The ALT's Practice Invitation and a Bus Schedule
Ken and Ms. Green, the ALT, are talking after class. Ms. Green says, 'Your speech about Wakayama is getting better. Why don't we practice it in the library after school today?' It is 3:50 now. The library is open until 5:00, and practice usually takes 40 minutes. Ken has a dentist appointment at 4:30. He must catch the 4:15 bus to get there; the next bus is at 4:45, which would make him 15 minutes late. Ken wants to practice, but he cannot stay today. He is free tomorrow after school. The four choices on the worksheet are: A) Yes, I'd love to, but I have to go to the dentist at 4:30. How about tomorrow? B) No, I don't like the library. C) Yes, let's practice yesterday. D) That's a good idea. I'll be busy.
1. Which choice is the best reply? Support your answer with at least two time calculations.
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A is best. Practice takes 40 minutes, so if they start at 3:50 they will finish at 4:30. Ken's dentist appointment is at 4:30, and he must catch the 4:15 bus; the 4:45 bus would make him 15 minutes late. Therefore he cannot both practice today and keep his appointment. A accepts the invitation ('Yes, I'd love to'), gives the reason, and offers a new time ('How about tomorrow?'), which matches the fact that he is free tomorrow. B refuses the library, not the practice, and gives no alternative. C has a tense error: 'yesterday' cannot follow 'let's.' D is self-contradictory: it calls the idea good but then says 'I'll be busy' without explaining or suggesting another time.
2. Why is 'Yes, I'd love to' not a complete answer by itself in this situation?
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'Yes, I'd love to' answers only the invitation. It does not deal with the conflict. If Ken says only that, Ms. Green will expect him in the library at 3:50, but he must leave for the 4:15 bus. In a dialogue completion item, the correct reply must fit both the social function (accepting or refusing) and the facts in the situation. A complete reply needs three parts: a response, a reason, and a suggestion for another time. This is why A is longer than a simple yes. The test is not asking for the most friendly sentence; it is asking for the sentence that keeps the conversation logical.
3. Rewrite choice D to make it a suitable reply while keeping the opening 'That's a good idea.'
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Possible answer: 'That's a good idea, but I'm busy today. Can we practice tomorrow?' The opening stays positive, so it does not sound rude. The clause after 'but' gives the reason, and the question proposes a new plan. The original D fails because 'I'll be busy' stops the conversation; it does not say what Ken is busy with or when he is free. The rewrite keeps the same idea but adds the missing information. In the exam, a short rewrite is enough if it answers the invitation and resolves the time problem. A longer answer is not automatically better; the missing pieces are the reason and the alternative.