Recommendations and Invitations for Visitors

Recommendations and invitations for visitors review

Choose one of the categories in the big list below and recommend something of that kind to your partner and/ or invite them to do it together (as your teacher tells you to). Your partner will listen, maybe ask for more details, then react positively or negatively (as they think a foreign visitor would react). Switch roles and do the same until your teacher stops you.

Ask about any categories below which you don’t understand or can’t think of recommendations for, discussing suitable recommendations as a class each time.

Recommend things below for a foreign visitor to try. Your partner will pretend they know nothing about that thing and keep asking for explanation until they think they would understand what you are talking about. They will then accept or politely reject your recommendation, depending on what they think a foreign guest would do.

Suggested follow-up questions (I’m afraid I’ve never heard of…/ I’ve heard of… but I’m not sure what it is.) What is…? Is it like…? Is it a kind of…? Where…? Why do you recommend… (for me)?

Ask about anything you below you don’t understand, can’t think of examples of, etc, working together to think of suitable examples to recommend each time.  

Find or think of at least example of each category on the next two pages.

 

The big list of things for recommendations and invitations

• abbey/ convent/ monastery
• (budget/ no frills/ international/ national carrier) airline
• alley(s)/ alleyway(s)/ backstreet(s) (of…)
• amusement arcade/ video arcade
• amusement park/ theme park
• (self-catering/ serviced) apartment/ (self-catering) flat
• aquarium
• (modern/ iconic/ traditional) architecture
• autumn leaves
• B&B
• backpackers/ (youth) hostel
• banquet
• (sports/ cocktail/ theme/ Ninja-themed/ hostess/ karaoke/ cigar/ geisha/ noodle/ sushi/ conveyor-belt sushi/ Okinawan/ tapas) bar
• bar hopping/ pub crawl
• big wheel (= Ferris wheel)
• billiards/ pool/ snooker
• (cherry/ plum) blossom
• (rowing) boats
• (guide/ travel/ phrase) books/ (international) bookshop (district)
• (ten pin) bowling
• (business/ English) breakfast
• (pedestrian/ suspension) bridge
• (shuttle/ long-distance/ local/ highway/ tour/ hop on hop off/ open-topped/ double decker/ night) bus/ coach
• brunch
• (black/ radio) cab/ (shared) taxi
• cable car
• (maid/ 24 hour/ internet/ Jazz) café
• (historic/ former) capital
• (hire/ renta-) car/ (stretched/ hire) limousine
• castle/ fort
• cathedral/ chapel/ church/ mosque/ shrine/ synagogue
• CBD/ skyscraper district
• cemetery/ graveyard/ grave/ tomb
• (tea/ wedding/ coming of age) ceremony
• city hall/ town hall
• city walls
• (gentlemen’s/ private/ strip/ night/ country/ golf/ comedy/ jazz) club
• club(bing)/ disco
• (historic/ traditional) cottage/ house/ mansion/ birthplace of…/ home of…
• (picturesque/ quaint/ unspoilt) countryside/ village
• (international/ express) delivery
• dinner/ supper
• a drink (together)/ a couple of drinks/ a (quick) pint/ a (swift) half
• embassy (district)
• (temporary/ touring) exhibition (of…)
• (car) ferry (route)
• (summer/ traditional/ music/ local/ regional/ ice/ winter) festival
• (public/ riverside) fireworks (display)
• (balloon/ helicopter/ sightseeing) flight
• forest/ wood
• (contemporary art/ modern art/ art/ National) gallery
• gambling (poker, casino, pachinko, slot machines, mah-jong, etc)
