Make a Good Impression

When speaking with guests, customers, colleagues or friends, it is important to show interest in what someone is saying.  This is particularly important when speaking to hotel guests and customers – making a good impression and showing that you are listening.  There is nothing worse than a conversational partner who stays silent!

A Conversational Catalyst

Echo questions are essential when reacting to what your conversational partner has said to you.  They are used to show interest and surprise.  When said correctly, with the appropriate intonation, they will make your spoken English sound very natural.  And most importantly, they help to avoid uncomfortable silences mid-conversation and encourage your conversational partner to keep talking.  Indeed, echo questions are the catalyst for any conversation, keeping it going!

However…making echo questions is not easy.  You need to understand auxiliary verbs and be able to quickly manipulate them in real time, when speaking.

Let’s have a look at the grammar first!

The Grammar

Example A

“I love swimming.”

Where is the auxiliary verb in this sentence?  The truth is, it is hiding.  The auxiliary is ‘do’ but in most affirmative sentences, it hides.

“I (do) love swimming.”

Echo Question = Do you?

Notice that the subject ‘I’ becomes ‘you’ in the echo question.

In a conversation, this could be:

A:  What are your hobbies?

B:  I’ve got lots of hobbies but I love swimming.

A:  Do you?

B:  Yes, I go swimming three times a week.

Example B

“I have been living here for six years.”

The auxiliary is ‘have’

Echo question = Have you?

A:  How long have you been living here?

B:  I have been living here for six years.

A:  Have you?

B:  Yes, it’s a long time!  How about you?

Example C

“I arrived on Monday.”

The auxiliary is hiding again.  It is ‘did’.

“I (did) arrive(d) on Monday.”

Echo question = Did you?

A:  It’s great to see you!  When did you arrive?

B:  You too!  I arrived on Monday.

A:  Did you?

B:  Yes, I know…it was a few days ago.

Practice

Being able to manipulate auxiliary verbs in a fast flowing conversation takes practice.  So first, concentrate on the grammar and on identifying the auxiliary verbs in the sentences people say to you.

What are the echo questions for these examples?

1. I am fluent in English!
2. I work in a new hotel.
3. I have been working in the hospitality industry for ten years.
4. My son is a doctor.
5. I arrived at the hotel last night.
6. I can speak five languages.

7. The F&B manager is new.

8. This hotel is magnificent.
9. The Grammar Goat’s English classes are fantastic!
10. I went to the Maldives three years ago for a holiday.

The answers

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

1. Are you?
2. Do you?
3. Have you?
4. Is he?
5. Did you?
6. Can you?
7. Is he?
8. Is it?
9. Are they?
10. Did you?

Intonation

To show you are surprised or interested, you must use the correct intonation pattern.

The intonation rises and then falls when saying an echo question.

Did ↗️   you ↘️   ?

Have ↗️   you ↘️    ?

Is ↗️  he ↘️  ?

For more examples and to listen to the correct intonation pattern, watch my video English lesson on Echo Questions on my YouTube channel.  Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to my channel if you learn something!  🐐

https://youtu.be/yMLf1Cyjfn4