Everyday English (Vocabulary Building)

Topic: Booking a Holiday

Lesson Notes March 28, 2023 (Vocabulary Building)

• Last weekend was my granddaughters second birthday.

• My granddaughter turned 2 years old last weekend.

• She likes toy trains, and plays with a toy Shinkansen.

• She also enjoys playing house.

• Compare these sentences

• In the final game against the USA, Japan won.

• In the final game against Japan, the USA lost.

• Japan won against the USA.

• Japan beat the USA.

• The USA was beaten by Japan.

• The USA lost to Japan.

• Team A; 3 points
  Team B; 5 points

• The score is 3 to 5 in favour of Team B.
  The score is 5 to 3 in favour of Team B.

• (Newspaper Title) Kyoto 'Hozu River rafting' boat capsizes, killing one boatman and leaving another (unaccounted for / missing).

Booking a Holiday

Section 6

• I would like to book your apartment for the weekend, are there any rooms available?

• I would like to know what personal belongings I should bring. (NOT personal belongs)

• I would like book a stay at your apartment (to relax / for relaxing). (NOT book to stay)

• I would like to extend my stay by one day to include Monday.

• You don’t need to bring any belongings, and towels are included in the room. (NOT towels are included in the balance)

• You will have a relaxing time. (NOT you will have your relaxing time)

Example Emails / Messages
1. Hello [Owner/Rental Agency],

I want to rent your apartment for the weekend, but I don't know if it's available now. Can you tell me if it is free and how to book it? Thank you very much.

2. Dear [Host/Hotel Staff],

I have a question about my upcoming stay and was hoping you could help me. Do I need to bring my own towel or are towels provided? Thank you for your help in advance.

Best regards, [Your name]

3. Hi [Owner/Rental Agency],

I want to rent your apartment for my holiday, and I want to know if it's in a quiet neighbourhood. I really want a relaxing holiday, so a quiet place is important to me. Thank you very much for your help.

Best regards, [Your name]

4. Hello,

I made a mistake with my booking and need to change the dates. I booked a stay for this weekend, would it be possible to change to the following weekend? Could you please help me with this? Thank you very much.

Best regards, [Your name]