• (baseball/ ice hockey) game/ (football/ American football/ rugby/ cricket) match
• (rock/ public/ botanical/ traditional/ Japanese/ beer) garden/ (national/ sculpture) park
• (city/ ceremonial/ temple) gate
• (crazy) golf
• (tour/ official/ volunteer) guide
• (pedestrianized/ covered/ traditional/ trendy) high street/ main street/ shopping street
• hill/ mountain (range/ peak)/ slope/ volcano
• hot springs
• (capsule/ five star/ business/ resort) hotel
• (fox/ bear/ deer/ wild boar/ big game) hunting
• (artificial/ man-made) island
• karaoke (booth/ bar/ night)
• karting/ go karting
• listings (magazines/ websites/ apps)
• (late/ light) lunch
• mainland
• manor house/ stately home
• (antiques/ fish/ flea/ flower/ farmers/ street/ night/ covered/ indoor/ outdoor) market
• meeting spot
• (war) memorial/ monument
• monorail
• motel
• (industrial/ science/ natural history/ anthropological/ transport/ local history) museum
• music venue
• musical
• nightlife (area)
• (emperor’s/ summer) palace
• (Lord Mayor’s/ carnival/ Easter/ gay pride) parade/ procession
• parliament (building)/ diet/ senate/ house of representatives
• (house/ welcome/ retirement/ product launch/ street) party
• photo spots
• picnic (together)
• pilgrimage (spot)
• (indoor/ heated/ open-air/ Olympic size/ 25-metre/ hotel) pool/ poolside (party)
• (Japanese-style/ local/ English/ Irish) pub
• public baths
• (boat/ cycle/ dog/ horse/ F1/ grand prix/ rally) races
• red light district
• (changing of the guard) re-enactment
• (prime minister’s official/ president’s) residence
• (beach/ hot springs/ luxury/ ski/ exclusive) resort
• (halal/ vegan/ vegetarian/ barbecue/ Korean barbecue/ eat all you like/ buffet-style/ local/ traditional/ posh/ Thai/ Vietnamese/ trendy/ Michelin-starred/ famous) restaurant
• (cycle) rickshaw
• (ancient) ruins
• sailing/ yacht(ing)
• sauna
• (bronze) sculpture/ statue
• second city
• (clay pigeon) shooting/ shooting range
• (duty-free/ souvenir/ handicrafts/ second hand/ record/ book/ stationery/ electronics) shop/ (convenience/ department) store
• (traditional/ underground) shopping arcade/ shopping centre/ mall
• (cabaret/ dinner/ evening/ drag/ burlesque) show
• (Shinto/ roadside/ mountain) shrine
• (famous/ World Heritage) sights/ sightseeing spots/ photo spots
• ski slopes/ ski resort
• (night/ spectacular) skyline/ view
• skyscraper (viewing platform)
• slum/ shanty town
• souvenirs
• sport (squash, tennis, etc)
• (central/ town) square
• (sumo/ football/ baseball) stadium
• (street/ market/ food) stall
• street food
• streetcar/ tram
• (international) supermarkets/ (import/ specialist/ organic) food shops
• (afternoon/ cream/ high) tea
• team building exercise (paintball, Laser Quest, survival courses, etc)
• (Hindu/ Buddhist) temple
• (kabuki/ noh/ traditional/ national/ puppet) theatre/ opera house
• (season/ single/ one-way/ return/ round trip/ day return/ bargain) ticket (office)
• (factory/ guided/ bus/ open-topped bus/ hop on hop off/ sightseeing/ night) tour
• (clock) tower
• (bullet/ driverless/ express/ local/ steam/ commuter) train/ (funicular) railway
• (bus/ business/ day) trip
• waterfront (harbour, port, canal, river, stream, lake, pond, reservoir, pier, bay, moat)
• wildlife (birdwatching/ twitching, etc)
• water sports
• zoo/ safari park
• … flowers
• … peninsula
• … prefecture/ county
• … region
• … state
• … town/ Little … (e.g. Chinatown or Little Italy)
• … ward/ borough
• the … Islands

