Accept and refuse invitations

Listen to the expressions and conversations.

Accept invitations
Refuse invitations
Listen
Listen
A: Would you like to have dinner with me on
A: Would you like to have lunch on Friday?
Friday?
B: Thanks for asking, but Im afraid Im busy.
B: Thats very kind of you, thanks.
B: Sorry. Im afraid I have to work until late.
B: Great idea! Thanks.
B: Sorry but Im very busy that day.
B: That sounds lovely.
B: I would like to, but I have to attend a meeting
B: That sounds great, thanks.
that day.
B: I would love to, thanks.
B: Thank you, but I cant. I already have an
appointment that day
Accepting and refusing politely may depend on what you are asked.
For example:
Would you like some cake?
Yes, please.
Sure. Thanks
Okay. Thank you

No, thank you

I'd better not. Thanks anyway.
No, but thanks for offering

Would you like to go see a movie?

Okay. Sounds good.
No, I'd rather not.
Sure, I'd love to.
I'm sorry, but I can't.
Yeah. Good idea
No, but thanks for inviting me.
How about some more pie?
All right. Thanks
No, thanks
Looks good. Thanks
I'm really full, Thanks anyway.
Don't mind if I do.
Looks delicious, but I'll have to pass.
How about going skiing this weekend?
Great. What time?
Sorry. I'm busy this weekend.
Sounds like fun.
I don't think I can.
All right. When and where?
How about some other time?

Meeting singles
When meeting other singles, people often make invitations for dates or other activities? What expressions
can you think of for accepting, expressing reservation, or refusing invitations? What excuses can you think
of if you really did not want to go out with someone?
HELPFUL TIP: Honesty is very important in a relationship. If you don't want to go out with someone again,
tell the person the truth and that you're not really interested in pursuing the relationship. This will save you
from uncomfortable situations later on.
1. Listening Exercises
Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.
1. Where did Doug and Diane first meet?
a. She can't go out because she has to
a. at school
study.
b. at a restaurant
b. She is sorry, but she has another date.
c. at a party
c. She has to work that day, so she can't
2. How did he know where she lived?
go.
a. He asked a friend for directions.
5. How does Diane feel about Doug's idea for
b. He followed her home.
Friday?
c. He looked her up in the phone book.
a. She thinks if would be a great idea if
3. Where does Doug invite her to go with him on
she had the time.
Thursday?
b. She feels that it would be uninteresting
a. to a restaurant
outing.
b. to a theater
c. She has done the activity before, so
c. to a dance
she'd rather not go.
4. What is Diane's response to his invitation on
Thursday?
Key Vocabulary
whip something up (verb): prepare quickly
Let's whip something up for tonight's party. A few games and some snacks should be fine.
lineman (noun): a player in the front line of a team
One of the lineman from their team is very big, but quick, on the field.
Completition test
Doug: Uh, hi there Diane. Nah, okay. Uh . . . Hi,
what's (1)____________________, Di? Okay, here we
go. . .
[doorbell ringing ]
Diane: Uh, hi. It's David, right?
Doug: No, Doug. Remember? We met at Gary's
party last (2)____________________, night.
Diane: Oh, yeah. Now I remember. You were
standing all alone . . . uh, oh, I . . . I mean . . . I
mean, you . . . you know. We started (3)
___________________ about school and stuff. [Yeah,
yeah.]. Uh, how did you know I lived here?
Doug: Well, I just live around the corner, and I
asked Gary if he knew how I could (4)
___________________ you, and . . .
Diane: And?
Doug: Well, I was just wondering if you'd like to
go out this Thursday night. [Oh.]. Well, there's
this real great movie playing (5)
___________________ at the theater, [Uh . . .] and I
thought . . . Well . . . well, we can't use my car
'cause I was in an accident with this wild man
driving this BMW, so I've already checked the bus
schedule, and . . .
Diane: Uh-hem [Well], Well, David [No Doug!
Remember?] Oh yeah. Doug. I'm sorry, but I have
to (6) ___________________ that evening.
Doug: Oh really? Well, I thought you said before
that you quit your job.

Diane: Well, I did, but I found a new one.

Doug: Uh, well, how about this Friday night? We
could have (7) ___________________ and then see
that movie.
Diane: A movie? How boring!
Doug: Well, well, uh, well. A movie? Yeah, for . . .
forget a movie.
Diane: Anyway, I'm (8) ___________________ I have
to cook dinner for my family, and . . .
Doug: Hey, I love to cook. We could whip
something up together! I mean, it would be great!
Diane: I don't think that's a good idea. It's just a
family (9) ___________________ and . . .
Doug: Well, hey, are you free this Saturday
night? I have two tickets to the football game,
and I thought . . .
Diane: Sure. I'd love to go. [Okay!] I've wanted to
see a game all year. [Yeah!] My roommate will be
so surprised when she finds out I have a ticket for
her, and . . .
Doug: Well, but . . .
Diane: Oh [car screeching . . . ] . . . and here's
my brother! He's a defensive lineman on the
team.
Doug: Well, he doesn't look too happy.
Diane: Ah, he's a teddy bear, but hasn't been the
same since someone ran into his BMW.
Doug: Oh. Let me guess. Red, right?

