Expressing Compliments Guide

MATERIAL FOR SPEAKING

Expressing Compliment

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Purpose
Compliments express approval, and their main
purpose is to show that you like some aspect of the
other person’s appearance, belongings, or work.
This reassures the other person that his her
taste, appearance, etc. is appreciated by other
people.
Some people use compliments to “butter up”
somebody, or to flatter in order to increase
goodwill. Therefore, overuse of compliments might
seem insincere.

Whom to compliment
You may compliment anyone you have occasion to talk with. It
may be a close friend or someone you have just met and in certain
cases you can compliment a stranger in order to get information:
You : excuse me, but I was just admiring
your bag. It’s really nice.
Stranger : oh thank you.
You : would you mind telling me where
you got it? I’ve been looking for one
like that for a long time.
Stranger : it’s from that luggage store down on
York Avenue.
You : oh, thank you very much.


What to compliment (1)
Compliment usually used when you compliment someone
if you notice something new about the person’s
appearance: new eyeglasses, a new haircut, an article of
clothing, or a piece of jewelry such as:
“gee, you really look good today”
“you are looking trim these days”
“hey, I really like your new car”
“that new dress is a gorgeous shade of blue.”


What to compliment (2)
When you visit someone’s house for the first
time, you can give a general compliment such as
“what a beautiful house you have.”
When host prepare a meal for you, or even just
snack food at a party, they like to hear that you
appreciate the food. You don’t need to
compliment each dish separately, but you can
give a general comment such as “the meal was
delicious, especially the lamb.”


How to compliment
There are three ways to give a compliment:
> by saying something nice about the object,
> asking how the person made it or where it
was bought (not how much it cost),
> asking for another look or another serving if
it is food.


Replying to compliments
There are two basic ways of replying to
compliments:
> Accepting
> Rejecting
In the most cases, it is best to accept the
compliment. To do this, you can either thank
the person and explain something about the
thing being complimented, or you can turn
the compliment by giving the other person a
similar compliment.

Phrases for expressing compliment
Form Compliment Response Returning compliment
Note: it is
(optional)
More formal I would like to Thank you. It’s nice of (you inspired me)
sometimes
compliment you you to say so sufficient simply
on… to say “thank
I think your (hair) is Thank you, but it really It’s nice to hear that you” to a
very nice isn’t anything special from someone with your
compliment. No
experience
I just love your… Thank you. Yours is even
further reply is
nicer required.
The (chicken) is I’m glad you like it
delicious
I really like your…! Thank you Yours is nice, too
This (cheese) is super
That’s not a bad
(bike) you’ve got
Less formal That’s neat!
That’s nice
That’s not bad
Terrific Thanks
Pretty good
OK
@youra_koala All right youra_koala@yahoo.co.id

Discussion
How do you react to compliment?
Do people in your country compliment babies?
Are you complimented on your friends’ success?
Is it appropriate on your culture to compliments the
food or a woman dress?


Exercises

Work in pairs and make a short dialogue using
polite expressions of giving compliments.
Then, practice it in front of the class!

Small group practice
Example: A = that’s a great sweater!
B = why? thank you. I just bought it
yesterday.


Small group practice (cont)
Situation 1
A = Hi, Joe. Hey, is that a new____?
B=
A=
B=
Situation 2
A = well, thank you for the_____
B=
A = yes, I really____
B=


Small group practice (cont)
Situation 3
A=
B = oh, thanks. I just love five pounds.
A=
B=
Situation 4
A = good morning, Jones.
B=
A = well, thank you Mr. Tweed. But I was just doing
my job.
B=


Reference

Tillitt, Bruce and Mary Newton Bruder. ______.
Speaking Naturally: Communication Skills for
American English. Cambridge University Press.


Expressing Compliments Guide

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