Making invitations

Do you know how to invite someone to your house for dinner or to go to the
movies?
What do you say in English when someone invites you?
Here are some common expressions you can use when making or responding to

invitations

Inviting:

• Do you want to go to the movies tonight?

• Would you like to go to the theater tomorrow?

• Would you be interested in going to the the stadium next Sunday?

• How do you fancy going to the the restaurant for dinner?

• How about going to the movies?

• Care to come over for lunch?

•  was !ust wondering if you would like to come over for a drink"

• We#d be delighted to have you over for my birthday party"

Accepting invitations:

• Sure" What time?

• #d love to$ thanks"

•
%hat#s very
very kind of y
you$
ou$ thank
thanks"
s"

• %hat sounds lovely$ tthank

hank you"

• What a great idea$ thank you"

• Sure" When should  be there?

Declining invitations:

•  can#t"  have to work"

 • %his evening
evening is no
good"  have an
appointment"

• #m busy tomorrow"

Can  take a rain
check& on that?

• %hat#s very
very kind of
you$ but actually #m
doing something else
this afternoon"

• Well$ #d love to$ but #m already going out to the restaurant"

• #m really sorry$ but #ve got something else on"

•  really don#t think  can ' #m supposed to be doing something

else"

(&rain check) used to tell someone that you cannot accept invitations now$ but
would like to do so at a later time*

Dialogue:

+ike and ,nn are in a wedding party)

Mike: Do you want to dance?

Ann: No thanks. I'm a bit tired right now
Mike: How about having a drink?
Ann: Sure, I'd love to
Engage ES- students in active conversation practice using this lesson plan to give$ accept$
and refuse invitations" Sometimes it is di.cult inviting people" %his ES- lesson plan will teach
students lots of practice$ helping them to accept or decline invitations"

Learning Expectations

%his lesson plan is designed

designed to help
help new English
English speak
speakers
ers feel mor
more
e
con/dent when inviting people" ES- lesson plans about invitations should provide plenty of
speaking practice"
When a new English speaker is becoming settled in her new country$ she will likely want to
make friends with native English speakers in her community"

%his can be di.cult$ however$

however$ if she
she does not
not know the words to say
say to invite someone
someone to g
go
o
somewhere or do something with her"

Objective and Target Language

Objective: Students will become comfortable giving$ accepting$ and refusing invitations in
English"
Target Language:
Giving Invitations:
• What are you doing on (day0date*?
• Would you like to" " "?
• How about" " "?
• Do you want to" " "with me?
• #d like to invite you to" " "
Accepting Invitations:
Invitations:
• %hanks1 %hat
%hat sounds like
like fun"
• Sure" %hank you for the invitation"
• When is it?
• What time does it start0end?
• -et#s meet at" " "
• What date0day is it?
Refusing invitations:
• 2o$ thank you"
• #m sorry$ but  have to" " "
• %hanks$ but
but  have another
another appointment
appointment at that time
time""
•  can#t" #m sorry"

Materials
• +edium to large photograph of a party
• Whiteboard0chalkboard and markers0chalk
• 3 sets of index cards$ one for students to invite others in the class to
do something (go to a movie$ go out to eat$ etc"*$ and another set for students to accept
or decline the invitation" %he latter set of cards should say 4,ccept05efuse4 on them so
that students have to recall and use the lesson vocabulary"

Warm!p
6ut a picture of a party up on the board or on the wall where students can see it" ,sk
students what they see going on in the picture" %hen ask students how they would invite
someone to a party and what they would say if they wanted to go or did not0could not go to
the party" Write answers on the board"

Intro to "e# $ocabular% and &ractice

• Write target vocabulary on the board$ separating it into sections titled
4%o nvite$4 4,ccept4 and 45efuse"4
• ,sk a student volunteer to come up to the front of the class" ,sk the
student if he would like to go to a party with you using the target vocabulary" Encourage
the student to use one of the phrases to accept or refuse the invitation that you wrote on
the board"
• Split students up into two groups by assigning each student the
number 7 or 3" Students designated as 4ones4 are given note cards for inviting someone
to the event on their card" 8ive the 4twos4 the cards that tell them to accept or refuse
the invitation" 8ive one card to each student" Students mill about the room inviting$
accepting and declining" Students then return the cards to you$ and you give
accept0refuse cards to number 4ones4 and invitation cards to number 4twos"4 Encourage
students to use the vocabulary listed on the board"
• 6ractice giving excuses for not accepting an invitation by having
students pair up" 9ne student will invite the other to a party$ and the other person has to
decline the invitation" Explain culturally acceptable excuses to students so that they are
not too frank in their answers"

Wrap!p
,sk each student what he or she would say if an unpleasant person invited him or her to go
to a party or to the movies" Write answers on the board"

,sk a few students what their favorite ways to invite$ accept$ and refuse invitations are" Write
answers on the board"

With all of the speaking practice in this lesson$ your students will be more assured when
inviting people" %he ES- lesson will also help students interact with native speakers more
easily$ thereby feeling con/dent in inviting native speakers out to do something"

INVITING, ACCEPTING & DECLINING INVITATION

Inviting:

• Would you like to ….

• Could you come to…

• I’d very much like

•
Would you care to ….

• I’ll really happy if you come to….

• I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed to come to….

Accepting an Invitation

• Thank you for inviting me.

• I would/will ….

• That would be very nice.

• I’d like to love to come.

 • That’s fine.

• ure. Why not!

Declining an Invitation

• I’m very sorry" I don’t think I can.

• I’d like to" but ….

• Thank you for asking me" but ….

• #nfortunately" I can’t ….

Dialog Examples:

Dialog 1

Ludi Invites Maya to go to a Movie

$udi % &i" 'aya. There will be a great film tonight. It’s about vampire.

Would you like to go to the movie with me!

'aya % (es"
(es" I’d like to very much. When will you pick me up!
up!

$udi % I’ll pick you at ).**. +e ready" ,-

'aya % lright.

Dialog 

Afif is very busy doing

doing his homework.
homework. Sheila,
Sheila, his friend, asks
asks him to come
come to her party.
party.

heila % &eloo" this is heila. 'ay I speak to fif!

fif % This is fif

fif speaking.

heila % ,h" hi fif. I wonder if you’d like to come to my house right now.
now.

We’re having a great party.

fif % I don’t think I can.

can. I’m doing my homework.
homework. 'y parents
parents won’t

let me out before I finish my homework.

heila % That’s alright.

fif % I hope you en0oy your party. +ye.

heila % +ye.