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English expressions to say NO to invitations! – Learn British Expressions


it’s the weekend time for parties
friends and fun so when you get that
text message hey do you want to come out
tonight how will you respond no dude
let’s go party no please so how can you
reject your annoying friends invitations
to go out now of course you could fall
asleep and your battery could die
everyone knows you’re lying these are
some better excuses the classic that’s
personal I can’t tell you this cuts the
conversation dead right there no more
questions you are free to jump back in
bed pull Netflix and eat that chunky
monkey ice cream for the ladies every
month you have a period so you could use
this excuse when you don’t want to say I
have my period you can say lady problems
it’s the really polite way of saying I’m
on my period another perfectly
acceptable excuse is that you’re busy
it’s not your fault its life sports so
when you’re busy you can use these
expressions the simple way to say I
can’t go is to say I can’t make it I
can’t make it sorry but this is quite
general and it invites more questions so
you might want to be more specific like
this just remember these all mean I’m
busy in this context the phrasal verb
come up implies that someone asks you to
do something or someone gave you an
obligation and now you’re busy so you
could say sorry I can’t make it
something came up
hmm but how can you reject an invitation
in a very formal way now of course you
won’t write this in a text message but
it might be in very formal situations a
wedding perhaps an office meeting or an
office party where your boss invited you
and
you need to reject the invitation in a
very formal way that’s when you can say
unfortunately I’m unable to attend your
birthday party because I don’t like you
Janet I only see you in the office we’re
not friends but of course maybe you just
want to say I’m too tired to go out
that’s not your fault either
there are two very British ways to say
I’m tired I’m knackered or I’m shattered
both are acceptable both mean I’m tired
and they’re both very British I don’t
think Americans say this if you’re
American watching maybe you can correct
me I’m sorry knackered and shattered
long day at work can’t come out when you
want to say you know I’ve been very
stressed and very tired tonight I’m
going to relax you can say I need some
downtime down literally meaning on the
bed laying or on the couch
wherever you like to be down or I might
say you know what this week has been
very social very social and I need some
Ally time I need some me time sometimes
we all need me time you’ve worked all
week it’s Friday night this is your time
dammit and you need a holiday remember
that to take the day or the night off
means you’re taking it as a holiday so
in this context you’re telling people
you know what I’m social all the time I
go out all the time today’s a holiday
from being social tonight I’m taking the
night off let’s all help each other what
excuses do you like to use when your
friends invite you out and you just want
to move write them in the comments
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