Check out our vocabulary page on special situations, and read these phrases!
Happy situations
We say “Congratulations” when people get married or engaged, or when they achieve difficult things like passing an exam.
When you say why you’re congratulating the person, use the preposition “on”: “Congratulations on passing your driving test!”
We say “Happy” before the name of the event:
“Happy Birthday!”, “Happy Christmas!”, “Happy Anniversary!”
(The reply is usually “thank you”.)
You can also say “I’m really happy for you” (or “pleased” / “delighted”) if someone achieves something, like a promotion; or if they tell you that they’re getting married.
Difficult situations
You can wish someone “Good luck” before a difficult situation like an exam or job interview.
Sad situations
You can say “I was really sorry to hear about…” (the sad situation / name of person).
“Please accept my condolences” is a phrase we can use when someone dies.
Special Situations
Choose the correct answer.