Dina: Maria! It’s great to
see you again. You
look fantastic!
Maria: Thanks! You look
great, too. I love
your hair.
Dina: You’re joking! I haven’t been to
the hairdresser for ages.
Maria: I hear that you’ve been very busy
lately. You were nominated for
a Businessperson of the Year
award, weren’t you? You must be
so proud.
Dina: Well, you know, I’ve got a great
team behind me, so I really have
them to thank. Hey, I read your
latest novel. It’s really funny!
Maria: Do you think so? The reviews
haven’t been that great.
Dina: Well, I loved it!
Maria: That’s very kind of
you. It was a lot of
hard work. By the
way, I saw your
wedding photos
on Facebook. What
a beautiful dress!
Dina: Oh that old thing. It’s been in the
family for generations.
Maria: And your husband looks like a
real catch.
Dina: Yeah, John is a great guy.
Maria: He’s so handsome...
Dina: [laughing nervously] Yeah, he
is. Oh, I’ve been meaning to
ask, what’s all this about a bank
robbery? You helped catch one
of the robbers, didn’t you?
Maria: Oh, it was nothing. I was just in the
right place at the right time. I was
actually trying to run away. But I
must have tripped and knocked
the gun out of the robber’s hands.
Dina: Incredible... Anyway, I must be
going. We have to do this again
soon!
Maria: Deinitely! And bring John next
time. I can’t wait to meet him.
He’s so handsome.
Dina: Erm, yes, great.Dialogue
Giving a compliment
Here are some useful ways to give a
compliment.
Your hair looks fantastic!
I really like your dress.
That’s a really nice picture.
Your new car is great.
I think your new hairstyle really suits
you.
That new shirt looks great on you!
That’s a great looking car.
You have such beautiful hair.
What a lovely baby!
Isn’t your ring beautiful?
You did a really good job!
You handled that situation really well!
This food is delicious!
Nice house!
I’d just like to compliment you on
your recent achievement.
That report you wrote was fantastic.
That’s a nice T-shirt you’re wearing.Responding to a compliment
And here are some useful ways to
respond to a compliment. In each
mini-dialogue, person A is giving
a compliment, and person B is
responding.Thanking someone
A: That’s a really nice sweater.
B: Thanks. / That’s nice of you to say so.Giving details
A: Nice rug.
B: Thanks. I got it in a street market in
Morocco.Downgrading the compliment
A: That painting is really nice.
B: Oh, it’s nothing. It was really
cheap actually. I got it in a
sale.Agreeing
A: I love that sofa you bought.
B: Yes, me too.Disagreeing
A: You dealt with that very
well.
B: Oh, I don’t think so.Responding with a question
A: You did an excellent job yesterday.
B: Do you really think so?Shifting the credit
A: That clock looks great in your living
room!
B: Thanks, but it was Keira who chose it.Returning the compliment
A: You look great.
B: And so do you.Sharing the credit
A: You did a fantastic job.
B: Thanks, but I couldn’t have done it
without the others.Being modest
A: That’s a beautiful painting you’ve
done.
B: Oh, it’s nothing. I knocked it up in a
couple of seconds.Building up the achievement
A: That was amazing. Well done!
B: It’s actually a lot harder than it looks.Complimenting the
complimenter
A: Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
B: Thank you. It’s really nice to hear that
from someone with your experience.Ironic humour
A: Well done for stopping that robber.
B: I was actually trying to run away. I had
no intention of trying to stop him.Suspicion
A: That suit looks so good on you.
B: What are you after?In this month’s Functional Language, we’ll be looking at giving and responding to compliments
(nice comments that people say about you or your things).FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE
FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE
Old friends Dina and Maria
are having lunch. It’s the irst
time they’ve seen each other
in ten years.Very
good!
You’re
fantastic!What a
lovely
man!AUDIO/ http://www.learnhotenglish.com / 13