USEFUL English phrases for daily conversation | Phrases for invitations

Hi there, this is Harry and welcome back  to advanced English lessons with Harry,  

where I try to help you to get a better  understanding of the English language. If  

you're preparing for that all-important job  interview, or if you're preparing for those  

proficiency exams, you're not quite sure about  how to say something, how to write something,  

the grammar structure. Well, you've come  to the right place. We can help you with  

all of those. Improve your vocabulary,  introduce some key expressions and phrases.

And then our particular lesson today,  our advanced English lesson today,  

we're looking at ways in which you can  deal with an invitation. So great ways in  

which you can respond to an invitation. So  we're going to look at positive responses,  

negative responses, and of course,  some neutral responses as well.

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Okay, so let's get back to our lesson  today. It's all about invitations.  

How do we accept an invitation? And how  do we refuse an invitation? Or indeed,  

if we're not quite sure? How do we sort of strike  a neutral balance before you say yes or no. We've  

all been in that situation before. You get two  invitations, if you're lucky. Two invitations  

for a party. Who do you accept? And who do you  reject? Or you get an invitation somewhere,  

and you don't really want to go either because  you don't know the people so well, or you just  

can't be bothered. And so you need a way, a nice  way in which you can turn down that particular  

invitation. So these are all very helpful. Yeah.  How to accept and how to decline invitations.

Okay, so let's go through them, I broken them  down into a few categories. First one will focus  

on the positive. So you want to find different  ways in which you can give a positive response.

So the first one might be, Great, I'll see  you there. So that could be just a nice,  

friendly invitation from your friend to his  birthday party. It's nothing special. It's  

not a 30th, or 40th, or 50th. You just get a  an invitation, either by mobile phone, by text,  

by email, whatever it is, and how you're going  to say it such as Thank you. Ah, that's great,  

I'll see you there. Meaning Yeah, that's the  date. It's in my diary. And I'll be there in  

the pub, in the restaurant, at your home,  wherever the party is going to take place.

Second. Oh, I'm looking forward to it.  So there's a nice positive way to give  

somebody a positive response. Yeah, I'd like  to invite you to my birthday party or we're  

having a bit of a gathering of the family and  friends and we'd love it if you could come. Ah,  

great. I'm looking forward to it already.  Yeah, I'll be there. Put it in my diary.  

I wouldn't miss it for the world. Yeah.  Okay. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Next, when you're really, really positive,  and this is all about intonation in your  

voice, Oh, I can't wait. It will be great to catch  up with all the old friends again. So perhaps one  

of your college mates is organising a reunion.  They're great fun. So the they haven't seen each  

other for four or five years since everybody  left college. So this is the opportunity for  

everybody to come together. They're meeting  in the centre of town somewhere or somebody's  

booked a room above a restaurant or a bar, but  all the guys and girls are going to be there.  

So different people have been asked to contact  the people they knew best. So you get the call  

or the text or the email and your response  is, Wow, I can't wait. I was really looking  

forward to that. It's been ages since I  caught up with everybody. I cannot wait.

Now, if you're really happy and you want something  very informal, we can use this word "chuffed."  

See how it's spelt on the screen there and the  pronunciation ch-, chuffed. When I'm chuffed,  

it means I'm really happy and perhaps a little bit  surprised that you invited me. Oh, perhaps you got  

an invitation from your friend to be the godfather  or godmother of the new baby. So when you say I'm  

chuffed means you're really really excited. In  fact, you're honoured to have been selected.  

Wow. They picked me, they selected me to be the  godmother or the godfather. Or the best man. Or  

a bridesmaid. Wow, I'm chuffed. I'm really, really  chuffed. And, yeah, that's really really makes me  

feel good. Chuffed. So it's very, very informal,  but it's a nice way to accept that invitation.

Or something a little bit more formal.  Yeah. And so you know, it's not so excitable  

there. So you might just say something like, Oh,  it's great to be included. So you get invited to  

the reunion or you get invited to the birthday  party, the Christmas party, whatever the the party  

happens to be, yeah... And you want to be there,  but you're not overly excited about it, but it's  

nice to be asked. So yeah, great to be included.  I'll be there. It's great to be included.

And then again, another slightly  informal way to reply positively. Yeah,  

count me in. So it could be just a simple  game of football with the guys. It could  

be to go on a pub crawl. It could be good to  go on a hike. It could be to do many, many,  

many things. And your reply is, Yeah, count me  in. Meaning, yeah, I'll be there. Count me in.

And again, a little bit more informal as  well. Yeah, I'm up for that. And when I'm  

up for something, means you want to do it. You're  going to be there. You won't be the first there.  

Maybe you will. But you're really up. I'm up  for that meaning. Yeah, I want to take part.

Okay. So nice, positive ways in which you can  respond to invitations. I'll give them to you  

one more time. Great. I'll see you there. Great.  I'll see you there. I'm looking forward to it. I'm  

looking forward to it. I can't wait. I can't  wait. I'm chuffed and chuffed. Great to be  

included. Great to be included. Count me in. And  then finally, I'm up for that. I'm up for that.

Okay. Now, when you want to say no. And we've all  been in that situation, we get the invitation and  

you open it. Oh, hmm... I wish they hadn't asked  me, I don't really want to go. I don't really like  

those people or I'm not so friendly with them. Or  I haven't seen them for ages, I'll feel a little  

bit awkward. So I need an excuse. So how am I  going to tell them I don't want to go without  

hurting anybody's feeling? And that's usually  how we feel. We want to say no, we want to turn  

down the invitation, refuse the invitation. But we  want to do it in a way that nobody will be overly  

upset and say, Oh, that guy. He never comes to  anything. Okay, so let's try a few of these.

