Conversational Language (#18):
Getting Someone's Attention
It's often necessary to get
someone's attention--for
example,
when you need to ask directions
or ask for help. Here are
several different ways to do
this:
Very Polite
I beg your pardon, sir.
I beg your pardon, ma'am.
Polite
Excuse me, sir.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Friendly
Excuse me.
Casual
(Name?)
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In all the situations above, the
person you are speaking to
will probably say "Yes?" or
something similar. After that,
tell the person what you need:
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A:
B:
A: |
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I beg your pardon, ma'am
(sir).
Yes?
I wonder if you could
tell me how to get to
the corner of Elm and
44th Streets.
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A:
B:
A: |
|
Excuse me, sir (ma'am).
Yes?
Could you tell me how to
get to the corner
of Elm and 44th Streets?
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A:
B:
A: |
|
Excuse me.
Yes?
Can you tell me how to
get to the corner of
Elm and 44th Streets?
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A:
B:
A: |
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Bob?
Yes?
Do you know how to get
to the corner of
Elm and 44th Streets?
Note that the name is
said with
question
(rising) intonation.
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Special Note:
Note that
sir
is used for men and
ma'am
is used for women
when you do not know a man's or
woman's name. You can
also use a
title + a name
in polite situations:
I beg your pardon, Mrs. Smith. /
I beg your pardon, Professor
Jones.
Excuse me, Mr. Johnson. /
Excuse me, Ms. Thompson.
Do
not,
however, use mister
or lady instead
of sir or
ma'am. Both of these terms are
considered impolite.
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A Special Meaning and Situation:
Hey!
The expression
Hey!
is also used to get someone's
attention,
but only when you are upset. For
this reason, Hey!
is said
with strong feeling and it is
not appropriate in situations
which are polite or friendly.
Hey!
is something like a warning, but
it is only used to get
someone's attention about
something that is wrong. To warn
someone in a helpful way, use
other expressions--such as
Look out!
Be careful!
Watch out! |
