What’s the best way to respond to someone’s good news? Most people know how to say congratulations – but what other words, phrases and strategies are useful?
You might want to use these phrases to react!
TRANSCRIPT
William
Hello and welcome to How To, your weekly instruction manual for saying and doing things in English. My name’s William Kremer.
Let’s start today’s programme with a piece of good news: I’m getting married next month!
So what’s the best way for you to respond to something like that? Well, English speakers are lucky to have a word that they can use whenever something really good happens to another person:
EXAMPLE
Congratulations!
William
Congratulations! If you’re writing a card or a letter you might want to say what you are congratulating your friend about. To do this you can say:
EXAMPLE
Congratulations on your engagement!
William
Or you can say:
EXAMPLE
Congratulations on getting married!
William
But there are lots of things we can say to people who have some good news other than congratulations.
I’m going to invite a colleague from BBC Learning English into the studio, and I’m going to tell him my good news – about me getting married next month – and let’s see what words he uses when he responds.
EXAMPLE
William
And Matt has just come into the studio. Hello Matt.
Matt
Hello William.
William
Now, the reason I have called you into the studio today is because I have some good news.
Matt
Ah excellent – I like good news.
William
I am going to be getting married next month.
Matt
Oh congratulations; that’s fantastic news! Are you excited?
William
I am very excited, yes! Erm and err – yeah, so –
Matt
Are you getting married in a church?
William
No, we’re not getting married in a church, but – err – no; we’re doing the modern thing.
Matt
You’re doing the modern thing rather than the traditional.
William
Yes. That’s right.
Matt
Very good.
William
That’s my news.
Matt
That’s splendid news. I also have some very exciting news.
William
You don’t! Do you also?
Matt
I also have some exciting news.
William
What’s your news?
Matt
In one month’s time, my wife is having a baby boy – our first child.
William
Is she?!
Matt
Yes, she is.
William
Wow! I didn’t know that! When did you – well, you must have found out a long time ago.
Matt
I found out a long time ago, but we’ve been keeping it quiet.
William
Oooh, well congratulations! Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?
Matt
I said it was a boy.
William
Oh yes! Good point. OK Matt — that’s all I wanted to tell you.
Matt
Ah, fantastic – well, good luck.
William
Good luck to you too. Bye bye.
William
OK – Matt’s left the studio now. Don’t worry if you didn’t catch all of that conversation, but let’s listen back now to a few interesting bits.
Did you notice that after I told Matt my good news, he asked me some questions?
EXAMPLES
Are you excited?
Are you getting married in a church?
William
Matt is interested in my wedding. In general, when people tell you something new – something exciting – a very good way to respond is to ask lots and lots of questions!
What other language did Matt use?
EXAMPLE
Oh congratulations, that’s fantastic news!
William
This is a very common and a very easy way to respond to some good news. Simply describe the news as fantastic or great or brilliant – or use any other very positive word.
EXAMPLES
Oh congratulations! That’s fantastic news!
That’s splendid news – I also have some very exciting news.
William
But you don’t need to say, That’s fantastic news. When we’re talking, we can often use these very positive words like fantastic or splendid by themselves.
EXAMPLES
Ah, fantastic – well, good luck.
William
We can also use the words how and what by saying how splendid or what splendid news, but you don’t hear these phrases very often nowadays: they’re quite old-fashioned.
One other thing to mention is that good news often involves surprise. Listen again to me being surprised by Matt’s good news:
EXAMPLES
Matt
In one month’s time, my wife is having a baby boy – our first child.
William
Is she?!
Matt
Yes, she is.
William
Wow! I didn’t know that! When did you – well, you must have found out a long time ago.
William
Wow – W-O-W – is a word that we use when we are really surprised by something – and pleased!
Well, some interesting language there. I just want to play you a couple of other phrases that you might find useful – here’s the first one:
EXAMPLE
I’m really pleased to hear that.
William
I’m really pleased to hear that. And here’s another phrase:
EXAMPLE
I’m really happy for you.
William
I’m really happy for you. These two phrases are a little bit more formal, so you’re not so likely to hear them. But they are very useful for when you’re writing to congratulate someone – maybe in a card.
You can listen again to the dialogue from this programme, and practise today’s language point, on the How To webpage on www.bbc-story.com
Goodbye!
Language from the programme
What great news! Here we have some useful words, phrases and strategies for when you need to respond to good news.
Informal congratulations
Congratulations!
That’s
- fantastic news!
- brilliant news!
What
- great news!
- wonderful news!
- splendid news!
That’s fantastic! (etc.)
How splendid! (etc.) [old-fashioned]
Fantastic! (etc.)
More formal congratulations (useful for cards and letters)
Congratulations
- on getting married!
- on your good news!
I’m really + pleased / happy / delighted +
- for you!
- to hear about + (occasion).
Exclamations of surprise
- Wow!
- Really?
- Did you?!
- Are you?!
Follow-up questions
- Are you excited?
- So when did you + (verb)?
- And are you going to +(verb)?