Have you been to an event that was important to the person who invited you?
Did you want to let the person know that you appreciated the invite in English?
Do you want to say the right thing to thank them and end on a positive note?
Today we are going to be talking about how to respond to someone when says thank you for coming to an important event.
The question in this letter helps to highlight this situation.
Hi Lindsay!
My name is Elen Athas and I have lived in New York for over a decade. I enjoy listening to your podcast every day. I have a quick question for you.
Yesterday, I went to my daughter’s basketball game and her coach told me, “thank you for coming.” I didn’t know how to respond and I said,” thank you.” This however felt like it wasn’t the correct answer.
Any suggestions?
Best regards,
Elen
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The Right Phrase For The Right Conversation
There is much to talk about when it comes to this subject of saying thank you and responding to someone who is saying thank you to you.
Can you say you’re welcome in this situation?
You can but it would be a little bit strange in this context.
This is where you want to be very clear on the way in which you are using it so that it is conveyed properly.
There Are Various Options
As with so many other phrases, there are times when you want other options.
You may wish to have something more personal or situational to say, and that’s where these options come in.
- It’s my pleasure! This shows the other person that it was truly a pleasure for you to attend their event. It was a positive experience and therefore you want to let them know that. It leaves the person feeling really good!
- I wouldn’t have missed it (for the world): This says so much because it basically tells them that you would never miss this event. It tells this person that their event was really and truly important to you.
- Are you kidding? (a little unique): It almost borders on sarcastic but it shows them that you wouldn’t miss being there. This event was so important that not being there wasn’t even a consideration.
These phrases all work just as well to say thank you for something that is event based.
This leaves things on a positive note so that you can maintain that connection in English.
Adding In A Follow Up Compliment Works
The phrases are all great as a follow up, but you can take it a step further.
You can add in something positive as a follow up.
This not only shows that you appreciate the invitation, but also that you want to share a positive observation with them too.
You could take a phrase from above and then add on a personal compliment to that.
It may help to customize this in the actual situation, but here are a few examples to demonstrate how it can work.
- “This team is great, my daughter loves having you as her coach. Thank you!”
- “It’s so much fun to watch these games.”
- “This was a lot of fun, thank you for having me.”
- “You really know how to throw a party, thank you for including us.”
This is about connecting and showing the other person that you really enjoyed yourself and that this event is important to you.
Takeaway
Using phrases like “thank you” and “you’re welcome” can change depending on the situation.
There are general ways to say you’re welcome but then there are more specific ones to remember.
Today we covered events–it’s important to show that you enjoyed yourself and to show that to the person who invited you or asked you to come.
This is another way to work at and strengthen connections in English with native speakers.
If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.
We’ll get back to you as soon as wee can.
