GREETINGS AND LEAVE-TAKING

 An Excursion to Bogor Botanic Garden

         All right, everybody, I’ll tell you about this great place.

        On Friday 16 March we went to Bogor Botanic Garden. We went there by bus and we arrived at that famous garden at 10 o’clock.

Arriving at the garden, we were divided into two groups. Group A followed Mrs. Nina and Group B followed Mr. Ahmad. I was in group A. Well, first we went to the odd tropical plants and Mrs. Nina read us some of the information. Then, we looked at all the lovely plants. After that, we went to a little spot near the Raffles cemetery and had morning tea. Next, we did some sketching and then we met group B at the information center to have our lunch.

Soon, it was time for us to go to the orchid section while Group B did some research on flowers. Uhm…A lady led us to the orchid section. Then, she explained about many kinds of orchid.

        Next, we had a look at the Indonesian orchid. Wow, we saw many kinds of Indonesian orchids. They were all beautiful. Later, we took a look at the American, European and Asian orchid’s section. It was interesting. Soon after we had finished our observations, we went back outside and met group B. Then, we got on the bus and returned to school. We really enjoyed the trip to Bogor Botanic Garden.

Read the text about ‘An excursion to Bogor Botanic Garden’. Pay attention to the first sentence (i.e. All right, everybody, I’ll tell you about this great place.) You can use this first sentence to open a conversation before you share your past experience to others. However, you can also use greeting to open a conversation and use leave-taking for closing.

 

Formal Greeting

• Good morning.
• Good afternoon.
• Good evening.
• Good morning, sir.

 

Informal greeting

• Hi, Lizzy!
• Morning, Jim!
• Hello.

Initial greetings

• How are you?
• How’s it going?
• How are you doing?
• How’s life?

 

Responding to initial greetings

• Very well, thank you and how are you?
• I’m good/okay/alright.
• Very well, thank you.
• Oh, pretty good.
• Not too bad, thanks.
• Fine, thanks.
• Excellent.

Pre-closing

• OK then…
• I’ve got to go now.
• So, I’ll see you next week.
• I think I’d better be going now.
• Well, it’s time for me to leave.
• I think it’s already late at night.
• I must be going home.

 

Closing/leave-taking

• Good bye.
• Bye-Bye; Bye; Bye now; See you. Take care.
• See you later ---- Fine.
• See you soon ----- OK.
• See you tonight ----- All right.
• Good night.

The following dialogues are the examples of the expressions of greetings and leave-taking.

Dialogue 1

Soraya meets Adam at the cafeteria.

Soraya : Hello, Adam. How are you getting on?

Adam : Fine, thanks. How are you?

Soraya : I’m very well. Thank you.

Adam : Have you finished your lunch?

Soraya : Yes, I have. I’d better be going, or I’ll be late at my office. Goodbye, Adam.

Adam : Goodbye, Soraya. See you tomorrow.

 

Dialogue 2

In the banquet room was a group of well-dressed people chatting among themselve. Soraya approached one of them.

Soraya : Good morning. Do you know who Susan Brandy is?

Adam : She’s over there.

Soraya : Thank you. (Soraya went up to her). Hi, I am Soraya. How do you do?

Susan : Hello, Soraya. This is Peter and Teddy. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.

Soraya : How do you do, sir?

Peter : Hello. My wife has told me a great deal about you.

Soraya : Nothing too terrible I hope, sir.

Peter : On the contrary. She has said only good things about you.

Soraya : Thank you, sir. (She turns to Teddy). Good afternoon, sir.

Teddy : Hello, Soraya.

Soraya : It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.

Teddy : Thank you. You’re looking very well.

Soraya : So are you, sir. I’m so sorry about what happened yesterday.

Teddy : Thank you. Are you set up here to take care of all of us?

Soraya : Oh, yes. I think we can make everyone comfortable.

Teddy : That’s good. Sorry, but I would like to get freshened up.

Soraya : Of course. It was pleased to meet you.

Teddy : Well, good night.

Source : Look Ahead Grade X - Penerbit Erlangga