English Conversation: Saying Goodbye

The way we say 'goodbye' is different depending on the place where we live, who we say it to, if we see the person every day or if we won't see each other for a long time. 

In this lesson, you will read short dialogues between people saying 'goodbye'. Pay attention to each scenario and the words used. 
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Do the task at the end of the lesson to practise what you have learned. 

Let's focus on some GOODBYE SCENARIOS. 

INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS 

(1) You are old friends. You haven't seen each other for years now. One of you is travelling to the other person's country and has been staying with him/her for a few days. You are at the airport. Thank your friend for putting you up. (= letting you stay at their home) 

Kevin: It was great seeing you again after so long. Thanks so much for having me to stay. 
Rachel: Don't mention it. You can come back any time. 
Kevin: I'd love to. But next time you must come and visit me. 
Rachel: Oh, that'd be great! Well, I've got some vacation coming up. I might come for a week. 
Kevin: Fantastic! 
Rachel: Your flight's being called. You should really make a move. 
Kevin: Oh, yeah. Thanks for having me and showing me around. 
Rachel: It was nothing, really. Don't forget to let me know you got there OK. 
Kevin: I will do. I'll text. 
Rachel: Now get going before you miss your flight. Take care and see you again soon. Bye! 
Kevin: Thanks. Bye, Rachel. 

Ways to say 'You're welcome': 

• No worries. 
• No problem. 
• My pleasure. 
• Don't mention it. 
• It was nothing. 

(2) You are best friends from school. One of you is going to Japan for a year. The other is staying at home to finish their studies. Promise each other to keep in touch. 

Karen: We haven't been apart for so long. I'll miss you. 
Emily: Yeah, I'll miss you, too. It's only a year. I promise we'll keep in touch. We can make video calls every week. I'll send you pictures, too. I can't wait to go there already. 
Karen: I'm so happy and excited for you! 
Emily: Maybe you can come and visit me while I'm there. 
Karen: I wish I could, but you know I need to finish my studies. 
Emily: Yeah, right. 
Karen: We'll be in touch for sure. 
Emily: Definitely! Well, I have to go now. I need to pack my bags and get ready. 
Karen: Sure. It will be a long flight. Text me when you get there. 
Emily: Will do. 
Karen: Take care. Bye for now. 
Emily: Bye, Karen. 

(3) You are ending a Skype call with a language exchange friend. 

Hana: Nice talking to you. 
Linh: Yeah. Maybe we can chat again sometime soon? 
Hana: I'll be online at the weekend, probably. 
Linh: OK, I'll check around this time to see if you're online. 
Hana: OK, great. 
Linh: Bye for now. 

Common ways to say "Nice talking to you": 

• It was great chatting with you. 
• Good to chat with you. 
• It was great to talk to you. 
• Nice to talk to you again. 
• Nice talking to you. 

Note: We say "chat with" and "talk to". 


​FORMAL CONVERSATIONS 

(4) You meet a colleague at a company event. You have a small talk but then one of you leaves. 

Harry: Happy to see you here, Anna. Back for another company event? 
Anna: Oh, Harry, lovely to see you here. 
Harry: How are things? 
Anna: I've been quite busy with work lately. And you? 
Harry: Well, I just came back from holiday. I was away for two weeks and now I'm falling behind on tasks. I'm trying to get myself organised again. 
Anna: Yeah, that must be tough. 
Harry: So, Anna, um, would you like a drink? 
Anna: No, I'm fine thanks. 
Harry: Well, it's been nice talking to you, Anna. You don't mind if I go and get myself a coffee? See you later. 
Anna: Sure. See you. 

Ways to end a conversation: 

• See you later. 
• Look, I have to go. Catch you later. 
• It's been nice talking to you. 
• You don't mind if I go and get myself (a coffee)? 

​(5) You are workmates saying goodbye on Friday, at the end of the week. One of you is celebrating your promotion with a drink after work. The other has to stay to finish some work. 

John: OK, I'm off now. 
Mark: Have a nice weekend. See you on Monday. 
John: Oh, Mark. I almost forgot. I'm taking colleagues out for drinks to celebrate my promotion. We're going to a bar in about an hour.
Mark: That's great news. Congratulations! 
John: Thanks. Will you join us? 
Mark: That'd be great, but I have a deadline to meet and I need to work overtime to finish the task. 
John: It's OK. Well, see you next week then. Bye now! 
Mark: Bye. 

(6) The last moments with your boss on your last day at work. 

Chris: We're sorry to see you go. Thank you for all your hard work. 
Kevin: It was great working with all of you. 
Chris: Oh, this is for you, Kevin - just a little something from us. 
Kevin: Oh, that's very thoughtful of you. You needn't have done that. 
Chris: It's nothing really. Best of luck in your future endeavours. 
Kevin: Thank you. 


TASK: 
Write two dialogues in full using the goodbye scenarios below. The first one needs to be an informal conversation and the second one formal. 

1. You are flatmates. One of you is going out for an hour or two to do some shopping. The person going out asks whether their flatmate wants anything from the shops. 
2. You are colleagues at a dinner party. One of you is the host. The other decides to leave even though it is still early. The early leaver needs to make a decent excuse. 

Other lessons:
10 Ways to Say that Something is Good  
10 Ways to Say that Something is Bad 
English Lesson: 5 Types of Lifestyle 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 
English Conversation: Buying sunscreen products at a store 

Business English lessons: 
English Lesson: Jobs and Skills 
Business English: Working in an office 
Business English: How to Talk about Your Job Responsibilities 


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