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      English Functions
      English Grammar

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At the Airport

    At a Bank

    At a Hotel

    At a Doctor

    At a Grocery Store

    At a Pharmacy

    At a Restaurant
    Job Interviews

    Paying Bills

    On the Telephone

Lesson Plan

At a Restaurant

Eating out is fun and exciting. It allows one to experience new taste sensations. It allows one to see unique dining settings and ambiances. It allows one to save time and effort since someone else does the cooking and cleaning up. There are any number of expression you are likely to encounter at a restaurant. Below are just a few of them.

English Expressions

Expression

Response

By a waiter

May I take your order?

Could I have a few minutes, please?

Are you ready to order sir?

Yes, I'll have the salmon.

How would you like ( ... your steak)?

Medium rare, please.

You have a choice of ( ...baked or mashed

potatoes).

I'll have the mashed.

Would you care ( ...for something to drink)?

Yes, I’ll have an iced tea.

May I get you anything else?

No, I'm fine thanks.

By a customer

Could I get another ( ... roll,   please)?

Certainly, I will bring it right away.

Could I see the (... menu)?

One moment, please.

This steak is (... still bloody. Could you have the

chef cook it a little more)?

Right away, ma'am.

This isn't what I ordered, (... I wanted a BLT

and you gave me meat loaf)?

I'm so sorry sir. It's my first day and I’m still a

little confused. confused.confused.

Can I get the check, please?

Right away, sir.

Once you have eaten, or maybe before you order you may describe the food just eaten to your dining companion. You may also want to know how something may taste before ordering it. There are a number of words that can be used to describe food. Look at these examples.

Words used to describe food

Bland Rich Spicy Salty

Sweet Sour Bitter Hot

Ways to prepare food

Pickled Baked Boiled

Broiled Fried Sautéed

Words to describe the taste of food

Delicious Awful Good Tasty

Yummy Yucky Disgusting

English Dialogue

Students should work together in pairs and read the following dialogue, one student reading one part, the other student reading the other. Note the expressions used in the dialogue and the progression of the conversation. The dialogue can be used as a model to have similar conversations.

Waiter: Welcome to Kasey’s Kitchen. Do you have a reservation?

Customer: Yes, the name is Johnson, Paul.

Waiter: Ah, yes, here you are. That was a party for one, correct?

Customer: Yes.

Waiter: Right this way. Here’s the menu. I’ll return in a moment to take your order.

Waiter: Are you ready to order, sir?

Customer: Yes, I’ll have the T-bone steak.

Waiter: How would you like that cooked?

Customer: Well done, please.

Waiter: You have a choice of potatoes- French fried, mashed, or baked.

Customer: I’ll have the baked potato.

Waiter: Would you like that with butter or sour cream or both?

Customer: I’m on a diet, so only butter.

Waiter: The vegetables today are corn on the cob, peas and carrots, or broccoli.

Customer: I’ll take the corn on the cob.

Waiter: And what would you like for dessert?

Customer: What do you have?

Waiter: We have apple, cherry, and lemon meringue pie, chocolate and vanilla cake, peach cobbler, and

chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.

Customer: I’ll take the cherry pie, a la mode, please.

Waiter: Would you care for something to drink?

Customer: I’ll take a large ice tea with my meal and a cup of black coffee with dessert.

Waiter: Very good sir. Enjoy you meal.

Customer: Thanks.

After reading, close your book and tell your partner a summary of the dialogue. Then switch and have your partner tell his or her summary. Start like this: This dialogue is about a man in a restaurant ordering ...This may seem silly, since you both already know what the dialogue is about, but the purpose is to practice using your English, not to give information or test your reading skills.