Why Is This Important?
When someone shares good or bad news with you, responding appropriately is key to building meaningful relationships. This skill shows empathy and helps you connect with others in English.
In this mini lesson you will:
1️⃣ Learn useful phrases for responding to news.
2️⃣ Model these phrases by studying examples.
3️⃣ Speak by practicing with your classmates or friends.
Let’s get started! 🚀
1️⃣ Learn: Useful Phrases
Here are some phrases you can use when responding to both good and bad news.
| Function | Responses to Good News 🎉 | Responses to Bad News 😔 |
|---|
| Asking a Question 🤔 | – When did you hear about it? – So what happens next? | – When did you hear about it? – So what happened? – What are you going to do? |
| Adding a Comment 💬 | – Congratulations! That’s amazing! – Well done! – I really hope it all goes well. – Good luck with everything. | – Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. – How awful/ terrible! – You poor thing! – What a shame! – I hope you get well soon. – I hope things get better soon. – Seriously? What a pain! |
| Guessing How the Person Feels 🧠 | – I bet you’re really excited/ delighted/ proud. – You sound like you’ve made up your mind. – You sound excited/ delighted/ proud – You must feel excited/ delighted/ proud | – I bet you’re really annoyed. – I bet he’s had enough by now. – You sound sad/ tired/ frustrated – You must feel sad/ tired/ frustrated |
👉 Tip: Use these phrases naturally in your conversations to sound more fluent!
Let’s practice!!
Sort the phrases in the correct category
2️⃣ Model: Dialogue Example
Let’s see how these phrases work in a real conversation.
🎙️ Example Dialogue 1
💬 Maria: I got the job I interviewed for last week!
🤔 Tom: That’s amazing! Congratulations! 🎉 So what happens next?
💬 Maria: I start next Monday!
🧠 Tom: I bet you’re so excited!
🎙️ Example Dialogue 2
💬 Lisa: I had a flat tire on my way to work this morning.
🤔 Jake: Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. 😔 When did it happen?
💬 Lisa: It was right after I left home.
🧠 Jake: You poor thing!
These examples show how you can combine questions, comments, and guesses to keep a conversation going.
3️⃣ Speak: Practice Activity
Now it’s your turn! Here’s a fun activity to practice speaking.
Instructions:
- Pair up or form a small group.
- Deal the cards.
- Take turns sharing one piece of good or bad news.
- Your classmates will respond using the phrases from the table.
🎯 Goal: Practice using all three types of responses: asking questions, adding comments, and guessing feelings.