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Come to our cookout! Invitations with Would you like to…?

This A2 ESL lesson plan teaches making and answering invitations in English: how to invite, accept and decline politely.

Grammar
Inviting with Would you like to…? or Do you want to…?, accepting with I'd love to!, and a polite no with a reason in the present continuous: Sorry, I can't. I'm working that day.
Topic
The Fourth of July in Bristol, Rhode Island, whose celebration people call the oldest in the country, and the American cookout, with words such as side dish, lawn chair and sparkler.
Activities
A cookout invitation to read, two listenings (a campsite dialogue and a viewer's message), self-checking drills, a chat invitation from Marco and open boxes.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Fire up the grill!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: a Fourth of July cookoutVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: you're invited!

    • Look at the photo: the Fourth of July in a small townPictureUnlock
    • Read the invitationReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: see you on Saturday!

    • Listen to Nora and RafaelListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to Susan's questionListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: I'd love to!

    • Study the scheme: invite, accept, refuseGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: say no politely with the present continuousFill in the gapsTry it
    • Drag the words into the gaps: invitations at the campgroundDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: are you free on Saturday?

    • Choose the right replies: an invitation from MarcoChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: are you free?Open the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps with the words from the lessonFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Sort the words into the correct columnsSort into columnsUnlock
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the table: say no politelyFill in the tableUnlock
    • Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: the friends' group chatChoose the optionUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: our answer to SusanDrag and dropUnlock

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Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • cookout
  • side dish
  • lawn chair
  • corn on the cob
  • sparkler
  • spatula
  • campsite

Grammar: making, accepting and refusing invitations

An invitation in English is a polite question with a few fixed answers: Would you like to come? I'd love to! Sorry, I can't. Around a Fourth of July cookout, learners invite with Would you like to…? or Do you want to…?, accept warmly, and turn invitations down politely, with a reason in the present continuous.

Would you like to come? I'd love to!

Invite with Would you like to…? or Do you want to…?, say yes with I'd love to!, and say no politely with a reason.

Inviting: Would you like to…? and Do you want to…?

Both questions take to + the base verb: Would you like to come to our cookout? Do you want to join us for the fireworks? Would you like to…? sounds more polite, and Are you free on Saturday? checks the day first.

StartExample
Would you like to + verb …?Would you like to come to our cookout?
Do you want to + verb …?Do you want to join us for the fireworks?
Are you free on + day?Are you free on Saturday?

Accepting: I'd love to!

I'd love to!, That sounds great! and Thanks for inviting me! all say yes. I'd is short for I would, and I'd love always takes to: I'd love to! or I'd love to come!, never I'd love! I'd love to come to! stops too early, too.

2. Answer

Accept 👍Refuse politely 🙏
I'd love to!Sorry, I can't. + a reason
That sounds great!I'd love to, but + a reason
Thanks for inviting me!Thanks for asking! Maybe next time!

I'd love to!

I'd = I would. After I'd love, say to: I'd love to! You can say more, too: I'd love to come! I'd love to come to your cookout! Don't stop after love or after come to. (Not: I'd love! Not: I'd love to come to!)

Saying no politely, with a reason

A bare No or No, I wouldn't sounds rude. Say Sorry, I can't or I'd love to, but…, then give the reason as a plan in the present continuous: I'm working that day. We're going to the beach. Close with Thanks for asking! or Maybe next time!

Be polite!

To say no, don't say just No or No, I wouldn't. It sounds rude. Say Sorry, I can't + a reason, then Thanks for asking! or Maybe next time! And it's always I can't (never: I don't can).

3. The reason: a plan (present continuous)

WhoRefuse politely
ISorry, I can't. I'm working that day.
youYou can't come? Oh, you're visiting your aunt.
he, she, itMarco can't. He's grilling. / Maya can't. She's filming. / The band can't. It's playing.
weSorry, we can't. We're going to the beach.
theyThey can't come. They're working on the Fourth.

The reason is a plan

Your reason is a plan for that day, so use the present continuous: I'm working that day. We're visiting my grandma on Saturday. It sounds better than the present simple (I work that day).

Can't, never don't can

Two more slips: Would you like come? drops the to, and Sorry, I don't can should be Sorry, I can't, because can never takes do or don't. The campground examples put the moves together, a ranger's polite no among them.

Common mistakes

  • I'd love!

    I'd love to!

    I'd love + to

  • Would you like come?

    Would you like to come?

    like to + verb

  • Sorry, I don't can.

    Sorry, I can't.

    can't, never don't can

  • No, I wouldn't.

    Sorry, I can't. I'm working that day.

    polite: sorry + a reason

At the campground

  • Rafael: Would you like to come to our cookout?
  • Nora: We'd love to! Thanks for inviting us.
  • Rafael: Do you want to bring a side dish?
  • Nora: Sure! Would you like some help at the grill?
  • Ranger: Sorry, I can't. I'm working that day. Maybe next time!
  • Kelly: That sounds great! I'd love to come!

