Listen to this conversation between a British woman and her American guest in this free English listening lesson from Oxford Online English. You’ll hear some useful phrases to make and respond to offers in English. This lesson is for pre-intermediate learners.
Listen to the dialogue at normal speed here:
or listen to a slower version here:
Woman: Hi! Come in, come in, have a seat1.
Man: Thanks.
Woman: Can I get you anything to eat?
Man: Er2… No, thanks. I just ate.
Woman: How about a pear3? They’re really good right now.
Man: I’m sure they are, but I don’t eat much fruit…
Woman: Or would you like a biscuit? Chocolate chip—they’re really tasty4!
Man: You’re very kind, but I’m really not hungry5, thank you.
Woman: Tea or coffee?
Man: What?
Woman: Do you want a cup of tea or coffee?
Man: Erm2… Well…
Woman: Or, what about just a glass of water? You can’t say no to that!
Man: Okay, sure, I can have a glass of water.
Woman: Here you go6.
Man:Thanks. You’re a very good host7.
Woman: Oh, thanks. Nobody’s ever come up to my flat before …
Man: Really?
The exercises below are designed to teach you some of the language and then test your understanding. These vocabulary notes are about words that are not included in the exercises.
1. Have a seat = sit down (informal)
2. Er/Erm = something you say when you are thinking about what to say.
3. A pear is a type of green fruit.
4. Tasty = nice to eat
5. Hungry = when you need to eat something
6. Here you go = something you say when you give something to someone.
7. A host is someone who invites guests to his/her home.
Having a Guest in Your Home – exercise 1
Listening skill: multi-tasking as you listen
In some official English listening exams, you have to do two tasks at the same time. This exercise is a basic practice of this.
Read five quotes from the dialogue (A-E) and do the two tasks. Do as much as you can the first time you listen.
Having a Guest in Your Home – exercise 2
Vocabulary: offering things
In the dialogue, the woman offers the man things to eat and drink. She does this using a number of different structures for making polite suggestions and offers.
Listen to the recording again and concentrate on what the woman says. Put the words of her offers in the same order that she says them.
Having a Guest in Your Home – exercise 3
Vocabulary and Pronunciation: British and American English
The woman in the recording is British and the man is American. Their conversation includes language that would sound different if the other person said it.
Listen to five excerpts from the dialogue, plus the same sentences recorded by the other speaker. Then, answer a question about the difference each time.
Having a Guest in Your Home – exercise 4
Comprehension: writing short answers
Now that you have studied the language of the conversation, answer five questions about it.
You should write the number of words indicated each time. It’s not necessary to write full sentences.
