We’ve all been there. It’s your birthday, or Christmas or your friend comes to your house for dinner and gives you a present that you really dislike. What can you say?
You don’t want to offend them. After all, it’s the thought that counts!
You don’t want to lie and at the same time, you don’t want to offend anyone. In this podcast, we’ll give you some ideas.
Maxi from Argentina
“I’m very glad because I found your podcast” You can also say, I’m very glad to HAVE found your podcast.
You have a LONG COMMUTE.
I listen TO music.
Cristina from Madrid
Commenting on episode 452 in which we asked you to describe where you live and practise some of the vocabulary.
https://inglespodcast.com/452/ – Types of Houses
I live in a block of flats near Madrid/close to Madrid (not Xnear toX)
This city is a dormitory city
100 square metres
Xhave a lot of parksX IT HAS a lot of parks
Improve your speaking fluency with Craig
https://www.englishmasterclass.net/
What to say when you get a present you don’t like, but you think it would be rude to reject it.
Wow! This is so unusual! How interesting!
I’ve never seen anything like this!
I don’t know what to say!
You’re far too kind.
You shouldn’t have.
How did you find it?
I’ll waste no time using it!
This must have been difficult to find.
Thank you so much for thinking of me. It’s very kind of you.
You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.
Thank you for the gift, I’ll definitely find a good use for it.
Thank you for taking the time to choose a gift for me. I really appreciate it.
Wow, this is really generous of you. Thank you so much.
I must say I wasn’t expecting this.
I’m touched that you went out of your way to get me a gift. Thank you.
Thanks for thinking of me and getting me a gift. I’ll definitely treasure the thought behind it.
I appreciate the effort you put into choosing a gift for me. Thank you.
How to reject a present politely
I really appreciate the gesture, but I’m not sure if this is quite my style.
This is very thoughtful of you, but I don’t think it’s something that I can use.
I’m afraid I can’t accept this, though I appreciate your kindness.
Thank you for the lovely gift, it’s just not quite my taste.
This is such a kind gesture, but it’s not quite what I was expecting.
Thanks for the gift, it’s very sweet of you. However, it’s not really my thing.
Thank you for the gift, it was very considerate of you. I hope you don’t mind if I exchange it for something that suits me better.
I’m grateful for your thoughtfulness and generosity, even if this gift isn’t quite my cup of tea.
Practice these expressions by shadowing us.
Repeat the expressions one by one and copy our pronunciation and intonation.
Choose 2 or 3 that you like the most and repeat them many times. Use them next time you get a gift that isn’t exactly your cup of tea!
…and now it’s your turn to practise your English.
Send us a voice message. https://www.speakpipe.com/inglespodcast
Send us an email with a comment or question to [email protected] or [email protected]
This podcast is sponsored, in part, by mansionIngles.com. Visit the online store: https://store.mansioningles.net/
Thank you to all of you who are helping us by supporting this podcast on Patreon. Join our Patreon program for as little as $1.50 per month (+ VAT) and you get instant access to recent transcriptions. https://www.patreon.com/inglespodcast
Welcome to our new Patreon supporters who have joined us this month:
Luz Viviana Moreno
Carlos
Maria Madariaga
Pedro Carrillo
Susana
Francisco Otero
Arnhild Kessel
If you enjoyed this podcast, please tell your friends.
The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’
Hello Reza and Craig, it`s Maxi from Argentina.
I want to say that I`m really glad to hear my message in the show, but a bit embraced too because the bad audio quality and pronunciation.
I have to tell you that I didn`t want to send that message. It was recorder through the car`s bluetooth while i was driving, that`s the reason of the noise and bad quality… bau not of bad pronunciation!
I was telling that I was listening to Leonard Cohen and I`ve noticed (is this the correct word for “me di cuenta”?) that I could undestand most of what he was singing… Then the idea to find a podcast came to my mind.
Did you heard “Famouse Blue Raincoat”? It`s a very sad and beautifull song, now I`m a fan Leonard Cohen, I like his poetry and his voice… I hope you record a podcast about poetry. I like Borges too, he grown up in a bilingual home, and translated many books… I sugest to you the poem Juan Lopez y John Ward
Sincerly, my appologies for that audio message, I`ve recorded one or two more with best quality audio,
I`m really glad to be in contact whit you!
Kind Regards!
Maxi
Hi Maxi. Thank you for the clarification. I’m a Leonard Cohen fan, too! We have recorded a podcast about poetry. Here’s the link. I hope you enjoy it: https://inglespodcast.com/2018/04/01/poetry-airc201/