Conversation guides
Choose the job your message needs to do, then edit a starting point in your own voice.
Thank a host after a gathering
Name something you appreciated without turning a thank-you into a request for another invitation.
Congratulate someone without comparison
Celebrate their news while leaving out your own milestone, assumptions and requests for details.
Reconnect after time apart
Use shared context to reopen a friendship while leaving room for a quiet or changed relationship.
Confirm the details of a first meeting
Turn an agreed meeting into a clear time, place and arrival plan without reopening the entire invitation.
Clarify a vague invitation
Find out what someone is proposing before saying yes to an undefined plan.
Set a boundary around texting frequency
Describe your availability and a workable contact pattern without diagnosing the other person's motives.
Repair an awkward or hurtful comment
Own the specific words, correct the message and leave the other person free to respond in their own time.
Say you do not want another date
Close the loop after a date with a clear answer that does not imply a future yes.
Ask before introducing two friends
Get each person's agreement before sharing contact details or creating a group chat.
Ask before sharing a friend's photo
Make the intended audience and use clear, and give a direct answer when you do not want your own image shared.
Respond when a friend is disappointed
Acknowledge the news and ask what support would help before offering fixes or a positive spin.
Say no to lending a personal item
Give a clear answer about an item you want to keep private, available or under your own care.
All exchanges are fictional. Examples cannot predict a reply or another person’s feelings.