1.3.3 MAKING INVITATIONS AND RESPONDING POLITELY
MAKING INVITATIONS AND RESPONDING POLITELY
1A. Warm-up: Discussion questions:
- When was the last time you invited someone to an event?
- When was the last time someone invited you to an event?
- What makes an invitation sound polite?
- What phrases do people tend to avoid when rejecting an invitation?
1B. Mini speaking task:
In pairs: Think of an event you attended recently. Explain how the invitation happened and whether the communication was polite or not.
2A. Vocabulary: Types of invitations
A get-together A meet-up A formal reception A business dinner A launch event A networking event
A casual drink / coffee A housewarming A farewell party A charity walk / sponsored event
A gala dinner A charity fundraiser An awards ceremony A roundtable meeting A stakeholder briefing
A working breakfast / working lunch A press conference A team-building event A retirement celebration
An annual general meeting (AGM) A baby shower (social) A bridal shower A wine-tasting evening
A cultural outing (e.g., theatre night, gallery opening)
2B. Speaking
Think of an event you attended recently and match it to one of the vocabulary items. Then talk to a partner. You can use the following questions.
- “Which type of invitation was it?”
- “Who invited you?”
- “Was it formal or informal?”
- “How did you respond?”
3A. Polite Invitations & Refusals
Here are some useful expressions to increase politeness/soften invitations or refusals:
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3B. Practice
3C. Mini-Role Play
Quickly invite each other to one of the events using the vocabulary.
- “Would you like to come to my farewell party next Friday?”
- “I’d love to! What time does it start?
Try to use full expressions politely.
4A. Listening/Video Activity
Note all the phrases for inviting, accepting, and declining you hear in the following video: click HERE to watch.
4B. Expressions for inviting, accepting, declining
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4C. Situations
Look at the following situations. Choose some and act out the scenes using the expressions above.
5A. Speaking
Discussion Questions
- Is it better to decline an invitation directly or indirectly?
- Do invitations tend to be more formal in your country compared to English-speaking cultures?
- Should people explain the real reason when declining an invitation?
5B. Mini debate
Topic: “It’s rude to refuse an invitation without giving a reason.”
Divide into For/Against teams.
6. Role Plays
Choose a role-play card and act out the role plays.
Role Play A: Business Context
You are organising a networking lunch for foreign partners.
Invite your colleague.
Your partner has to: politely refuse, offer an alternative plan
Role Play B: Social Context
You want your neighbour to come to your housewarming party.
Your neighbour: is very busy wants to decline without offending you
Role Play C: Semi-formal
You need to invite a client to a product launch.
Your partner must:
accept, ask about dress code and timing, confirm politely
Role Play D: Group Task
You are organising a company dinner. In groups of 3–4:
Invite each other.
Accept/refuse politely.
Decide who is coming, time, and place.
7. Final Task: Invitation Challenge
Write a short email or WhatsApp-style message depending on context:
Choose one:
- Invite a friend to a weekend trip.
- Invite a colleague to a professional event.
- Politely decline an invitation you received.
To download the pdf of this topic, click on the link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mJSbJgQ9-KDI-i8olHoS-RA-QoGgb7qZ/view?usp=sharing