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Who says: "How about a lesson On how to express gratitude?
Saying "Thank You." Great idea, Fred. You are this week's winner.
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So, let's talk about saying "Thank You"
I think most people already know the basic
Thank You or Thanks
But to me, it does sound a little bit unnatural to JUST say
"Thank You" or "Thanks" without continuing the idea
A native speaker will normally Continue the idea.
for example
I usually say
Thanks, I appreciate it.
"I appreciate it" means I give value to what you have done for me.
Let's practice saying that:
There are SOME situations where it is ok JUST to say
"Thanks or "Thank You"
Normally it's when someone does something small for you.
Like when a waiter or a waitress brings you Your food or a drink in a restaurant.
But what about when someone does something REALLY nice, and you REALLY want to say thanks?
I'm going to tell you something now That might surprise you.
DON'T SAY IT!
Native speakers normally only use the phrase thanks a lot
When they are being sarcastic.
"Sarcastic": when you mean the opposite of what you say.
So when a native speaker says "Thanks a lot,"
What they mean is "thanks for nothing."
For example, in the United States A standard tip in a restaurant is 15%
If you go to a restaurant
and leave less than 15%...
Mmmm... I just LOVE the cheesecake In the cheesecake factory!
Ooh! Let's look at the bill!
Oh, I remember Shane say us in the US we must put many extra moneys.
it's $100...
So...
One hundred... and one?
For you my friend. One hundred, and Extra one is for you keeping.
You might hear the waiter say:
Wow, a dollar.
Thanks a lot!
Because it's used sarcastically so often
it's not a good idea to say thanks a lot when you really want to say "Thank You."
"Thank you very much" just isn't used very much anymore.
In fact, the only two people I can think of who say it are 1. Elvis
and 2. Lex Brodie - the owner of a tire company in Hawaii.
"Thank you - very much."
So what DO native speakers say When they really want to thank someone?
I really can't thank you enough.
Thank you SO much.
Pay attention to the emphasis
Thank you SO much.
Notice: the emphasis is on the "So"
Say it with me:
This one is really common:
You shouldn't have!
I don't know what to say
You're acting surprised:
Notice: these are all very dramatic so it would not be appropriate if someone gave you a beer
To say: "For me? You shouldn't have!"
Now, it someone has already done something for you
and you do something nice for them
then they thank you
You can say: "It was the least I could do."
Shane I don't know how to thank you. It was the least I could do, after what you did for me.
Now in different parts of the world
People say "Thank You" in different ways
For example in England (UK) sometimes people say
Cheers
But be careful with this because in the US, Cheers is what people say before they have a drink
A younger, cool
kind of "hip-hop" way to say thanks would be:
Good lookin' out. (Thanks for looking out for me)
People in New York say it a lot
Yo - Good lookin' out.
Be careful with these regional ways of saying thank you
People might not understand
So remember: DON'T SAY Thanks a lot Or Thank you very much
You can say
Thanks, I appreciate it
I can't thank you enough
Thank you so much