Inviting yourself - Spotlight Online

GREEN LIGHT | Get writing
Inviting yourself
VANESSA CLARK helps you to write letters, e-mails and more in English.
This month: how to invite yourself to stay with a friend.
I’m coming to Liverpool!
[email protected]
CC...
Subject:
I’m coming to Liverpool!
Hi Kiera
How are you? I hope you remember me, your former colleague from Switzerland.
You very kindly said I could come and stay with you next time I’m in Liverpool.
Love
Trudi
s
•The words very kindly (freundlicherweise) are quite
polite, as in these examples: “You very kindly invited
me” or “You very kindly offered...”
•A spare room is an extra bedroom for guests.
•To check, ask: Would it be OK to...? or “Is it OK if I...?”
•If you’re not sure how long you want to stay, you can
say, “a couple of days” (ein paar Tage), “a short visit” or
a few days.
Use it!
Highlight the key words and phrases that you would use if
you needed to write an e-mail like this yourself .
convenient [kEn(vi:niEnt]
former [(fO:mE]
Switzerland [(swItsElEnd]
6
Spotlight 10|14
passend, gelegen
früher, ehemalig
Schweiz
T ip
Fotos: Alamy; iStock
I’m coming to Liverpool next month, and I’d love to see you. Do you still have your spare room?
Would it be OK to stay with you for a few days? If it isn’t convenient, I can go to a hotel. No problem.
Culture corner | GREEN LIGHT
I like... The Archers
Jeden Monat stellt ein Redakteur
etwas Besonderes aus der
englischsprachigen Welt vor.
Diesen Monat präsentiert
Chefredakteurin INEZ SHARP ihre
Lieblingsradiosendung.
What it is
Why I like it
Every weekday and on Sundays, five million
Brits listen to BBC Radio 4’s 15-minute drama,
The Archers. At the heart of the programme
is the Archer family. Called an “everyday story
of country folk”, the action takes place in the
fictional village of Ambridge. When the show
started in 1950, the focus was on farming life,
but the stories have expanded to cover topics
such as drugs and crime. A lot of the actors
have been with the series for many years —
the actor Norman Painting played Phil Archer
for 59 years.
I have listened to The Archers for so long that
David and Ruth Archer sound as familiar to
me as my own family. When I moved to the
Far East in 1989, I could not listen to the
programme. In shock, I called the BBC World
Service. The nice lady on the phone told me:
“There isn’t much interest in Ambridge in
Asia.” When I came back to Europe, I was so
happy I created my own dance to the famous
theme tune. Does that sound as if I’m not
interested in the lives of the country folk of
Ambridge? I am, of course, but a lot of what
happens is like comforting background noise,
so if I miss something important, I can ask
one of my English friends. They all listen, too.
Fun facts
•Many of the actors in the series have
other jobs. Felicity Finch, who plays
Ruth Archer, is also a reporter for the
BBC.
•The tempo of the theme tune has been
used to teach doctors in England the
rhythm needed for cardiopulmonary
resuscitation.
•Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is one of
many famous people who have been
in the series.
background [(bÄkgraUnd]
cardiopulmonary
resuscitation
[)kA:diEU)pVlmEnEri
ri)sVsI(teIS&n]
comforting [(kVmfEtIN]
country folk [(kVntri fEUk]
Hintergrund
Herz-LungenWiederbelebung
beruhigend,
tröstlich
Landleute, Landbevölkerung
create [kri(eIt]
crime [kraIm]
expand [Ik(spÄnd]
familiar [fE(mIliE]
fictional [(fIkS&nEl]
take place [teIk (pleIs]
theme tune [(Ti:m tju:n]
topic [(tQpIk]
erschaffen,
kreieren
Verbrechen
weiterentwickeln
bekannt, vertraut
fiktiv, frei erfunden
stattfinden
Titelmelodie
Thema