Outing with Friends

Rahul plans a weekend outing to the mall with his friends, and he must first convince his parents to let him go.

Meanings in Rahul, Sunita (mother), Friends

Key words and phrases

outinga short trip taken for pleasureThey planned an outing to the mall.

hang outto spend casual time with friendsThey like to hang out after school.

curfewa time by which a person must return homeHis curfew is nine o'clock at night.

pocket moneya small amount of money given regularly to a young personHe saved his pocket money for the outing.

trustworthyable to be relied on as honest and responsibleHis parents know he is trustworthy.

check into contact someone to update them on your statusHe promised to check in every hour.

group of friendsa set of people who are friends togetherHe is going with a close group of friends.

responsiblereliable and able to be trusted with dutiesHe promised to be responsible during the outing.

movie ticketa ticket bought to watch a filmThey booked their movie tickets in advance.

get back safelyto return home without any harmHe promised his mother he would get back safely.

meet upto gather with someone at an agreed place and timeThey planned to meet up outside the mall entrance.

food courtan area in a mall with several food stallsThey had lunch at the food court.

window shoppinglooking at goods in shops without buying anythingThey went window shopping before the movie.

permissionconsent given by someone in authority to do somethingHe asked his mother for permission to go out.

public transportbuses, trains, or other vehicles that anyone can useThey took public transport to the mall.

budgeta fixed amount of money planned to be spentHe set a budget of five hundred rupees for the outing.

landmarka well-known building or feature used to identify a placeThey agreed to meet near a well-known landmark.

chaperonean older person who accompanies young people for their safetyHer elder cousin came along as a chaperone.

keep in touchto continue to communicate with someone regularlyHe promised to keep in touch through messages.

plan aheadto make arrangements before an event happensThey planned ahead and booked everything early.

Useful sentences

Ask Mom, can I go to the mall with my friends this weekend?
Answer Sure, but be back before your curfew.
Ask Who all are you going with?
Answer My usual group of friends from school.
Ask Do you have enough pocket money for the outing?
Answer Yes, I saved some for movie tickets and snacks.
Ask Will you check in with me while you're out?
Answer Yes, I'll message you every couple of hours.
Ask What time will you be back home?
Answer I'll get back safely by eight o'clock.
Ask Where are you all planning to meet up?
Answer We'll meet up near the main entrance of the mall.
Ask How will you get to the mall?
Answer We'll take public transport, it's not too far.
Ask What's your budget for the outing?
Answer I've set a budget of five hundred rupees.
Ask Do you have my permission to stay till evening?
Answer Yes, you already agreed as long as I keep in touch.
Ask Are you going to do any window shopping too?
Answer Maybe, but we'll mostly be at the food court and the movie.

Dialogue

RahulMom, my friends and I want to go to the mall on Saturday.

SunitaThat sounds fun. Who's going with you?

RahulThe usual group, Aman, Karan, and Priya.

SunitaOkay, but I want you to check in with me and be back by your curfew.

RahulI promise I'll be responsible, Mom.

SunitaI trust you. Have fun, and get back safely.

RahulThanks, Mom. We'll take public transport and split the cost.

SunitaGood planning. Do you have a budget in mind for food and the movie?

RahulYes, around five hundred rupees should be enough.

SunitaSounds fair. Just message me once you all meet up safely.

Common mistakes

Saying "I am going for outing" instead of "I am going on an outing" (use "on," not "for," with "outing").
Saying "Give me pocket money" as a demand instead of "Can I have some pocket money?" (a more polite request form).
Saying "I will come back time" instead of "I will be back on time" or "I will get back safely."
Saying "We will meet at 5 o'clock sharp near mall" instead of "We will meet up at 5 o'clock sharp near the mall" (don't drop "the").
Saying "I take permission from mother" instead of "I asked my mother for permission."
Saying "We go by public transports" instead of "We go by public transport" ("transport" is uncountable here).

Quick quiz

1. What word means a time by which a person must return home?

2. Complete: "He promised to ___ every hour."

3. What word means able to be relied on as honest and responsible?

4. What word means a fixed amount of money planned to be spent?

5. Complete: "They went ___ before the movie."

6. What word means consent given by someone in authority to do something?

Practise speaking and listening

The free Day to Day English app turns every lesson into practice with audio, a story you follow and more than 1680 words to learn.

Free for AndroidPractise in the app

menu_book Key words and phrases

forum Useful sentences

chat Dialogue

error Common mistakes

quiz Quick quiz