How to… respond good news

What’s the best way to respond to someone’s good news? Most people know how to say ‘congratulations’ – but what other words, phrases and strategies are useful?

William: Hello and welcome to How to… your weekly instruction manual for saying and doing things in English.
My name’s William Kremer. Let’s start today’s programme with a piece of good news: I’m getting married next month!
So what’s the best way for you to respond to something like that? Well, English speakers are lucky to have a word that they can use whenever something really good happens to another person…
Example
Elena: Congratulations!
William: Congratulations! If you’re writing a card or a letter you might want to say what you are congratulating your friend about. To do this you can say…
Example
Elena: Congratulations on your engagement!
William: Or you can say…
Example
Elena: Congratulations on getting married!
William: But there are lots of things we can say to people who have some good news other than ‘congratulations’. I’m going to invite a colleague from BBC Learning English into the studio, and I’m going to tell him my good news – about me getting married next month, and let’s see what words he uses when he responds.
STING
William: And Matt has just come into the studio – hello Matt.
Matt: Hello William.
William: Now the reason I have called you into the studio today is because I have some good news.
Matt: Ah excellent – I like good news.
William: I am going to be getting married next month…
Matt: Oh congratulations, that’s fantastic news! Are you excited?
William: I am very excited, yes! Erm and er.. yeah… so…
Matt: Are you getting married in a church?
William: No, we’re not getting married in a church – but er, no, we’re doing the modern thing -
Matt: You’re doing the modern thing rather than the traditional…
William: Yes, that’s right.
Matt: Very good.
William: That’s my news.
Matt: That’s splendid news. I also have some very exciting news…
William: You don’t! Do you also..?
Matt: I… I also have some exciting news.
William: What’s your news?
Matt: In one month’s time, my wife is having a baby boy – our first child.
William: Is she?!
Matt: Yes, she is.
William: Wow, I didn’t know that! When did you… well, you must have found out a long time ago…
Matt: I found out a long time ago, but we’ve been keeping it quiet.
William: Oooh, well congratulations! Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?
Matt: I said it was a boy.
William: Oh yes! Good point… OK Matt, that’s all I wanted to tell you.
Matt: Ah, fantastic – well, good luck.
William: Good luck to you too. Bye bye.
OK, Matt’s left the studio now. Don’t worry if you didn’t catch all of that conversation – but let’s listen back now to a few interesting bits.
MUSIC
William: Did you notice that after I told Matt my good news, he asked me some questions?
Example
Matt: …Are you excited? Are you getting married in a church?
William: Matt is interested in my wedding. In general, when people tell you something new, something exciting – a very good way to respond is to ask lots and lots of questions!
What other language did Matt use?
Example
Matt: Oh congratulations, that’s fantastic news!
William: This is a very common and a very easy way to respond to some good news. Simply describe the news as ‘fantastic’ or ‘great’ or brilliant – or use any other very positive word…
Example
Matt: Oh congratulations, that’s fantastic news!… That’s splendid news – I also have some very exciting news…
William: But you don’t need to say, ‘That’s fantastic news’. When we’re talking, we can often use these very positive words like ‘fantastic’ or ‘splendid’ by themselves…
Example
Matt: Ah, fantastic, well, good luck…
William: We can also use the words ‘how’ and ‘what’ by saying ‘how splendid’ or ‘what splendid news’ but you don’t hear these phrases very often nowadays – they’re quite old-fashioned.
One other thing to mention is that good news often involves surprise. Listen again to me being surprised by Matt’s good news:
Example
William: In one month’s time, my wife is having a baby boy – our first child.
William: Is she?!
Matt: Yes, she is.
William: Wow, I didn’t know that! When did you… well, you must have found out a long time ago…
‘Wow’ – W-O-W – is a word that we use when we are really surprised by something – and pleased!
END MUSIC
William: Well, some interesting language there. I just want to play you a couple of other phrases that you might find useful – here’s the first one:
Example
Elena: I’m really pleased to hear that.
William: I’m really pleased to hear that. And here’s another phrase –
Example
Elena: I’m really happy for you.
William: I’m really happy for you. These two phrases are a little bit more formal, so you’re not so likely to hear them. But they are very useful for when you’re writing to congratulate someone – maybe in a card.

You can listen again to the dialogue from this programme, and practise today’s language point, on the How To webpage on BBC Learning English dot com.

Goodbye!