Checking Availability & Preferences
Participants discuss their individual schedules and availability for the weekend, as well as express their personal preferences or dislikes for the suggested activities.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
availability
This noun means the time when someone is free or available to do something. Use it when checking schedules, like 'What's your availability this weekend?'
headcount
This informal noun refers to counting the number of people attending an event. It's common in planning group activities, as in 'Let's get a headcount for the party.'
brunch
A meal that combines breakfast and lunch, usually eaten late in the morning. It's a casual word for weekend social plans, like 'We're having brunch on Sunday.'
committed
This adjective means already promised or obligated to do something. Use it to explain why you're not free, e.g., 'I'm committed to a meeting.'
morning person
An idiom for someone who likes to wake up early and be active in the morning. Opposite is 'not a morning person,' used in casual talks about preferences.
best bet
An informal phrase meaning the most reliable or suitable option. Useful for suggesting plans, like 'Saturday is our best bet for meeting up.'
escape room
A popular activity where people solve puzzles to 'escape' a themed room. It's a fun group entertainment option, often mentioned in social planning.
claustrophobic
This adjective describes feeling uncomfortable in small, enclosed spaces. Use it to express dislikes, e.g., 'I feel claustrophobic in elevators.'
interactive
An adjective meaning involving participation and activity. Good for describing preferences in activities, like 'I like interactive games more than watching movies.'
chill
Informal adjective for relaxed and low-key. Use in casual invitations, e.g., 'Let's have a chill evening with board games.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
What's everyone's availability looking like?
This is a casual question to check schedules. 'Looking like' is an informal way to ask about appearance or status. Useful for starting group planning; it shows politeness by asking everyone.
I'm pretty open on Saturday, but Sunday I've got a family brunch.
This sentence expresses partial availability using 'pretty open' (quite free) and contrasts days with 'but.' The present perfect 'I've got' means a scheduled event. Great for sharing schedules clearly.
Saturday works perfectly for me.
A simple affirmative response using 'works for me' (is suitable). 'Perfectly' emphasizes strong agreement. Use this to confirm availability in conversations about plans.
I'm not a morning person.
An idiomatic expression to state a personal trait. It's common in casual talks to set boundaries on timing. Helps explain preferences without being rude.
Saturday seems to be the best bet for everyone.
This uses 'seems to be' for a logical conclusion and 'best bet' for the top choice. Useful for summarizing group decisions in planning discussions.
I'm definitely up for that.
'Up for' is an idiom meaning willing or enthusiastic about something. 'Definitely' adds strong agreement. Perfect for showing interest in suggestions during activity planning.
I'm not super keen on escape rooms, to be honest.
'Not super keen on' means not very interested, with 'to be honest' for sincerity. This polite way to express dislikes is common in group preference talks.
I'm cool with anything as long as we're all hanging out.
'Cool with' means okay or fine with; 'hanging out' is slang for spending time casually. This flexible sentence shows adaptability in social plans.
How about we look into a bigger escape room?
'How about' suggests an idea politely; 'look into' means investigate or check. Useful for compromising and proposing alternatives in discussions.