Ch 9 · Lesson 24English · Chapter 9 · Lesson 24 · Grammar primer

What's up, lol and where the line is

What's up? is a greeting, lol and brb are for messages, and slang is for friends: not for a job email.

The short version

lol, brb and idk are for messages to friends

brb, .

Be right back: someone is at the door. Fine in a message to a friend.

Why?

People type lol (laughing out loud), brb (be right back), idk (I don't know) and btw (by the way) in quick messages to friends. They rarely say them out loud. Never use them in a job email, a form or an essay: write the full words.

What's up?

relaxed speechcareful EnglishWhat do the colours mean?

? is a greeting, like ? It is not a real question about problems. The answer is short:

? , ?
? .

With a worried face, or as What's up with you?, it means What's wrong? Then it is a real question.

Texting: lol, brb, idk, btw

relaxed speechcareful EnglishWhat do the colours mean?

People type these in messages. They rarely say them.

Short	Means	Example
`lol`		`lol.`
`brb`		`brb, .`
`idk`		`idk, Sam.`
`btw`		`btw, ?`

Lol is often weak: people add it just to sound friendly. Haha is closer to a real laugh.

Where the line is

relaxed speechcareful EnglishWhat do the colours mean?

Who are you talking to? That decides the words.

On a lawn, a woman with long hair and a bow, a speech bubble above her, gestures towards three others: a young man of her age waving (a friend); an elderly woman with a white bun, glasses and a walking stick (an older stranger); and a group of three: a man with a moustache, a woman and a little girl.

Who	Slang?	Example
,		`, .`
,		`!`
,		`.`
,		`.`

For the polite side of the line, see greetings.

Common mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
I gonna call you.	I'm gonna call you.	= : .
Do you wanna to go?	Do you wanna go?	Wanna .
I gotta to go.	I gotta go.	Gotta .
I'm gonna to go.	I'm gonna go.	.

Going further: Gonna, wanna, gotta: say them, don't write them and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.

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Lesson 24 of 29 in this chapter

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What do the colours mean?