How comfortable are you making small talk with strangers you meet during the day?

A natural way to answer

I'm reasonably comfortable with it. I don't go out of my way to start conversations, but if someone speaks to me, I'm happy to chat briefly. A little friendly exchange can be quite pleasant.

Key phrases to use

• strike up a conversation — to start a conversation, often with someone you don't know“He struck up a conversation with the woman next to him.”
• make small talk — to have a light, polite conversation about unimportant things“I'm terrible at making small talk at parties.”
• breaks the ice — to do or say something that eases initial awkwardness between people“A silly joke broke the ice straight away.”