Question

Identify the correct dialogue:

Jim: Are you going to the party tonight?
Tom: No, I don’t think so. I am not feeling too well.
Jim: Oh, ______________.

a) I was sorry to hear you were sick.
b) I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you get well soon.
c) I am truly sorry to receive news of your ill health.
d) get well you.

Answer 1

Hint: The two speakers do not seem very close by the given dialogues, however, they are not too formal either. So, we need to find a courteous dialogue that is not too formal, nor too comfortable.

Complete answer:
For dialogue writing, there are very specific sentence formations that tell us the comfort level between the two speakers. In the given sentences, it is apparent that the two speakers know each other in some capacity. However, the second reply by Tom is not exactly the reply of a friend who is very comfortable with the other speaker. So, we can deduce that the two speakers are acquaintances, but not very good friends and not strangers.

Now, we know the situation better. Let’s look at the given options:

a) I was sorry to hear you were sick. - This option is in the past tense. It suggests that Tom was ill in the past. However, in the given dialogue, all sentences are in the present tense. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you get well soon. - This option is in the present tense. It is congruent with the rest of the dialogue. It suggests the correct level of comfort. This is the required answer. So, the correct answer is “Option b”.
c) I am truly sorry to receive news of your ill health. - This option is in very formal language. This suggests that the speakers do not know each other at all. Two acquaintances do not talk like this. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) get well you. - This option is very informal dialogue. This kind of language is only appropriate to be spoken with friends. However, this dialogue does not fit into the given question. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Try to guess the context in which they are talking and then, understand the situation in the dialogue. Then, choose the option that best fits the given blank, from the available choices.