Everyday English for ESLLesson 8 — Restaurant Meal

1. Video Transcripts 2. Language Notes 3. Word List 4. Language Exercises 5. Answer Key 6. Crossword Puzzle 7. Word Search Puzzle

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

TRANSCRIPTS

DIALOGUE

Waitress: Good evening sir, madam1. Are you ready to order2?

Man: Yes, I think so3.

Waitress: Would you like a starter?

Man: No, I think we’ll just have a main course and a dessert4.

Man: What are you having5, dear?

Woman: I’m going to have the fish.

Man: And I’ll have the steak. Well done6, please.

Waitress: Certainly sir. And what would you like to drink?

Man: Two glasses of red wine7 and a bottle of mineral water8, please.

Waitress: And for dessert?

Man: Fruit salad for me.

Woman: And the same for me too9.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION

If you are going for a meal in a restaurant, it’s always a good idea to book10 in advance.

When you arrive, the waiter or waitress11 will show you to your table. He or she12 will then hand you the menu and

give you some time to choose13 what you want to eat.

When you are ready to order, the waiter will take your order and ask you what you want14 to drink.

A typical restaurant meal consists of three courses: a starter, a main course15, and a dessert. However16, people

sometimes choose not to have the starter or the dessert.

Some restaurants offer fixed menus at a set price, but you may prefer to order ‘à la carte’17.

When your food is ready, the waiter will bring18 it to your table and serve it.

During your meal the waiter may come to ask you if everything is OK. Hopefully19, it will be, but if you have a dirty

glass or cutlery20, or your food is cold, or the service too slow, or the music too loud, then you may have to

complain. But do so21 politely.

At the end of the meal, the waiter will bring you the bill22. If you enjoyed23 your meal and were satisfied with the

service, you may decide to leave a tip24. About ten percent of the total is customary.

QUESTIONS

How often do you eat in a restaurant?

Describe your favourite restaurant.

Describe a meal you had recently in a restaurant.

How do you choose which restaurants to go to?

What are the things that make a good restaurant for you?

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

LANGUAGE NOTES

1. Madam is the female equivalent of ‘sir’ when addressing customers in shops, restaurants, etc. 2. Order can be a verb or a noun: He ordered (v.) a takeaway. The waiter took our order (n.). 3. In English, you cannot just say ‘I think’ after ‘yes’. You have to add ‘so’. The negative form is ‘I don’t

think so’: Is this the right address? — I think so/I don’t think so. 4. Don’t confuse dessert (food) which has a double ‘s’ and has the stress on the second syllable, and

desert (e.g., the Sahara), which only has one ‘s’ and has the stress on the first syllable. 5. The verb ‘to have’ is used with the meaning of ‘going to eat’ here, which is why it can be used in the

progressive form. For possession, we always use the present simple: I have a big kitchen (not I’m having).

6. Steak is usually served ‘rare’ (=cooked just on the outside), ‘medium’, or ‘well done’. 7. There are three basic types of wine: red, white, and rosé. And no, rosé is not made by mixing red and

white! 8. Mineral water can be ‘still’ (without gas), or ‘sparkling’ (with gas). You can also ask for tap water. 9. Too has the meaning of ‘also’ or ‘as well’ here. 10. You can book or reserve a table. The corresponding nouns are ‘booking’ and ‘reservation’: Do you have

a reservation? 11. Many restaurants now use the word server, which can refer to a man or woman. 12. To avoid having to say ‘he or she’ if the gender of the subject is unknown, some people use ‘they’

(though some grammar purists dislike this usage): The server will show you to your table. They (yes!) will then give you the menu.

13. Choose is an irregular verb: choose, chose, chosen. 14. ‘… what you want to drink is an indirect question. Note that in indirect questions we do not use the

auxiliary verb ‘do’, and the subject precedes the verb. The direct question is, of course, ‘What do you want to drink?’.

15. Americans use the word ‘entree’ to refer to the main course, which is confusing because ‘entrée’ is French for ‘starter’!

16. However is a conjunction used to express contrast. It means the same as ‘nevertheless’. 17. The French term à la carte refers to food that can be ordered as separate items, rather than as part of a

set meal. 18. Bring is an irregular verb: bring, brought, brought. People bring things to the place where we are:

Please bring a bottle to the party. 19. Hopefully is used for saying that you hope something will happen: Hopefully, we’ll get more news next

week. Some grammar purists argue that ‘hopefully’ should only be used to mean ‘in a hopeful way’. 20. Cutlery is an uncountable mass noun (no plural form) used for knives, forks and spoons. 21. So goes with ‘do’, not ‘politely’. ‘Do so’ means ‘do the thing that’s just been mentioned’. The usage is

similar to ‘I think so’. 22. Americans use the word ‘check’ for bill: Can I get the check, please? 23. The verb ‘to enjoy’ is used in the same way as ‘to like’, and has a similar meaning: Did you enjoy/like

your meal? 24. In America you should always leave a tip.