Specific things to explain during recommendations and invitations

• America’s Cup
• Angkor Wat
• Arc de Triomphe
• Aspen
• Ayutthaya
• Baden Baden
• Baedekers
• Bali
• banh mi
• Bellagio
• Berlitz
• Big Ben
• Blenheim
• Blue Note
• Bolshoi
• Bonfire Night/ Guy Fawkes Night
• Bonn
• Borobudur
• Burj Khalifa
• Camden
• Cappadocia
• Camp Nou
• Carrefour
• Cebu
• (The) Cenotaph
• Champs Elysees
• Chatsworth
• Chatuchak
• Chiang Mai
• Christ the Redeemer
• Colosseum
• Cotswolds
• Disney World
• doner kebab
• Dover – Calais
• Easy Jet
• Everest
• Fenway Park
• (the) Fourth of July
• (The) Forbidden City
• Fuji Rock
• full English
• Galeries Lafayette
• Giro d’Italia
• Glastonbury
• (The) Grand Bazaar
• (The) Guggenheim
• Hamley’s
• Harajuku/ Takeshita/ Omotesando/ Urahara
• Harrods
• Henley Regatta
• Highgate
• Himeji
• huevos rancheros
• Ise
• Isle of Wight
• Kabukicho
• Kabukiza
• Kamakura
• Kew Gardens
• Korail KTX
• Kowloon
• Kyoto
• La Scala
• Las Vegas Sands
• Legoland
• Lincoln Center
• (The) Little Mermaid
• Loch Ness
• London Eye
• Lonely Planet
• Lord’s
• Macy’s
• Manchester
• maneki neko
• MCG
• Meiji Jingu
• (The) Merlion
• MGM Grand
• Ministry of Sound
• MOMA
• Mont Blanc
• Mount Athos
• Nara
• New England fall
• Notre Dame
• Notting Hill
• Number 10/ Number 10 Downing Street
• Nürburgring
• Oakwood
• Okinawa
• Osaka
• (The) Oval
• Oxford Street
• Oyster Card
• Pacha
• Pamukkale
• Pere Lachaise
• Persian rug/ Turkish carpet
• Philadelphia
• Phuket
• Piazza San Marco
• Plaza Mayor
• Potala
• (The) Prado
• Redwood National Park
• (The) Reina Sophia
• Renfe AVE
• roast chestnuts
• The Rockies
• Ronnie Scott’s
• Rough Guide
• Russian dolls
• Ryan Air
• San Siro
• Sea World
• Shakespeare’s birthplace
• Shakespeare’s Globe
• Shaolin
• Silverstone
• Smithsonian
• Soho
• Soi Cowboy
• (The) Sphinx
• St Paul’s
• Taj Mahal
• TGV
• Tiananmen
• Time Out
• Titicaca
• Topkapi
• Tour de France
• Tsukiji
• (The) V&A/ The Victoria and Albert
• Versailles
• Walmart
• Wat Po
• We Will Rock You
• Wembley
• The White House
• Windermere
• Wrigley Field
• Yellowstone

 

Brainstorming stage

Choose one category below and work together to brainstorm as many examples of that thing as you can.

AND/ OR

Think of or find at least one example of each of these things:

• alley(s)/ alleyway(s)/ backstreet(s) (of…)
• amusement park/ theme park
• aquarium
• (place for) autumn leaves
• big wheel (= Ferris wheel)
• boat race
• botanical garden
• budget airline/ no frills airline
• bullet train
• casino
• castle
• cathedral
• cemetery/ graveyard
• ceremonial arch
• club/ disco
• cottage
• department store
• ferry (route)
• (summer/ traditional/ music/ local/ regional/ ice/ winter) festival
• fireworks display
• former capital
• (contemporary art/ modern art) gallery
• guide book/ travel book (series)
• hot springs
• (tropical/ resort) island
• lake
• listings magazine
• manor house/ stately home
• (antiques/ fish/ flea/ flower/ farmers/ street/ night/ covered/ indoor/ outdoor) market
• (war) memorial/ monument
• mountain
• mountain range
• (industrial/ science/ natural history/ anthropological/ transport/ local history) museum
• music venue (e.g. jazz club)
• national park
• palace
• parliament (building)/ diet/ senate/ house of representatives
• peninsula
• phrasebook
• prime minister’s official residence/ president’s residence
• red light district
• (ancient) ruins
• sculpture/ statue
• (pedestrianized/ covered/ traditional/ trendy) shopping street
• ski resort/ ski slopes
• skyscraper
• souvenir
• (central/ town) square
• stadium
• street food
• supermarket
• (Buddhist/ Hindu) temple
• theatre/ opera house
• (clock/ transmission) tower

Check any which you couldn’t think of examples of with the class.  

Change partners, then use those examples to roleplay recommending things.

Choose a phrase below which you can complete and use it to invite someone or suggest something to do. Your partner will ask for more info, then respond positively or negatively.

