http://www.englishforums.com/English/BasicEnglishGrammarQuestions/Forum43.htmFor Basic English ONLY. Please post only <b><font color=red>easy</font></b> questions and answers here.enXMOD (Build: 3614.32638)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#202990Sat, 23 May 2009 19:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:202990Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#202990http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-202990.xmlRight on. I agree with your assessment on that nowadays "How are you?" is not a typical greeting expression or a question asking for a response but rather a rhetorical question (greeting?) that the one who asks that question does not necessary expect to receive an actual response but just a "gestual" response. On the other hand, it seems important to bring out to the surface for all you English language fans out there that "How are you?" still functions as a form of regular generic questions to some extent and the giver of the question will still expect to receive some kind of a formal answer. So, it is up to the sayer and the receiver of the expression to ascertain and judge the nature of the question and of the appropriate...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#202783Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:202783Anonymous1http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#202783http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-202783.xmlI am an American and I just wanted to point out how we use the word Hi much more than Hello. Hi is shorter and seems friendlier and not so formal. When asked "how are you", most people really don't want to know how you are, that is a rhetorical question to which you are expected to reply "fine", "great", "not bad" or some other short, non-informational answer. If you reply "terrible, I had the worst weekend..." you probably wont make friends very quickly. Sometimes I hate the expected rhetorical replys and try to think of something interesting to say... but for common everyday conversation... most Americans will give the boring dusty old rhetorical repley ZACC INYAKhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189248Sat, 23 May 2009 19:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189248Tearsofjoy2http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189248http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-189248.xmlThanks, CJ! For us non-natives who are reasonably fluent with the language, colloquialisms are where we lose out, and that's where EF helps us the most! Cheers, - Joy.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189233Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189233CalifJim3http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189233http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-189233.xmlHow is it going? (Not What's is it going? ) All right. / OK / Could be better; could be worse. / Can't complain. / Same as always. What's up? or What's happening? Nothing much. / Same old thing. / Same old, same old*. / Just the usual. / Nothing too exciting lately. You can add How about you? to any of these reponses. CJ *Don't pronounce the "d" in "old" in this expression!http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189203Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189203rishonly4http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189203http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-189203.xmlAnonymous wrote: Hi, Can anyone out there give me some responses to these greetings? 1. What's up? Typically, one would say, "Not much." But what else? Would you just have to tell what is happening to you? 2. What's is it going? I would say, "It's going fine/well/good", or stated why your are not so. 3. What's happening? How you respond to that? Would you just have to tell what's going on with you? 1. What's up? -- In AmE, at least to me,this question is something like saying "Hi" or "Hello", and the questioner doesn't enquire about the wellness of the other person. A few possible answers:"What's up?"(like exchanging "Hi"), "Not much". The question can also mean "How are you?" or "What is...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189067Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:189067nona the brit5http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htm#189067http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-189067.xmlHi, I'm not an American so I can't really help to accurately but most of these 'greetings questions' are not meant to be taken literally and answered literally. Also, number 2 should be 'How's it going' not 'What's it going'.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htmFri, 23 Jan 2009 20:33:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:188403Anonymous6http://www.englishforums.com/English/ResponsesTypicalAmerican-Greetings/cvzpj/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments43-188403.xmlHi, Can anyone out there give me some responses to these greetings? 1. What's up? Typically, one would say, "Not much." But what else? Would you just have to tell what is happening to you? 2. What's is it going? I would say, "It's going fine/well/good", or stated why your are not so. 3. What's happening? How you respond to that? Would you just have to tell what's going on with you?