Lesson 09: The Restaurant
Vocabulary: Fine Dining
Table Items
Food Descriptions
Steak & Diet
Grammar Lab: Modal Nuances
1. The Politeness Hierarchy (Asking for things)
In British English, how you ask is very important. Context matters!
| Modal | Tone | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Can | Casual | With friends/family. "Can I have the salt?" |
| Could | Polite | Standard for waiters/strangers. "Could I see the menu?" |
| May | Formal | Very proper or specific permission. "May I sit here?" |
2. Ability: Time Travel
Past (Could)
Use for ability in the past.
- I could eat spicy food when I was young (but not now).
- Negative: I couldn't book a table yesterday.
Future (Will be able to)
"Can" has no future form. Use this instead.
- I will be able to pay the bill tomorrow.
- We won't be able to come for dinner.
3. Possibility: May vs Might
They are very similar, but Might suggests slightly less certainty.
- "The fish may be good." (Perhaps 50% chance).
- "The chef might be French." (I am really guessing, 30% chance).
- Warning: Do not use "Can" for specific future predictions. (e.g., NOT "It can rain tomorrow" -> Use "It might rain").
Reading: The Business Dinner
1. The Difficult Reservation
Mr. Smith: "Emma, could you book a table for four at The Royal Oak?"
Emma: "I tried calling them this morning, but I couldn't get through. Their line was busy."
Mr. Smith: "That is annoying. We must secure a table."
Emma: "I might try booking via their app. I will be able to confirm the time in ten minutes. Do we need a vegetarian option?"
Mr. Smith: "Yes, Sarah doesn't eat meat."
Questions (Full sentences or short answers accepted):
2. Drinks and Cutlery
Waiter: "Good evening. May I take your beverage order? And could I interest you in some starters?"
Jake: "Just a coke for me. Also, I seem to be missing my cutlery. Could I have a knife and fork?"
Sarah: "I might have a glass of red wine, but I'm driving later, so I won't be able to drink alcohol. Just sparkling water, please."
Waiter: "Certainly. I can bring some bread while you wait."
Questions:
3. The Main Course Confusion
Emma: "I can't decide. The steak looks delicious, but I might try the fish."
Jake: "I can recommend the steak. It is their signature dish."
Emma: "Okay, I'll have the steak. I like it rare."
Waiter: "I'm afraid we might have run out of steaks. Let me check with the chef... Ah, yes. We won't be able to serve steak tonight."
Emma: "Oh, that is disappointing. I will have the fish then."
Questions:
4. The Mistake
Mr. Smith: "Waiter, could we have the bill, please?"
Waiter: "Certainly, sir. Here you are."
Mr. Smith: "Excuse me, I think there is a mistake. We didn't order the champagne. We couldn't possibly drink that much!"
Waiter: "I am terribly sorry. I might have confused your table with Table 5. I will be able to print a new receipt in a moment."
Questions:
5. The Review
Sarah's Review: "We visited The Royal Oak last night. The atmosphere was lovely, but the service was slow. We couldn't get a table at first. The food was okay, but the soup was too spicy. I might go back for drinks, but I won't be able to recommend the food to my friends. 3 stars."
Questions:
Exercises (15 Mixed Sets)
The Allergy Incident
Context: Jake is worried about nuts in his food.
Game: The Menu Master
Role: You are a hungry customer in a British Restaurant.
Mission: Choose the EXACT phrase based on the context (Polite/Rude/Past/Future).
Warning: 30 Levels!