Diane: Right. [Oh] And, it's just that he's a

little (10) ___________________ of me since I am his
baby sister.

Doug: Hey, well, it's been really nice talking to

you, but I have to run. Hey. Here are the tickets.
Have a great time and, by the way, can I go out
your back door?

3. Post-Listening Exercises
Rewrite the conversation and make Diane's responses more positive. Then practice with a partner. Have
you ever had a similar experience, either like Doug or Diane? How did you feel and what did you do?
Listen to the conversation again as you read the Quiz
Script.
Doug: Uh, hi there Diane. Nah, okay. Uh . . . Hi, what's
up, Di? Okay, here we go. . .
[doorbell ringing ]
Diane: Uh, hi. It's David, right?
Doug: No, Doug. Remember? We met at Gary's party
last Friday night.
Diane: Oh, yeah. Now I remember. You were standing
all alone . . . uh, oh, I . . . I mean . . . I mean, you . . .
you know. We started talking about school and stuff.
[Yeah, yeah.]. Uh, how did you know I lived here?
Doug: Well, I just live around the corner, and I asked
Gary if he knew how I could contact you, and . . .
Diane: And?
Doug: Well, I was just wondering if you'd like to go out
this Thursday night. [Oh.]. Well, there's this real great
movie playing downtown at the theater, [Uh . . .] and I
thought . . . Well . . . well, we can't use my car 'cause I
was in an accident with this wild man driving this BMW,
so I've already checked the bus schedule, and . . .
Diane: Uh-hem [Well], Well, David [No Doug!
Remember?] Oh yeah. Doug. I'm sorry, but I have to
work that evening.
Doug: Oh really? Well, I thought you said before that
you quit your job.
Diane: Well, I did, but I found a new one.
Doug: Uh, well, how about this Friday night? We could
have dinner and then see that movie.

Diane: A movie? How boring!

Doug: Well, well, uh, well. A movie? Yeah, for . . . forget
a movie.
Diane: Anyway, I'm afraid I have to cook dinner for my
family, and . . .
Doug: Hey, I love to cook. We could whip something up
together! I mean, it would be great!
Diane: I don't think that's a good idea. It's just a family
occasion and . . .
Doug: Well, hey, are you free this Saturday night? I
have two tickets to the football game, and I thought . . .
Diane: Sure. I'd love to go. [Okay!] I've wanted to see a
game all year. [Yeah!] My roommate will be so
surprised when she finds out I have a ticket for her,
and . . .
Doug: Well, but . . .
Diane: Oh [car screeching . . . ] . . . and here's my
brother! He's a defensive lineman on the team.
Doug: Well, he doesn't look too happy.
Diane: Ah, he's a teddy bear, but hasn't been the same
since someone ran into his BMW.
Doug: Oh. Let me guess. Red, right?
Diane: Right. [Oh] And, it's just that he's a little
protective of me since I am his baby sister.
Doug: Hey, well, it's been really nice talking to you, but
I have to run. Hey. Here are the tickets. Have a great
time and, by the way, can I go out your back door?

