Introductions, names, safe topics, and how to leave a conversation without leaving a bad impression.
Most first impressions at work are made in under two minutes, and almost none of that time is spent on anything important. That's the point: small talk is how British colleagues decide whether you're easy to work with. Let's see what your instincts say.
1. A British colleague says "Hi, how are you?" as you pass in the corridor. The best reply is…
2. You've been introduced to Helen Price, a senior director, at a London client event. She says "Hi, I'm Helen." You call her…
3. Which topic is the safest opener with someone you've just met at a work event?
Four quick questions. This isn't graded harshly — it just shows us where to focus.
1. You want to introduce your manager to a client. The most natural line is…
2. You've forgotten the name of someone you met last week. You say…
3. At the end of a first conversation, the natural British phrase is…
4. You need to leave a conversation at a networking event. You say…
Every short professional conversation has three moves: you open it (greet, introduce, get names right), you keep it going (safe topics, follow-up questions, small reactions), and you close it gracefully. Browse the phrases for each move, then try the quick check.
— Click either cell to see another example.
Hover over (or tap) each version to see how a British listener is likely to hear it.
A title goes only with a surname, never a first name. First names are normal almost immediately, once they've been offered.
Warmer and faster: "Great to meet you!" and "So what do you do?" in the first minute.
Titles and surnames last much longer. Wait to be invited to use a first name. In Japan and Korea, business cards are offered and received with both hands.
When Marta moved from Warsaw to a consultancy in London, her English was better than that of half her new colleagues. Her first week still felt oddly difficult. At her welcome drinks, the managing partner came over, smiled and said, “Hi, I'm James — I don't think we've met properly.” Marta, anxious to be respectful, replied, "Good evening, Mr James." He laughed kindly, but she saw the awkward flicker in his eyes and spent the rest of the evening replaying it.
Her mistake was not grammar. It was register: the level of formality a situation expects. British offices tend to hide hierarchy rather than display it. Senior people introduce themselves by first name, and the expected response is simply “Nice to meet you, James.” Being too formal doesn't come across as respect. It creates distance, and in a culture that prizes being approachable, distance can be mistaken for coldness.
Small talk, which many learners dismiss as trivial, is where most of this happens. A question like “Did you have far to come?” is not really about the journey. It's a low-risk way of checking that the other person is friendly and easy to talk to. The best conversationalists are rarely the most interesting people in the room; they are the ones who ask “Oh really? How did you end up doing that?” and then actually listen to the answer.
Leaving a conversation matters too. Marta's instinct was to wait until the other person walked away, which meant she often stood stranded with one person for an hour. A colleague taught her an exit line: “Anyway, I'll let you get back to it — lovely to meet you.” It sounds considerate, it's courteous, and nobody has ever been offended by it. By her third event, Marta was using “Sorry, I didn't quite catch your name” without embarrassment, and a rapport with her new team followed soon after. As she put it later, "Nobody taught me any of this at school, because none of it is written down."
Tap a highlighted word for pronunciation, meaning and an example. With key phrases on, tap a highlighted phrase to see why it works (and what a less skilful speaker might have said).
1. Why did James react awkwardly to Marta's greeting?
2. According to the text, what is a question like "Did you have far to come?" really for?
3. What problem did the exit line solve for Marta?
All eight words from the text — mixed formats.
1. If a person is "approachable", they are…
2. "Register" in communication means…
3. A "hierarchy" is…
4. If you have "rapport" with someone, you…
5. Something "trivial" is…
1. There was an silence when he called her "Mrs Anna".
2. Nobody rescued me, so I was by the coffee machine for forty minutes.
3. It's to reply to every invitation, even if you can't go.
4. Small talk may look , but it builds trust.
Focus — complete the phrase (one word per gap)
1. I don't think we've — I'm Olek, I'm on the data team.
2. Sorry, I didn't quite your name.
3. Tom, have you Sarah? She's just joined from Deloitte.
4. Did you have to come today?
5. Anyway, I'll let you get to it — lovely to meet you.
6. Oh really? How did you up working in insurance?
Each line is grammatically fine but socially wrong for a British workplace. Tap the word that causes the problem, then check the explanation.
Tap the chips in the right order. Three rounds.
Record a 60-second "elevator introduction" for a networking event in London: your name, one useful detail about what you do, and one question you'd ask the other person. Then add a graceful exit line at the end.
Tomasz has just started at the London office. Anna asks how his first networking event went.
1. What mistake did Tomasz make with the finance director?
2. What does Anna say about leaving a conversation?
3. Which small-talk opener does Tomasz plan to use next time?
1. Your new manager introduces herself as "Jo". You call her…
2. The best opener at a conference coffee break is…
3. You missed someone's name. You say…
4. Which exit line sounds most natural?
5. A colleague says "How are you?" in the lift. The best answer is…