I'd love to go, but... Okay, so you  get the invitation for the reunion,  

I'd love to go but I have to go away on a  business trip. I'm really busy these days,  

perhaps next time. So you let them down gently.  You refuse, but you've got a reason for refusing  

because there's a business trip, or there's  a family reunion, or a family get-together,  

or some special anniversary. I'd love to go,  but I promised my wife that I take away for  

a weekend. And we haven't been away for such a  long time. So again, a good reason and a good  

excuse for turning down the invitation.  And nobody is going to get upset we hope.

Another one. I'm sorry, I can't make it. I'd love  to go, but, you know, it just doesn't suit. I'm  

really really busy. We're getting ready for new  baby arriving or I've just changed my job or,  

you know, I'm training the football...  local football team. So these things take  

a bit of time. So I'm sorry, I can't make  it. But thanks for the invitation anyway.

Another one, I hate to say no, but... So  this just gets people to expect to know  

I hate to say no, but I'm afraid I have  to on this occasion, because it clashes  

with another event. And the word "clash"  means two events are at the same time,  

or more or less the same time. And it's just  not going to be possible for you to get back  

from one to attend the other. So I hate to say  no, but I'm afraid I have to on this occasion,  

perhaps the next time or keep me in mind for  the next time. Okay, so I hate to say no, but...

Or we can say I'd hate to miss this reunion, but  I'm afraid I'm going to have to. I'd hate to miss.  

It has been such a long time since the guys got  together. Remember, all the good times we had. And  

we always promised that we get together again. But  you know the way life is? Everything gets on top.  

Family work, whatever it might be. So I'd hate  to miss it, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to.

So nice ways, nice polite ways, which is really  important as how you can say no. So I'd love to  

go but... I'm sorry, I can't make it because...  I hate to say no, but I'm afraid I'm going to  

have to in this occasion. I'd hate to miss it,  but, you know, what can I do? Okay, so these are  

different ways in which you can say no. Now, of  course you can just simply say, No thanks. Yeah,  

or I don't want to. Or it's not for me, I'm not  a party guy. You know, so you can use those sorts  

of excuses. But people get a little browned  off, annoyed when somebody constantly says no,  

no thanks because they feel you've lost interest.  So you just have to be sometimes a little careful  

with people's feelings and use expressions  that won't offend or won't upset anybody.

Okay, now, the neutral responses. This is where  you're neither saying yes or no, but you're just  

sort of getting people ready for the fact that  there might be or you might have to refuse because  

there is a clash of dates or something. So if we  want to be neutral, we can use expressions like,  

I'll do my best, but I can't promise, okay.  Or I'll do my best, but I can't make promises,  

or I don't want to make promises that I cannot  keep. So when we say, I'll do my best that means,  

yeah, look, I'll try a see, can I clear my  diary and see if I can move things around a bit,  

whatever you have to do. So I'll do my best  to be there, but I can't make any promises,  

or I can't promise that I will.  And perhaps you will let them know,  

a few days before or week before, either  yes, you're going to go or perhaps no,  

not this particular time. Okay. So I will  do my best, but I can't make any promises.

Or you might just ask somebody. When is that  again? So you want some clarification because  

you're really, really trying to find out can you  actually make it. Or you're really trying hoping  

that the date will clash with another date,  so you will have a genuine excuse for saying  

no. So when is it again? What date is it again?  So you're asking particular dates just for some  

clarification that gives you time to think gives  you time to organise an excuse if you need one,  

perhaps. And those words... polite, When  is it again? What date is it again, okay.

Or if somebody your friends are organising  a get-together football game, that hiking  

that weekend trip away, whatever it might  be, or even if it's just a simple dinner  

for six or eight guys who used to work  together used to play football together,  

whatever it is. You might ask the question, does  it have to be that particular day because I'm not  

really free around then it could have be the next  week or couple of days later or a couple of days  

earlier? So you're trying to find to see, is  there a possibility that they can reorganise  

it because yeah, probably you'd enjoy it if you  went there. So you're just looking for excuses,  

or reasons and options where you can possibly  change the date. So you could say something like,  

does it have to be that day, because  I'm not free then and I'm going to be  

away for a few days. But if it was the  next week, yep, you can count me in.

And then finally, if one of these sorts of hold  or type of situations, I'll see what I can do,  

leave it with me. So yeah, I've got  the invitation, got the invite. Here,  

I've got the details, I really would like  to go. So leave it with me. And I'll come  

back to you in a couple of days and let you  know whether I can or can't. Now that might  

be your perfect opportunity to go home and  ask your partner. Do you mind if I go away  

for this weekend? Do you mind if I go to this  dinner? Do you mind ever go here because he or  

she may not like the fact that you're going to go  without them. So you need just to test the water  

and see what the attitude at home will be. So a  good way to sort of make a neutral response is,  

I'll see what I can do. Again, not making  any promises, but I'll see what I can do.

Okay, so there's some neutral ways in  which you can respond or reply to that  

all-important invitation. I'll do my  best, but I can't make any promises.  

When is it again? Does it have to be that day?  I'll see what I can do, I'll see what I can do.

Okay, so good ways for you to respond positively,  negatively or in a neutral fashion. When you get  

those invitations for the wedding, for  the birthday, for the football match,  

for the office or school reunion, whatever  it might be, the ways in which you can reply,  

okay. And as I always tell you, the best way to  use them is to practice them. If you need any  

more details, any more help, than just contact  me at www.englishlessonviaskype.com I'll give  

you some more examples, more situations when you  can use them. Okay, Harry saying goodbye. Thanks  

for watching. Thanks for listening. As always,  don't forget to join me for the next lesson.