“How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly way that people in the U.S.A greet each other. But “How are you?” is also a very unusual question. It’s a question that often doesn’t need an answer. The person who asks“ How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine”, even if the person’s friend isn’t fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn’t really a question and “Fine” isn’t really an answer. They are simply other ways of saying “Hello” or “Hi”.
Sometimes, people also don’t say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone Asks “Do you agree?”, the other person might think, “No, I disagree. I think you’re Wrong...”But it isn’t very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say “I’m not sure.” It’s a nicer way to say that you don’t agree with someone.
People also don’t say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person say “I’ve to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives and excuse: “Someone’s at the door.”“Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real, or not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn’t want to talk any more, but it isn’t polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn’t hurt the other person.
Whether they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, of finishing a talk, people don’t say exactly that they are thinking. It’s an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it’s part of the game of language.
【小題1】“How are you?”is another way of saying"Hello."or"Hi."
【小題2】 It is polite lo say"No.I disagree I think you are wrong, "if you don’t agree with others.
【小題3】When someone says"I have to go now "On the phone.it means he wants to go on talking.
【小題4】"Someone is at the door."may be an excuse for finishing a plume can.
【小題5】Sometimes people don't say exactly what they are thinking about just became they try to be nice to each other.
