{"id":68202,"date":"2023-02-28T20:19:11","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T20:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/?p=68202"},"modified":"2023-03-03T11:50:06","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T11:50:06","slug":"how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"AEE 1949: Can&#8217;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We always want to strengthen friendships, even when we have to turn someone down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you respond to an invite in the distant future when you can&#8217;t commit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want to affirm the relationship instead of potentially hurting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen in on today\u2019s episode for examples from Michelle\u2019s texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will learn how to respond when you can\u2019t commit to an event that is far in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll share tips on how to do this without breaking the connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"1949 - Can&#039;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2--EyWg6WwM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-you-make-it\"><strong>Can you make it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When someone invites you to an event that is months or years from now, it can be hard to commit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is because you don\u2019t always know for certain you will be available at that later date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something may come up causing you to cancel plans made with a friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be nerve-racking committing to events in the distant future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t miss a related episode sharing how to cancel plans considerately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out episode <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-673-flake-without-losing-connection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AEE 673: How to Flake Out without Losing Out on the Connection.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Michelle&#8217;s texts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Michelle shares a text message response to a friend who invited her to a concert in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>Michelle: <\/strong>I wish I could tell you if I could go. Literally today we were talking about going out of town around this time of year. Obviously not set in stone but if you have to decide then I\u2019d probably say I shouldn\u2019t book anything. But I appreciate your thinking of me and maybe we can find time to do something else fun.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Four basic steps to say you can\u2019t make it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s episode, you\u2019ll learn how to say you can\u2019t commit to an event set in the future by a friend or colleague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This vocabulary helps you do this in a kind, considerate way that affirms the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are four basic steps that can be used as a template to make sure you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-1733-is-english-mind-boggling-to-you\/\">communicate well in English<\/a> and keep the connection strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michelle used these 4 steps in the text message shared above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>#1: Be honest<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s always vital to be honest with friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can share what\u2019s happening and explain your situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking into the text message sent by Michelle, she was honest with her friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She shared that she had discussed with her husband potential plans that would be near the date of the concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>#2: Share a plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step is to mention an action you suggest based on what you shared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can share how your situation coincides with their invitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, give your friend options on what to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking again at Michelle\u2019s text, she mentioned that her plans are not final but it would be best not to book the concert tickets since it may conflict with her schedule in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She suggested that her friend not take any action just yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>#3: Thank your friend and affirm the relationship<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Michelle then ended the text by thanking her friend and giving her confirmation that her inability to commit doesn&#8217;t affect their friendship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She helped her friend feel that though she can&#8217;t make it to the concert, she hopes they can catch up another time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related episodes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out two other episodes related to today\u2019s topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-743-say-english-someone-invites-already-plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>AEE 743: What to Say in English if Someone Invites You Out But You Already Have Plans<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-1334-how-to-organize-a-birthday-party-in-american-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>AEE 1334: How to Organize a Birthday Party in American Culture<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to making and canceling plans, you need to consider the connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These episodes will give you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/kate-malcolm-from-the-new-to-canada-podcast%ef%bf%bc\/\">the vocabulary and skills you need<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What if you are sure you can\u2019t make it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There will be situations where you have to decline invites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either you are not sure since it\u2019s too far in the future or you aren&#8217;t free on that date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michelle shares that this happened to her when a friend invited her to be a maid of honor in a wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s difficult for those planning a wedding when you delay responding or are unsure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michelle knew she couldn\u2019t attend because it was on the same day as another major event she was attending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She responded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cI feel so awful but I can\u2019t make it because I\u2019m at a friend&#8217;s wedding as well on that same day. I\u2019m so bummed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>bummed<\/strong>: annoyed or disappointed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another scenario shared by Michelle is when she sent RSVPs for her son\u2019s birthday and a friend responded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cSounds good. We might be going on a trip that weekend but didn\u2019t book the ticket yet so up in the air.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>To say \u2018up in the air\u2019 means plans aren&#8217;t set and it is unsure if something will happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Roleplay<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few roleplays to help you better understand the learning shared in today\u2019s episode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In these scenarios, Lindsay and Michelle are texting each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scenario #1:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Michelle: <\/strong>Lindsay! Save the date. My bridal shower is on December 6th. I\u2019d love for you to be there.<br><strong>Lindsay: <\/strong>Oh thank you so much for that Michelle. Oh, that date. I might be in Florida. Still arranging the plans but I\u2019ll keep you posted. I hope I don\u2019t have to miss it.<br><strong>Michelle:<\/strong> Oh, okay. Let me know.