How to turn down an invitation
Preparation
Before you watch
Do this vocabulary task before you watch.
What do you think is going to happen in the video?
Watch
Watch the video
Watch the video and find out if your predictions from the Preparation task are correct?
If you need help you can click on Read transcript below and read along while you watch the video.
Task
Transcript
Transcript
Man: Oh no!
Woman: What is it?
Man: “Josh and Henrietta would like to have the pleasure of your company at a drinks party, next Saturday evening...”
Woman: Oh no, Josh and Henrietta... they’re not that couple who...?
Man: Yeah exactly! And it gets worse...
Woman: How?
Man: “Formal dress...”
Woman: Argh.... it means you’ve got to wear a suit....
Man: At the bottom it says “RSVP”. What does it mean?
Woman: You’ve got to reply.
Man: But I don’t want to go, so what can I say?
Woman: Tell them you’ve got a dentist’s appointment.
Man: Josh is my dentist!
Woman: Tell them it’s your grandmother’s 100th birthday party.
Man: But they know my granny died ages ago.
Woman: Tell them your dog’s sick and you’ve got to take him to see the vet.
Man: It’s no use – I’m just going to have to tell them the truth...
Woman: The truth? “I’m not coming to your birthday party because I think you’re boring and stupid?”
Man: Maybe not then...
Woman: Tell them this: “I’m unable to attend because I have a prior engagement.”
Man: “Prior engagement”?! And… they won’t be offended?
Woman: Absolutely not.
Man: Perfect!
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Comments
thanks for your relpy
how to watch this video and download it ? why i can not watch this ? something wrong with my PC or this web????
Prior engagement, that's the perfect excuse for not coming.
I always have got some difficulty in listening. In this episode, I cannot catch Drink party, formal dress, prior engagement.
I don't know why. I think there are lots of causes associated with my listening problem. I am sure number one reason is lack of practices.
I need to visit this site more often on periodical basis to improve my listening.
Thank you.
they are speaking so fast, so too diffucult to understand them...
Hello sabahattin sen,
If you are finding it difficult to follow the speakers, try clicking on the transcript tab - you can then follow what they are saying by reading and listening at the same time.
If you still find it difficult, perhaps you could try our Elementary Podcasts, which provide great listening practice at a lower level.
Regards,
Stephen Jones
The LearnEnglish Team
Funny test! =)
How to .... videos very help full and interesting.
hello every body.
nice :)
hi,
i'm ayeshah.i have found this site very useful although i'm here for the first time.2ndly accent of the man in this video is a bit difficult to understand.it's better to read the script.thanks a lot.
hello adam jk. i am from azerbaijan. i'm new here
yhank you.... :)