Interesting fantastic wonderful

“ Great”, “wonderful” and “fantastic” all sound like strong compliments, but many Americans use them to describe everyday objects and events. For example, someone might say, “That’s a great car”, instead of “That’s a nice car”. This is a common way of complimenting, but to some people from different countries these compliments seem exaggerated and insincere. There are other adjectives that are more specific than the ones in the list above.

attractive: pretty, good-looking, handsome

tasty, delicious: very good food

gorgeous: very pretty or attractive; used for people, clothes, and other objects.

The following phrases can be used to compliment people on their personal qualities or abilities:

You are so … (+ an adjective) You are such a … (practical person)

How…you are! (e.g. How generous you are, Mr Wilkinson!)

I wish I had your… (e.g. I wish I had your patience)

On possessions:

You’ve got a nice / lovely / beautiful /wonderful…

What a nice / lovely / beautiful /wonderful… you’ve got.

I wish I’d got a …like yours.

On clothes and appearance:

That’s / What a nice / lovely / beautiful… (you’re wearing).

You do look nice / smart in / with that…

On the type of achievement:

You were wonderful / superb / magnificent!

You were great! (more colloquial) You did very well!

To compliment somebody on something he /she has made, mended, etc. one can say:

What a nice (-looking) /convenient /delicious…

You’ve done a wonderful job.

You’ve done wonders with the … (garden)

People from different cultures sometimes don’t understand why Americans give so many compliments. In many cultures too many compliments would seem insincere. But an American woman says that she gives at least one compliment a day.

In English-speaking countries it is quite common to start conversations with compliments. Americans often say “Thank you” after they receive compliments and add a sentence or two which can lead into a conversation. For example:

a) First friend: “I like your earring.”

Second friend: “Thanks, I got it in Mexico last year.”

b) Boss: “The report you wrote is great. It has all information I need.”

Employee: “Thank you. I hope you have everything you need to start the

project.”

Even when some people disagree with a compliment, they will often say, “Thanks” and add a sentence or two. For example:

Guest: “The cake is delicious.”

Host: “Thanks, but it didn’t turn out exactly right.”

If you consider the compliment to be deserved you can say simply Thank you, but this may sound self-satisfied or immodest. Here are some more modest responses:

Giving and Receiving Gifts. In some countries, there are many rules about giving gifts. When do you give a gift? To whom do you give a gift? For what reasons do you give a gift? In the U.S., there are no exact rules about gift giving, but there are some general customs. The list below includes occasions when people give gifts and includes the types of things people give. Remember that very often it is up to the individual to decide when to give a gift and what to give.

Occasion Typical gifts

a meal at someone’s house a bottle of wine, flowers, candy

an overnight stay at someone’s an object from your country (e.g. a

house vase or a dish), gifts for children

friends’ birthday, particularly the books, records, clothing, decorations

“big” birthdays (21, 25, 30, 40, 50… for the house, photo albums (This

75, 80 etc.) depends on the person who is giving

the gift)

religious ceremonies such as books, religious objects (For these

Baptism (Christian), Confirmation occasions, it is a good idea to ask (Christian), or Bar / Bat people for suggestions)

Mitzvah (Jewish),

weddings items for the home such as dishes,

pots, towels, blankets, photo albums

showers (baby showers) sheets, blankets, diaper bags, baby toys usually

wedding showers small things for the kitchen clothes, toys,

birth of a baby stuffed animals, things for the baby’s room

Most of the time Americans do accept gifts that people give to them. However, in the workplace, supervisors or bosses sometimes feel uncomfortable accepting gifts and are not always allowed to do so. The following are some of the reasons:

• They do not want to feel that they have to do something special or different for the employees who gave a gift.

• They don’t want their other employees to think that they have favorites among the employees.

• They may find it difficult to criticize their employee’s work if they’ve just received a gift from him or her.

• Many companies have a policy that says that a supervisor is not allowed to accept gifts from employees.