Benjamin’s English · engVid | Giving Excuses: How to say NO in English @engvidBenjamin | Uploaded October 2018 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
Have you ever had to refuse a friend's request or suggestion? How did that make you feel? It is difficult to find the right words to say "no" and then explain why. However, you can prepare yourself with strategies and the right phrases to make it easier. In this lesson, I will teach you how to express your excuses so that you sound firm and confident, but without being too rude or hurtful. I will show you ways to begin your sentences that are polite yet assertive so you will never feel cornered again. Then, test your understanding with the quiz at engvid.com/how-to-say-no-in-english .
TRANSCRIPT
Hi there, and welcome back to engVid. Today's lesson is a conversational one. We're looking at different excuses that we could use to say no to something that we don't want to be involved with. Who's this for? Well, today's lesson is accessible, so I would say at beginners, those looking to gain a little bit more confidence with their vocabulary.
Okay, so today's situation: I have a friend called Rideon who likes coming up with some pretty silly ideas some of the time. He's a fantastic guy, but what he said is: "Benjamin, Benjamin, would you like to get involved with my new idea? I'm going to be starting a business making inflatable pumpkins. I think it will be great for people at parties to hold the inflatable pumpkins, and a bit of decoration at home."
Now, my immediate reaction to this is like: "No, no, no, Rideon. I don't want to do this." So, I'm going to really sort of try and bowl him over. "Bowl him over", to sort of knock the idea flat by listing some pretty strong reasons to say no. I expect he'll then come back and say: "But Benjamin, Benjamin, haven't you thought about this?" and I'll cut him off, I'll say: "No", and these are going to be my ways of just going... Cutting him off once he returns the argument.
But this is... This is really sort of the nuts and bolts. "The nuts and bolts", the main bits of my argument. So, I'm going to start off: "First of all", and then I can put his name. "First of all, Rideon"-so I'll just put R-"I can't imagine anyone spending money on that". Okay? So, I then list my reason here. "The main reason for my hesitancy"-the main reason for me to say no-"is that I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend money on something as silly as that. Secondly..." I know this is actually my third reason, but if it was my second reason, I could say: "Secondly..." If it is my third reason, I can say: "Thirdly..." Okay? So let's pop that up there for you as well.
Or I could just say: "Also..." Okay? That's another way of introducing a reason. "Also, who thinks that having an inflatable pumpkin in their living room looks aesthetically...? Looks beautiful to the eye?" Certainly not me. Okay? Then I go on, I want to introduce another idea: "Besides that..." So: "Besides that", next to, yeah? We can see at the side of someone, at someone's side. "Besides that", so the reason next to this. "Besides that, I don't want to have to think about this idea at the moment. I've got other priorities." I've got other priorities. It's a bit of a risk.
And then Rideon comes back to me and he says: "Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah, Benjamin, dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah, wonderful idea, wonderful idea", and I say: "Well, the thing is, Rideon, I'm going to have to stop you there. The thing is, Rideon, I'm a busy guy; I'm doing this, I'm doing that. I just can't get involved at this time. The thing is, Rideon, I just can't be involved."
And he talks back, and I come back to him by saying: "I just can't imagine the target audience. I just can't imagine: A) what this would sell for, and why they'd want to buy that. I guess what it comes down to... I guess what it comes down to..." So this is kind of a conclusion, here. This is like my end reason. "I guess what it comes down to is", and then you list your big reason. If I'm talking to Rideon about this: "I guess what it comes down to is it's the wrong time for me". "At the end of the day..." So, these are all ways of concluding. "At the end of the day, it's just a bit silly, Rideon". "I'd love to, I really would". This phrase here: "I really would" makes me sound sincere. It makes it sound as if I really believe what I'm saying. "I'd love to, I really would, but I think it's something you should do on your own. Why not give it a go?" Okay?
So, we've had a slightly silly story, but you have here lots of different ways in which you can be saying no to a suggestion that is put towards you. "First of all", put a reason. "The main reason... Secondly... Thirdly... Also... Besides that... The thing is..." Okay? Persuade them. Let them see the light of day. Let them see the truth. "I just can't imagine... I guess what it comes down to... At the end of the day... I'd love to, I really would, but..."