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scenario #2:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Lindsay: <\/strong>Michelle, would you want to go to this wine festival with me? It\u2019s not for a while. October 10th.<br><strong>Michelle: <\/strong>That sounds so cool! Oh no! October 10th? I definitely can\u2019t go. I have a wedding that day. I\u2019m sorry.<br><strong>Lindsay: <\/strong>Ah no worries.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Takeaway<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be tricky to decline invites far in the future, especially with friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t want to break the connection just because you said no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key thing to do every time you decline is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/respond-appropriately-when-someone-shares-news-in-english\/\">affirm your relationship<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have to communicate that not being able to commit to an event doesn\u2019t mean you don&#8217;t want to see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the chance to make plans to do something else together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the steps and examples learned today next time you need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/aee-518-say-no-business-invitation-style-english\/\">decline an invitation<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When have you had to decline an invitation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Share it in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We always want to strengthen friendships, even when we have to turn someone down. How do you respond to an invite in the distant future when you can&#8217;t commit? You want to affirm the relationship instead of potentially hurting it. Listen in on today\u2019s episode&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1024,"featured_media":68240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"category":[291,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conversation-strategies","category-english-fluency"],"acf":{"podcast_link":"https:\/\/www.podtrac.com\/pts\/redirect.mp3\/pdst.fm\/e\/chrt.fm\/track\/CB27B5\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ALLE1976885627.mp3?updated=1676335637"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Affirm the Relationship in English when you Can&#039;t Commit<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can you decline an invitation without offending or hurting a friend&#039;s feelings? Find out today with our 4-step process!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AEE 1949: Can&#039;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How can you decline an invitation without offending or hurting a friend&#039;s feelings? Find out today with our 4-step process!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/allearsenglish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-28T20:19:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-03T11:50:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"427\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Aubrey Carter\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@allearsenglish\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@allearsenglish\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Aubrey Carter\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Aubrey Carter\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f4451ee48eefe8bf20b5262b9f6298e4\"},\"headline\":\"AEE 1949: Can&#8217;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-28T20:19:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-03T11:50:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\"},\"wordCount\":1060,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Conversation Strategies\",\"English Fluency\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\",\"name\":\"How to Affirm the Relationship in English when you Can't Commit\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-28T20:19:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-03T11:50:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"How can you decline an invitation without offending or hurting a friend's feelings? Find out today with our 4-step process!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":427,\"caption\":\"AEE 1949 - Can't Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English Thumbsup\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"AEE 1949: Can&#8217;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/\",\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"All Ears English\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/All-Ears-English-Transcripts-9.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/All-Ears-English-Transcripts-9.png\",\"width\":208,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"All Ears English\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/allearsenglish\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/allearsenglish\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f4451ee48eefe8bf20b5262b9f6298e4\",\"name\":\"Aubrey Carter\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Affirm the Relationship in English when you Can't Commit","description":"How can you decline an invitation without offending or hurting a friend's feelings? Find out today with our 4-step process!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"AEE 1949: Can't Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc","og_description":"How can you decline an invitation without offending or hurting a friend's feelings? Find out today with our 4-step process!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/allearsenglish","article_published_time":"2023-02-28T20:19:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-03T11:50:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":427,"url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Aubrey Carter","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@allearsenglish","twitter_site":"@allearsenglish","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Aubrey Carter","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/"},"author":{"name":"Aubrey Carter","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f4451ee48eefe8bf20b5262b9f6298e4"},"headline":"AEE 1949: Can&#8217;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc","datePublished":"2023-02-28T20:19:11+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-03T11:50:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/"},"wordCount":1060,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg","articleSection":["Conversation Strategies","English Fluency"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/","url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/","name":"How to Affirm the Relationship in English when you Can't Commit","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-28T20:19:11+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-03T11:50:06+00:00","description":"How can you decline an invitation without offending or hurting a friend's feelings? Find out today with our 4-step process!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AEE-1949-Cant-Commit-to-Future-Plans-How-to-Affirm-the-Relationship-in-English-Thumbsup.jpg","width":640,"height":427,"caption":"AEE 1949 - Can't Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English Thumbsup"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/how-to-affirm-the-relationship-in-english\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"AEE 1949: Can&#8217;t Commit to Future Plans? How to Affirm the Relationship in English\ufffc"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/","name":"","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#organization","name":"All Ears English","url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/All-Ears-English-Transcripts-9.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/All-Ears-English-Transcripts-9.png","width":208,"height":300,"caption":"All Ears English"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/allearsenglish","https:\/\/x.com\/allearsenglish"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f4451ee48eefe8bf20b5262b9f6298e4","name":"Aubrey Carter"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68202"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68353,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68202\/revisions\/68353"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=68202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allearsenglish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}