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A1 (Beginner)Grammar

Greetings & Introductions

Say hello, ask how someone is, and introduce yourself naturally in English. A practical beginner lesson with 20 questions.

Before grammar rules, every learner needs to do one thing: say hello and introduce themselves. In this lesson, you’ll learn the friendly, natural phrases people really use in English – the same ones you’ll use in your very first conversation with a tutor at EduCareer.

Saying hello

English has different greetings for different times and levels of formality.

Greeting When to use it
Hello / Hi Any time. “Hi” is a little more relaxed.
Good morning Before about 12 noon.
Good afternoon From about 12 noon until evening.
Good evening In the evening.
Careful“Good night” is not a greeting – we use it only to say goodbye at the end of the day, or before sleep.

“How are you?”

After saying hello, people usually ask how you are. Here is a natural exchange between Emma and her tutor:

  • Ms Olivia: “Hello Emma, how are you?”
  • Emma: “I’m fine, thank you. And you?”
  • Ms Olivia: “I’m very well, thanks.”

Some natural answers to “How are you?”:

Answer Meaning
I’m fine, thanks. Good (the most common answer)
I’m very well, thank you. Very good (a little more formal)
Not bad. Okay / fine (relaxed)
I’m a bit tired. Honest answer when you’re tired

Introducing yourself

To introduce yourself, you’ll use the verb to be from Lesson 1. Here’s how James introduces himself on his first day:

  • “Hello, my name is James.” (or “I’m James.”)
  • “I’m from Toronto.”
  • “I’m an accountant.”
  • “Nice to meet you.”
TipWhen someone says “Nice to meet you,” the natural reply is “Nice to meet you too.”

Useful questions to ask someone

Question Example answer
What’s your name? My name is Emma.
Where are you from? I’m from Canada.
What do you do? I’m a student. / I’m a teacher.
How old are you? I’m nineteen.
Tutor tipIn English we say “My name is James,” always including is. Also notice we say “I’m from Toronto” – the small word from is needed, and learners often leave it out. Little words like is and from matter a lot in English.

Saying goodbye

Phrase When
Goodbye / Bye Any time (“Bye” is relaxed)
See you later / See you soon When you’ll meet again
See you tomorrow When you’ll meet the next day
Good night At the end of the day / before sleep
Common mistakes

  • How are you? – I am fine, and you are? → I’m fine, and you?
  • My name James. → My name is James.
  • Nice to meet you. – Me too. → Nice to meet you too.

Practise these friendly phrases with the 20 questions below. Soon, starting a conversation in English will feel natural!

Check your understanding

Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.

1.Which greeting do you use at 9 in the morning?
"Good morning" is used before about 12 noon.
2."Good night" is used to ___.
"Good night" is only for saying goodbye at the end of the day.
3.Someone says "How are you?" A natural answer is:
"I'm fine, thanks." is the most common answer.
4.Complete: "My name ___ James."
"My name is James" — don't forget "is".
5.Complete: "I'm ___ Toronto."
"I'm from" + a place tells people your origin.
6.Someone says "Nice to meet you." You reply:
The natural reply is "Nice to meet you too."
7.Which question asks about someone's job?
"What do you do?" asks about a person's job.
8.Which question asks about origin?
"Where are you from?" asks about origin.
9.Choose the correct introduction:
"I'm James" (I am James) is correct.
10."See you tomorrow" means you will meet ___.
"See you tomorrow" = you will meet the next day.
11.A relaxed way to say hello is:
"Hi" is a relaxed, friendly hello.
12.Complete: "How old ___ you?"
"How old are you?" — "you" takes "are".
13.Answer "What's your name?":
"My name is Emma" answers the question about your name.
14.Which is a way to say goodbye?
"See you later" is a goodbye phrase.
15."Good afternoon" is used ___.
"Good afternoon" is used from about 12 noon until evening.
16.Complete: "Hello, ___ name is Emma."
"My name is Emma."
17.A polite, slightly formal answer to "How are you?" is:
"I'm very well, thank you" is polite and a little more formal.
18.Which sentence is correct?
"Where are you from?" is the correct word order.
19.Emma introduces her brother: "___ is Thomas."
"He's Thomas" (He is Thomas). "He is" introduces another person.
20.Complete the reply: "How are you?" — "I'm fine, thank you. And ___?"
"And you?" is the natural way to ask back.

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