.
Examples: a student / two students
one sister / two sisters
With words that end in -ch, -ss, -sh, or -o, we add -es.
Examples: a watch
a dress
a brush
a tomato

two watches
three dresses
two brushes
four tomatoes

Favourites
Asking someone what they like using favourite is another good way to make polite
conversation.
Example:
What is your favourite food?
This question can be answered in two ways:
My favourite food is steak.
Steak is my favourite food.
Using this basic structure, you can ask other questions using favourite. Just change the
underlined word.
Examples:
What is your favourite sport / fruit / drink / movie / song / colour?
Who is your favourite singer / movie star / sports star / teacher?

Written by Paul Adams for Teach-This.com 2012

TEACH-THIS.COM
Activity 1
Introduce yourself to your partner.
Ask questions and talk about your nickname, surname, city / province, brothers, sisters, and
favourites.
Then, present your dialogue in front of the class.

Asking and Answering Questions in the Third Person

In the third person you have to change the helping verb (dodoes) in the question, and the
main verb (comecomes) in the answer. Study the rules below:

What city / province

do

I / we / you / they

does

he / she / a name / it

I / We / You / They

come

He /She / It / Name

comes

come from?

from Phuket / Phuket

province.

Activity 2
Work in a group of four and practice asking and answering questions in the third person.
Two students ask and answer questions about someone else in the group.
Example
1. What province does come from?
2. How old is ?
3. What is favourite food?
4. Who is favourite movie star?

Written by Paul Adams for Teach-This.com 2012