• Do you fancy coming with us to the London Eye? It’s a huge __________________ on the South Bank of the River Thames which slowly shows you all the famous sites of London as it goes up and rotates.
• Do you feel like coming to the Cotswolds? It’s lovely green ____________ near Oxford, with beautiful villages full of picturesque cottages.
• Do you want to come to Highgate ____________ with us? It’s where Karl Marx’s grave is and where Henry Moore, George Eliot and Michael Faraday are buried.
• (Whatever you do,) don’t miss taking a ____________ across the Bosporus from the European to the Asian side of Istanbul. You can also go by bridge, but travelling across the water is much more interesting, and you can eat and drink on board.
• Have you thought about seeing We Will Rock You? It’s a ______________________ based on the songs of Queen.
• How about coming to the British ________________________ to see the Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian mummies, and the Easter Island heads?
• I highly recommend the Blue Lagoon ______ in Iceland. You have to wear a swimming costume, but the contrast between the hot water and the cold air is unbeatable.
• I think Easy Jet is best. It’s a very cheap ________________ that flies all around Europe. The service is pretty bad, but you can fly abroad from $75!
• I think you’d like a full English, which is a very filling but rather unhealthy ________________ with sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans, tomato, mushrooms, etc. It’s traditionally eaten in the morning, but it’s actually available all day.
• I wouldn’t recommend Tokyo business hotels, because they are very small and often smell of tobacco. If you more want space, I recommend renting an Oakwood ____________________, which also has a kitchen area you can use.
• (If you have time,) I’d like to take you to the Reina Sofia, which is a huge ______________________ with many impressive and famous paintings from the 20^th and 21^st centuries, including Picasso’s Guernica.
• I’d love it if you could come to my local natsu matsuri. It’s a traditional Japanese _________________________ with street stalls, traditional folk music and dancing, a procession with a portable shrine, etc.
• I’d recommend Legoland, which is a(n) ___________ in Denmark with lots of the famous Danish plastic blocks but also rides such as rollercoasters.
• If you can, let’s go drinking in Soho this evening. It’s a _______________________ which used to be a red-light district but is now full of trendy bars and restaurants.
• If you go to the seaside in the UK, you should stay in a __________________, which stands for bed and breakfast. It’s like a hotel but is in an ordinary family home, so it’s cheaper, usually friendlier, and lets you see real British life.
• If you want to listen to some live music while you’re here, it’s worth considering Blue Note, which is a ___________ that started in New York but now has branches in many different countries, and has hosted many famous trumpet players, saxophonists, etc.
• It might be worth seeing the Little Mermaid _______________ in Copenhagen. It’s only small, but seeing a life-size Ariel on a rock in the water really makes you feel like you are in the story.
• It would be our very great pleasure if you could attend our sales conference in Kanagawa ____________________, about thirty minutes south of Tokyo.
• It’s worth thinking about visiting the Cenotaph while you are in central London. It’s a war ________________________ built after the First World War which the Queen puts a wreath on the eleventh of November every year on Remembrance Day.
• Let’s go to Kabukiza. It’s the most famous ____________ for traditional Japanese plays, which also include music and dancing, with quite a lot of action.
• The best ___________________________ are in New England in the USA, as the trees turn particularly bright orange, yellow and red.
• There is a great ______________ in Osaka called Kaiyukan, which has the largest fish tank window in the world.
• We’d like to invite you to visit us in Chiang Mai. It’s Thailand’s __________, so it’s much smaller and quieter than Bangkok, but it’s still lively.
• We’re having a hanami party in spring with some food and drinks while we look at the ____________________. It would be great if you could attend.
• We’re seeing a women’s football match at Wembley. Wembley is the most famous English ____________________ where the FA Cup final and international matches are usually played. Do you want to join us?
• What about going to Meiji Jingu? It’s probably the most important Shinto ___________ in Tokyo, and a famous place to pray in the New Year.
• Why don’t we go to Joypolis? It’s a(n) _________ with lots of arcade games and also other attractions such as a haunted house, just 20 min. by train from central Tokyo.
• Why don’t we go to see the view from the viewing platform at the top of the Shard? It’s London’s tallest _________________, so we’ll get a great view of the city.
• Why don’t you buy Lonely Planet? It’s the most famous series of _______________ with practical information on hotels, transport, tipping, etc.
• Would you like to come out with us on Guy Fawkes Night? It’s on November the fifth. It’s also known as Bonfire Night, so there will be big bonfires and lots of colourful ____________ in the sky. We don’t set them off at home anymore in case they explode when we are lighting them, so we’ll go the display at the local fire station.
• You could possibly go bar hopping in Golden Gai, which is a narrow ____________ in the Shinjuku area of western Tokyo with many unique restaurants and bars.
• You could walk along Sydney Harbour _____________ across Sydney Bay to get a great view of Sydney Opera House.
• You really must take a _____________ above the “fairy chimneys”, which are interesting rock formations in Cappadocia, Turkey. It’s also interesting to explore at ground level, but there’s nothing like silently drifting above them.
• You really should visit Westminster Abbey. St Paul’s _______________ is the most important church in London, but Westminster Abbey is more historic and is right next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
• You should definitely find a copy of Time Out for the city you are visiting. It’s is a ________ with details of all the things happening in London, New York, etc that month.
• You should probably visit Harrods, which is a big and very posh ____________ in western London. You can buy everything from a sandwich to a sofa, but I’d recommend the bookshop, because it’s not more expensive than other shops.

