[General] How about shifting our Sunday's dinner..(26 words)

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Silverobama

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This Monday evening I met David, the host of our English club, and I asked him for lunch this Sunday. But after chatting with another host Alex of our English club, Alex and I both decided to give an year-end dinner party. So I want to tell David not to have lunch with me this Sunday and invite him to the year-end gathering on 31st Decemeber. Please help me with my message:

David, how about shifting our Sunday's lunch to the end of this month? Alex and I are organizing a year-end dinner gathering among our English club *.

*: the year-end dinner gathering among our English club means "we will hold a dinner party among people of our English club (we have more than 500 people) at around 31st December to celebrate the New Year.
 
David,
Instead of us meeting up for lunch this Sunday, how about you coming to our year-end dinner party on 31st December?

the year-end dinner gathering[STRIKE] among [/STRIKE] of our English club
the year-end dinner gathering for our English club members


 
[STRIKE]This[/STRIKE] On Monday evening, I met David, the host of our English club, and I [STRIKE]asked[/STRIKE] invited him for lunch this Sunday. But after chatting with Alex, another host [STRIKE]Alex[/STRIKE] of our English club, Alex and I both decided to [STRIKE]give an[/STRIKE] have/host a [ 1] year-end dinner party. So I want to tell David [STRIKE]not to have[/STRIKE] that I'd like to cancel the lunch [STRIKE]with me this Sunday[/STRIKE] and invite him to the [ 1] year-end dinner partyyear-end gathering on 31st December instead. Please help me with my message:
See above.

David, how about shifting our Sunday's lunch to the end of this month?
No. That just says that you would like to postpone the lunch.

Alex and I are organizing a [ 1] year-end dinner gathering [STRIKE]among[/STRIKE] for our English club members.
See above, follow it by something like:
"So can we cancel this Sunday's lunch?"
Mind you, I still don't see the connection between the two.

around 31st December to celebrate the New Year.
That doesn't make sense. If you know the date, say "On 31st December". If it's not set yet, say "around 31st December".
[ 1]: If it's on the 31st, say "New Year's Eve (dinner) party".
 
Mind you, I still don't see the connection between the two.

I think the connection between these two parts is "I'll meet David at the year-end dinner so I don't want to meet him alone". Since it's a gathering, I think more people would have moer fun, instead of eating lunch with him alone. Please enlighten me again. I wrote something new based on your suggestions.

David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? Alex and I are organizing a year-end dinner party and we will meet at that time around 31st December. We will have more friends instead of we two chatting with each other.
 
. . . David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? Alex and I are organizing a year-end dinner party, so I'll see you hen. We will have more friends instead of we two chatting with each other.
The first sentence is fine (as fixed). The second sounds like you're avoiding being alone with him.

So I'd use the first sentence but not the second.
 
, so I'll see you hen.
I suppose that was meant to be "I'll see you then". I can imagine a husband endearingly calling his wife "hen", but I don't think Silverobama's friend would take too kindly to it. ;-)

Silverobama, I don't really have much to add. I still can't see the connection. Pay attention to your spelling ("more" is misspelled in your post).
 
I suppose that was meant to be "I'll see you then". I can imagine a husband endearingly calling his wife "hen", but I don't think Silverobama's friend would take too kindly to it. ;-)

Silverobama, I don't really have much to add. I still can't see the connection. Pay attention to your spelling ("more" is misspelled in your post).

Then I need to tell him why I can't make it. Please enlighten me again:

David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? I'm not sure if I can finish my morning class on time. By the way, Shall we have a year-end gathering among our English club friends at around 31st December?

The first sentence explains why I need to change the time and second is my suggestion. I think this time it's logical. Please help me to correct it. I appreciate your patience and kindness.
 
The first two sentences are okay. The third is not natural and "shall" should not be capitalized. See my suggestions above.
 
The first two sentences are okay. The third is not natural and "shall" should not be capitalized. See my suggestions above.

Oops, I missed that. Sorry for my bad eyesight. After reading this thread again and again carefully, I think the following one is good. Please enlighten me again:

David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? I'm not sure if I can finish my morning class on time. By the way, Alex and I are organizing a New Year's Eve (dinner) party for our English club members on 31st December. We hope to see you there.

I appreciate your help, kindness and patience.
 
If David is the host of the club, Alex can't be another host. The first half means David is the only host.
 
If David is the host of the club, Alex can't be another host. The first half means David is the only host.

You're right, emsr2d2. David is the only host of the club because he's a native speaker of English. Alex and I, I think, are organizers who organize the activity. Our main responsibility is to encourage people to join us, to speak English and sometimes organize parties and gatherings. David would only come and chat with us.

I wonder if my following sentences are okay now.

David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? I'm not sure if I can finish my morning class on time. By the way, Alex and I are organizing a New Year's Eve (dinner) party for our English club members on 31st December. We hope to see you there.

Since teechar said the first two sentences are okay, I wonder if the bold latter part (I added after reading his comments above) is okay and connected with the first two sentences now.
 
David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? I'm not sure if I can finish my morning class on time. By the way, Alex and I are organizing a New Year's Eve (dinner) party for our English club members on 31st December. We hope to see you there.

The above is quite different from your original post. In your first post, you suggested to Dave to cancel the lunch appointment and invited him to attend the year-end gathering instead. Now you say you are cancelling the lunch because you you are not sure that the morning class would finish on time for lunch.

When you start a sentence with "by the way", it implies that you are going to talk about an unrelated matter.
 
Last edited:
David, can we cancel this Sunday's lunch? I'm not sure if I can finish my morning class on time. By the way, Alex and I are organizing a New Year's Eve (dinner) party for our English club members on 31st December. We hope to see you there.

Last two questions about this corrected paragraph.

1) I mentioned "New Year's Eve", do I need to mention "on 31st December" again? I think I need to but I'm not sure because maybe the party will be held on 29th, 30th, etc. It can also be called "New Year's Eve" party which means "a party in order to celebrate New Year and takes place around the New Year".
2) I wonder if it's better to say "We hope to see you then" because "there" refers to a place and I haven't chosen yet. But the time is chosen.
 
If you use our, I'd use our Sunday lunch, which implies it's a monthly event. If it's not a regular event, use this Sunday's lunch.
 
1) I mentioned "New Year's Eve", do I need to mention "on 31st December" again? I think I need to but I'm not sure because maybe the party will be held on 29th, 30th, etc. It can also be called "New Year's Eve" party which means "a party in order to celebrate New Year and takes place around the New Year".

2) I wonder if it's better to say "We hope to see you then" because "there" refers to a place and I haven't chosen yet. But the time is chosen.

1. No. If you call it a New Year's Eve party, it can be held only on 31st December. If you hold it on the 29th or 30th, you could call it a New Year party or a pre-New Year party, I suppose. New Year's Eve refers to just one date - December 31st.

2. Both "We hope to see you there" and "We hope to see you then" work, even if you haven't confirmed the location yet.
 
The above is quite different from your original post. In your first post, you suggested to Dave to cancel the lunch appointment and invited him to attend the year-end gathering instead. Now you say you are cancelling the lunch because you you are not sure that the morning class would finish on time for lunch.

Yes, that was confusing me, too.


When you start a sentence with "by the way", it implies that you are going to talk about an unrelated matter.

Yes. It's usually a new topic that this topic reminded you of.
Just tell him you need to cancel and will see him at the party.
 
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