In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Hi!
Greeting Conversations:
A: Hi, how are you doing?
B: I’m fine. How about yourself?
A: I’m pretty good. Thanks for asking.
B: No problem. So how have you been?
A: I’ve been great. What about you?
B: I’ve been good. I’m in school right now.
A: What school do you go to?
B: I go to PCC.
A: Do you like it there?
B: It’s okay. It’s a really big campus.
A: Good luck with school.
B: Thank you very much.
A: How’s it going?
B: I’m doing well. How about you?
A: Never better, thanks.
B: So how have you been lately?
A: I’ve actually been pretty good. You?
B: I’m actually in school right now.
A: Which school do you attend?
B: I’m attending PCC right now.
A: Are you enjoying it there?
B: It’s not bad. There are a lot of people there.
A: Good luck with that.
B: Thanks.
A: How are you doing today?
B: I’m doing great. What about you?
A: I’m absolutely lovely, thank you.
B: Everything’s been good with you?
A: I haven’t been better. How about yourself?
B: I started school recently.
A: Where are you going to school?
B: I’m going to PCC.
A: How do you like it so far?
B: I like it so far. My classes are pretty good right now.
A: I wish you luck.
B: Thanks a lot.
Anna: Tom, what’s up?
Tom: Hi Anna. Nothing much. I’m just hanging out. What’s up with you?
Anna: It’s a good day. I’m feeling fine.
Tom: How is your sister?
Anna: Oh, fine. Not much has changed.
Tom: Well, I have to go. Nice seeing you!
Anna: Later!
Maria: Oh, hello Chris. How are you doing?
Chris: I’m well. Thanks for asking. How are you?
Maria: I can’t complain. Life is treating me well.
Chris: That’s good to hear.
Maria: Good to see you again. I need to go to my doctor’s appointment.
Chris: Nice seeing you.
Maria: See you later.
John: Good morning.
Alan: Good morning. How are you?
John: I’m very well, thank you. And you?
Alan: I’m fine. Thank you for asking.
John: Do you have a meeting this morning?
Alan: Yes, I do. Do you have a meeting as well?
John: Yes. Well. It was a pleasure seeing you.
Alan: Goodbye.
You may have a strict definition of “formal” and “informal”, but her are my impressions, with some text highlighted.
Rather informal
A: Hi, how are you doing?
B: I’m fine. How about yourself?
A: I’m pretty good. Thanks for asking.
B: No problem. So how have you been?
A: I’ve been great. What about you?
B: I’ve been good. I’m in school right now.
A: What school do you go to?
B: I go to PCC.
A: Do you like it there?
B: It’s okay. It’s a really big campus.
A: Good luck with school.
B: Thank you very much.
Very informal
A: How’s it going?
B: I’m doing well. How about you?
A: Never better, thanks.
B: So how have you been lately?
A: I’ve actually been pretty good. You?
B: I’m actually in school right now.
A: Which school do you attend?
B: I’m attending PCC right now.
A: Are you enjoying it there?
B: It’s not bad. There are a lot of people there.
A: Good luck with that.
B: Thanks.
Rather formal
A: How are you doing today?
B: I’m doing great. What about you?
A: I’m absolutely lovely, thank you.
B: Everything’s been good with you?
A: I haven’t been better. How about yourself?
B: I started school recently.
A: Where are you going to school?
B: I’m going to PCC.
A: How do you like it so far?
B: I like it so far. My classes are pretty good right now.
A: I wish you luck.
B: Thanks a lot.
Very informal
Anna: Tom, what’s up?
Tom: Hi Anna. Nothing much. I’m just hanging out. What’s up with you?
Anna: It’s a good day. I’m feeling fine.
Tom: How is your sister?
Anna: Oh, fine. Not much has changed.
Tom: Well, I have to go. Nice seeing you!
Anna: Later!
Extremely informal
A bit formal overall using complete sentences but with some less formal Maria: Oh, hello Chris. How are you doing?
Chris: I’m well. Thanks for asking. How are you?
Maria: I can’t complain. Life is treating me well.
Chris: That’s good to hear.
Maria: Good to see you again. I need to go to my doctor’s appointment.
Chris: Nice seeing you.
Maria: See you later.
Stiffly formal
John: Good morning.
Alan: Good morning. How are you?
John: I’m very well, thank you. And you?
Alan: I’m fine. Thank you for asking.
John: Do you have a meeting this morning?
Alan: Yes, I do. Do you have a meeting as well?
John: Yes. Well. It was a pleasure seeing you.
Alan: Goodbye.
This one sounds like the TV character Eddie Haskell.
“[Eddie] is so polite, it’s almost un-American.”
In the US, everything has become more casual than it was in the past. In the past there were a lot more social norms when it came to personal interactions. What was the norm in the past would be called stuffy today.
“How are you?” is OK for almost any occasion from meeting someone for the first time, to job interviews, business meetings, etc.
“How ya doin’ ?” is also OK in most occasions. This may be regional, but I suspect it’s OK anywhere in the US, even for something like a job interview.
“How are you?” or “How ya doin’ ?” are too formal if you are meeting your best friend. You are more likely to say “What’s up?”, “Hey”, or no greeting at all.
A good example of how things have become more causal is the lack of titles. In the past, titles like Mr., Mrs., Miss were far more common, and even expected in many situations.
In the past, we sometimes said that two people were on “first name basis”. This meant that they knew each other well enough to use first names rather than titles.
When I grew up, I would NEVER address an adult by their first name. There was no circumstance that I would do that no matter how well I knew them. Today, it’s pretty normal for kids to address adults by their first names (with some exceptions).
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