Fill the gaps above with the right words, using the big list above to help if you need to.

 

Mixed answers

Use the mixed answers below to help with and check the task above.

• (budget/ no frills) airline
• alley/ alleyway/ backstreet
• amusement arcade/ video arcade
• amusement park/ theme park
• aquarium
• autumn leaves
• B&B
• balloon (flight)
• big wheel/ Ferris wheel
• (cherry/ plum) blossom
• breakfast
• Bridge
• cathedral
• Cemetery
• contemporary/ modern art gallery
• countryside
• department store
• ferry
• (summer) festival
• fireworks
• guide books/ travel books
• hot springs
• jazz club/ music venue
• (listings) magazine
• memorial/ monument
• Museum
• musical
• nightlife area
• Prefecture
• second city
• self-catering apartment/ serviced apartment/ self-catering flat
• shrine
• skyscraper
• (football) stadium
• statue
• theatre

Check with the suggested answers below. 

• Do you fancy coming with us to the London Eye? It’s a huge ____________big wheel/ Ferris wheel______ on the South Bank of the River Thames which slowly shows you all the famous sites of London as it goes up and rotates.
• Do you feel like coming to the Cotswolds? It’s lovely green ____________ countryside _____ near Oxford, with beautiful villages full of picturesque cottages.
• Do you want to come to Highgate ___ Cemetery ___ with us? It’s where Karl Marx’s grave is and where Henry Moore, George Eliot and Michael Faraday are buried.
• (Whatever you do,) don’t miss taking a ___ ferry _____ across the Bosporus from the European to the Asian side of Istanbul. You can also go by bridge, but travelling across the water is much more interesting, and you can eat and drink on board.
• Have you thought about seeing We Will Rock You? It’s a musical based Queen songs.
• How about coming to the British ___________Museum_____________ to see the Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian mummies, and the Easter Island heads?
• I highly recommend the Blue Lagoon __ hot springs ______ in Iceland. You have to wear a swimming costume, but the contrast between the hot water and the cold air is unbeatable.
• I think Easy Jet is best. It’s a very cheap ______ (budget/ no frills) airline__________ that flies all around Europe. The service is pretty bad, but you can fly abroad from $75!
• I think you’d like a full English, which is a very filling but rather unhealthy ____breakfast___ with sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans, tomato, mushrooms, etc. It’s traditionally eaten in the morning, but it’s actually available all day.
• I wouldn’t recommend Tokyo business hotels, because they are very small and often smell of tobacco. If you more want space, I recommend renting an Oakwood serviced apartment/ self-catering flat, which also has a kitchen area you can use.
• (If you have time,) I’d like to take you to the Reina Sofia, which is a huge __________ contemporary/ modern art gallery ____________ with many impressive and famous paintings from the 20^th and 21^st centuries, including Picasso’s Guernica.
• I’d love it if you could come to my local natsu matsuri. It’s a traditional Japanese _____________ (summer) festival _____________ with street stalls, traditional folk music and dancing, a procession with a portable shrine, etc.
• I’d recommend Legoland, which is a(n) amusement park/ theme park in Denmark with lots of the famous Danish plastic blocks but also rides such as rollercoasters.
• If you can, let’s go drinking in Soho. It’s a _______ nightlife area _____________ which used to be a red-light district but is now full of trendy bars and restaurants.
• If you go to the seaside in the UK, you should stay in a ________B&B___________, which stands for bed and breakfast. It’s like a hotel but is in an ordinary family home, so it’s cheaper, usually friendlier, and lets you see real British life.
• If you want to listen to some live music while you’re here, it’s worth considering Blue Note, which is a _jazz club/ music venue _ that started in New York but now has branches in many different countries, and has hosted many famous trumpet players, saxophonists, etc.
• It might be worth seeing the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. It’s only small, but seeing a life-size Ariel on a rock in the water really makes you feel like you are in the story.
