Conversation Between two People in English

Intermediate Level Conversations- Series 1- Lesson 2

In this article, we’re diving into the world of typical conversations between friends, exploring everything from greetings and small talk to making plans and sharing personal stories. Get ready to pick up some valuable phrases and feel more confident in your English communication skills!

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Daily Conversations Between Two Friends in English

List of Content

• Conversation #1: Conversations Between Friends
• Conversation #2: Meeting Up with a Friend at a Cafe
• Conversation #3: Inviting a Friend for a Movie
• Conversation #4: Making Plans for a Get-together
• Conversation #5: A Friend’s Advice
• Conversation #6: Talking About Opinions on a Book

• Conversation #7: Job Change
• Conversation #8: Exam Preparation
• Conversation #9: Air Pollution in Cities
• Conversation #10: Planning a Picnic

Greetings and Small Talk

Some people think small talk is just superficial chatter, but it’s actually a way to connect and make people feel comfortable. It’s like a friendly handshake before you get into the deeper stuff. Asking about someone’s day or what they’ve been up to shows you care, and often leads to more interesting conversations.

While close friends might not always need to do small talk, it’s still useful in certain situations.  Like, if you haven’t seen your friend in ages, or you’re meeting up with someone you don’t see everyday.

Let’s check out a couple of conversations to see how it works:

Conversation #1: Conversations Between Friends

• Emma: Hey, Mark! What’s up?

• Mark: Hey Emma! Good to see you!How’s it going?

• Emma: I’m good, thanks! Just been busy with work. And you?

• Mark: Oh, I’ve been traveling a lot lately. Just got back from a trip to Thailand.

• Emma: Wow, Good for you! Tell me all about it later.

Now, let’s look at some useful phrases from the dialogues above.

Useful Phrases

• Good to see you!

This is a nice way to greet someone when you haven’t seen them in a while.

• How’s it going?

This is a common greeting in English, like “How are you?” Don’t be surprised if you say this to someone and they don’t respond, or say “Yeah, how’s it going?” back.

• Good for you!

This is a positive phrase in English to congratulate a friend on their successes or accomplishments.

Conversation #2: Meeting Up with a Friend at a Cafe

Small talk can happen with close friends who you see regularly and with friends you don’t see as often. Here’s an example of a conversation that could happen between two friends who know each other pretty well.

• Liam: Hey, Emily! What’s up?

• Emily: Hey, Liam! I didn’t even see you there. Did you grab a table already?

• Liam: Yeah, right over here.

• Emily: I’m glad we had time to meet up.

• Liam: Me too! So, what’s going on?

• Emily: Oh, not much. You know, the usual. How about you?

• Liam: Same old, same old. Hey, how did that interview go the other day?

• Emily: You mean for that cool new job? It went pretty well! I’m not sure if I got it, but they said they’d call back in a few days.

• Liam: Oh, wow! I’m sure you nailed it. Good luck!

• Emily: Thanks! I’m just glad it’s over,  I was super nervous about it.

• Liam: I can understand that. I get nervous before interviews, too.

• Emily: Well, thanks for being supportive!

• Liam: Sure, no problem.

Useful Phrases

• I’m glad we had time to meet up.

If you’re meeting a friend you don’t see every day, this is a nice way of saying that you appreciate them making an effort to see you. Other ways of saying this could be, “Thanks for making time to see me” or “We should do this more often.”

• What’s going on?

Like with “How’s it going?” the other person might not always reply to this question. If they do, they’ll probably either actually tell you what’s going on, or just say, “Not much.”

• I can understand that.

This is a good phrase to acknowledge a friend’s feelings or opinions.

• Sure, no problem.

This is a casual way of saying “You’re welcome” when someone thanks you.

Making Plans with Friends

To see your friends in the first place, you have to make plans with them. Here are a couple of conversations that show how that could go.

Conversation #3: Inviting a Friend for a Movie

• Nina: Hey, Chris! Are you free this weekend?

• Chris: Hey! Not much, why?

• Nina: Wanna catch a movie?

• Chris: Sounds good!

• Nina: Awesome!

Useful Phrases

• Are you free this weekend?

This is a friendly, common way to open a conversation when you’re going to ask someone to do something with you.

Conversation #4: Making Plans for a Get-together

Below, we’ll look at a more detailed conversation about making plans.

• Harry: Hey, Sarah! I’m having a chill get-together at my place next weekend. You wanna come?

• Sarah:Totally! That sounds like fun!  Who else is gonna be there?

