Refusals · Difficulty 2
“I’m fine” after already having eaten
The stated reason narrows “fine” to declining an additional snack.
Scene archive
Read fictional conversations about invitations, refusals and requests. Compare four replies, their clues and how another context changes the reading.
Matching scenes: 40
Praise · Difficulty 3
Good flavour and too much food can coexist
The reason for leaving food concerns the speaker’s capacity, not its taste.
Invitations · Difficulty 3
Starting the meal before a late guest arrives
The speaker explicitly allows the meal to begin before their own arrival.
Requests · Difficulty 3
Asking for a cold dish to be warmed
The guest points to the cold food and asks for it to be warmed.
Refusals · Difficulty 4
Clarifying an ambiguous “fine, thank you”
The scene explicitly says the waiter cannot tell acceptance from refusal.
Public places · Difficulty 1
Turning down the television at night
The request names both a time and an action, matching the stated problem of late-night noise.
Public places · Difficulty 1
Keeping a shared corridor passable
The requested result is space for people to pass, rather than a different appearance for the stored objects.
Public places · Difficulty 2
Why ask when construction will finish?
The resident is planning a meeting and needs to know when construction will finish.
Public places · Difficulty 2
Moving the flowerpot further inside
Its current position protruding onto the pavement provides the reference point for “inside.”
Requests · Difficulty 2
A gentle opening can still contain a deadline
The speaker reduces immediate pressure but separately specifies return by the weekend.
Public places · Difficulty 3
Checking the rule when memories differ
Asking the manager offers a way to check the rule without deciding whose memory is right.
Public places · Difficulty 3
A considerate opening followed by the collection day
The speaker allows for an incomplete explanation, then supplies the practical correction: Wednesday.
