Everyday phrases for communication — Post 6
Read post 5 here
#everydayphrases — Lesson 6
Today’s mini-dialogue:
— You want a cocktail? It’s on me.
— I’ll take a rain check.
What you need to remember:
- Yes/No questions often lose an auxiliary verb (do, be, have) in spoken English.
— You ready? (instead of Are you ready?)
— You want it? (instead of Do you want it?)
— You been there? (instead of Have you been there?)
Sometimes it’s hard to say whether it’s just pronounced in such a relaxed way (it has no stress) that you can’t hear it or it’s just skipped. Anyway, you will hear it a lot in speaking. It’s not allowed in writing though — you should always write full sentences.
2. When you are paying for a drink or food for someone, say:
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲.
(𝗜𝘁’𝘀) 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁.
If the bartender or a waiter compliments you with a drink, you will hear:
(𝗜𝘁’𝘀) 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲. (it means: it’s free, you shouldn’t pay)
3. 𝗔 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 — it’s a set expression which you can use to respond to an invitation meaning you are not able to make it this time, but you are willing to do it in the future.
We often use it in socialising:
— Wanna (=want to) go out tonight?
— (I’ll take) a rain check. (= somewhen next time, not today)
Today we have learnt how to make questions shorter in speaking as well as be a generous friend and pay for someone’s drink or food and politely refuse someone’s invitation promising to do it later.
If you speak Russian, you can read these lessons in Russian (and practise) in my Telegram channel. Join us!
My name is Daria Storozhilova and this is a series of mini-lessons teaching you how to communicate in English: helpful phrases and spoken expressions.
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