Morning Greetings with Neighbors
Exchanging friendly morning greetings with neighbors while leaving home or getting mail
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
lovely
This means very pleasant or beautiful. It's often used to describe weather, a person, or a thing. For example, 'What a lovely day!' or 'She looks lovely in that dress.'
flexible schedule
This refers to a work schedule that allows someone to change their working hours or work days. It means you are not stuck with a fixed time.
grocery store
This is a shop that sells food and household supplies. In British English, it's often called a 'supermarket'.
guests
These are people who are invited to visit someone's house or to an event. For example, 'We are having guests for dinner tonight.'
by the way
This is a phrase used to introduce a new topic that just came to your mind or to add extra information. It's similar to 'incidentally' or 'speaking of which'.
check out
Here, it means to go to a place to see what it's like, often for the first time. For example, 'Let's check out the new restaurant.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Beautiful day today, isn't it?
This is a common way to make small talk and agree on something obvious, like the weather. The 'isn't it?' at the end is a tag question, used to invite agreement or confirm information.
Are you heading to work early today?
To 'head to' somewhere means to go in that direction. This is a polite way to ask about someone's plans or destination.
Actually, I'm just getting the mail.
'Actually' is used here to correct a mistaken assumption or to provide a different piece of information. 'Getting the mail' simply means collecting letters or packages from a mailbox.
How about you?
This is a very useful and casual way to ask someone the same question they just asked you, or to ask a general question about their situation after sharing your own.
That sounds nice!
This is a positive and polite response when someone tells you about their plans or something happening. It shows you approve or are happy for them.
I hope you have a wonderful time.
This is a common and friendly way to wish someone well, especially when they are about to do something enjoyable like having guests or going to an event.
Maybe we can check it out together sometime next week?
'Maybe we can...' is a polite and suggestive way to propose an activity. 'Sometime next week' is a vague but flexible time frame, allowing for different days. This phrase is excellent for making tentative plans.
Just let me know when you're free.
This is a common and practical way to tell someone to inform you about their availability, especially after making a tentative plan. It puts the responsibility on them to confirm.
I better get going.
This is a casual way to say 'I should leave now' or 'It's time for me to go.' It's often used when you've been chatting and need to end the conversation politely.
You too!
This is a very common and friendly short response, meaning 'The same to you!' or 'You have a great day/time too!'. It's a quick and polite way to return a good wish.