What I would love you to do right now is to give the quiz a go. See if you can get 10 out of 10. If you can, give yourself a pat on the back. […]
Have you ever had to refuse a friend's request or suggestion? How did that make you feel? It is difficult to find the right words to say "no" and then explain why. However, you can prepare yourself with strategies and the right phrases to make it easier. In this lesson, I will teach you how to express your excuses so that you sound firm and confident, but without being too rude or hurtful. I will show you ways to begin your sentences that are polite yet assertive so you will never feel cornered again. Then, test your understanding with the quiz at engvid.com/how-to-say-no-in-english .
TRANSCRIPT
Hi there, and welcome back to engVid. Today's lesson is a conversational one. We're looking at different excuses that we could use to say no to something that we don't want to be involved with. Who's this for? Well, today's lesson is accessible, so I would say at beginners, those looking to gain a little bit more confidence with their vocabulary.
Okay, so today's situation: I have a friend called Rideon who likes coming up with some pretty silly ideas some of the time. He's a fantastic guy, but what he said is: "Benjamin, Benjamin, would you like to get involved with my new idea? I'm going to be starting a business making inflatable pumpkins. I think it will be great for people at parties to hold the inflatable pumpkins, and a bit of decoration at home."
Now, my immediate reaction to this is like: "No, no, no, Rideon. I don't want to do this." So, I'm going to really sort of try and bowl him over. "Bowl him over", to sort of knock the idea flat by listing some pretty strong reasons to say no. I expect he'll then come back and say: "But Benjamin, Benjamin, haven't you thought about this?" and I'll cut him off, I'll say: "No", and these are going to be my ways of just going... Cutting him off once he returns the argument.
But this is... This is really sort of the nuts and bolts. "The nuts and bolts", the main bits of my argument. So, I'm going to start off: "First of all", and then I can put his name. "First of all, Rideon"-so I'll just put R-"I can't imagine anyone spending money on that". Okay? So, I then list my reason here. "The main reason for my hesitancy"-the main reason for me to say no-"is that I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend money on something as silly as that. Secondly..." I know this is actually my third reason, but if it was my second reason, I could say: "Secondly..." If it is my third reason, I can say: "Thirdly..." Okay? So let's pop that up there for you as well.
Or I could just say: "Also..." Okay? That's another way of introducing a reason. "Also, who thinks that having an inflatable pumpkin in their living room looks aesthetically...? Looks beautiful to the eye?" Certainly not me. Okay? Then I go on, I want to introduce another idea: "Besides that..." So: "Besides that", next to, yeah? We can see at the side of someone, at someone's side. "Besides that", so the reason next to this. "Besides that, I don't want to have to think about this idea at the moment. I've got other priorities." I've got other priorities. It's a bit of a risk.
And then Rideon comes back to me and he says: "Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah, Benjamin, dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah, wonderful idea, wonderful idea", and I say: "Well, the thing is, Rideon, I'm going to have to stop you there. The thing is, Rideon, I'm a busy guy; I'm doing this, I'm doing that. I just can't get involved at this time. The thing is, Rideon, I just can't be involved."
And he talks back, and I come back to him by saying: "I just can't imagine the target audience. I just can't imagine: A) what this would sell for, and why they'd want to buy that. I guess what it comes down to... I guess what it comes down to..." So this is kind of a conclusion, here. This is like my end reason. "I guess what it comes down to is", and then you list your big reason. If I'm talking to Rideon about this: "I guess what it comes down to is it's the wrong time for me". "At the end of the day..." So, these are all ways of concluding. "At the end of the day, it's just a bit silly, Rideon". "I'd love to, I really would". This phrase here: "I really would" makes me sound sincere. It makes it sound as if I really believe what I'm saying. "I'd love to, I really would, but I think it's something you should do on your own. Why not give it a go?" Okay?
So, we've had a slightly silly story, but you have here lots of different ways in which you can be saying no to a suggestion that is put towards you. "First of all", put a reason. "The main reason... Secondly... Thirdly... Also... Besides that... The thing is..." Okay? Persuade them. Let them see the light of day. Let them see the truth. "I just can't imagine... I guess what it comes down to... At the end of the day... I'd love to, I really would, but..."
What I would love you to do right now is to give the quiz a go. See if you can get 10 out of 10. If you can, give yourself a pat on the back. […]
