A team event notice in four lines
A notice for a team lunch or an after-work event answers four questions: what, when, where, and what you want people to do. Put each answer on its own line.
If people meet first somewhere else, add a separate line: “Meet in reception at 12:20.” Keep the meeting point and the event place apart, so nobody waits in the wrong room.
- Event: “Team lunch”
- Day and time: “Friday at 12:30”
- Place: “Staff cafeteria, ground floor”
- Question: “Would you like to come?”
Inviting a colleague: “Would you like to…?”
To invite one person, use “Would you like to” and a verb: “Would you like to have lunch on Friday?” It is polite and friendly. With colleagues you know well, “Do you want to join us?” is fine too; to check first, ask “Are you free on Friday?”
Below, one colleague is busy at twelve, so they choose a later time. Listen, then take one role.
Maya Would you like to have lunch on Friday?
Owen I'd love to, but I'm busy at twelve.
Maya How about twelve thirty?
Owen Yes, that would be nice.
Maya Great. See you in reception at twelve thirty.
Owen See you then.
Saying yes, or saying no with a new time
A yes can be very short. A polite no has three parts: something positive, a short reason and, if possible, another time.
- Yes: “I’d love to.” / “Yes, that would be nice.” / “Sounds great! See you there.”
- No, with a reason: “I’d love to, but I’m busy at twelve.” / “Sorry, I have a meeting then.”
- A new time: “How about twelve thirty?” / “What about Thursday?”
- No new time: “Maybe next time!”
Days and times: “on Friday at 12:30”
Use “on” with days and “at” with clock times. Day names take a capital letter. With “next”, “this” and “tomorrow”, use no preposition: “next Friday”.
Say 12:30 as “twelve thirty” or “half past twelve”. “O’clock” is only for full hours: “at eight o’clock”. Listen for the stress in 3:15 and 3:50: “three fifTEEN”, “three FIFty”.
Maya Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Owen At eight o'clock. At ten forty-five. At twelve thirty. At five thirty.
Maya Lunch is on Friday at twelve thirty.
Owen Can you meet on Tuesday at three fifteen?
Who can come? “Can” and “can’t”
“Can” helps you plan who comes and who does what. It never changes (“I can”, “she can”), and the verb after it has no “to”. Short answers repeat it: “Yes, I can.” / “No, I can’t.” In a sentence, “can” is short and weak, while “can’t” is longer and stressed.
- “Can you come on Friday?” – “Yes, I can.”
- “I can bring the drinks.”
- “Can you play tennis?” – “No, I can’t. But I can cook Italian food.”
Common mistakes
People will understand you, but these stand out:
- “Do you like to have lunch on Friday?” “Do you like” asks about tastes (“Do you like Italian food?”). To invite: “Would you like to…?”
- “Yes, I’d love.” Keep “to” at the end: “I’d love to.”
- “in Friday”, “on 12:30”. Days take “on”, clock times take “at”.
- “at twelve thirty o’clock”. “O’clock” is only for full hours.
- Just “No.” Add a short reason and, if possible, another time.
A 10-minute daily practice routine
Practise out loud, with your own calendar.
- 3 minutes: write a notice for a real or invented team event and read it out loud.
- 2 minutes: say the seven days in order, then five appointments from your calendar: “on Tuesday at three fifteen”.
- 3 minutes: play the conversation, repeat each line, then say no in your own words and suggest Thursday.
- 2 minutes: answer your own notice twice: once yes, once no with a new time.
What comes next
Next, write a short work email with four numbered steps. Then request a meeting, accept or decline it, and confirm the final date. At A2, write a follow-up email after meeting a new business contact.