• It would be our (very) great pleasure if you could attend our sales conference in Kanagawa _____ Prefecture _____, about thirty minutes south of Tokyo.
• It’s worth thinking about visiting the Cenotaph while you are in central London. It’s a war ______________ memorial/ monument___________ built after the First World War which the Queen puts a wreath on the eleventh of November every year.
• Let’s go to Kabukiza. It’s the most famous ______ theatre ______ for traditional Japanese plays, which also include music and dancing, with quite a lot of action.
• The best ______________ autumn leaves______________ are in New England in the USA, as the trees turn particularly bright orange, yellow and red.
• There is a great ____aquarium ___________ in Osaka called Kaiyukan, which has the largest fish tank window in the world.
• We’d like to invite you to visit us in Chiang Mai. It’s Thailand’s ______ second city _____, so it’s much smaller and quieter than Bangkok, but still lively.
• We’re having a hanami party in spring with some food and drinks while we look at the _________ (cherry/ plum) blossom___ It would be great if you could attend.
• We’re seeing a women’s football match at Wembley. Wembley is the most famous English ___________(football) stadium__________ where the FA Cup final and international matches are usually played. Do you want to join us?
• What about going to Meiji Jingu. It’s probably the most important Shinto _______shrine_____ in Tokyo, and a famous place to pray in the New Year.
• Why don’t we go to Joypolis? It’s a(n) _______amusement arcade/ video arcade_____________ with lots of arcade games and also other attractions such as a haunted house, just twenty minutes by train from central Tokyo.
• Why don’t we go to see the view from the viewing platform at the top of the Shard? It’s London’s tallest ___ skyscraper ________, so we’ll get a great view of the city.
• Why don’t you buy Lonely Planet? It’s the most famous series of _____guide books/ travel books ______ with practical information on hotels, transport, tipping, etc.
• Would you like to come out with us on Guy Fawkes Night? It’s on November the fifth. It’s also known as Bonfire Night, so there will be big bonfires and lots of colourful ______ fireworks _______ in the sky. We don’t set them off at home anymore in case they explode when we are lighting them, so we’ll go the display at the local fire station.
• You could possibly go bar hopping in Golden Gai, which is a narrow alley/ alleyway/ backstreet in the Shinjuku area of western Tokyo with unique restaurants and bars.
• You could walk along Sydney Harbour ______ Bridge_______ across Sydney Bay to get a great view of Sydney Opera House.
• You really must take a ____ balloon (flight) _______ above the “fairy chimneys”, which are interesting rock formations in Cappadocia, Turkey. It’s also interesting to explore at ground level, but there’s nothing like silently drifting above them.
• You really should visit Westminster Abbey. St Paul’s ______ Cathedral _____ is the most important church in London, but Westminster Abbey is more historic and is right next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
• You should definitely find a copy of Time Out for the city you are visiting. It’s is a (listings) magazine with details of all the things happening in London, New York, etc.
• You should probably visit Harrods, which is a big and very posh ______ department store __ in western London. You can buy everything from a sandwich to a sofa, but I’d recommend the bookshop, because it’s not more expensive than other shops.

Inviting and recommending phrases presentation

Without looking above, write suitable phrases in the right places in the table below.

Inviting someone (to do something together)	Recommending (things that someone can do, maybe on their own)
Most formal/ Most polite                                                                 Most casual/ Most friendly/ Most informal	Strongest                                                     Weakest             Negative

Look above for more phrases. From the context, you should be able to classify all the phrases above as recommendations or invitations (not both).