You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Jennifer and I'll be your host for this episode, the second in a two-part series on hosting visitors.
Today, we're going to look at drawing the evening to a close.
Hosting visitors is a great way to get to know the people you do business with.
Sharing a meal and drinks in someone's home can really help strengthen a relationship.
It gives us a chance to get to know people on a more personal level.
But at some point, the evening has to end.
In our last episode, we heard Tanya and Mark hosting Tanya's business colleagues, Grace and Lee.
The group sat down to dinner and had very pleasant conversation about their home, family and the food.
Today we're going to rejoin this group.
They've had a lovely evening, but all good things must come to an end.
Grace and Lee are going to draw the evening to a close and express their appreciation.
We'll also hear the hosts and guests invite each other to future social events.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
Fantastic dessert Mark.
I think you might have missed your true calling in life.
Well, there's plenty more if you'd like.
Thanks.
I'd love to.
But it's been a really long day for us, and we've got another early start in the morning.
In fact, we really should be getting back to our hotel.
Yeah, it's a pretty frantic schedule you guys have.
I can see why you must be tired.
Yeah, a little, but it's been an absolutely delightful evening the food, the company, your home, everything a real highlight of the trip.
We can't thank you enough.
Oh, please don't mention it.
We're honored to have you and mark, Thanks for the invite to tennis, but I'm going to have to take a rain check on this one.
Sure, no problem.
Listen, if you're ever back this way, just call or drop by.
The door is always open.
Great.
And if you ever make it to Korea, we'd really love to have you over too for dinner.
And we'll give you a taste of that spicy kimchi I was telling you about.
Ah, that'd be something to look forward to.
Definitely.
I certainly hope that's something we get to do soon.
We've never been to Korea, but we've always wanted to go.
Right.
Okay, well, I know you two need to get going.
Listen, are you folks all right getting back to the hotel?
Can I give you a ride?
No, that's okay.
We've got a rental for the week, and it's pretty easy to get back.
But thanks all the same.
Well, it's been a real pleasure and I hope you get some rest.
Thanks, Tanya.
We'll be in touch tomorrow.
Hope to see you both again soon.
You too, Mark.
Bye for now.
Now let's take a closer look at the dialogue.
Fantastic dessert, Mark.
I think you might have missed your true calling in life.
Well, there's plenty more if you'd like.
Thanks.
I'd love to.
But it's been a really long day for us, and we've got another early start in the morning.
In fact, we really should be getting back to our hotel.
Lee is complimenting his host.
This time he's telling Mark that the food is good.
In fact, it's so good that Mark may have missed his true calling, meaning that he thinks Mark's cooking is so good.
He should have been a chef.
And Mark, as the host and cook, offers Lee more food.
Lee begins his response positively, saying, Thanks, I'd love to.
Then he follows this with the word but.
Using but as a conjunction like this is a common way of rejecting an offer politely.
We say we'd like to, then we use but to say why we can't or shouldn't.
In this case, however, Lee is doing more than just refusing extra food.
He's drawing the evening to a close.
And to do this?
He says it has been a long day and that they'll have another early start the next morning.
Notice that Lee says they really should be getting back to their hotel.
He makes it seem necessary to leave.
You can see how this is done in these examples as well.
Well, it's getting really late and I should head home.
This has all been wonderful and we should do it again sometime.
Look at the time.
I'd best be going.
Well, I've got an early meeting tomorrow.
Lee is trying to draw the evening to a close and the others recognise his signal, as we can hear.
Yeah, it's a pretty frantic schedule you guys have.
I can see why you must be tired.
Yeah, a little.
But it's been an absolutely delightful evening.
The food, the company, your home, everything.
A real highlight of the trip.
We can't thank you enough.
Tanya mentions Lee and Grace's frantic or very busy schedule.
She is showing that she understands why they are tired and need to leave.
At this point, Grace wants to show her appreciation.
She does this in several ways, starting by calling the evening absolutely delightful.
Grace also says it was a highlight of their trip or an especially memorable event.
And the expression, we can't thank you enough, is a particularly nice way of saying thank you.
Let's practice some more ways to express our appreciation.
I really can't thank you enough.
I've had an absolutely wonderful time.
You're fantastic hosts and everything was so delicious.
I greatly appreciate all that you've done for us.
How do the hosts respond to this show of appreciation?
Oh, please don't mention it.
We're honoured to have you.
And Mark, thanks for the invite to tennis. but I'm going to have to take a rain check on this one.
Sure, no problem.
