Learning English

TRANSCRIPT

Neil

Hello and welcome to How To with me, Neil Edgeller. This programme is all about how to give people good news. Perhaps you're a boss and you want to tell an employee they've been given a promotion.

EXAMPLE

We'd like to move you up a grade. That means promotion and quite a bit more money every month.

Neil

Or maybe you're a teacher and you want to tell a student they've passed their exams.

EXAMPLE

We've just heard that you've got a place at Oxford University.

Neil

But how do you do it? How do you introduce the topic? In this programme, you'll hear some native speakers of English giving another person some good news and we'll see how it's done.

EXAMPLE

I'm just ringing about your job interview last week. I'd like to say that we were very impressed by your job interview and we'd like to offer you the job.

Neil

She says, We'd like to say - we were very impressed by your interview. We'd like to say is a formal way of introducing the topic. It's a way of paying someone a compliment before you give the news. A less formal way would be to say just, You did a great interview, but it's still common to pay someone a compliment before you deliver the good news. Next, she says, We'd like to offer you the job. Again, we'd like to is a formal way of introducing good news. You can use it in any formal situation. For example, We'd like to give you a pay rise, or, We'd like to offer you a place at university.

EXAMPLE

Right. Well, we've got some good news for you: we'd like to move you up a grade. That means promotion and quite a bit more money every month.

Neil

In this example, the man says, We've got some good news for you, and then he tells it. This is a very simple but common way of introducing good news. You could use it in lots of different situations: for example, We've got some good news for you: you've been chosen to play football for your country, or, We've got some good news for you: you've won a prize. Listen again.

EXAMPLE

Right. Well, we've got some good news for you: we'd like to move you up a grade. That means promotion and quite a bit more money every month.

Neil

In the next example, the woman is telling someone they've just won a large amount of money. Just like the last example, she introduces the subject with a simple sentence: We've got a bit of news for you. But this news is not just good; it's also very surprising and shocking. Listen to what she says to prepare the person for this piece of good news.

EXAMPLE

We've got a bit of news for you. Are you sort of somewhere where you've got some company with you, or can you sit down somewhere? I'm really pleased to tell you that actually you've won the jackpot this week and it's forty-five point two million pounds.

Neil

She asks if the person's got some company, which means she wants to check if there are some people there. She also asks if the person's sitting down. This is a very common thing to say to someone before giving surprising or shocking news. And to introduce the news itself, she says, I'm really pleased to tell you. Again, this is a useful way to introduce any good news. You could say, I'm really pleased to tell you - you're the winner of our competition, or, I'm really pleased to tell you - you got the job. Here she is again:

EXAMPLE

We've got a bit of news for you. Are you sort of somewhere where you've got some company with you, or can you sit down somewhere? I'm really pleased to tell you that actually you've won the jackpot this week and it's forty-five point two million pounds.

Neil

Our last speaker gives not just one piece of good news, but several. To do this, she leaves the best news until the end. Before the part we hear, the woman has already told someone they passed all of their exams.

EXAMPLE

On top of that, I've got one extra bit of good news that I think you might want to hear. We've just heard that you've got a place at Oxford University.

Neil

She says, On top of that, I've got one extra bit of good news, and then she tells the person they've got a place at Oxford - a university with a very good reputation. Again, this is a common way of delivering lots of good news: save the best bit until the end!

EXAMPLE

On top of that, I've got one extra bit of good news that I think you might want to hear. We've just heard that you've got a place at Oxford University.

Neil

That's all for this How To. I hope the next time you have to give someone some good news, you have a better idea of how to do it. Join me again for my next programme about how to give people bad news.