Подробный разбор диалога знакомства в деловом стиле

Dialog 3 Formal Introductions

Margaret: Mr. Wilson, I’d like you to meet Dr. Edward Smith.

Mr. Wilson: How do you do, Dr. Smith.

Dr.Smith: How do you do

Margaret: Dr. Smith is an economist. He’s just finished writing a book on international trade.

Mr. Wilson: Oh? That’s my field, too. I work for the United Nations.

Dr. Smith: In the development program, by any chance?

Mr. Wilson: Yes. How did you guess?

Dr. Smith: I’ve read your articles on technical assistance. They’re excellent.

Language notes

• Notice the rising intonation on the words Mr. Wilson. A falling intonation on a name used in direct address is unusual in American English and tends to sound brusque and impolite. Listen for the d in I'd. It is important to include the d in this expression in order to differentiate it from I like, which has a different meaning. (I'd like = I would like = I want.)

• How do you do has the form of a question (and is sometimes followed by a question mark), but it is not a question in meaning. It is simply a polite formula used in formal introductions.

• The response to How do you do is simply the same phrase uttered with the same intonation by the other speaker. In fact, lines 2 and 3 are not strictly statement and response but rather statements¬ uttered by the two speakers independently and, possibly, simultaneously.

• He's just finished writing. A useful pattern indicating an action recently completed. (Just is frequently used with the present perfect tense.) You may find it helpful to conduct a drill on this pattern in conjunction with the teaching of the present perfect, using variations of this sentence, such as I've just finished reading., I’ve just finished cleaning., She's just finished correcting., They've just finishing putting., The same pat¬tern, with start or begin, is commonly used for an action recently initiated: He's just started writing., I've just started reading., She's just started correcting., etc. A somewhat simpler form of this pattern (just + present perfect), to indicate an action recently completed, is of even broader usefulness: He's just written…, I've just read., We've just eaten., I've just heard., They've just returned., etc. • Development program. Since these two words constitute a compound noun, the principal stress falls on the first word. I've read. Listen for the /v/ in I've. It is important to include the /v/ in this expression in order to differentiate it from I read, which has a different meaning.