Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Hey guys, great to have you with me. Today I'm going to give you three super useful tips

  • on how to refuse an invitation politely.

  • So imagine your friend or your workmate has invited you to dinner tonight. They said 'Hey,

  • would you like to go to dinner tonight?' The problem is that you don't really feel like

  • it. Maybe you feel tired or you just want some time to yourself. I mean that's normal,

  • right? How do you say no to them without hurting their feelings, without upsetting them? Let's

  • have a look at three great tips on how to refuse an invitation politely.

  • I'd like you to meet Ben and Katie. Ben invites Katie out by saying 'Do you fancy going out

  • tonight?' but hold on. Katie needs to think. You see, the problem is Ben's idea of a good

  • night looks like this. But Katie's tired and wants some time to herself so her idea of

  • a good night looks like this. So how can Katie say no to Ben's invitation politely? There

  • are three things she should do. Firstly it's really important to thank the person for their

  • invitation. Secondly use a phrase that refuses the invitation politely. And finally give

  • a reason. Let's have a look at some examples. Katie could say 'Thanks so much but I'm afraid

  • I've got plans tonight.' She starts by saying thanks, then refuses politely before giving

  • a reason. Let's look at another example. 'That's very kind of you but unfortunately I'm busy

  • tonight.' Again she says thanks, uses a refusing phrase and gives a reason. Ok, let's go back

  • and see what she says to Ben. So Ben says 'Do you fancy going out tonight?' and Katie

  • replies 'Thanks Ben but I'm afraid I've got something on.' Which means that she's busy.

  • And Ben says 'Ok, no worries.'

  • Now that we've learned three ways to refuse an invitation politely, it's time to practise.

  • Below this video is a link to a free e-book with all the information that we've looked

  • at today plus a very special practice exercise. Click the link below to download it. Then

  • I'd like you to share this video and the free e-book with a friend or a partner or family

  • member and together do the practice exercise at the end. Why am I asking you to do this?

  • If you have a learning partner, you'll have someone to practise with firstly. You'll have

  • someone to help you if you make mistakes, if you don't understand something. You'll

  • have someone to keep you motivated and most importantly it'll be more fun. Let's be honest.

  • learning with someone is more fun and you can laugh together about your mistakes and

  • you have fun with the language and you'll be with someone on your learning journey which

  • I think is really important. Alright guys, thank you so much for joining me today, I've

  • really enjoyed it I hope you have too. Please remember to subscribe to our channel, join

  • us on Facebook, join us on Instagram. And together let's take your English to the next

  • level. Alright until next time, this is Tom from Eat Sleep Dream English saying goodbye.

Hey guys, great to have you with me. Today I'm going to give you three super useful tips

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it