Answer "HOW ARE YOU?" in Advanced English: Use These Phrases! (C1+)

Are you bored of answering How are you with the  same answer every time? It's fine to say fine, thanks

but this video is for you if you want  to take your English to the next level. Today,  

you are going to learn how to answer How  are you in advanced English? And as always,  

I've created a free PDF to go with this lesson.

You can review everything you learn in this video,  and I've also added a section on answering how are  

you in emails as it is slightly different, as well  as regional British slang? There is also a quiz  

in the PDF and a link to some secret exercises.  If you'd like to download that, just click on  

the link in the description box or scan that QR  code there and your name and your email address.

The PDF will arrive directly in your  inbox. The link is in the description  

box or you can scan that QR code there.  Now, before we get into answering how are  

you, let's talk about some different ways  to ask this question. There are a lot and  

there's nothing wrong with how are you. It's  appropriate in pretty much any situation,  

but if you're trying to reach a C1 level in  English, you need to add some more variety.

So let's see more ways to ask this  question. You could ask how's it  

going? How're you doing or how've you  been? Did you notice the contractions? How  

are often becomes how're with the schwa  at the end? How're you. And how have  

becomes how've. How've. You'll also hear  this pronounced as one syllable. How?

How have you been? Other common questions  you'll often hear are. How's life? Or how's  

life treating you? You'll also hear how  are things? Or how's things. Now, how's  

things isn't grammatically correct because  things is plural, but we say it a lot. These  

phrases just mean how are you or what's been  happening in your life? You might also ask

Been up to much? This is more a question  about what you've been doing. Notice the  

ellipsis in that sentence. We know who  the subject is so we can emit Have you.

You'll also hear you've been up too much  with just have omitted. You'll hear been  

pronounced with the long i: sound. And been  with the short i sound. Been up to much.

Been up to much. Another informal way to  ask how are you is All right, all right.  

This is very British. We're going to talk about  responding in more detail in a moment. But the  

response to all right can simply be all right.  It can be a greeting similar to hi. All right,  

all right. What's up? Can also be used as an  informal greeting with people you know well.

And you'll often hear it pronounced.  What's up? It can be shortened to 'sup.  

Asking what's up can also be interpreted  as what's wrong when not used as a greeting. 

For example, What's up? You don't look your usual  self. Now, on the other end of the spectrum,  

in terms of formality, we have how do you do?  Now this is very formal and quite old fashioned.

It's actually a greeting and we use it  when we meet someone for the first time.  

You can respond with the same words. I'm Lucy  Simpkins, How do you do? How do you do? I'm Mark,  

Wright. Note that you're not very likely to hear  this in everyday conversation anymore. Okay. Now,  

we've covered a lot of ways to ask how are you?

Let's talk about how to respond to how are you?  First, we need to talk about something that can  

confuse English learners. Sometimes when we ask  someone how they are or how things are going, we  

don't really want an answer. We call this phatic  communication. This is language used for social  

communication, rather than to give information  or ask questions that require an answer.

It can be really difficult to recognize phatic  communication when you're learning English.  

You need to rely on context to know how to  respond. For example, if you are at a conference  

and you meet a business associate you've only met  once before, they might ask, how's it going? But  

they most likely won't expect a detailed answer.  An appropriate response would be fine, thanks. You?

You're not really exchanging any information, but  if you bump into a close friend and they ask the  

same question, they probably really want to know.  You might respond with not bad, thanks. Actually,  

I just got a bit of good news. Blah blah blah  blah blah. Usually, we answer fairly positively  

when someone asks how we are, unless we're  sure they want to hear about our troubles.

Okay, we'll start with three of the  most common ways to respond. We have 

I'm fine, thanks. I'm well, thanks.  And this one is a little more formal,  

and we often use it to refer to our health rather than giving a general answer. I'm  

good, thanks. People sometimes say I'm good, isn't  correct, but it's very widely used. I use it.

It's just considered a bit less formal than I'm  fine. You'll also often hear these sentences  

without I'm fine, thanks. Good, thanks. This  is another example of ellipsis. It's obvious  

who we're referring to. You will also hear  people answer questions like how's it going?  

Or how have you been with Yeah, good, thanks. Now these aren't yes or no questions,

but yeah is a really common filler word and  it's a way to quickly acknowledge the question.  

Finally, you will also hear I'm doing well  or I'm doing great and I'm doing good. Now,  

doing good is not grammatically correct here,  but we use it all the time. Technically,  

if you are doing good, you are doing something  positive like giving to charity or volunteering.

I volunteer at the shelter because I enjoy  doing good. Now, you might be aware that  

British people tend to be quite understated, so  slightly more nuanced responses include Pretty  

good, not bad or not too bad. Yet another very  common response is can't complain. This is the  

same as I'm alrght. In the UK, particularly in  the North. You might also hear mustn't grumble.

Grumble means complain. An example, How are  things? Yeah. Mustn't grumble. You'll also  

hear people say hanging in there and getting  by. These phrases mean that you're surviving  

and so you're fine. And they are obviously  used humorously. How's it going? I'm hanging  

in there. You can also use them more seriously  if you're going through a challenging time  

and you want to answer honestly, but  your tone of voice will be different.

Hanging in there. Another classic, understated  response is same old or same old, same old,  

meaning that nothing or not much has changed  in your life since the last time you spoke  

with that person. This is a great response  to how's life or been up to much. Now,  

after you've responded, you'll probably  ask the other person how they are, and we  

very often simply ask you or yourself. For example, Ah same old. You? Or Not bad,

thanks. Yourself? Now, using yourself like  this isn't entirely grammatically correct,  

but again, it's very common. You might  also ask, how are things on your end?  

Or how are things at your end? This is  more informal. Now for our final section,  

we're going to talk about how to give a  more honest answer when you're not doing  

too well. A common response is been  better or been better, to be honest.

These sentences also contain an example of  ellipsis. I've is omitted. We can also simply say,  

Oh, you know, and then continue with more  details. For example, How's it going? Oh, you know,  

Alan's not well again. You might also say it  hasn't been the easiest week or month. It hasn't  

been the easiest is a bit softer than saying  it's been the hardest or worst week or month.

You can also say it's been some day, and  this means I've had a rough day. And finally,  

when you're not feeling well, you might  say a bit under the weather or an informal,  

very British one. Not too clever. Okay, let's  actually end on a positive note. One of the  

most positive ways to answer how are you  is never been better or just never better.

So I now have a question for you : How are you? Choose one of the phrases in this  

video and respond in the comments, giving  context if you wish. Remember to download  

the PDF and exercise pack that goes  with this video. Click on the link  

in the description box or scan that QR code  there. I really hope you enjoyed this lesson.

I hope you learnt something and  I will see you in the next one.