MẪU CÂU TIẾNG ANH VỀ EXPRESSING CONCERN, SYMPATHY, AND CONDOLENCES

One of the most difficult social situations – for both native and non-native English
speakers – is knowing what to say when someone tells you a piece of bad news. In
today’s lesson, you’ll learn phrases for handling these conversations with sensitivity.

 Conversation #1 – Bad News 
 

Conversation Vocabulary & Phrases

If you can see that somebody is sad or upset, you can use one of these phrases to express your concern and ask for more information:

•  “What’s the matter?”
•  “Are you all right?”
•  “Is everything OK?”
•  “You look a bit down” / “You look kind of upset.”

If the other person gives one of these responses:

•  “I’m all right.”
•  “Don’t ask.”
•  “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

...this means you shouldn’t ask any more questions! However, in the conversation above, Peter does talk about various problems – too much work, too little money, a broken-down car, and a fight with his girlfriend. Here are some phrases to use for responding to these types of bad news:

•  “I’m sorry to hear that.”
•  “That must be... exhausting / stressful / difficult.”
•  “That’s awful! / terrible!”

                Use “that’s...” or “that must be...” for current situations, and “that must have been...” for situations or events in the past.

•  “Oh no...”
•  “Wow...”
•  “I hope things get better soon.”

You can also offer your help and/or emotional support:

•  “Is there anything I can do to help?”
•  “If you need anything, I’m here for you.”
•  “Anytime you need to talk, just give me a call.”

                This expression is usually used when someone is going through a more serious difficult period in life, or a difficult situation that is ongoing.

If you’re the one who is sad, you can use these phrases to thank the other person for
their concern:

•   “Thanks for listening / asking.”
•   “Thanks for your support.”
•   “I appreciate your friendship.”

  Conversation #2 – Serious Bad News 
 

Conversation Vocabulary & Phrases
John says several things which are typically used in reacting to news of a death:

• “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

•  “I’m sure he will be greatly missed.”
•  “It’s not easy to lose someone you love.”
•  “It must be a really hard time for you (and your family).”
•  “You / Your family will be in my thoughts.”

                 If you are religious, you can say “in my prayers.”

There are a few things NOT to say, because they are considered rude or insensitive in English:

•  “How did he die?”

                     The person might share this detail if they want to – but don’t ask about it specifically.

•  “I know how you feel. My grandmother died last year.”

                     Although you might be able to understand their feelings, it’s considered insensitive to change the focus of the conversation to YOUR experience.

•  “He’s in a better place.”

                    Not everybody shares the same religious beliefs, so it’s best not to comment on what happens after a person dies.

If you knew the person who died, it’s nice to share one of your good memories about that person:

•  “I’ll never forget when he/she...”
•  “One of my fondest memories of him/her is when...”
•  “I remember him/her as... (a very generous/loving/etc. person)”

Sometimes you might not have a conversation with a person who has had a death in the family, but you can write them a letter, card, or e-mail expressing your condolences. Here are some additional phrases to use in writing:

•  Please accept my deepest condolences.
•  I was deeply saddened to hear of your loss.
•  Someone so special will never be forgotten.
•  My thoughts are with you (and your family) in this time of sorrow.
•  I wish you peace and courage in this difficult time.

I hope this lesson has helped you become more confident in your ability to say the right thing when responding to bad news! Now take the quiz to practice the phrases you learned today.

Quiz – Lesson 28
1) What's the __________?
A. issue
B. matter
C. problem
2) Are you _______?
A. all right
B. fine
C. well
3) I'm so sorry to ________ that
A. hear
B. know
C. listen
4) That _____ be difficult.
A. can
B. must
C. should
5) That's _______!
A. awesome
B. awful
C. awkward
6) Thanks for your _________.

A. care
B. honesty
C. support
7) I'm so sorry for your _______.
A. death
B. grief
C. loss
8) I'm sure he will be greatly ________.
A. lost
B. missed
C. remembered
9) It must be a really ________ for you.
A. bad luck
B. hard time
C. sad period
10) One of my fondest _________ of him is when he took me to a baseball game.
A. emotions
B. memories
C. reminders
11) I was _______ saddened to hear about your mother's passing.
A. deeply
B. hardly
C. mostly
12) My _________ are with you in this time of sorrow.
A. ideas
B. memories
C. thoughts

Lesson 28 Quiz – Answers
1.B 2.A 3.A 4.B 5.B 6.C

7.C 8.B 9.B 10.B 11.A 12.C

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