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

WORD LIST

à la carte ......................................... a French expression that refers to food that can be ordered as separate

items, rather than part of a set meal

bill ................................................... piece of paper showing how much you must pay for something (AmE = check)

book (v) .......................................... to arrange to have or use something in the future (= to reserve)

bottle ............................................... a glass container with a narrow part at the top used for holding liquids

choose ............................................ to take or decide on one particular thing from a group of things

complain ......................................... to say that you are not happy or satisfied about something

course ............................................. one of the parts of a meal

customary ....................................... if something is customary, it is what usually happens

cutlery [U] ....................................... knives, forks, and spoons

dear ................................................ a word used for talking to someone that you like: ‘What did you say, dear?’

dessert ............................................ sweet food eaten at the end of a meal

dirty ................................................. not clean

drink (v)........................................... to swallow a liquid

enjoy ............................................... to like doing something

fish .................................................. an animal that swims in the sea and is eaten as food

fixed menu ...................................... a type of menu featuring a pre-selected list of dishes at a set price

food (U) .......................................... the things that people and animals eat

fruit salad ........................................ a dish with small pieces of different fruits

glass ............................................... a container made of glass which you drink from

hand (v) .......................................... to give something to someone

hopefully ......................................... used to say you hope something will (not) happen: ‘Hopefully, it won’t rain.’

in advance ...................................... before a particular time in the future

loud ................................................. making a lot of noise

madam ........................................... polite word used for talking to a woman when serving in a shop or restaurant

main course .................................... the most important part of a meal

meal ................................................ food that you eat at a particular time, e.g., breakfast, lunch, or dinner

menu .............................................. a list of the food available in a restaurant

mineral water .................................. water that you buy in bottles that comes from under the ground

order (n) .......................................... the food you ask for in a restaurant

politely ............................................ in a pleasant way towards other people

ready .............................................. prepared for something

restaurant ....................................... a place where you can buy and eat a meal

satisfied .......................................... pleased because you have got or done something good

serve ............................................... to give someone food or drink

service ............................................ the help that someone gives you in a shop, hotel, restaurant, etc.

set price .......................................... a specific price that does not change

slow ................................................ not fast, or not acting quickly

starter ............................................. the first part of a meal

steak ............................................... a thick piece of meat (usually from a cow)

tip (n) .............................................. a small amount of extra money you give a waiter if you are satisfied with the

service. Tip can also be a verb: ‘Make sure you tip the waiter’.

total ................................................. a particular number or amount when individual items are added together

waiter .............................................. a male server in a restaurant

waitress .......................................... a female server in a restaurant

well done ........................................ cooked for a long time

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

LANGUAGE EXERCISES

A. MATCH THE WORDS WITH THE PICTURES

waiter tip cutlery steak bill waitress fish menu restaurant

wine starter fruit salad glass mineral water dessert complain

1 2

3

4

6

7

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10

11

12

13

14

15

16

5

8

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

B. TRUE OR FALSE?

1. A waiter is someone whose job is to give people orders in a restaurant.

2. A typical restaurant meal includes a starter and a dessert.

3. If you order ‘à la carte’, you will probably pay more than you would for a fixed menu.

4. You should complain if everything is OK.

5. You should give the waiter the bill at the end of the meal.

C. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

If you are going (1) out/for a meal in a restaurant, it’s always a good idea to book

(2) in/on advance.

When you arrive, the waiter or waitress will show you (3) at/to your table. He or she will

then hand you the menu and give you some time to (4) chose/choose what you want to

eat.

When you are ready to order, the waiter will (5) take/place your order and ask you what

you want to drink.

A typical restaurant meal consists (6) in/of three courses: a starter, a main course, and a dessert.

(7) However/Although, people sometimes choose not to have the starter or the dessert.

Some restaurants offer fixed menus at a set (8) prize/price, but you may prefer to order ‘à la carte’.

When your food (9) is/will be ready, the waiter will bring it to your table and (10) serve/serves it.

(11) While/During your meal the waiter may come to ask you if everything is OK. (12) Hopefully/Fortunately, it will

be, but if you have a dirty glass or cutlery, or your food is cold, or the service too slow, or the music too loud,

(13) after/then you may have to complain. But do so politely.

