In Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary I found that the phrase "I say" used to attract someone's attention is considered to be old-fashioned. So what phrases are used instead of "I say" today to attract someone's attention (in informal and formal speech)? Is "Listen" all right as an informal way of addressing a person you know well?
E.g. Listen (I say - old-fashioned?), Jane, why don't we meet up at the weekend?
If I were a native speaker of English, I would never shut up. :-)
"Listen" would be considered rude, unless, for example, you were having difficulty getting the attention of a student. A more appropriate expression would be to "attract attention" could be "Excuse me, ........"Originally Posted by englishhobby
or "May I say........". I'm sure there are others that don't occur to me at the moment.
"Hey" can work, but the tone of voice has to be right. It can sound agressive or it can sound just fine.
Hey, I have an idea - let's...
I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.
So, "I say" is really not used nowadays?
If I were a native speaker of English, I would never shut up. :-)
It is not.
I disagree with Billmcd on a small technicality. I agree that an initial "listen" would sound rude if spoken forthrightly. But there are people who habitually use an initial "listen" not to attract someone's attention, but as a kind of connective particle. In this usage it is always spoken quickly and softly, and I believe it connotes a friendly attitude on the part of the speaker. Englishhobby's example is right on point, and to take a similar one:
She gives some indication that she might be willing to get to know him better, and he says "Listen would you like to go out for dinner with me tonight?"
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