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BBC A PHRASE A MINUTE

Language area 19 Saying 'Thank you'


Thank you for everything.
Hostess: Are you going?
Guest: I'm afraid s. Thank you for everything.
Hostess: I'm glad you enjoyed the party...
The hostess says Are you going? And the guest replies I'm afraid s.
And then adds: Thank you for everything.
Translation:
Examples of giving thanks:
everything
for everything
Thank you
Thank you for everything.
Alternatives:
Thank you for a lovely party.
Thank you for your kindness.
The hostess might reply:
I'm glad you enjoyed the party.
I'm glad you had a good time.
I'm glad you could come.
Remember that 'Thank you' Can be shortened to 'Thanks'.
And the phrase can be strengthened. You can say:
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much indeed.
And the hostess might say:
you must come again.

Host: See you again soon.


Guest: Yes. Thanks very much indeed for having us.
Host: It was a pleasure...
The host is saying goodbye:
See you again soon.

The guest says thank you:


Thanks very much indeed for having us.
Translation:
Ways of expressing gratitude:
having
having us
for having us
Thanks
Thanks for having us.
Alternatives:
Thanks very much for having us.
Thanks very much indeed for having us.
The host might reply:
It was a pleasure.
You're welcome.
Don't mention it.
Notice that it is 'having' with '-ing'.
You might also say:
Thanks for making us welcome.
Notice again that it's 'making' with '-ing'.

Visitor: Thanks for lending us your tent.


Local: It was a pleasure.
Visitor: We had a great time.
Local: Good...
The visitor begins Thanks for lending us your tent. The generous tent owner replies It was a
pleasure.
And the visitor says:
We had a great time.
Translation:
great
a great time
We had
We had a great time.

Alternatives:
We had a terrific time.
We had a fabulous time.
And the local person might reply:
Good.
That's good.
I am glad.
I am pleased.
Put together they might go like this:
Good. I am glad.
That's good. I am pleased.
Remember that in English, adjectives go in front. You say:
a great time
Also remember that 'had' is the past of 'have'.

Host: I'm sorry you've got to go.


Guest: So are we. It was a great party.
Host: Thank you...
The host leads the guests to the door I'm sorry you've got to go. The guests are sorry too: So are
we.
And then they say:
It was a great party.
Translation:
Notice that i n speech 'was' sometimes gets partly swallowed when it is in a sentence. It becomes
'w's'.
party
a party
a great party
It was
It was a great party.
Alternatives:
It was a terrific meal.
It was a lovely evening.
You might also want to compliment other things:

The food was fantastic.


The wine was great.
The music was terrific.
Remember that 'was' is the past of 'is'.
At the time you might say:
It's a lovely evening.
The food is (The food's) fantastic.
The music is (The music's) great.

Traveller: Thank you for letting us stay the night.


Stranger: Oh, you're very welcome.
Traveller: I appreciate it.
Stranger: Oh, it's nothing...
The traveller offers thanks Thanks you for letting us stay the night.
The stranger replies Oh, you're very welcome.
And the traveller says: i appreciate it.
Translation:
it
appreciate it
I appreciate it.
or:
I really appreciate it.
I really appreciate your kindness.
The stranger might reply:
Oh, it's nothing.
Really, it's nothing.
It's Ok.
Really, it's OK.
Don't worry.
Really, don't worry.
You might appreciate other things:
I appreciate your hard work.
I appreciate your honesty.
I appreciate your support.

Hostess: Make yourself at home.


Guest: Thank you. You're such a wonderful hostess.
Hostess: Thank you.
The hostess says Make yoursef at home. The guest replies 'Thank you' and then:
You're such a wonderful hostess.
Translation:
a hostess
a wonderful hostess
such a wonderful hostess
You are
You're such a wonderful hostess.
Alternatives:
You're such a generous host.
You're such a good friend.
And the host's or hostess's reply might be:
Thank you.
Help yourself.
Feel free.
You don't have to ask.
Notice that in the plural you do not use 'a'.
You're such a good friend.
Becomes:
You're such good friends.
And now compare 'such' with 's':
You're such a good friend. - You're s good.
You're such a generous friend. - You're s generous.'

Visitor: Thank you for fixing my car. I'm really grateful.


Stranger: I hope it's OK now.
Visitor: Oh yes. It's fine...
The visitor begins with normal thanks Thank you for fixing my car.
Then the visitor says: I'm really grateful.
Translation:
Remember that 'I am' often gets shortened to 'I'm'.

really
really grateful
I am
I'm really grateful.
Alternatives:
I'm very grateful.
I'm s grateful.
The helpful stranger might reply:
I hope it's OK now.
I hope it's working Ok now.
I hope it's running OK now.
You might say also who are grateful to:
to you
I'm s grateful to you for fixing my car.
The visitor might ask:
How much do I owe you?
And the helpful stranger might reply:
Oh nothing.

