How to Give and Receive Good News & Bad News in English

Summary

In this video, Teacher Mike teaches how to give and receive both good and bad news in English. For good news, phrases like 'I've got some good news for you' orTranscript Summary Request 'I'm pleased to inform you that' are introduced. Responses to good news include congratulations, expressing happiness, or pride. For bad news, phrases such as 'Unfortunately,' 'I'm really sorry,' or 'I regret to inform you' are used. The video also explores informal expressions like 'That sucks' or 'That's messed up' for close friends, and how to handle both good and bad news together. The lesson highlights key phrases for various situations.

Takeaways

• 😀 It's important to know how to give and receive both good and bad news effectively in English.
• 😀 When giving someone good news about them, you can say, 'I've got some good news for you' or, in formal situations, 'I'm pleased to inform you that.'
• 😀 If you are sharing good news about your own life, you can simply say, 'I've got some news that I want to share with you.'
• 😀 To reply to good news, you can say, 'Congratulations,' 'I'm so happy for you,' or 'I'm proud of you,' but only if you know the person well.
• 😀 When replying to someone sharing good news about you, always start with 'Thank you.'
• 😀 For bad news, start with phrases like 'Unfortunately,' 'I'm really sorry but,' or 'There's no easy way to say this.'
• 😀 In formal settings, you might use 'I regret to inform you that' when delivering bad news, particularly in writing.
• 😀 If someone shares bad news about their life, like losing their job or the death of someone close, you can say, 'I'm so sorry' or 'Please let me know if I can help.'
• 😀 In informal situations, you can express empathy by saying, 'That sucks' or 'That's messed up,' but these should be avoided in serious situations like death.
• 😀 When you have both good and bad news to share, ask, 'Which do you want first: the good news or the bad news?'

Q & A

What is the first thing you can say when you have good news to give someone?

You can start by saying, 'I've got some good news for you,' and then proceed to tell them the news.

How should you give good news in a formal situation?

In a formal situation, you can say, 'I'm pleased to inform you that,' followed by the news, for example, 'I'm pleased to inform you that your application has been approved.'

What is a more informal way of giving good news about your own life?

If the good news is about your own life, you can say, 'I've got some news that I want to share with you,' and then share the news.

What are some appropriate responses when someone shares good news about their life?

You can say, 'Congratulations,' 'I'm so happy for you,' or 'I'm so happy to hear that.' If you know the person well, you might also say, 'I'm proud of you' or 'You deserve it.'

When should you say 'I'm proud of you' or 'You deserve it'?

These phrases are typically used when you have personally witnessed the person working hard to achieve something significant, like getting accepted into a good university.

What should you say when someone gives you good news about you personally?

When someone gives you good news about yourself, you should always start by saying 'Thank you.'

How do you typically start delivering bad news?

When giving bad news, you can start with phrases like, 'Unfortunately,' 'I'm really sorry but,' or 'There's no easy way to say this but.' For formal situations, you can say, 'I regret to inform you that.'

What is the recommended response when someone tells you bad news about their life?

You can say, 'I'm so sorry' or 'I'm so sorry to hear that.' You might also offer help by saying, 'Please let me know if there's any way I can help' or 'Please let me know if there's anything I can do.'

What informal expressions can you use to show empathy when someone shares bad news?

Informally, you can say things like 'That sucks' or 'That's messed up.' These expressions show empathy, especially if you're close to the person and understand how tough the situation is.

What should you say if someone shares with you that someone they care about has passed away?

If someone tells you that someone they care about has passed away, it's most appropriate to say, 'I'm so sorry' or 'I'm so sorry for your loss.'