GREETINGS IN ENGLISH AND THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSES

 The first thing anyone needs to learn in a new language, I believe, should be the basic greetings and the appropriate responses. As elementary as this subject topic might seem, yet there is an unfortunate chance you have been greeting or responding to people’s greetings wrongly.

Ever heard the following conversation:

Mr. A: Hello.

Mr. B: Hi

                                   

Or

Mr. A: Howdy

Mr. B: I’m fine, thanks.

Or

Mr. A: How do you do?

Mr. B: Fine, thank you.

Did you find anything wrong about any of the above conversations? Well, the truth is ‘Mr. B’ got his response wrong in each of the above conversations.

So, now let us look at some basic greetings people often get wrong in English Language and the appropriate responses.

Greeting	Appropriate Response	Comment
Hello	Hello	Do not say ‘hi’ when you are greeted ‘hello’. It is inappropriate.
Hi	Hi	Same rule as above
Howdy	Howdy/hello/hi	Howdy is a variant of ‘hi’. Note: 'Howdy' does NOT mean ‘how are you?’
It’s a pleasure (nice) to meet you. Pleased to meet you.	It’s a pleasure (nice) to meet you, too. Pleased to meet you, too.	Used on being introduced to someone.
How do you do?	How do you do?	It is used when greeting someone you are meeting for the first time. (It is NOT a variant of 'how are you'.) Note: You are allowed to say this to an individual only once in a lifetime.
Good day	Good day to you, too. Or Goodbye!	It is an expression of farewell greeting used during the day.
How are you?	I’m fine, thank you. And you? Or Very well, thank you. How about you?
Goodnight	Goodnight, see you tomorrow. Or Goodbye. See you again!	It is an expression of good wishes on parting with someone. It can be used any time of the day, provided you are certain you will not see that person that day again.

Remember, it is never too late to right one's wrong. Make conscientious effort to begin yours now.