In Canada and the US, people enjoy entertaining(招待) guests at home. They often invite friends to a meal, a party, or just for coffee and conversations.
Here are things people say when they invite someone to their homes.
"Would you like to come over for dinner this Saturday night?"
"Hey, we're having a party on Friday. Can you come?"
To reply to an invitation, you can either say"thank you"and accept, or say"I'm sorry"and give an excuse, such as"Thanks, l'd love to. What time would you like me to come?"or"Oh, sorry, I've booked tickets for a movie. ".
Sometimes, howerer, people use expressions that sound like invitations but which are not real invitaitons, for example, "Please come over for a drink sometime. "and"Why don't you come over and see us sometime soon?"
They are really just polite ways of ending a conversation. They are not real invitations because they don't mention a specified(明确的) time or date. They just show that the person is trying to be friendly. To reply to expressions like these, people just say"Sure, that would be great!"or"OK/Yes, thanks. ".
So next time when you hear what sounds like an invation, listen carefully. Is it a real invitation or just the way to be friendly?