At the end of the meal, the waiter will bring you the (14) cheque/bill. If you enjoyed your meal and were satisfied

(15) with/of the service, you may decide to leave a tip. About ten (16) percent/percents of the total is customary.

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

ANSWER KEY

A. MATCH THE WORDS AND PICTURES

1. starter

2. menu

3. cutlery

4. fruit salad

5. complain

6. steak

7. waiter

8. mineral water

9. dessert

10. tip

11. fish

12. glass

13. bill

14. waitress

15. restaurant

16. wine

B. TRUE OR FALSE?

1. FALSE — a waiter takes people’s orders

2. TRUE

3. TRUE

4. FALSE — you only complain if there’s a problem

5. FALSE — you should give the waiter a tip

C. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

1. for

2. in

3. to

4. choose

5. take

6. of

7. However

8. price

9. is

10. serve

11. During

12. Hopefully

13. then

14. bill

15. with

16. percent

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

CROSSWORD

Across

2 You can have it rare, medium, or well done (5)

6 (Restaurant) reviewer (6)

7 Enjoy your ____! (4)

9 You pay this after eating (4)

10 Romantic (restaurant) rendez-vous (4)

11 “____ you can eat for $10” (3)

12 I'll have the home-____ apple pie (4)

14 Waiter or waitress (6)

15 It's usually included in the bill (7)

18 Male server (6)

19 The things you eat (4)

22 Hot drink (3)

23 Female server (8)

24 What you can do if you're not satisfied (8)

25 American word for 'bill' (5)

Down

1 Meat often served cold in salads (3)

2 The first course of a meal (7)

3 We ate ____ an expensive restaurant (2)

4 Polite way of addressing a male customer (3)

5 A set list of dishes (5,4)

6 Knife, fork, and spoon (7)

8 You drink wine or water from this (5)

10 Usually the last course (7)

12 The biggest part of a meal (4,6)

13 A healthy dessert (5,5)

16 How much do we ____ you? (3)

17 Red wine ____ white wine? (2)

20 Salmon or tuna, for example (4)

21 To reserve (a table) (4)

22 Extra money you give to a waiter (3)

23 Alcoholic drink made from grapes (4)

1 2 3 4 5

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7 8

9

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13

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21 22 23

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EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

WORD SEARCH

Bill

Book

Check

Complain

Course

Cutlery

Dessert

Fish

Food

Fruit salad

Glass

Meal

Menu

Mineral water

Order

Server

Service

Starter

Steak

Tip

Waiter

Waitress

Well done

Wine

F M I N E R A L W A T E R H D

R J C L V Z C O M P L A I N G

U I U T S V X J R Q B F U S K

I G T W I W B E S D D N Q E V

T X L H I Z X O E U E J V R O

S T E A K N H J R M P R E V G

A Q R X B S E C V T Z T B I L

L M Y V I R V O E W R S I C A

A K B F E D O U R A T V L E S

D M D T A Z E R T I K L L B S

A H I Z Y U T S W T B O O K N

R A Z F E V I E S R J O W M Y

W A A Q O R P C H E C K T F O

W E L L D O N E D S R P M J Z

M E A L M Q D K H S Z T Y F H

EVERYDAY ENGLISH JEFFREY HILL

EVERYDAY ENGLISH LESSON 8 — RESTAURANT MEAL

CROSSWORD — SOLUTION

WORD SEARCH — SOLUTION

H1

S2

T E A3

K S4

F5

A T T C6

R I T I C

M7

E A L G8

U R X

R B9

I L L T E

D10

A T E A11

L L M12

A D E

E E F13

S E A M

S14

E R V E R S15

E R V I C E

S U Y N N

E O16

I O17

C U

R W18

A I T E R F19

O O D F20

T E S U I

B21

T22

E A W23

A I T R E S S

O I L I S H

C24

O M P L A I N C25

H E C K

K D E

F M I N E R A L W A T E R H D

R J C L V Z C O M P L A I N G

U I U T S V X J R Q B F U S K

I G T W I W B E S D D N Q E V

T X L H I Z X O E U E J V R O

S T E A K N H J R M P R E V G

A Q R X B S E C V T Z T B I L

L M Y V I R V O E W R S I C A

A K B F E D O U R A T V L E S

D M D T A Z E R T I K L L B S

A H I Z Y U T S W T B O O K N

R A Z F E V I E S R J O W M Y

W A A Q O R P C H E C K T F O

W E L L D O N E D S R P M J Z

M E A L M Q D K H S Z T Y F H