B1 · Invitations, Declines and Alternatives
Two-Time-Slot Plan After a Team Dinner Conflict
- CEFR level:
- B1
- Sentences:
- 12
- Duration:
- 1 min
- Speakers:
- Tom & Emma
"Two-Time-Slot Plan After a Team Dinner Conflict" is a B1-level English conversation about invitations, declines and alternatives, 12 lines long (about 1 minute) between Tom & Emma. Read the full script below with the translation next to each line, then try speaking one of the roles out loud.
Dialogue script
Each entry shows the English sentence first, with the translation on the line below it. To practise speaking, cover the translation and repeat after the audio.
- Line 1Tom 0:00
Our team dinner clashes with two parents' pickup schedules.
- Line 2Emma 0:03
What times are causing the biggest conflict?
- Line 3Tom 0:06
Six is too early for some, yet eight is too late for others.
- Line 4Emma 0:11
Then one fixed slot may exclude people unfairly.
- Line 5Tom 0:15
I assumed everyone could adjust once, but that wasn't realistic.
- Line 6Emma 0:19
Right, and people heard it as "attendance matters more than family."
- Line 7Tom 0:24
First proposal: split into 6:15 and 8:00 seating windows.
- Line 8Emma 0:29
Alternative proposal: one early dinner plus optional dessert meetup later.
- Line 9Tom 0:34
Let's run a quick poll and lock whichever gets wider participation.
- Line 10Emma 0:38
I'll draft the poll with clear deadlines and seating limits.
- Line 11Tom 0:42
If responses tie, we'll choose the two-slot arrangement.
- Line 12Emma 0:46
Good, then no one feels punished for real-life constraints.
Native audio, line-by-line recording and pronunciation scoring for this dialogue are in the EngTalk app.
Key vocabulary
Content words from this dialogue, ranked by the CEFR level at which they appear across the whole 500-dialogue library. Function words and proper nouns are excluded.
- biggest /ˈbɪɡəst/ adjective
largest in size or extent
- exclude /ɪkˈsklud/ verb
leave someone or something out
- assumed /əˈsumd/ verb
accepted as true without proof; taken on
- matters /ˈmætərz/ noun
subjects, problems, or things of importance
- proposal /prəˈpoʊzəl/ noun
a suggested plan or offer
- split /splɪt/ verb; noun; adjective
to divide; a division; divided
- alternative /ɔlˈtɜrnətɪv/ noun
one of two or more available possibilities
- optional /ˈɑpʃənəl/ adjective
available as a choice but not required.
- participation /pɑrˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/ noun
the act of taking part in something
- limits /ˈlɪmɪts/ noun
the greatest amounts or levels allowed
- arrangement /əˈreɪndʒmənt/ noun
a plan or way of organizing something
- punished /ˈpʌnɪʃt/ verb, adjective
given a penalty for wrongdoing