Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 148

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Hi there. This is Harry. And welcome back to our podcast where I tried to help you with your use of the English language, particularly for conversational English so you can get a better understanding and can communicate to people in a more appropriate over a way that makes you feel comfortable. So what do I have for you this week? Well, the first podcast is in relation to know the word No want. What I'm going to hopefully help you with is how you can say no to requests or invitations so as not to sound rude. So how can you turn down those requests or invitations? Of course, you can simply just say no. Then you can say it very emphatically. No or no. Sometimes people might look on that as a little bit rude. So what other way can we see it well quite easily and simply weaken? Just say no, thanks. And to put a little bit of intonation it No, thanks on. No, thank you. Yeah. So that's quite easy to do. And it gets the point across and people understand it, or you could just say no. Sorry. Not interested. So somebody wrote phone Jew or text you or knocks on your door. And they're trying to sell you something or they stop in the street and they want you to contribute to something. Well, of course, and you can just say sorry, not interested on DH. It's another way of saying no. Oh, we can say not really. Okay, So when we say not really, it's not my cup of tea. Okay, so not really I'm not so sure I want to do that. Would you like to come too bold in next week, where a group of us from the offers are going bowling? Not really. It's not my cup of tea. I'm not into that sort of activity, so it's better than saying no, and it's not in any way rude. You can also say which is another wonderful expression in English. It doesn't float my boat. It doesn't float my boat. So means it's not my cup of tea. It's not something that I really interested in. It doesn't get me overly excited or we can say I'm afraid not. Yep, this is a little bit more formal. Yeah. Are you coming to the pub tonight? There's lots of the guys going? We're gonna make a night of it. I'm afraid not. It's my turn to baby sit game. So they I'm afraid not. Letting somebody down gently or trying to refuse in a more gentle way rather than just saying no. We could, of course, say I'm afraid not. I've got a prior engagement. I'm afraid not. I'm busy tonight. Or the old classic put down. When you asked a girl out on DH sort of saying no, you might say, I'm afraid not. I'm washing my hair tonight. So another way. It's a saying. No, I'm not going out with you. Okay. So no, no, thanks. Sorry. Not really. I'm afraid not. Okay. Another way to say no is with a little bit more emphasis. Certainly not in case are somebody ask you something and you're absolutely sure you're not going to entertain the idea. You're not going to allow them to do something, and you're gonna turn down that request flat. Okay, so one of the Children asked you, Can I watch the late night movie? Certainly not. You've got school tomorrow. Can I go to the disco? Certainly not your only 13. I didn't go to a disco until I was at least 18. The other way to put a little bit more emphasis similar to certainly not is no way. No way. So you're really putting your foot down on making the point very, very clear that you are not doing that or they are not doing that, or there's no way you're going to allow that to happen. Okay, So other light hearted ways of saying no is not in a 1,000,000 years game so means to be a very long time before I agree to that or real classic. I wouldn't be seen dead in there. Okay, I wouldn't be seen dead in there. So we go to the disco in the town or we'll go to that nightclub, that nightclub. I wouldn't be seen dead in there. So again, a really put down. Okay, so there's our answers. Alternatives to say no when you get a request or an invitation where you don't really want to appear rude. So let me run through them again. Simply. No, no, thanks. Sorry. Not interested. Not really. It's not my cup of tea, I'm afraid not. Certainly not. No way. Not in a 1,000,000 years I wouldn't be seen dead there. Okay, so hopefully that gives you a little bit of food for thought on DH. Thanks for. Listen to me. If you want to contact me, you can, of course, my web page, www dot english lesson vice cap dot com. And when you get there, cheque out the easy peasy club, which is a really effective and efficient and cheap way for you to learn your English. Okay. Thanks for listening, John. Again soon.