Try the invitations exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 17 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • invite someone with Would you like to…?, Do you want to…? or Are you free on Saturday?
  • accept warmly: I'd love to! That sounds great! Thanks for inviting me!
  • say no politely with a reason in the present continuous: I'd love to, but I'm working that day. Maybe next time!
  • keep the to in I'd love to and Would you like to come?, and say I can't, never I don't can

Lesson 29 opens Traditions we love, the last unit of English A2.2 · Curious Minds, in which learners explain a tradition and invite others to join in. It builds on A2.1 lesson 11, where Would you like…? offered food at a diner, and on A2.1 lesson 22, the present continuous for arrangements, which now gives the reason behind a polite no. The invitation asks for an answer by Thursday, so every reader has a real yes or no to give.

Students spin a wheel of questions about eating outside, fireworks and saying no to a party, then learn ten words, from grill, accept and refuse to spatula and campsite, with pictures and audio. They read a neighbor's invitation to a Fourth of July cookout, which also mentions the Bristol parade, then hear Nora accept it for her friends (an AI-voiced dialogue) and a viewer ask what a cookout is, with a challenge to collect three yeses. Four drills then practice inviting, accepting and refusing, with feedback on every answer, including a gap-fill of reasons for saying no. In the speaking chapter, students answer Marco's invitation in a chat, then open boxes that ask them to invite, accept or say no.

The nine homework tasks all check themselves: a word match, an anagram and a word gap-fill, a sort of cookout words, a choice of forms, a table of polite refusals for every person, word order, the friends' group chat and an answer to the viewer to complete.

Grammar:
invitations · Would you like to…? · Do you want to…? · I'd love to! · Sorry, I can't + present continuous
Topic:
Fourth of July · cookouts · Bristol, Rhode Island · fireworks · long weekend · Curious Minds

Teaching tips

  • Run an invitation mingle: each student invites three classmates to a real weekend plan, and every answer must be I'd love to! or Sorry, I can't + a reason, such as I'm visiting my aunt.
  • Before the reading, ask what guests bring to a party. Students then find what the invitation asks for (a side dish or a dessert, and a blanket) and who is welcome.
  • Play the campsite dialogue for the answers: students note each invitation and whether the reply accepts or says no, then check as you read the transcript aloud.
  • Ban the bare no: when a student turns down an invitation with just No, the class prompts Sorry, I can't…, and the student adds a reason and Maybe next time!

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The whole course: English A2.2 · Curious Minds

32 lessons that pick up where English A2.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present perfect to used to, have to and relative clauses. Eight units cover nature, tech at home, heroes, healthy habits, fashion, school, animals and traditions. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Wonders of nature

    the present perfect with ever and never, been to, superlatives with I've ever, articles with place names

    1. Lesson 1Have you ever seen the sky dance?The present perfect for experiences
    2. Lesson 2Have you been to the Grand Canyon?Present perfect vs past simple
    3. Lesson 3The longest cave in the worldSuperlatives with the present perfect
    4. Lesson 4The first national parkArticles with place names

  2. Unit 2 Clever tech at home

    the present perfect with just, already and yet, phrasal verbs, subject and object questions

    1. Lesson 5The chocolate bar that meltedThe present perfect with just
    2. Lesson 6Has my lunch arrived yet?Already and yet with the present perfect
    3. Lesson 7Turn it on, turn it offPhrasal verbs with it and them
    4. Lesson 8The girl who tests waterSubject and object questions

  3. Unit 3 Everyday heroes

    the past continuous, when and while, adjective order, story linkers

    1. Lesson 9When the pager beepsThe past continuous with was and were
    2. Lesson 10The man who planted apple treesPast continuous and past simple with when and while
    3. Lesson 11What's in the lost and found?The order of adjectives
    4. Lesson 12The dogs who saved NomeStory linkers

  4. Unit 4 Healthy and happy habits

    will for predictions, the zero and first conditionals, so do I and neither do I

    1. Lesson 13Why does school start later in California?Will and won't for predictions, decisions and offers
    2. Lesson 14Brain freeze!The zero conditional for facts
    3. Lesson 15Doctor's orders: go to the park!The first conditional with if and will
    4. Lesson 16Walking in the mall at 7 a.m.Agreeing with So do I and Neither do I

  5. Unit 5 Style through time

    used to, didn't use to, made of and made from, still and not anymore

    1. Lesson 17Why did everyone use to wear a hat?Used to for past habits and states
    2. Lesson 18Jeans used to be work clothesUsed to in negatives and questions
    3. Lesson 19Quilts made from old clothesMade of, made from and made by
    4. Lesson 20Cowboy boots, still made by handStill, not anymore and no longer

  6. Unit 6 School in America

    have to, must and mustn't, be allowed to, had to

    1. Lesson 21Do you have to wear a uniform?Have to and don't have to for rules
    2. Lesson 22Stop for the yellow bus!Must, mustn't and don't have to
    3. Lesson 23A class trip to the SmithsonianBe allowed to and can for permission
    4. Lesson 24One room, one teacher, every gradeHad to and didn't have to for past duties

