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I do not get the argument about "I am fine thank you, and you?".
I was taught that in school. Years later, after learning English not just from teachers in school, but also from reading manga, then reading stories (Harry Potter series was my first), then watching tv series and god forbids reality tv shows, I might not always say "I am fine thank you, and you ?" anymore. I do not find anything wrong with being taught that in school.
We were learning English as a foreign language, of course it must be standardize. I guess some are not common use anymore but as long as people understand what we want to say and it was not rude then what is so wrong?
Also daily life language and official language taught at school are not the same. The Vietnamese language that Vietnamese people are taught at schools is different from the language that Vietnamese use daily. Like "chuối", officially means "banana", not "cheesy". Personally I think the daily life language being used nowadays though might give languages more variety, also making it sometimes kind of ugly and rather stupid.

goodolboy wrote:

THIGV wrote:

This may sound like a compromise to some but I feel that the ""I'm fine thank you, and you?" form sounds more like telephone English than direct face to face speech.  t

Jesus, WTF is that about, telephone English

Yes, it is a real thing.  It is slightly more formal and the conventions of turn taking in conversations differ than in face to face speech.  Of course in the last 40 years, interpersonal telephone conversations have become less formal and even been replaced by the letter combinations and emojis of text messaging.   I think you will find that these speech conventions are still common in business phone calls.

Ahhh we have phone English, street English (influenced by stupid American sayings.. thanks YouTube)
Posh English like da queen speaks
Chav English...
Essex girl English
Brummie English
Manc English
Cunry English like dem see locals speak

Privacy tons more..

THIGV wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

THIGV wrote:

This may sound like a compromise to some but I feel that the ""I'm fine thank you, and you?" form sounds more like telephone English than direct face to face speech.  t

Jesus, WTF is that about, telephone English

Yes, it is a real thing.  It is slightly more formal and the conventions of turn taking in conversations differ than in face to face speech.  Of course in the last 40 years, interpersonal telephone conversations have become less formal and even been replaced by the letter combinations and emojis of text messaging.   I think you will find that these speech conventions are still common in business phone calls.

Well I am certainly no novice to business phone calls, business conference calls, even business video calls & mostly with your fellow countrymen involved & I cant remember them ever being formal the way you describe, in fact they were quite the opposite & straight to the point.

This question apparently goes back 15 years.

Some on the thread claim it is a British thing, but I've run into a fair amount of Brits over the years and never gotten this as a response from them. Perhaps they code switch to speak inferior American English to me, but I think that is unlikely to happen so frequently. I'll just leave it at this, students learning the "I'mfinethankyouandyou?" sound like novices, while teaching them more modern natural greetings will not make them stick out as a foreigner.

Let's get rid of "How are you" and replace it with that great old greeting of "How's it hanging".

SteinNebraska wrote:

Sorry Ciambella, you got all of them wrong according to this teacher.

I know your problem. A couple of my daughter's teachers have been pretty rubbish.

SteinNebraska wrote:

So, what should I do?

I had a few private chats with the teachers in question, but not a lot happened. I got to the point where I marked the teacher's last test - Not the answers, her questions.

SteinNebraska wrote:

I've read other threads here where the native English speaking "teacher's assistant" tried to correct the Vietnamese teacher and it didn't go well.

Being from Yorkshire, I didn't give a flying rat's bum.

VnTeacher3 wrote:

This question apparently goes back 15 years.

Some on the thread claim it is a British thing, but I've run into a fair amount of Brits over the years and never gotten this as a response from them. Perhaps they code switch to speak inferior American English to me, but I think that is unlikely to happen so frequently. I'll just leave it at this, students learning the "I'mfinethankyouandyou?" sound like novices, while teaching them more modern natural greetings will not make them stick out as a foreigner.

Novices.. hahaha coming from an American..hahahahahaah

VnTeacher3 wrote:

students learning the "I'mfinethankyouandyou?" sound like novices, while teaching them more modern natural greetings will not make them stick out as a foreigner.

My daughter, a native speaker, a Judge Pro Tem in California Superior Courts. and an author of an amendment for a labour law in the State of CA, has been saying "I'm fine, thank you. And you (Sir/Ma'am)?" for 42 years.   

Modern natural greetings?  Do you mean she needs to say "Yo! Wassup, bro?" to be seen as a modern professional?

Novice?  Stick out as a foreigner? 

Is speaking properly a strike against a person in our modern society?  If that's the case, I'm glad all of her real English teachers were not from this modern era.

Ciambella wrote:

VnTeacher3 wrote:

students learning the "I'mfinethankyouandyou?" sound like novices, while teaching them more modern natural greetings will not make them stick out as a foreigner.

My daughter, a native speaker who currently serves her 3-year term as a Judge Pro Tem in a California Superior Court, also an author of an amendment for a labour law in the State of CA, has been saying "I'm fine, thank you. And you (Sir/Ma'am)?" for 42 years.   

Modern natural greetings?  Do you mean she needs to say "Yo! Wassup, bro?" to be seen as a modern professional?

Novice?  Stick out as a foreigner? 

Is speaking properly a strike against a person in our modern society?  If that's the case, I'm glad all of her real English teachers were not from this modern era.