Travel arrangement
1. Pre-Listening Exercise: Consulting travel Web sites can be very helpful in planning trips. After deciding where to
travel, would you prefer to talk to a travel agent about your vacation plans, or make all of the arrangements online
yourself? How important is it to you to find cheap or discount plane tickets versus flying first or business class? Can
you think of situations where you could have problems on a trip and you would need to file an accident abroad claim?
HELPFUL TIP: You can find some really good deals on plane tickets if you shop around. Take your time and make sure
the flight schedule and any layovers suit your needs.
2. Listening Exercises: Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.
1. What is the man's destination?
c. 1070
a. Salt Lake City, USA
d. 830
b. New York City, USA
4. How long is the man's layover between flights?
c. Helsinki, Finland
a. less than an hour
d. Stockholm, Sweden
b. less than two hours
2. When is the man's departure date?
c. less than three hours
a. the twenty-first
d. more than three hours
b. the twenty-second
5. What request did the man make regarding his
c. the twenty-third
flight?
d. the twenty-fourth
a. He asked for a specially-prepared dinner.
3. What is the flight number for the second half of his
b. He wanted an aisle seat.
journey?
c. He requested a bassinet for his baby.
a. 555
d. He asked for a seat near the front of the
b. 90
plane.
3. Listening Exercises: Key Vocabulary
destination (noun): the place a trip ends
transfer (verb): change to a different transportation line
- We'll reach our destination by 3:00 PM.
- You'll need to transfer to a city bus when you arrive at the train
available (adjective): not busy, ready for use
station.
Are there any seats available on the next train?
departure (noun): the act of leaving
catch (verb): get
- Passengers should check in two hours before their departure time.
- You can catch a taxi outside of the hotel lobby.
vegetarian (noun): one who eats little or no meat, fish, or animal
go with (phrasal verb): choose something
products
- I think I'll go with the budget tour to Hawaii on
- Although Charles considers himself a vegetarian, he sometimes
this trip.
eats chicken.
4. Sentence and Vocabulary Matching: Match the items on the right to the items on the left by dragging them
over. Your score is calculated by adding up the scores for all the questions that have been answered so far (correct and
wrong tries), and changing the result into a percentage.
1. You will need to ___________ to a different plane in
5. What is your ____________ on this trip?
Miami.
2. Be sure to be at the gate at least 30 minutes
a) catch
before ____________.
b) destination
3. Are there are any seats _____________ on an earlier
c) departure
flight?
d) available
4. She wants to ___________ a taxi from the airport
e) transfer
instead of a bus.
5.Text Completion Quiz
Travel Agent: Freedom Travel. How may I help you?
Caller: Whoo. Let's go with the cheaper flight. By the
Caller: Yes, I'd like to make a
way, how much is it?
flight (1)___________________ for the twenty-third of this
Travel Agent: It's only $980.
month.
Caller: Alright. Let's go with that.
Travel Agent: Okay. What is your (2)
Travel Agent: Okay. That's flight 1070 from Salt Lake
__________________?
City to New York, Kennedy Airport, transferring to flight
Caller: Well. I'm flying to Helsinki, Finland.
90 from Kennedy to Helsinki.
Travel Agent: Okay. Let me check what flights are (3)
Caller: And what are the (6) __________________ and
_________________? [Okay] And when will you be
arrival times for each of those flights?
returning?
Travel Agent: It leaves Salt Lake City at 10:00 AM,
Caller: Uh, I'd like to (4) _________________ a return flight
arriving in New York at 4:35 PM, then transferring to
on the twenty-ninth. Oh, and I'd like the cheapest flight
flight 90 at 5:55 PM, and (7) ________________ in Helsinki
available.
at 8:30 AM the next day.
Travel Agent: Okay. Let me see. Um, hmm . . .
Caller: Alright. And, uh, I'd like to (8)
Caller: Yeah?
___________________ a vegetarian(9) __________________.
Travel Agent: Well, the price for the flight is almost (5)
Travel Agent: Sure no (10) _______________. And could I
__________________ the price you would pay if you leave
have you name please?
the day before.
6. Post-Listening Exercise
With a partner, create your own dialogue based on the conversation in this quiz. Consider adding information on the
destination of the flight, departure and arrival times, ticket price, layovers and transfers, discounts for children and
frequent fliers, meals, cancellation charges, and tour packages. Use the Internet to search for specific flight
information from a major airline or travel company. Of course, there are many forms of travel. If you travel by car, why
would it be important to have reliable car insurance?

7. Online Investigations
Imagine that you have received $3,000 to take a three-week vacation to one or more of these cities: Las Vegas,
Hawaii, or Paris, and one city of your choice. Use the Internet to determine the cost of airfare and train/subway travel
to get there from your current location. Compare prices offered by different travel companies.

Script
Travel Agent: Freedom Travel. How may I help
you?
Caller: Yes, I'd like to make a flight reservation for
the twenty-third of this month.
Travel Agent: Okay. What is your destination?
Caller: Well. I'm flying to Helsinki, Finland.
Travel Agent: Okay. Let me check what flights are
available?. [Okay] And when will you be
returning?
Caller: Uh, well, I'd like to catch a return flight on
the twenty-ninth. Oh, and I'd like the cheapest
flight available.
Travel Agent: Okay. Let me see. Um, hmm . . .
Caller: Yeah?
Travel Agent: Well, the price for the flight is
almost double the price you would pay if you
leave the day before.
Randal

Caller: Whoo. Let's go with the cheaper flight. By

the way, how much is it?
Travel Agent: It's only $980.
Caller: Alright. Well, let's go with that.
Travel Agent: Okay. That's flight 1070 from Salt
Lake City to New York, Kennedy Airport,
transferring to flight 90 from Kennedy to Helsinki.
Caller: And what are the departure and arrival
times for each of those flights?
Travel Agent: It leaves Salt Lake City at 10:00 AM,
arriving in New York at 4:35 PM, then transferring
to flight 90 at 5:55 PM, and arriving in Helsinki at
8:30 AM the next day.
Caller: Alright. And, uh, I'd like to request a
vegetarian meal.
Travel Agent: Sure, no problem. And could I have
you name please?