  7. Unit 7 Amazing animals

    relative clauses with which, that, who and where, look and sound + adjective, adjectives with prepositions

    1. Lesson 25The bird that copies car alarmsRelative clauses with which and that
    2. Lesson 26Alligators and crocodiles togetherWho, which, that and where in relative clauses
    3. Lesson 27Sailors thought it was a mermaidLook, sound and feel as linking verbs
    4. Lesson 28Beagles at the airportAdjectives with prepositions

  8. Unit 8 Traditions we love

    invitations, will vs going to, so and such, one and ones

    1. Lesson 29 · you're hereCome to our cookout!Making, accepting and refusing invitations
    2. Lesson 30Is spring going to come early?Will vs going to for the future
    3. Lesson 31From turnips to pumpkinsSo and such for emphasis
    4. Lesson 32Giant balloons over ManhattanOne and ones in place of a noun

Questions about this lesson

How do you use "Would you like to" to invite someone?
Use Would you like to + the base verb for a polite invitation: Would you like to come to our cookout? Would you like to watch the fireworks? Keep the to, because Would you like come? is wrong. Answer with I'd love to! or Sorry, I can't. In the A2 lesson Come to our cookout! on edio.ai, a neighbor's invitation card asks Would you like to join us for a cookout?
How do you decline an invitation politely?
Decline with Sorry, I can't, a reason and a thank-you: Sorry, I can't. I'm working that day. Thanks for asking! I'd love to, but… sounds even warmer: I'd love to, but we're visiting my grandma on Saturday. Give the reason as a plan in the present continuous, and end with Maybe next time! A bare No, or No, I wouldn't, sounds rude.
What does "I'd love to" mean?
I'd love to means yes, I really want to, and it's the warmest way to accept an invitation: Would you like to come? I'd love to! I'd is short for I would, and the to stands for the verb, so I'd love to come! is fine too. Never stop after love: I'd love! is wrong. The chat in edio.ai's Come to our cookout! offers I'd love! as a wrong reply.
How do you accept an invitation in English?
Accept with I'd love to! or That sounds great!, then thank the person and ask what you need to know: Thanks for inviting me! What time does it start? For a group, say We'd love to! Two small words need care: That sounds great keeps its -s, and Thanks for inviting me takes the -ing form after for, not Thanks for invite me.
What are common invitations in English?
Most invitations in English start with one of three openers: polite Would you like to…?, casual Do you want to…? and Are you free on…?, which checks the day first. Do you want to come to the parade with us? Are you free on Saturday? A written invitation adds the details: the card in Come to our cookout!, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, lists when, where and what to bring.
What's the difference between "Would you like" and "Would you like to"?
Would you like + a noun offers something, while Would you like to + a verb invites someone to do something. Would you like some help at the grill? is an offer. Would you like to come to our cookout? is an invitation. The answers differ as well: Yes, please takes an offer, and I'd love to! accepts an invitation.
Is it "I don't can" or "I can't"?
It's always I can't, never I don't can: can makes its own negative, with no do. Sorry, I can't. I'm working that day. She can't come. Questions follow the same rule: Can you come?, not Do you can come? A drill in Come to our cookout!, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, sets don't can and not can as traps beside can't.
What's the difference between a cookout and a barbecue?
A cookout and a barbecue are often the same thing: an open-air party with food from the grill. A cookout usually means burgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob, and guests often bring a side dish or a dessert. Barbecue has a second meaning, though: meat cooked slowly over smoke. So We're having a cookout on Saturday always means a party, while I love barbecue usually means the food.
How do I teach invitations to A2 students?
Teach the three moves in order: invite, accept, refuse, with one fixed phrase for each: Would you like to…?, I'd love to! and Sorry, I can't. I'm… Then let students invite each other to real plans, so every no needs a true reason. Come to our cookout! on edio.ai takes the same path, from an invitation and a dialogue to the scheme, the drills, a chat and open boxes.
What's a good game for practicing invitations?
A three-yeses challenge works well: each student invites classmates to something fun, the first to collect three yeses wins, and every no must come with a reason. Open-the-box prompts keep it going, such as Your partner invites you. Accept. or Say no politely: Sorry, I can't. I'm… In this lesson, the challenge comes from a viewer's voice message, and one of the boxes brings it into class.
What's good homework for practicing invitations?
Good homework drills the polite no for every person: Sorry, I can't. I'm working that day. My sister can't come. She's babysitting our cousins. Add gap-fills of the invitation phrases and word order. Nine homework tasks in edio.ai's A2 lesson Come to our cookout! check themselves, from cookout-word games to a table of refusals and a group chat in which students choose each form.
Are there interactive exercises for invitations?
Yes: chats and gap-fills that check each reply let learners practice invitations with instant feedback. This page plays four parts of Come to our cookout!, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, without an account: a neighbor's cookout invitation, a dialogue in which Nora accepts it, a gap-fill of polite refusals in the present continuous, and a chat in which Marco invites the student. The other exercises are locked.
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