Planning a Holiday Party
People are collaborating to plan a holiday party, discussing logistics such as date, time, venue, guest list, food, decorations, and entertainment.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
venue
A place where an event or meeting happens, like a hall or room for a party.
affordable
Something that costs a reasonable amount of money and is not too expensive.
sorted
Means something is decided or arranged and no longer needs attention, like 'fixed' or 'done'.
guest list
A list of people invited to an event, such as a party.
RSVP
An abbreviation meaning 'please reply' – it's used on invitations to ask guests to confirm if they can attend.
potluck
A shared meal where each guest brings a dish to contribute, common in casual gatherings.
catering
A service that provides and prepares food for events, often by professionals.
compromise
An agreement reached by each side giving up part of their demands, to find a middle ground.
draft
To write a first version of something, like an email or invitation, before finalizing it.
theme
A central idea or style that guides the decorations or activities of an event, like 'winter wonderland' for a holiday party.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Does that work for everyone?
This is a polite way to ask if a suggestion or plan is okay for the group. It's useful in meetings or planning to check agreement; uses 'work for' to mean 'fit or suit'.
My calendar is pretty open then.
Means 'my schedule is mostly free at that time.' 'Calendar' refers to a planner; 'pretty open' is informal for 'quite available.' Useful when discussing availability for events.
What about the venue?
A natural way to introduce or change the topic to a specific aspect, like location. 'What about' is a common phrase for suggesting discussion points in conversations.
Date and venue are sorted.
Informal British English for 'the date and place are decided.' 'Sorted' means resolved; useful in casual planning to show progress and move to the next topic.
Should we send out a general invite, or do we want to keep it to a specific group this year?
Presents two options using 'should we... or...?' structure for decision-making. 'Send out' means distribute; great for collaborative discussions on invitations.
We can ask for RSVPs by early December.
Suggests a plan with 'can' for possibility; 'by' indicates a deadline. Useful for setting expectations in event planning to confirm attendance.
Catering might simplify things.
'Might' shows possibility; 'simplify things' means make it easier. This sentence expresses an opinion on options, helpful when weighing pros and cons in group decisions.
That's a good compromise.
Agrees with a balanced solution. 'That's' is a contraction for 'that is'; useful for positive feedback in negotiations to build agreement.
Would you mind looking into that?
A polite request for help using 'would you mind + gerund' (looking). 'Looking into' means investigating; ideal for assigning tasks gently in team settings.
No problem, I can get that done this week.
'No problem' means 'happy to do it'; 'get that done' is phrasal for completing a task. Common response to requests, showing willingness and a timeline.