For example, you may say, “Can you please hand me that book?” Once they hand you the book, say, “Thank you. ” Say “thank you” whenever someone helps you in a small way, such as a person ringing you up at a store or a person taking your order at a restaurant. If someone says “thank you” to you, respond with “you’re welcome” to stay polite.
For example, you can say, “Hi, my name is James. What’s yours?” Different cultures and countries have different manners when it comes to introductions, so make sure you’re familiar with the etiquette where you are. If you’re with another person and you run into somebody you know, be sure to introduce them to one another if they haven’t met before. For example, you may say, “Hi John, this is Melissa. Melissa, this is John. ”
If you and another person start talking at the same time, stop and ask them to continue to show that you care about what they have to say.
For example, you may use the words “dang” or “darn” in place of harsher curse words. You may also find more descriptive adjectives in place of bad words. For example, instead of saying something is “f***ing great,” you may say it was “amazing” instead.
For example, you can approach the person and say, “Would you like any help carrying that?” Sometimes you may not need to ask to help someone. For example, you can hold a door open for someone who’s coming in behind you or you may offer your seat on a bus to someone who needs to sit down.
If you accidentally bump into someone, say something like, “Excuse me, I’m sorry. ”
Don’t make someone else’s success about you. For example, if someone won a game against you, don’t say, “It’s only because I made some bad plays. ” Instead, say something like, “You did a great job. You had a really good strategy. ”
For example, you may write, “Dear Jane, Thank you for the journal you got me for my birthday. I can’t wait to write in it and keep it with me every day. I really appreciate it! Best, John. ”
For example, rather than asking where somebody is from because their face looks different from yours, show your interest in their life and personality by asking about their profession, hobbies or similar things. Rather than complimenting the looks of somebody you do not know well, compliment their choice of clothes.
If you need to respond to a text or take a phone call, excuse yourself from the table first by saying something like, “Excuse me, I need to take this. I’ll be right back. ”
This goes for eating at home or at a restaurant.
Be sure to use the proper silverware for your meal. If you have multiple knives and forks, use the outermost ones first before using the others for additional courses.
Cut your food into smaller pieces so your mouth isn’t too full and so you can chew your food easier.
For example, you may say, “Julia, could you please pass me the butter?” If there’s no room on the table in front of you to put the item down, ask the person if they could put it back for you. For example, you may say, “Can you please set the bowl back down for me? Thank you. ”
If you aren’t able to get the food out of your teeth within a few seconds, excuse yourself from the table so you can go to the bathroom.
For example, you may say, “Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” when you get up from the table.
Try writing out angry or negative posts in a different document rather than on social media sites. That way, you can come back to them later and determine if it’s something you really need to post. Talk directly to people rather than posting an angry or offensive status about them. That way, you can work through the problem privately so you don’t post anything publicly.
Tagged photos usually show up prominently on someone’s social media account, so other people could see the photo and judge the person you tagged for it. Think about if you would want your friend to post a picture of you in a similar situation. If you wouldn’t want the picture of you posted online, then chances are your friend wouldn’t want the photo posted either.
Social media sites like Twitter are more acceptable for posting multiple times throughout the day as opposed to sites like Facebook or Linkedin. Never post personal information like addresses, phone numbers, or passwords online since you could get hacked or scammed.
For example, “PLEASE READ MY NEW POST!” reads much more aggressive than, “Please read my new post!”
Check your social media settings so you can limit who sends you things if you’re worried about receiving unsolicited messages.