• Harry: Let’s see…  I think  Michael,  Alex, and Emma are gonna be there. It’s not gonna be a big party,  just a low-key dinner thing. I’m making some food, and we can just hang out.

• Sarah: Sweet! What time should I show up?

• Harry: Anytime between 6 and 7 is good.

• Sarah: Can I bring anything? Like, a dessert or something?

• Harry: Oh, you don’t need to. I’ve got everything covered.

• Sarah: Well, can I at least bring a bottle of wine?

• Harry: Okay, you can bring wine. I’m not gonna say no to that!

• Sarah: Great! Thanks for inviting me!

Useful Phrases

• That sounds like fun.

If someone invites you to an event, or just invites you to do something with them, this is a nice way to say “yes.”

• Can I bring anything?

In the USA and some other English-speaking areas, this is a polite question to ask if someone invites you to a dinner, party or holiday event where there’s going to be food. It’s usually appropriate (and sometimes even expected!) to ask this question even if the person who invited you is a close friend or family member.

Having Personal Conversations with Friends

Conversation #5: A Friend’s Advice

Once you’ve made plans and greeted your friends, all that’s left to do is just… well, be a friend. Friends go to each other for help, for advice and when they want to share their opinions and experiences.

So, when you’re super close to someone, you don’t always need to follow strict rules for talking, right?  You just kind of go with the flow.  But there are still some cool things we say and do to show support and listen to each other. Let’s check out a couple of examples.

• Jack: Hey, Em! What’s the matter? You look bummed out.

• Emily: Ugh, I haven’t slept at all.

• Jack: What happened? Anything I can help with?

• Emily: Remember that picture I sent to Sarah the other night?

• Jack: The one of you in that funny costume?

• Emily: Yeah, well, she sent it to  Jake.

• Jack: Wait, what? She didn’t! She totally knows it was just for her!

• Emily: I thought she’d think it was hilarious, but I didn’t expect her to share it!

• Jack: Totally get it! That’s so annoying. I know how you feel.

• Emily: But what if he posts it on  Instagram or something? What if my mom sees it?!

• Jack: Chill out! He wouldn’t do that.  It’s not really that interesting for anyone else.

• Emily:  But what if he does?!

• Jack: He won’t. But maybe you should tell Sarah to ask Jake to delete it?

• Emily: Maybe. But that might make him even more interested.

• Jack: True.

• Emily: What do you think I should do?

• Jack: You should definitely talk to her. She shouldn’t be sharing your pics without your permission.

• Emily: Thanks, you’re a good friend.  I will.

• Jack: Of course!  And just try to relax, okay? Don’t send any more embarrassing pics!

• Emily: Yeah, yeah. I learned my lesson!

Useful Phrases

• Are you okay? / What’s the matter?

The above two phrases are good for checking on your friends if it seems like something might be wrong.

• What do you think I should do?

It isn’t always obvious when you’re looking for advice, in any language. If you want to know what a friend thinks you should do in a situation, just ask like this!

• I know how you feel.

This is a good general phrase for showing sympathy, and it might not always be used literally.

Conversation #6: Talking About Opinions on a Book

Friends can help you when you’re having problems. They’re also there to listen when you just want to talk about your feelings and opinions.

• David: Hey, Sarah, I don’t know what you thought about the book, but I had some mixed feelings about it.

• Sarah:Oh, yeah? What’s bugging you?

• David: Well, I liked the main character’s story, but his attitude towards girls really bothered me.

• Sarah: I can see that. It seemed like he had some serious issues with women.

• David: Right? I would’ve loved to see more about why he felt that way. The book didn’t really explain it.

• Sarah: I agree with that. I think the author could’ve handled that part better.  But I really liked the descriptions.

• David: Oh yeah, the writing was beautiful! It made me even more disappointed in the character.

• Sarah: Well, this is just my opinion, but maybe the character would’ve made more sense if the writing had been a little simpler. It felt like the author spent too much time on descriptions and not enough on the character’s thoughts.

• David: I’m not sure if I agree with that. I just think the writing could’ve been more thoughtful while still being beautiful, if that makes sense.

• Sarah: Yeah, that makes sense.  Maybe my problem is that not much actually happened in the story.

• David: You’re right about that. It wasn’t a very exciting plot.

• Sarah: But I still enjoyed parts of it.

• David: Me too. It’s always great to hear what you think.

Useful Phrases

• I don’t know what you thought about…

This is a nice way to let someone know that you would be open to hearing their thoughts.

• I can see that.

This is a good way to acknowledge someone’s thoughts, whether or not you agree with them.

