Invitations & hospitality
Can I Bring
a Plus-One?
Before you arrange a companion, make sure the invitation includes one. How to read the details—and ask gracefully when they aren’t clear.
Read the articleA little guidance, graciously given
Life has its awkward moments.
An invitation you’re unsure about. A conversation you’ve been putting off. A question of what’s proper.
Pull up a chair. Let’s talk it through.
Your guide to manners, etiquette, and life’s awkward situations.
The Reading Room
A thoughtful place to beginBrowse 34 more articles below.
Invitations & hospitality
How to Be a Welcome Dinner Guest
Arrive with consideration, join the conversation, and leave your host glad they invited you.
Read the articleHosting Guests with Dietary Requirements
Ask the right questions early and make a practical plan everyone can trust.
Read the articleDo I Need to Bring a Gift?
A thoughtful gesture need not be an expensive one. Here is how to judge the occasion.
Read the articleHow to Decline an Invitation Gracefully
A kind refusal is more useful than a reluctant promise.
Read the articleThe Art of a Clear RSVP
Give your host an answer they can actually plan around.
Read the articleCancelling Plans Without Leaving Someone Stranded
Give notice, take responsibility, and make the next step clear.
Read the articleHow to Be an Easy Overnight Guest
A spare room is someone else’s home, even when they make it feel like yours.
Read the articleHow to Bring an Evening to a Gentle Close
You may enjoy your guests and still be ready for bed.
Read the articleDress & occasions
What Does the Dress Code Mean?
From smart casual to black tie: make sense of the wording before buying a thing.
Read the articleWhat to Wear to a Funeral
Let the family’s wishes, the setting, and your comfort guide a respectful choice.
Read the articleSensitive conversations
What to Say to Someone Who Is Grieving
Simple words, quiet company, and practical help when you cannot put things right.
Read the articleHow to Make an Apology That Helps
Take responsibility, offer a repair, and give the other person room to respond.
Read the articleHow to Respond to Intrusive Personal Questions
Keep your privacy without losing your composure—or inventing an excuse.
Read the articleWhen Someone Keeps Giving Unwanted Advice
You can appreciate concern without accepting instructions.
Read the articleSaying No to a Favour You Cannot Take On
Generosity works better when promises are realistic.
Read the articleSetting Boundaries with Family, Kindly
Closeness does not remove the need for clear arrangements.
Read the articleConversation & company
Introductions That Help People Feel Included
Names are only the beginning of an introduction.
Read the articleSmall Talk That Leads Somewhere
Begin with curiosity, not a search for the perfect opening line.
Read the articleHow to Interrupt Without Taking Over
Sometimes you need the floor. Take only as much of it as you need.
Read the articleDisagreeing Without Spoiling the Evening
You can state a conviction without making a guest into an opponent.
Read the articleLeaving a Conversation Gracefully
A warm goodbye is better than waiting for the perfect escape.
Read the articleHow to Listen When Someone Needs to Talk
Attention is often more useful than an immediate solution.
Read the articleEveryday consideration
A Thank-You Note That Sounds Like You
Specific gratitude matters more than grand language.
Read the articleHow to Receive a Compliment Comfortably
You need not argue with someone’s kind observation.
Read the articleBorrowing Things Without Straining a Friendship
Be as clear about returning something as you are about borrowing it.
Read the articleRaising a Noise Problem with a Neighbour
Begin with the disturbance you need resolved, not a judgement of the household.
Read the articleSplitting a Restaurant Bill Without Awkwardness
The easiest time to discuss payment is before the bill arrives.
Read the articleDigital manners
Being Considerate in a Group Chat
A shared conversation works best when nobody has to monitor it constantly.
Read the articleWhen You Have Left a Message Unanswered
A late reply can still be a useful reply.
Read the articleAsk Before Sharing Someone Else’s Photograph
Taking a picture together does not settle where it should appear.
Read the articleKeeping Your Phone from Taking Over the Table
Your companions should not have to compete with a screen.
Read the articleWorkplace courtesy
Sending Work Messages Outside Working Hours
A convenient time to write is not always a convenient time to respond.
Read the articleDisagreeing with a Colleague Constructively
Make the work easier to improve, not the person easier to blame.
Read the articleSharing Credit Without Disappearing Yourself
Give an accurate account of the work and the people behind it.
Read the articleGood manners begin
with consideration.
Knowing which fork to use has its place. So does knowing when to listen, how to decline kindly, and when a little generosity matters more than being right. Here, we make room for both the practical question and the larger one.
Good advice. Freely offered.
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