Woman: Are you John Smith?


Man: Yes.
Woman: I must thank you for returning my passport.
Man: Oh, are you Mary Jones?
The woman asks: Are you John Smith?
He is, s she says: I must thank you for returning my passport.
Translation:
you
thank you
I must
I must thank you.
Passport
my passport
returning my passport
or returning my passport
I must thank you
I must thank you for returning my passport.

Alternative:
I must thank you for returning my purse.
I must thank you for returning my wallet.
The man might say:
Are you Mary Jones?
You're Mary Jones aren't you?
You must be Mary Jones.
Notice that the phrase is 'for returning' you might say:
I must thank you for finding my purse.
The woman, (Mary Jones) might say I can't thank you enough.
And the man might say I'm glad you've got it back.

Visitor: Your party was wonderful.


Hostess: Did you enjoy it?
Visitor: Yes, very much. I loved your family.
Hostess: Oh, thank you...
The visitor says You party was wonderful. And the hostess replies Did you enjoy it? To which
the visitor replies Yes, very much and then adds:
I loved your family.
Translation:
famly
your family
I loved
I loved your family.
Alternatives:
I loved your friends.
I loved your children.
Instead of 'loved' you could say:
Iliked your children.
I really liked your children.
I really liked your friends.
I really liked your family.
Remember you usually make the plural in English by adding 's':
friend friends

'children' is an exception:
child children
And remember that most verbs are made past by adding 'ed':
love loved

Visitor: Officer!
Policeman: Yes?
Visitor: I'd like to thank you.
Policeman: Thanks but I was just doing my job...
The visitor attracts the policeman's attention Officer!
The policeman acknowledges her and then she says:
I'd like to thank you.
Translation:
Remember that 'I would' is often cut to 'I'd'.
you
to thank you
I would like
I'd like
I'd like to thank you.
Alternatives:
I'd like to thank you personally.
I'd like to say thank you personally.
And the Officer replies:
Thanks, but I was just doing my job.
The lower ranks in the British Police force are:
Constable Sergeant Inspector
But most people just say 'Officer!'.
Remember that after 'I'd like' you use the infinitive:
to thank I'd like to thank you.
To say I'd like to say thank you.
To give I'd like to give you this.

Host: I'm sorry the evening was such a disaster.

Visitor: No, I really enjoyed myself.


Host: It's nice of you to say that.
The host is sorry: I'm sorry the evening was such a disaster.
The visitor replies: No, I really enjoyed myself.
Translation:
myself
enjoyed myself
really enjoyed myself
I really enjoyed myself.
Alternatives:
We really enjoyed ourselves.
We really enjoyed the party.
And the host or hostess might say:
It's nice of you to say that.
It's kind of you to say that.
It's sweet of you to say that.
Remember that 'self' becomes 'selves' in the plural.
Myself ourselves
Himself/Herself/Itself themselves
And don't forget that 'enjoyed' is the past of 'enjoy':
enjoy enjoyed
many English verbs are made past by adding '-ed'.

Visitor: Thanks for the invitation.


Local: I'm sorry you can't come.
Visitor: yes, I'm sorry too. It was nice of of you to ask me.
Local: Maube next time...
The visitor says Thanks for the invitation.
The Local replies I'm sorry you can't come.
The visitor says that he is sorry too and then adds: It was nice of you to ask me.
Translation:
Remembe that in speech, 'was' when it is not stressed gets slightly swallowed and sounds 'w's'.
to ask
to ask me

It was
It was nice
It was nice of you
It was nice of you to ask me.
Alternatives:
It was nice of you to invite me.
It was kind of you to invite me.
The person issuing the invitation might say:
Maybe next time.
Maybe next week.
Maybe next month.
Maybe next year.
Remember 'was' is the past of 'is'. Compare them:
It's nice of you It was nice of you.
It's kind of you It was kind of you.

Local: Thank you for everything.


Visitor: It was a pleasure.
Local: I'm very grateful for all you've done.
The local person says: Thank you for everything.
The visitor replies: It was a pleasure.
Translation:
Three examples of accepting thanks:
pleasure
a pleasure
It was
It was a pleasure.
Alternatives:
You're welcome.
Don't mention it.
The grateful associate might say:
I'm very grateful fo all you've done.
I can't thank you enough.
Notice that 'You are welcome' gets shortened to 'You're welcome'
And that 'Do not mention it.' Gets shortened to 'Don't mention it'.

Each of the three phrases can be strengthened, each in a diferent way:


It was a pleasure It was a real pleasure.
You're welcome You're very welcome.
Don't mention it Pleasure don't mention it.

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