• I agree with that. / I’m not sure if I agree with that.

“I’m not sure if I agree with that” is nicer than “I don’t agree with you.”

• …if that makes sense.

This is a common way that people end sentences when giving their opinions or explaining something. Often, this has the meaning of “Does that make sense?” or “Do you understand what I mean?”

Conversation #7: Job Change

• Anya: Hey, you seem a little down. What’s going on?

• Ethan: Nothing much. Just feeling a bit stressed.

• Anya: Come on, something’s definitely bothering you.

• Ethan: Alright, it’s work. You know the tech industry is going through a rough patch right now. There are so many layoffs and job security is a real concern. And even if I keep my current job, career growth seems limited.

• Anya: I know, I’ve been reading about it in the news. Have you given any thought to your options?

• Ethan: I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but haven’t made any concrete decisions yet.

• Anya: What are some of the things you’ve been considering?

• Ethan: Well, I’m thinking about moving to a different industry altogether, one with more long-term growth potential.

• Anya: That’s a smart idea, but you’ll need to upskill yourself for the new industry.

• Ethan: I know. I’ve been leaning towards digital marketing. I can transfer some of my current skills to that field, and it doesn’t require as much hardcore technical expertise, so it’ll be easier to learn the new stuff.

• Anya: That makes sense. So are you thinking about making the switch soon?

• Ethan: Not immediately. I need to keep my current job to pay my bills. I’m pretty sure I want to go into digital marketing, but I’ll get some feedback on other options over the next few weeks. I don’t want to make a big change without being confident in my decision. Once I decide for sure, I’ll figure out how to learn the necessary skills while still working.

• Anya: Sounds like a good plan. If you need help, I can connect you with some friends who work in the digital marketing field.

• Ethan: That would be great. Thanks so much.

• Anya: You’re welcome.

Conversation #8: Exam Preparation

• Sarah: Hey, how’s the exam prep going?

• David: Not too bad overall. I’m feeling a little stressed about English and Chemistry though. How are you doing?

• Sarah: It’s going alright. Chemistry is giving me a hard time too. It’s a huge syllabus, and organic chemistry has so much memorization.

• David: Ugh, I know. Organic chemistry is a killer! Maybe we could study chemistry together, especially the organic part?

• Sarah: That’s a good idea! But can you help me with English?

• David: Of course! What are you struggling with in English?

• Sarah: Prepositions and reading comprehension are really giving me trouble.

• David: I can definitely help you understand the rules of prepositions. But for reading comprehension, you just need to practice a lot.

• Sarah: OK.  I’ll do that. How’s your prep for the other subjects going?

• David: Mostly on track, except for Economics. The syllabus seems endless, and I don’t think I’ll have enough time to review everything.

• Sarah: Thank goodness I don’t have Economics! But I’m also struggling to find enough time to review everything. We just have to make do with the time we have.

• David: You’re right. Let’s stop talking and get back to studying. Good luck with your next exam!

• Sarah: Thanks! Good luck to you too!

Sarah and David walk out of the exam hall after finishing the English paper.

• Sarah: That exam was long, wasn’t it?

• David: Definitely! I don’t think we’ll see many 95+ scores in English this year.

• Sarah: How did you do?

• David: So-so. I wish I had managed my time better. I ended up leaving about 10 marks worth of questions unanswered. How about you?

• Sarah: I started off pretty well. I was actually ahead of schedule with grammar and letter writing, but this year’s reading comprehension passages were just too tough. It threw my time management completely off.

• David: So, did you finish the paper?

• Sarah: I somehow managed to complete it, but I had to rush through the last 20 minutes. I probably made a lot of mistakes.  What parts of the exam did you find especially difficult?

• David: English is not my strong suit. I even found parts of the grammar challenging, on top of reading comprehension, of course.

• Sarah: Well, there’s nothing we can do now. Let’s hope for the best and get ready for the next exam, Chemistry.

• David: You’re right. Back to studying! A few more tough days ahead.

Conversation #9: Air Pollution in Cities

• Anya: Hey, Liam, how are you doing?

• Liam: I’m good, thanks. How about you?

• Anya: I’m alright, but this city air is getting to me. How are you coping with the pollution?

• Liam: It’s terrible, especially in the winter. I finally bought a pollution mask to help, but you can’t wear it all the time. What about at home?

• Anya: Air purifiers, right? Do they really work?

• Liam: They do, but they’re not cheap, and I wouldn’t want to run one for hours every day, month after month.

