Everyday English: phrases for daily life and real conversation
Two series of everyday English: basic phrases for beginners and casual phrases that make you sound more natural. Start with the first if greetings and thank-yous still take a pause.
Phrases for every day: greetings, please and thank you, polite questions and small talk that keeps a chat going.
How to answer «How are you?», say thank you and goodbye, ask again, tell the time and keep a conversation going.
- 1/20 A1A2B1Start here How to answer “How are you?”: 7 replies
- 2/20 A1A2B1 Ways to ask “How are you?” in English
- 3/20 A1A2B1 Ways to say thank you in English
- 4/20 A1A2 How to reply to “Thank you”
- 5/20 A1A2B1 Informal ways to say goodbye in English
- 6/20 A2 Telling the time in English: past and to
- 7/20 A2B1 How to start a conversation in English
- 8/20 A2B1 What’s the matter? Asking, checking, calming
- 9/20 A2B1 Asking what happened: What’s the matter, How come
- 10/20 A2B1B2 How to ask someone to repeat in English
- 11/20 A2B1 Ways to say “I don’t know” in English
- 12/20 B1B2 Making a polite request in English
- 13/20 A2B1B2 Polite ways to say please, with translations
- 14/20 B1B2 Instead of please: 4 polite phrases
- 15/20 A2B1B2 Decisions and fingers: weigh up, toe, thumb
- 16/20 B1B2 Colloquial phrases: let’s get to the point
- 17/20 B1B2 Casual phrases natives use: How come?, That’s lit
- 18/20 A1A2B1 Filler words for a dialogue: well, so, I guess
- 19/20 A2B1B2 Linking words in sentences: even though, show off
- 20/20 A2B1B2 Linking words: however, even so, even though
Everyday English is not a separate grammar. It is the set of phrases every conversation runs on: saying hello, asking how someone is, saying thank you, asking someone to repeat, saying goodbye. You learn them as ready-made chunks rather than rules, which is exactly what flashcards are good at. This page brings together the two series about everyday conversation.
Where to start
If you are a beginner, start with Everyday English phrases. It has four sets of basics: greetings and goodbyes, please, thanks and sorry, questions and requests, and small talk. Every phrase comes with a transcription and an example sentence, and the first set is free.
Once the basics come without a pause, move on to Conversational phrases. It has 20 short sets, each about one situation: seven replies to “How are you?”, five ways to say thank you, six replies to “Thank you”, how to ask someone to repeat, say “I don’t know”, say goodbye and tell the time, plus filler words and linking words.
How the two series differ
- Everyday English phrases gives one basic option per situation: thank you, you’re welcome, can you say that again? Levels A1 to B1, with example sentences.
- Conversational phrases gives several options for the same situation, each with its own tone: Thanks a lot!, I really appreciate it, Cheers!. Levels A1 to B2, with notes on which phrases sound rude or British.
The two work well side by side: learn the basic set about thanking, then the conversational sets on the same topic. You see right away how to say it simply and how to say it more naturally.
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Frequently asked questions
Where should I start with conversational English?
With the phrases every conversation uses: greetings, how are you, thank you, sorry and asking someone to repeat. They are in the Everyday English phrases series. Once they come without a pause, move on to Conversational phrases, which give several options for each situation.
How is conversational English different from textbook English?
Conversation uses short set phrases, contractions and casual words: Not bad instead of I am fine, thank you, No worries instead of You are welcome, wanna and gonna. The grammar is the same; the word choice is livelier.