Learn English Conversation – Social English Vocabulary & Expressions

Hello. My name's Benjamin, and I want to help you to have a really fun time when you come

into an English-speaking country, like England, or America, or Scotland, or Wales, or Ireland.

Okay? So we're going to concentrate on words that help you in social situations. Okay?

Whether that's Facebook, asking someone out on a date, or how to answer when someone asks

you to join them. Okay? Good.

So, Facebook. Love it or hate it, it's a bit like Marmite, huh? Now, you know when it comes

to that page and it asks you what you're thinking? Well, one thing you could say, a phrase that

might be useful: "To catch up with..." So you could say: "I've been catching up with..."

Okay? Past perfect tense. "To catch a film", okay? So, I caught a film. I caught a film

with Heath Ledger in it. It was really good. Okay? So we got two uses, here, of "catch".

One, it refers to seeing a friend, talking, talking, talking, hearing what they are doing;

and another use of "catch" when we are catching a film, catching a play. It means "going to".

Okay? So: "catch up", talk or go to, that's the meaning.

Now, this is an interesting point, because when you are saying something, when you are

talking normally, you talk about the past tense: "I saw a film. I caught a film. I did

this. I did that." But when you're on Facebook, you'll probably use the present if you are

using a picture. Okay? So, I... "Catching a film with my friend", and I give them a

picture of us at the cinema, outside the movie theatre. Okay? So that's just a little thought.

When you're using Facebook and you've got a picture,

you might want to use the present tense.

Now, another little phrase you might put on your Facebook posts:

"A night out with Dominic, Jane, Charlotte", and you got a picture of them all having a great time.

So: "A night out with..." Or, you could have a fun day.

Okay? So a night or a day. Good.

Now, we've got "chilling" or "relaxing with". "Chilling", taking it easy. Having a nice

time. Okay? Relaxing. "Chilling/relaxing with..." and then again, you have the person's name here,

if you want to, if you're that well inclined.

Or you could have: "Grabbing a beer with", grab.

You could say: "I'm grabbing a beer with", or

"Grabbing a quick meal with my mom." Don't do that, by the way.

"Burning up the dancefloor!" That's when you're really dancing around, got a little picture

of that. "Burning", fire. You're fire on the dancefloor, I know.

Now, someone's really been enjoying these Facebook posts, they've been messaging you,

so you pick up the phone and you're asking them out on a date. "Come along! We're going

to the disco tonight." Okay? A lot of these request/invitations, they use "come", okay?

"Come along!"

"Come out, it will be such good fun. We're going to have a really great time.", "Come

out", "Come along!" Okay? They're encouraging ways of saying. Okay?

"We're eating at Domino's in-house pizza place. Come join us." Or:

"We're eating at the Chicago Rib Shack. Come." Okay? Again: "Join us."

"Do you want to come?" if you're going to ask a question. So these are sort of demands:

"Do this, do that." If you want to use a question: "Do you want to come?" Okay? Nice and natural.

A nice, natural question.

Now, imagine someone is asking you, if you don't like that person, you could say: "No.

I'd like to stay in, actually. I think I'll just watch the telly, and have a meal. Thanks.

See ya." Okay? You don't like them.

If you like them, you could say: "Yeah, okay. You can call in at mine... At my house at

8 o'clock." Okay? "Call in", you come to me. You call in.

Or, more casual, informal way of saying that, I would say: "Yeah, okay, swing by at mine

in half an hour/in 30 minutes." Swing by, come to my house first. I don't want to walk.

You come to me. Okay?

Or you could say: "Sure. Meet me in the town square at 9 o'clock." So you tell them where

you're going to meet them.

Okay, great. Just a little reminder: You can meet us by doing the quiz, doing a little

recap, remembering what you've learnt about your social life.

Do the quiz, it's on the engVid site. If you want to get a bit me of more...

A bit more of me, even,

my name's Benjamin, do subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Thanks. Bye.