Language is constantly adapting and changing to reflect our changing lives, experiences and cultures. And it’s not just the words themselves which change; the way in which we use them can shift too.

We have recently worked on greetings, on different ways to say hello and good bye, as well as on answers to them, depending on how you are feeling.

When we meet people we know, we often ask about their health or their general situation.

Formal answers are:

Very well, thank you. And you?

Fine, thank you.

And informal answers are:

Fine/Great, thanks.

All right.

OK.

So-so.

Not too bad.

(It) could be worse.

But be careful! Context determines what is more appropriate.

The following video shows you three options to use in contexts in which you can’t use so-so the same way you would use it, to answer a How are you doing, question. And although so-so is found in grammar books as an answer to a How are you doing question, some teachers say that it is used only by people who are learning how to speak English. Natives don’t use it that much.

So, watch carefully, take notes and practice!

For the post on kinda and sorta, click here.