Well said

Ciambella wrote:

Is speaking properly a strike against a person in our modern society?  If that's the case, I'm glad all of her real English teachers were not from this modern era.

Informal is fine in informal situation, but polite wins the rest of the time.
"Yo, dude, watsup" is utter rubbish every time, but then I firmly believe rap has a silent C.

Americans lol. Get over 1776 dude. Okay people, I give up. Go around the States or Canada and say, "I'm thank you and you?" When people ask how you are. See what kind of looks you get. I'm going to respond this way to people from the UK from now on. Let's see what kind of laughter I receive. Since I'm receiving mockery and dishonesty, feel free to carry on, but I will abandon the thread.

Dishonesty ? Where ?
Previous company i worked for had 60% of the business with overseas organisations, many in the US and never had any problems. So maybe its just you with your arrogant attitude ?

As for thr 1776 comment... get over yourself, apart from the native americans indians everyone else in the US is a descendent from other nations, manh of them european.

I couldnt care less about the history of your home country being a colony, im sure for many its a lovely place - but for me.. never been there, no desire to either.

Argue all you like. English language gets its name from england, even you cannot deny that
Most langauges around the world borrow or integrate words from other languages and dialects... however it still doesnt change the fact americans speak a dialect of english, american is not recognised as a language.

I make that England 1 - America 0

VnTeacher3 wrote:

Americans lol. Get over 1776 dude. Okay people, I give up. Go around the States or Canada and say, "I'm thank you and you?" When people ask how you are. See what kind of looks you get. I'm going to respond this way to people from the UK from now on. Let's see what kind of laughter I receive. Since I'm receiving mockery and dishonesty, feel free to carry on, but I will abandon the thread.

The 1st highlight is a manifestation of "pressured typing", a sibling of "pressured speech".

The 2nd highlight is similar to another promise you made before but couldn't keep.

Welcome back!

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

VnTeacher3 wrote:

Americans lol. Get over 1776 dude. Okay people, I give up. Go around the States or Canada and say, "I'm thank you and you?" When people ask how you are. See what kind of looks you get. I'm going to respond this way to people from the UK from now on. Let's see what kind of laughter I receive. Since I'm receiving mockery and dishonesty, feel free to carry on, but I will abandon the thread.

The 1st highlight is a manifestation of "pressured typing", a sibling of "pressured speech".

The 2nd highlight is similar to another promise you made before but couldn't keep.

Welcome back!

He is starting to sound like somebody who was recently banned, just using a different nationality to throw us off his scent.

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

VnTeacher3 wrote:

Americans lol. Get over 1776 dude. Okay people, I give up. Go around the States or Canada and say, "I'm thank you and you?" When people ask how you are. See what kind of looks you get. I'm going to respond this way to people from the UK from now on. Let's see what kind of laughter I receive. Since I'm receiving mockery and dishonesty, feel free to carry on, but I will abandon the thread.

The 1st highlight is a manifestation of "pressured typing", a sibling of "pressured speech".

The 2nd highlight is similar to another promise you made before but couldn't keep.

Welcome back!

He is starting to sound like somebody who was recently banned, just using a different nationality to throw us off his scent.

😉ðŸ·ß

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

He is starting to sound like somebody who was recently banned, just using a different nationality to throw us off his scent.

😉ðŸ·ß

Perhaps there are some people who should voluntarily restrain themselves from comments on other people being banned, even if it's only smiley faces and thumbs up emojis.

THIGV wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

He is starting to sound like somebody who was recently banned, just using a different nationality to throw us off his scent.

😉ðŸ·ß

Perhaps there are some people who should voluntarily restrain themselves from comments on other people

Yep. I agree.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

THIGV wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

😉ðŸ·ß

Perhaps there are some people who should voluntarily restrain themselves from comments on other people being banned, even if it's only smiley faces and thumbs up emojis. [text reinserted]

Yep. I agree.

I must say that is a clever use of the quote function to change the meaning of the quoted persons words.  Of course this matter is not addressed in the Code of Conduct so I won't be making a phony citation in that respect.

THIGV wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

THIGV wrote:

Perhaps there are some people who should voluntarily restrain themselves from comments on other people

Yep. I agree.

I must say that is...clever

Thank you kindly!

There are plenty of people who still say, "How do you do?"

Even more who say, "Hey, yall! Wassup?" (Redneck/Rap fusion)

How ya goin'?

Just last night the neighbor, who does speak English asked his son to day Hi.  So he did.

helloiamfinethankyouandyou?

Dad aptly stated "Vietnamese English" and laughed.

VnTeacher3 wrote:

Please, someone tell me I didn't enter an alternate reality. I have never heard some respond in this way unless they were learning ESL or teaching it. I've heard "I'm fine, how about yourself?" "I'm fine, how are you? etc. Never heard "I'm fine thank you, and you?" Not once.

This is down to your unfamiliarity with formal English.  Whilst the truth is this is only used in formal situations, it's very polite and expected in some circles. Teaching kids to be polite is, in my humble opinion, both pleasant and desirable.

