How do you introduce yourself or other people in formal situations? Join Jackie and learn all about the language of introductions!
Jackie
Hello, this is How To, from bbclearningenglish.com with me, Jackie Dalton.
In this programme, we’ll look at what to say when you meet someone for the first time in formal contexts – how to introduce yourself or other people in a polite way.
We are going to hear a conversation between two people who haven’t met before. Imagine it’s at a conference. Bob wants to introduce himself to Mary. As he approaches her, she is talking to someone else.
Listen to this conversation and the language he uses to introduce himself.
EXAMPLE
Bob
Hello, excuse me. I’m sorry; I don’t mean to interrupt. Um, I just wanted to introduce myself. Um, I’m Bob Reddington from Reddington Papers.
Jackie
He starts off with a simple greeting: Hello. He then apologises for coming up to her while she is speaking to someone else.
EXAMPLE
Bob
Hello, excuse me. I’m sorry; I don’t mean to interrupt.
Jackie
After he’s apologised for interrupting, he goes on to tell her who he is.
EXAMPLE
Bob
I just wanted to introduce myself. Um, I’m Bob Reddington from Reddington Papers.
Jackie
So you can say, I just wanted to introduce myself, or you could say, I’d like to introduce myself, followed by your name and, in business contexts, often what you do.
I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Jackie, I’m a producer for the BBC.
What does Mary say in response to Bob?
EXAMPLE
Bob
Hello, excuse me. I’m sorry; I don’t mean to interrupt. Um, I just wanted to introduce myself. Um, I’m Bob Reddington from Reddington Papers.
Mary
Oh, hello – nice to meet you. I don’t believe we’ve met before.
Jackie
Nice to meet you, she says – a very common response when you meet someone for the first time. You could also say, pleased to meet you.
She follows it with, I don’t believe we’ve met before.’ That’s a polite way of acknowledging that you’re meeting someone for the first time, or even checking that you haven’t met them before, in case you can’t remember!
EXAMPLE
Mary
Oh, hello – nice to meet you. I don’t believe we’ve met before.
Bob
Um, no we haven’t. I have seen you from afar at a – I think it was one of Charles’s pool parties.
Jackie
Now we’ll hear a conversation between Mr Jones and Miss Smith.
Mr Jones is the director of a company. Miss Smith is an employee. She knows who he is, but he hasn’t met her yet.
Listen to how she introduces herself.
EXAMPLE
Miss Smith
Uh, good evening. Um, Mr Jones, isn’t it?
Mr Jones
That’s right, yes, hello.
Miss Smith
Hi. It’s a lovely party you’ve put on here.
Mr Jones
Oh, well, glad you’re enjoying it!
Miss Smith
I don’t think we’ve actually met formally yet.
Mr Jones
No, no I don’t think we have.
Miss Smith
My name’s Miss Smith and I work in accounts.
Jackie
She says, I don’t think we’ve actually met formally yet, – a nice thing to say when you have had some kind of contact or link with another person, like you’ve seen them in the same building or spoken briefly, but you haven’t actually exchanged names.
After that, you can go on to tell them who you are.
EXAMPLE
Miss Smith
I don’t think we’ve actually met formally yet.
Mr Jones
No, no I don’t think we have.
Miss Smith
My name’s Miss Smith and I work in accounts.
Mr Jones
Oh, OK.
Jackie
So that’s language for introducing yourself.
How about if you want to introduce someone else? Listen to this conversation. What phrase is used to introduce someone?
EXAMPLE
Mrs Sullivan
Oh, Professor Kostenko, have you met my colleague, Mrs Chapman?
Professor Kostenko
Hello Mrs Chapman – pleased to meet you.
Mrs Chapman
Hello Professor – very nice to meet you too.
Jackie
Have you met? – an easy way to introduce one person to another. Have you met Mary?Have you met my friend?
EXAMPLE
Mrs Sullivan
Have you met my colleague, Mrs Chapman?
Jackie
And it’s greeted with the kinds of phrases we heard before.
EXAMPLE
Professor Kostenko
Hello Mrs Chapman – pleased to meet you.
Mrs Chapman
Hello Professor – very nice to meet you too.
Jackie
Pleased to meet you, very nice to meet you, and so on.
Now listen out for the slightly different structure used to introduce someone here.
EXAMPLE
Mrs Sullivan
Professor Kostenko, there’s someone I’d like you to meet: it’s Mrs Chapman.
Professor Kostenko
Hello, Mrs Chapman. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Mrs Chapman
Likewise.
Jackie
There’s someone I’d like you to meet. – a very pleasant way of introducing someone.
EXAMPLE
Mrs Sullivan
There’s someone I’d like you to meet.
Jackie
Just as we can say, I’d like to introduce myself, you could also say, I’d like to introduce you to.
For example: Professor Kostenko, I’d like to introduce you to Mrs Chapman. When he is introduced, Professor Kostenko says, it’s a pleasure to meet you.
EXAMPLE
Professor Kostenko
Hello, Mrs Chapman. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Jackie
A variation on nice to meet you. How does Mrs Chapman respond? Listen again.
EXAMPLE
Professor Kostenko
Hello, Mrs Chapman. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Mrs Chapman
Likewise.
Jackie
Likewise – a word we can use to return a compliment or polite statement. It means I feel the same way.
EXAMPLE
Professor Kostenko
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Mrs Chapman
Likewise.
Jackie
Let’s finish with a recap:
I don’t mean to interrupt.
I just wanted to introduce myself.
I’d like to introduce you to –
There’s someone I’d like you to meet –
Have you met – ?
I don’t believe we’ve met before.
I don’t think we’ve actually met formally yet.
Pleased to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Very nice to meet you.
Likewise.
Language in the programme
Introducing yourself
- I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is (+ name).
- I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m (+ name).
- I don’t think we’ve actually met formally yet, but my name is (+ name).
Introducing someone else
- I’d like to introduce you to (+ name).
- There’s someone I’d like you to meet: this is (+ name).
- Have you met (+ name)?
Expressing pleasure to have met someone
- Pleased to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- Very nice to meet you.
- It’s a pleasure to meet you.
- Returning the compliment
- Likewise.
- And you.