Why “Good, thanks” is killing your English conversations
My father used to play table tennis. Fast, rhythmic, back and forth – the whole point was the rally.
English conversation works the same way. You hit, I return. I hit, you return.
But a lot of professionals I work with have learned to catch the ball. Answer the question. Full stop. And then wonder why the conversation feels like hard work.
Here’s what it looks like in real life:
“How was your weekend?” “Good, thanks.“
And then… silence. The rally is over before it started.
Nobody taught them that answering is only half the job.
The missing piece
Natural conversation has three parts:
- Answer the question
- Add something interesting
- Ask something back
It sounds simple. It is simple. But it changes everything.
“How was your weekend?”
“Really good — we went hiking for the first time this year. Are you more of an outdoor person or do you prefer to switch off at home?“
Same question. Same person. Completely different conversation.
The secret ingredient
The technique is easy to learn. But what makes it work is something deeper – genuine curiosity about the other person.
Not performing interest. Actually having it.
When you’re truly curious, the follow-up question comes naturally. You stop thinking about your English and start thinking about them.
That’s when conversation stops feeling like an exercise and starts feeling like connection.
💬 What question do you find hardest to answer in English small talk?
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