What are you up to?

My goal for this blog is to post a lesson everyday, Monday to Friday. However, some days are so busy that I just can't find the time to type something up.

Yesterday was such a day. Because of technical difficulties trying to link one Website with another, I spent a great deal of time resolving issues instead of being productive.

In any case, you can expect a lesson a day from us. But if we run into another busy day and miss a lesson, which may happen now and then, you can use the opportunity to review past lessons and practice. You can also visit the small guide site to practice your writing.

Today's lesson is a very common and idiomatic way of asking "what are you doing?" The next time you call a friend and want to know what he or she is doing, you can say "what are you up to right now?" Similarly, when you run into someone you haven't seen in a while, you can also say "what are you up to these days?" or "what have you been up to lately?"

like this:

A: Hello.
B: Hey John! What's up?
A: Nothing much. I'm just watching TV. What about you? What are you up to?
B: Well, I'm about to head out to go to a party. Wanna come? (Do you want to come?)
A: I can't. I'm waiting for a phone call.
B: Alright. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. It's at Todd's.
A: Alright thanks. I'll see you tomorrow.
B: Alright. Later. (See you later)

A: Hey Trish!
B: Hi Mindy! Wow. How long has it been?
A: It's been a long time! Let's see, about 5 years or so?
B: So, what have you been up to lately?
A: Well, I started a business about a year ago. It's doing pretty well.
B: That's awesome. You'll have to tell me all about it. Right now, I have to run. I'm late for an appointment.
A: Ok. I'll call you. We'll catch up.
B: Ok, great. I'll talk to you soon.

resolving issues - solving problems
being productive - successfully doing something important
now and then - sometimes, once in a while
run into - meet, experience
what's up? - what's new? what's the latest?
about to - getting ready to
later - "See you later" is often used to say goodbye
We'll catch up - We'll tell each other the latest.

I listed some vocabulary that you may or may not know already. A few of them are quite common. Don't worry if they're difficult, we'll practice some of them in future lessons.

The dialogs above are quite conversational, so practice them with a partner and try to act them out. This helps you become comfortable with the phrases.

Don't forget to visit the small guide site, and check us out on Blogger or Facebook. Be a fan!

Good luck!
the small guide site