U2 | L2 Interactive Resource

Tom had seen a flyer about paragliding and was excited about the idea. He turned to Maria and said:

• I’d love to try this! Can you imagine the view from up there?

However, María wasn’t convinced. She was slightly afraid of heights and wasn’t sure if she was ready for such an extreme activity. Instead of rejecting the idea immediately, she softened her refusal:

• It sounds incredible, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that. I’d rather do something on the ground.

By using "I’d rather", María expressed a preference while keeping the conversation open. Instead of saying a direct "no," she left space for discussion.

Tom, eager to convince her, tried another approach:

• How about this? We could just go to the paragliding site and watch for a while. If you feel comfortable, you can decide then.

This was a compromise, which is a great way to express partial willingness. María considered it and responded:

• That sounds fair. I’m willing to go and see how it looks, but I’m not making any promises!

This allowed her to show conditional willingness—she wasn’t saying yes to the activity yet, but she was open to the idea under certain conditions.

Since María wasn’t fully convinced about paragliding, she suggested an alternative:

• If we don’t go paragliding, how about visiting the museum instead?

Tom, however, was less enthusiastic about the museum, but he didn’t want to dismiss her idea completely. Instead of saying “I don’t want to,” he softened his refusal:

• I see why you’d like that, but I’m not really in the mood for a museum today. I’d rather do something outdoors.

By acknowledging Maria’s suggestion before refusing, Tom kept the conversation balanced.

To find a compromise, Maria suggested:

• How about this? We visit the paragliding site first, and if I decide not to go, we can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring a new part of the city instead.

Tom agreed, and just like that, they found a plan that worked for both of them.

Maria and Tom realized that the way they expressed willingness and refusal played a big role in how smoothly the conversation went. They had learned to:

• Use softeners (I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that instead of No, I don’t want to).
• Show conditional willingness (I’m willing to go and see first).
• Propose alternatives (If we don’t do that, how about this?).
• Find compromises (How about we do this first, and then that?).

In real-life conversations, these skills made decision-making much easier.

As they left the café, María joked:

• By the time we leave Medellin, we will have been debating activities every day!

Tom laughed and answered:

• And you will have been refusing every extreme sport I suggest!

Using the Future Perfect Continuous, they reflected on their ongoing experiences and how their patterns of decision-making had developed throughout the trip.