• Anya: You make a good point. I’m thinking about getting a mask myself. What would you recommend?

• Liam: I got an N99 mask. It cost me about 2000 rupees. I tried those cheap masks, the ones for 15-20 rupees, but they ended up being more expensive.

• Anya: More expensive? How?

• Liam: The cheap ones only last 2-3 uses. My N99 mask can be used for hundreds of hours. So, the cheap ones add up quickly. But more importantly, they’re not as effective at filtering pollutants as my N99 mask. And that’s the whole point, right? What’s the use of a mask if it doesn’t filter out the harmful stuff?

• Anya: You’re right. Anything else about pollution masks?

• Liam: Look for one with an exhalation valve. It makes breathing easier, especially when you’re out of breath after walking fast or climbing stairs, and it prevents moisture buildup.

• Anya: We’ve been breathing this toxic air for years. Do you think pollution levels will get better any time soon, like this winter?

• Liam: I doubt it. We could control vehicle pollution by getting rid of old, inefficient vehicles, but will it happen? And who’s going to stop the stubble burning in the neighboring states? Construction activity is probably the easiest to control, but still.

• Anya: What about the pollution from firecrackers on Diwali?

• Liam: There are some restrictions on firecrackers in the city, but it’s hard to enforce. To be honest, I’m not too worried about firecrackers because their effect is only for a few days. I’m more concerned about the month-after-month high pollution levels from other sources.

• Anya: I agree with you, but I think people have a role to play too. We can stop or report people who burn plastic bags and other waste in the winter. And we can report construction activities that are happening during the ban period.

• Liam: You’re right. What we often forget is that pollution, especially in winter, isn’t just a problem in our city. It affects most of North India.  In fact, smaller cities often have worse air quality than our city, but they don’t get the same media attention.

• Anya: That’s true. And the pollution is having a terrible impact on human health. I read in the paper that India has the highest number of deaths due to pollution, and most of them are from air pollution.  In 2015, over 2.5 million people died in India because of pollution.

• Liam: I remember reading that the air quality in our city actually entered the “satisfactory” zone for the first time in months during the rainy season. Things have gotten so bad that we’re relieved when the AQI goes from “very poor” to “poor”.  Imagine, “satisfactory” levels only happen once in a few months, thanks to nature. “Good” air quality seems like a distant dream.

• Anya: You summed it up perfectly. Let’s hope things get better.

• Liam: Yeah.

Conversation #10: Planning a Picnic

• Sarah: Hey, Alex, how’s it going?

• Alex: Pretty good, thanks. How are you?

• Sarah: I’m doing well, too. Any plans for this weekend?

• Alex:  Nothing much. You got something in mind?

• Sarah: I’ve been wanting to go on a picnic since last weekend. What do you say?

• Alex: That sounds nice. I’m up for it. I’m tired of hanging out at the mall and watching movies every weekend. Being outdoors would be a nice change. Do you have a spot in mind?

• Sarah: How about Lakeview? It’s a bit secluded, just a three-hour drive.  There’s a nice government guest house run by the forest department where we can stay overnight.

• Alex: Tell me more about the place.  What can we do there?

• Sarah: The guest house sits on a little hill overlooking the lake. It’s beautiful. We can make it our base and explore the area.

• Alex: That sounds exciting.

• Sarah: We can hike down to the lake in an hour, relax by the water, then walk on a different trail and head back to the guest house in the evening. We can also take a boat ride on the lake, but we’d have to walk a couple of kilometers, which isn’t a big deal. There’s forest all around, so we can explore on the next day. It’s a great place for some peace and quiet.

• Alex: Can we cook our own food? That’s a must-have for any picnic.

• Sarah: I’m not sure about the kitchen facilities, but we can bring our own ingredients. We’ll know more once we get there.

• Alex: Okay.

• Sarah: Oh, and there’s also a sandy beach near the lake where we can play volleyball or even cricket.

• Alex: Wow, a sandy beach!

• Sarah: It’s not like the beach on the coast, but it’s still awesome considering it’s so close to us. So, what do you think?

• Alex: I’m definitely in! Let’s invite some other friends. We should aim for 5 or 6 people.

• Sarah: Good idea. Once we have everyone on board, we can figure out the food, transportation, and other things we need.

• Alex: Let’s talk to everyone today and get a final count by tomorrow.

• Sarah: Sounds good.

Conclusion

And there you have it! 10 typical conversations that will help you sound like a native when chatting with your English-speaking friends.  Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to try out these phrases and expressions in your own conversations. The more you use them, the more natural and fluent you’ll become.

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