‘I would very much like it if you could come along.’ – Learn the language for making polite invitations.
TRANSCRIPT
William
Hello and welcome to How To, the programme from BBC Learning English where we give you useful language for some everyday situations.
My name’s William Kremer. Now you may remember that in a different programme we found out how to invite people informally, by saying things like:
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
Are you up for a pint after work, Catherine?
William
Today, we’re looking at making invitations again, but this time they’re going to be a little bit more formal. Let’s start by listening to a short clip. Diarmuid is inviting Catherine to a barbeque, which is a kind of meal you can cook outside, usually in the summer.
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
Catherine, are you free on Friday?
Catherine
I think so. Why?
Diarmuid
Well, I’m going to have a barbeque on Friday night, in my back garden. I wondered if you’d like to come along.
Catherine
Yeah, I’d love to. That sounds really nice.
Diarmuid
OK. You’re not vegetarian are you?
Catherine
No, no I’m not.
Diarmuid
Ah, you’ll be fine with burgers.
William
Would you like to hear that clip again? Would you like to hear it now? Well, I’ll play it again a bit later, but first I want to look at this phrase, Would you like? Would you like? means Do you want? but it’s slightly more polite. So a slightly more polite way of saying, Do you want a banana? is:
EXAMPLE
Elena
Would you like a banana?
William
And a slightly more polite way of saying Do you want to come for a drink? is:
EXAMPLE
Elena
Would you like to come for a drink?
William
So, Would you like to do something? is a very good way of asking questions politely. But, usually when we’re being polite, we try and make what we say longer by using other phrases. Listen to Diarmuid:
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
I wondered if you’d like to come along.
William
Diarmuid says, I wondered if you’d like to come along which is a shortened way of saying I wondered if you would like to come along but it’s sometimes hard to hear the -d – I wondered if you’d like to come along. To wonder, means to think or to ask yourself but the meaning of the word isn’t that important here; Diarmuid is just using the phrase to be polite.
Let’s practise using this phrase, I wondered if you’d like. You’re going to hear Elena. After she says a direct question, see if you can change it into a sentence beginning, I wondered if you’d like. You’ll hear the correct answer after a short pause.
EXAMPLE
Elena
Would you like a chocolate bar?
I wondered if you’d like a chocolate bar.
Would you like to come for a drink?
I wondered if you’d like to come for a drink.
Would you like to see my photos?
I wondered if you’d like to see my photos.
William
How did you do? By the way, you can also say, I was wondering if you’d like. It has exactly the same meaning.
EXAMPLE
Elena
I was wondering if you’d like to see my photos.
William
I was wondering if you would like to hear the whole conversation between Catherine and Diarmuid again. You would? OK, here it is:
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
Catherine, are you free on Friday?
Catherine
I think so. Why?
Diarmuid
Well, I’m going to have a barbeque on Friday night, in my back garden. I wondered if you’d like to come along.
Catherine
Yeah, I’d love to. That sounds really nice.
Diarmuid
OK, you’re not vegetarian are you?
Catherine
No, no I’m not.
Diarmuid
Ah, you’ll be fine with burgers.
William
Did you hear the question that Diarmuid asked Catherine at the beginning:
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
Catherine, are you free on Friday?
William
Diarmuid asked Catherine if she was free on Friday. He’s checking that she isn’t busy. Another way of checking is to ask the opposite question: Are you doing anything on Friday? Hopefully, whoever you’re speaking to won’t be doing anything! Or, you could just ask What are you doing on Friday?
Now, before we finish, let’s hear a different conversation. This time, Diarmuid is asking Catherine to a dinner party.
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
What are you doing on Friday, Catherine?
Catherine
Er, I’m not sure yet. I might be going out but I haven’t made any firm plans. Why?
Diarmuid
OK, well I’m going to have a dinner party at my house and I would very much like it if you could come along.
Catherine
Oh right, yes I’d love to. Is it a formal occasion?
Diarmuid
No, it’s just a few old friends really. You’ll… you’ll… you’ll have a good time, you’ll like the people. About nine o’clock?
Catherine
That’d be lovely. Shall I bring a bottle?
Diarmuid
Oh I think so…!
Catherine
OK then!
William
This time, Diarmuid says, I would very much like it if you could come along.
This is very polite and very friendly, because it shows Catherine that her coming to his party is important to him.
EXAMPLE
Diarmuid
And I would very much like it if you could come along.
William
When Catherine says, Shall I bring a bottle? she’s offering to take a bottle of wine to Diarmuid’s dinner party.
EXAMPLE
Catherine
That’d be lovely. Shall I bring a bottle?
William
You can listen to both the conversations in this programme again on the How To webpage on bbclearningenglish.com, where you can also find out more about today’s phrases. The next episode of How To will be published next Wednesday and I would very much like it if you could come along.
Language in the programme
Checking someone is not busy
- Are you free on Friday?
- Are you busy on Friday?
- What are you doing on Friday?
Would you like…?
Would you like…
- a chocolate bar?
- to come to my house for dinner?
I wondered / was wondering
- I wondered if you would like to come to my house for dinner.
- I was wondering if you’d like to come to my house for dinner.
Other expressions
- I would very much like it if you could come along.
- Shall I bring a bottle?