Starting a conversation in English is simple. The most common and versatile greeting is "Hello." You can use it at any time of day, in any situation. A slightly more casual version is "Hi."

You can also greet people based on the time of day. These greetings are polite and widely used.

• Good morning: Use this from when you wake up until noon (12:00 PM).
• Good afternoon: Use this from noon until about 5:00 or 6:00 PM.
• Good evening: Use this after 6:00 PM.

Note that "Good night" is not a greeting. It's something you say when you are leaving for the night or going to bed.

After you say hello, you might need to introduce yourself. The most straightforward way is to say, "My name is..." followed by your name. A shorter, more casual way is to say, "I'm..."

To ask for someone else's name, you can say, "What's your name?"

It's also polite to ask how someone is feeling. The standard question is, "How are you?"

A common and simple response is, "I'm fine, thank you." After you answer, it's good manners to ask the question back. You can do this by saying, "And you?"

Using polite words shows respect and makes conversations go smoothly. Two of the most important words are 'please' and 'thank you'.

Use 'please' when you are asking for something. It makes your request sound much softer and more polite.

Say 'thank you' when someone does something for you or gives you something. If someone says 'thank you' to you, a good response is, "You're welcome."

Just as there are many ways to say hello, there are also many ways to end a conversation. The most standard way to say farewell is "Goodbye."

In more casual situations, you have several options. "Bye" is a very common, shorter version of goodbye. You can also say "See you later" if you expect to see the person again soon. "Take care" is another warm, friendly way to say goodbye.

Now let's review these essential greetings and phrases.

Time to check what you've learned.

Great job. Practice these simple phrases, and you'll be ready to start conversations in English with confidence.