Talking with others about certain issues can be challenging for you or the other person. You may leave such conversations feeling awkward or worse, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Social interaction and language researcher Elizabeth Stokoe, along with colleagues, looked into what we should say and how when talking with others. They have some tips to ensure that your conversations don’t go off the rails.
Do use: some (instead of any)
“Anything else I can do for you?†Sounds like a perfectly reasonable question, doesn’t it? But John Heritage and Jeffrey Robinson, conversation analysts at the University of California, Los Angeles, looked at how doctors use the words “any†and “some†in their final interactions with patients. They found that “Is there something else I can do for you today?†elicited a better response than “Is there anything else?â€â€œAny†tends to meet with negative responses. Think about meetings you’ve been in – what’s the usual response to “Any questions?†A barrage of engaging ideas or awkward silence? It’s too open-ended; too many possibilities abound. Of course, if you don’t want people to ask you anything, then stick to “Any questions?â€
What to say Try not to use “any†if you genuinely want feedback or to open up debate. “What do you think about X?†might be a more specific way of encouraging someone to talk.
