📝 Daily Practice
🎯 Lesson Goal
In this lesson, you learn how to say no to invitations in a polite way.
🧠 Grammar Focus
We use polite phrases to refuse invitations. We can say, “Sorry, I cannot come” or “Thank you, but I am busy.” A short apology such as “Sorry” is often enough, and “Thank you” can make the refusal warmer. Just saying “No” can sound abrupt. You can give a short reason, but you do not have to give a long explanation.
📖 Short Reading
Anna gets an invitation from her friend John. John writes, "Do you want to come to my party?" Anna wants to say no politely. She answers, "Thank you, John, but I am busy on Saturday." John understands. Anna feels happy because she said no kindly. They are still good friends.
✏️ Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1. ____ you come to my party? (Can / Do / Is)
2. Sorry, I ____ come to the party. (can / cannot / could)
3. Thank you, but I am ____ on Friday. (busy / happy / tired)
4. I am sorry, but I ____ go with you. (can / cannot / is)
5. ____ you want to have dinner with me? (Are / Do / Can)
6. Thank you for the ____. (invitation / busy / party)
7. Sorry, I am ____ today. (work / sick / play)
8. I am ____ I cannot come. (happy / sorry / busy)
🔗 Exercise 2 – Matching
1. Sorry, I am busy.
2. Thank you for the invitation.
3. Can you come?
4. I am sorry.
5. I have work.
6. I cannot go.
✅ Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1. How do you say no politely?
2. What can you say to thank someone for an invitation?
3. What does ‘busy’ mean?
4. Which is polite?
5. How do you start a polite refusal?
6. You want to say no to a lunch invitation. What can you say?
📝 Writing Practice
1. Write a polite answer to this invitation: "Do you want to come to my house tomorrow?"
2. Write a short polite refusal for going to the cinema.
📚 Key Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| invitation | a question to join or come |
| polite | being kind and respectful |
| sorry | say when you feel bad or want to be kind |
| busy | having work or things to do |
| thank you | words for saying thanks |
| cannot | not able to do something |
| party | a fun event with friends |
| answer | reply or say something back |
🔎 Answer Key
- exercise_1_fill_blanks: 1.Can 2.cannot 3.busy 4.cannot 5.Do 6.invitation 7.sick 8.sorry
- exercise_2_matching: 1.Sorry, I cannot come. 2.I am happy to get it. 3.Yes, I can. 4.I want to be polite. 5.I am busy. 6.I refuse politely.
- exercise_3_multiple_choice: 1.Sorry, I cannot come. 2.Thank you for the invitation. 3.Having things to do 4.I cannot come, sorry. 5.Sorry, 6.Sorry, I can’t come to lunch.
🤖 Need More Help?
If something is still unclear, you can ask the SFC Learning Assistant for simpler explanations, extra examples, or more practice.