VnTeacher3 :
I've heard "I'm fine, how about yourself?" "I'm fine, how are you? etc. Never heard "I'm fine thank you, and you?" Not once.

Fred wrote:

This is down to your unfamiliarity with formal English.  Whilst the truth is this is only used in formal situations, it's very polite and expected in some circles.

It's certainly expected in the US legal field and not at all considered formal.  For some reason, VnTeacher3 just can't understand that there are professions in which people speak the way they write, i.e. using correct grammar and more than two syllables in word choice.

It seems that there is more than formal address that VnTeacher3 does not understand.  /forum/viewtopic.php?id=898106

Ciambella wrote:

VnTeacher3 :
I've heard "I'm fine, how about yourself?" "I'm fine, how are you? etc. Never heard "I'm fine thank you, and you?" Not once.

Fred wrote:

This is down to your unfamiliarity with formal English.  Whilst the truth is this is only used in formal situations, it's very polite and expected in some circles.

It's certainly expected in the US legal field and not at all considered formal.  For some reason, VnTeacher3 just can't understand that there are professions in which people speak the way they write, i.e. using correct grammar and more than two syllables in word choice.

Any formal situation in the UK requires that or very similar greetings/answer. Business, Black tie, and every other formal occasion absolutely demands it to the point anything else would be seen as inadequate to the point of rude.
My kids were instructed in formal English from the start and still use it with family. I want them to be able to communicate with anyone at any level, and do so on equal terms
To Hades with dumbing down the language - Manners are important..

"I'm fine thank you, and you?" is common/standard in South African English

This horse has been beaten to death, taken to the boucherie chevalines and cut into delectable pieces.  Any more and we will have to make horse burgers.   

THIGV wrote:

This horse has been beaten to death, taken to the boucherie chevalines and cut into delectable pieces.  Any more and we will have to make horse burgers.   

Not quite. 

I was taught to say 'I am well, thank you.' or 'I am well, and you? '

'I am fine' and 'I am well' are both correct.  'I am good' is not correct.

Am I the only one here that says "I am well." ?

SteinNebraska wrote:

THIGV wrote:

This horse has been beaten to death, taken to the boucherie chevalines and cut into delectable pieces.  Any more and we will have to make horse burgers.   

Not quite. 

I was taught to say 'I am well, thank you.' or 'I am well, and you? '

'I am fine' and 'I am well' are both correct.  'I am good' is not correct.

Am I the only one here that says "I am well." ?

Aussies say "I'm good".

colinoscapee wrote:

SteinNebraska wrote:

THIGV wrote:

This horse has been beaten to death, taken to the boucherie chevalines and cut into delectable pieces.  Any more and we will have to make horse burgers.   

Not quite. 

I was taught to say 'I am well, thank you.' or 'I am well, and you? '

'I am fine' and 'I am well' are both correct.  'I am good' is not correct.

Am I the only one here that says "I am well." ?

Aussies say "I'm good".

Good on ya...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

SteinNebraska wrote:

Not quite. 

I was taught to say 'I am well, thank you.' or 'I am well, and you? '

'I am fine' and 'I am well' are both correct.  'I am good' is not correct.

Am I the only one here that says "I am well." ?

Aussies say "I'm good".

Good on ya...

Ah well....that's fine.

SteinNebraska wrote:

I was taught to say 'I am well, thank you.' or 'I am well, and you? '

'I am fine' and 'I am well' are both correct.  'I am good' is not correct.

Am I the only one here that says "I am well." ?

My children and I say 'I'm well.'  My husband says 'I'm good'.  When being asked why he would use an adjective to modify a verb, he said he's too lazy to think.

Ciambella wrote:

SteinNebraska wrote:

I was taught to say 'I am well, thank you.' or 'I am well, and you? '

'I am fine' and 'I am well' are both correct.  'I am good' is not correct.

Am I the only one here that says "I am well." ?

My children and I say 'I'm well.'  My husband says 'I'm good'.  When being asked why he would use an adjective to modify a verb, he said he's too lazy to think.

An adjective in the predicative is fine.


There are a few reasons why people might think that I’m good is incorrect. The most prominent, the one I’m often given as justification, is that good is an adjective and well an adverb. That’s all well and good, but am is a conjugated form of to be. To be is a linking verb here, which means that it takes a predicative adjective, not an adverb. We say things like I’m hungry, not I’m hungrily. An adjective is what you need here, without question.

colinoscapee wrote:

To be is a linking verb here, which means that it takes a predicative adjective, not an adverb.

Darn, I've forgotten all about linking verbs and intransitive linking verbs!  Even though it has been 55 years since I learned about them, they should've left an imprint on my mind, not left it completely.

Thank you for the reminder, Colin; you're absolutely correct of course.  I guess I have to apology to husband now.

Ciambella wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

To be is a linking verb here, which means that it takes a predicative adjective, not an adverb.

Darn, I've forgotten all about linking verbs and intransitive linking verbs!  Even though it has been 55 years since I learned about them, they should've left an imprint on my mind, not left it completely.

Thank you for the reminder, Colin; you're absolutely correct of course.  I guess I have to apology to husband now.

No, don't do that, never admit defeat,lol. 😀