How to Respond to Requests, Invitations, and Queries

Jul 28, 2024

How to Respond to Requests, Invitations, and Queries

Introduction

  • Imagine meeting an old friend at a grocery store who invites you to a weekend dinner.
  • You want to say yes, but you have to say 'maybe' because of other commitments.
  • The word 'maybe' can sometimes sound awkward or uninterested.
  • There are better ways to say ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘maybe,’ and ‘I can’t.’
  • This lesson provides alternatives to these terms and how to express different levels of enthusiasm, reluctance, or neutrality.

Why Your Response Matters

  • The way you respond impacts relationships and interactions.
  • Having the right phrases can make you sound fluent and help express yourself clearly and comfortably.
  • Helps avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary commitments.
  • Expressing nuance in responses is crucial.

About the Speaker

  • Anne-Marie: English confidence and fluency coach.
  • Website: Speak Confident English
  • Offers lessons and free resources on improving English fluency and confidence.
  • In-depth fluency training available.

Lesson Overview

  1. Affirmative Statements
  2. Negative and Noncommittal Responses
  3. Real-life Examples

Affirmative Statements

  • Sure: Friendly and casual.
  • Absolutely: Shows enthusiasm and strong affirmation.
  • I’d love to: Warm and positive.
  • Definitely: Signifies strong affirmation and confidence.
  • Of course: Indicates readiness or willingness.
  • Count me in: Informal, shows readiness to participate.
  • I’m in: Expresses enthusiasm and willingness.
  • Sounds good: Simple affirmative agreement.
  • Access longer list and distinct phrases for casual vs. professional scenarios on the Speak Confident English website.

Negative Responses

  • I'm afraid not: Polite refusal, soft and diplomatic.
  • Not really: Indirect and gentle decline.
  • No thanks: Simple and polite refusal.
  • I don’t think that I can: Indicates unwillingness or inability.
  • Unfortunately, no: Indicates regret.
  • Maybe another time: Leaves room for future possibilities.

Declining because of Conflict/Inability

  • I can’t make it, unfortunately: Clear and regretful.
  • I’d love to, but I can’t commit at this moment: Soft and diplomatic.
  • I really can’t take on anything more right now: Strong and assertive.
  • I wish I could, but I can’t: Very polite and soft.
  • I can’t this week, but let’s check in next week/month: Leaves door open for future.

Noncommittal Responses

  • Possibly: Uncertain, leans toward yes.
  • I’ll think about it: Entirely noncommittal.
  • Let me see: Noncommittal, indicates checking schedule.
  • I might be able to: Leaning toward yes but unsure.
  • We’ll see: Extremely vague, noncommittal.
  • I'm not sure yet: Honest uncertainty.
  • Can I get back to you?: Needs more time to decide.
  • That depends: Indicates variable decision.

Real-Life Examples

Affirmative Examples

  1. Invitation to a party
    • Response: “Absolutely. I’d love to come.”
  2. Request for help
    • Response: “Of course, I’d be happy to help. What do you need me to do?”

Negative Examples

  1. Additional work request
    • Response: “I’m afraid not. I’m already at capacity right now.”
  2. Turning down a social event
    • Response: “I’d love to help out, but my family and I will be away this weekend. Perhaps I can help another time.”

Noncommittal Examples

  1. Friends planning a trip
    • Response: “Possibly. I need to check my work schedule first. Can I get back to you later today?”
  2. Job offer consideration
    • Response: “This is an appealing job offer. I’d really appreciate some time to think it over and discuss it with my family. If it’s okay with you, I’d love to give you an answer by next week.”

Practice Questions

  1. Volunteering for an annual charity event but you're at work capacity.
  2. Invited to speak at an event but overlapping work deadline.
    • Consider your enthusiasm for both the invitation and your current capacity.

Conclusion

  • Practice responding to requests using various expressions learned.
  • Multiple ways to show enthusiasm, reluctance, and neutrality.
  • Share your responses in the comments for feedback.
  • Engage with the speaker’s resources and community for further improvement.

Next Steps

  • Like, subscribe, and visit the Speak Confident English website for more resources and lessons.

Thank you for joining the lesson!