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Guess what? This is your lucky day. In this English tip Gabby explains how to handle a conversation when somebody says, \u201cGuess what?\u201d This is one of those English sayings that can be either an exclamation or a question.

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When you hear \u201cGuess what?\u201d what is your first thought? Do you wonder what you\u2019re supposed to say because you really have no idea what the context is, and so your answers could be many and varied. Some people might just throw out random answers like \u201c42\u201d or \u201cthe sky is falling.\u201d Of course, the person saying \u201cGuess what\u201d is eager for you to respond with \u201cWhat?\u201d because they can\u2019t wait to tell you the news they have. Often the conversation goes something like \u201cGuess what?\u201d \u201cWhat?\u201d I passed the driving test and got my license.\u201d

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English tips like this will help you to understand native English speakers when they use phrases that should not be taken literally. When people say \u201cGuess what?\u201d they are not really expecting you to guess anything \u2013 just to ask \u201cwhat?\u201d Be sure to visit gonaturalenglish.com and Go Natural English on YouTube for more helpful tips, advice and support for your English learning experience.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mgHiS_KLPE

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Episode transcript below:

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Hey guys! What\u2019s up?

How\u2019s it going?

Guess what!

Today we\u2019re going to talk about how to respond to \u201cGuess what\u201d!

Don\u2019t worry if you didn\u2019t know what to say then \u2013 we\u2019re going to answer that question.

We\u2019re going to answer how to answer that question, actually.

So, when someone says, \u201cGuess what!\u201d what are they trying to tell you?

They\u2019re trying to get your attention.

They\u2019re trying to make you feel excited.

So, if your English-speaking friend says, \u201cGuess what!\u201d how do you respond?

Well, you need to respond by saying, \u201cWhat?\u201d

And use that kind of intonation, that stress \u2013 \u201cWhat?\u201d like you\u2019re actually interested and you want to hear what they have to say.

Otherwise, if you say, \u201cwhat, \u201cwhat\u201d \u2013 it sounds like you\u2019re not interested.

So, put some oomph, some feeling into it. Let\u2019s say it \u2013 \u201cWhat?\u201d

Okay, great. So, next time someone asks you, \u201cGuess what!\u201d say \u201cwhat?\u201d and then wait for them to tell you what they want to tell you so badly.

I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be interesting.

This is a very common expression and you\u2019re not going to see it in a traditional textbook or in a normal English class.

This is the kind of tip that I love to share on the Go Natural English channel on YouTube, and on the podcasts, and iTunes, and on Stitcher, and also through the premium course at gonaturalenglish.com.

So, if you want to learn more about how to be like a native English speaker, come visit me.

I\u2019d love to give you a free eBook and to show you all about the premium course.

Alright, thanks so much and I\u2019ll talk to you soon.

Bye for now.

The post Learn English like a Native \u2013 How to respond to \u201cGuess what?\u201d appeared first on Go Natural English.