This book is intended for students aged between 9 and 15. It deals with phrases that are commonly used when people talk to one another in everyday situations. Some of them are used to begin or end a conversation with someone. Some are used to find out everyday pieces of information. Some enable you to express a friendly interest in other people. All of them help you to play an active part in communicating with the English speakers that you meet.

    Phrases of this kind are sometimes overlooked in reference books and dictionaries. This is partly because they form part of spoken English rather than written English. It is also, perhaps, because they consist of short, simple words and are not difficult to understand. But these phrases are extremely useful precisely because they enable you to communicate with other people and establish friendly relations with them. So, is very important to know when to use them and how to use them correctly. This book, with its companion volume on question words, aims to help you to do this in a similar way to other books in the In Action series.

    Each unit follows the same pattern. A short explanation is given of when and how each phrase is used. The correct use is illustrated with examples. Each phrase is then presented in an everyday or humorous situation illustrated by a set of four cartoons with captions or dialogue. The aim, as always, is to increase learners’ confidence and their ability to use vocabulary correctly in different contexts.

1. How are you?
2. It’s…, isn’t it?
3. I must be going (now)
4. Bye!
5. Hello, I’m…
6. This is…
7. How old are you?
8. What time is it? What’s the time?
9. What date is it? What’s the date (today)?
10. would you like to…?
, etc.