Listen, if you're ever back this way, just call or drop by.
The door is always open.
Tanya is not being literal when she tells Grace, don't mention it.
It's simply a common way of responding to someone who has just said thank you.
Tanya also says that they are honoured to be able to host Grace and Lee.
This is an expression that both host and guest can use to say they feel fortunate to spend time together.
Next, it's Lee's turn to express gratitude.
More specifically, he thanks Mark for an invitation to play tennis.
Again, Lee uses the word, but to introduce his refusal, and he asks to take a rain check, which means he would like to accept the invitation sometime in the future.
Mark agrees.
Then he invites Grace and Lee to visit again.
As he says, they should drop by if they are ever back this way, which means in the area.
Mark also uses the expression the door is always open to emphasise that the guests are welcome any time.
How else can we welcome someone back to our home after hosting them?
We'd love to have you back again sometime.
Any time you're in the area, please just drop in.
It's been great to have you and we hope you can come again.
You'll have to visit us again next time you're in town.
Now it's the guests' turn to make an invitation.
Great.
And if you ever make it to Korea, we'd really love to have you over too for dinner.
And we'll give you a taste of that spicy kimchi I was telling you about.
Grace wants to offer the same kind of hospitality that she has just experienced.
She tells her hosts that she'd love to have them over for dinner as well.
To have someone over means to host someone at your home.
Grace even mentions a specific food that she'd like to have her host try.
Making a counter invitation is the right thing to do after you've been to someone's house.
Here are some other ways to do it.
I hope you'll let me return the hospitality sometime.
When you're out east, you really have to look us up.
We'd love to have you to our house next time.
We'd be honoured if you let us host you sometime as well.
Mark and Tanya appear to love the idea of visiting Korea.
Ah, that'd be something to look forward to.
Definitely.
I certainly hope that's something we get to do soon.
We've never been to Korea, but we've always wanted to go.
Right.
Okay, well, I know you two need to get going.
Listen, are you folks all right getting back to the hotel?
Can I give you a ride?
After showing interest in visiting Korea, Mark changes the direction of the conversation.
He does this with the words, right, and...
Okay, well, these words simply signal that the discussion is coming to an end.
And he refers back to Grace and Lee's departure.
But he doesn't just say goodbye.
Instead, Mark offers a ride back to the hotel.
In other words, he can drive the guests in his car if they like.
Let's run through a few more examples of offering help to your guests.
Here, let me help you with your coat.
You must be tired.
Let me give you a ride back to your hotel.
Whatever you need while you're in town, just let me know.
At this point, the evening has basically come to an end.
Now it's time for everyone to say goodbye.
But first, Lee has to politely refuse Mark's offer of help.
Now, that's okay.
We've got a rental for the week, and it's pretty easy to get back.
But thanks all the same.
Well, it's been a real pleasure, and I hope you get some rest.
Thanks, Tanya.
We'll be in touch tomorrow.
Hope to see you both again soon.
You too, Mark.
Bye for now.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned for expressing gratitude.
In a moment, you'll hear a statement from a host.
Then you'll hear a prompt.
Use the words in the prompt to express gratitude to the host.
For example, if you hear... It was great to have you.
Wonderful.
Can't thank.
Enough.
You can say Yes, it's been wonderful.
We can't thank you enough.
We'll play an example answer after each question.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Well, it was very nice having you for dinner.
Had absolutely wonderful evening.
Example answer.
We had an absolutely wonderful evening.
We're very glad you could come this evening.
Great hosts.
Delicious meal.
Example answer.
Well, you're great hosts and that was a delicious meal.
It's been great seeing you.
Thanks, everything been very nice.
Example answer.
Thanks for everything, it's been very nice.
We certainly hope you can come again.
We appreciate everything done.
Example answer.
We really appreciate everything you've done.
Now let's practice some of the useful vocabulary and idioms from this lesson.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear, You can say, After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
That dessert was really the... of the entire evening.
Answer That dessert was really the highlight of the entire evening.
I'd like to have coffee, but I'll have to take a...
Answer.
I'd like to have coffee, but I'll have to take a rain check.
Please come again if you're ever back this... Answer.
Please come again if you're ever back this way.
I'm hoping that we get some down... during this trip?
I'm hoping that we get some downtime during this trip.
We've reached the end of this episode, the second in our two-part series on socialising and hosting visitors.
Today we've looked at drawing an evening to a close, expressing gratitude, making invitations and counter-invitations, and offering help.
This should be useful next time you find yourself hosting or being hosted.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
