Lesson 5 of 6
Making Plans and Invitations
Invite people, accept, decline politely and suggest alternatives.
Making plans is one of the most common things people do in English. Americans tend to be indirect when declining. A flat "No" sounds harsh, so they use softening phrases and suggest another time. This lesson gives you the full toolkit.
LearnThe key ideas
Inviting
| Casual | More formal |
|---|---|
| Wanna grab lunch? | Would you like to join us for lunch? |
| Are you free Friday? | Are you available on Friday? |
| We're having people over Saturday, you should come! | We'd love for you to come to dinner on Saturday. |
Accepting and declining
Accept with energy: "Sounds great!", "I'd love to!", "I'm in!", "Count me in."
Decline softly with three parts: thanks, a reason and an alternative. "Aw, thanks for asking! I've got a family thing that night. Can we do next week instead?"
ListenListen and repeat
- Are you free this Saturday?Checking availability first.
- Sounds great, count me in!Enthusiastic yes.
- I wish I could, but I'm swamped this week.Soft no.
- Can I take a rain check?Can we do it another time?
AvoidCommon mistakes
SpeakShadowing practice
Press Listen, then repeat straight away, copying the speed, rhythm and tone. Say each sentence three times, then record yourself.
- Hey, a few of us are getting dinner Friday. Wanna come?
- Aw, I'd love to, but I already have plans. Rain check?
- Totally, let's do next weekend then.
CheckQuick quiz
1. "Can I take a rain check?" means:
2. Best way to decline:
3. "Count me in" means:
PracticeToday's speaking task
Role-play inviting a friend to a movie. Record both an enthusiastic yes and a polite no with an alternative.