At a restaurant · A1. Distinguish these meanings in context: menu = a list of the food and drinks available; bill = a written statement of how much you must pay; tip = extra money given to a person for their service; reservation = an arrangement to keep a table or room for you.
Learn twelve useful words in this topic. Study independent examples, then practise them in new situations. The level is an editorial guide, not a certification.
The menu has pictures of the dishes.
The menu has pictures of the dishes.
These match this sense. Word families can change meaning; near meanings are not always interchangeable.
Practise “read the menu” as a word partnership. In this unit “menu” means a list of the food and drinks available.
Distinguish these meanings in context: menu = a list of the food and drinks available; bill = a written statement of how much you must pay; tip = extra money given to a person for their service; reservation = an arrangement to keep a table or room for you.
The menu has pictures of the dishes.
Distinguish these meanings in context: fork = an eating tool with several long pointed parts; knife = a tool with a sharp blade used for cutting; spoon = an eating tool with a small bowl at one end; plate = a flat round dish used for serving food.
I eat the salad with a fork.
Distinguish these meanings in context: bowl = a deep round dish for food or liquid; cup = a small drinking container usually with a handle; glass = a drinking container made of glass, usually without a handle; napkin = a small piece of cloth or paper used while eating.
The cat drinks from a blue bowl.
We read the ___ to choose our food.
Distinguish these meanings in context: menu = a list of the food and drinks available; bill = a written statement of how much you must pay; tip = extra money given to a person for their service; reservation = an arrangement to keep a table or room for you.
The menu has pictures of the dishes.Distinguish these meanings in context: fork = an eating tool with several long pointed parts; knife = a tool with a sharp blade used for cutting; spoon = an eating tool with a small bowl at one end; plate = a flat round dish used for serving food.
I eat the salad with a fork.Distinguish these meanings in context: bowl = a deep round dish for food or liquid; cup = a small drinking container usually with a handle; glass = a drinking container made of glass, usually without a handle; napkin = a small piece of cloth or paper used while eating.
The cat drinks from a blue bowl.Keep the first try. Understand the change. Check it in a fresh situation.
No practice notes yet. Try a short warm-up.
a list of the food and drinks available
a written statement of how much you must pay
extra money given to a person for their service
an arrangement to keep a table or room for you
an eating tool with several long pointed parts
a tool with a sharp blade used for cutting
an eating tool with a small bowl at one end
a flat round dish used for serving food
a deep round dish for food or liquid
a small drinking container usually with a handle
a drinking container made of glass, usually without a handle
a small piece of cloth or paper used while eating
Opening an answer records help for that question.
We read the ___ to choose our food.
Look at “choose our food”. Here we need “a list of the food and drinks available”: “menu”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “We read the menu to choose our food.”.
Use the ___ with four points to pick up the pasta.
Look at “four points”. Here we need “an eating tool with several long pointed parts”: “fork”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Use the fork with four points to pick up the pasta.”.
She pours cereal and milk into a wide ___ with curved sides, not a drinking container.
Look at “wide”. Here we need “a deep round dish for food or liquid”: “bowl”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “She pours cereal and milk into a wide bowl with curved sides, not a drinking container.”.
We have finished eating. Could we have the ___ so we can pay?
Look at “so we can pay”. Here we need “a written statement of how much you must pay”: “bill”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “We have finished eating. Could we have the bill so we can pay?”.
The service was excellent, so we left an extra five pounds as a ___.
Look at “extra five pounds”. Here we need “extra money given to a person for their service”: “tip”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “The service was excellent, so we left an extra five pounds as a tip.”.
I called yesterday to book a table. I have a ___ for two people.
Look at “book a table”. Here we need “an arrangement to keep a table or room for you”: “reservation”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “I called yesterday to book a table. I have a reservation for two people.”.
Which table utensil has a sharp blade for cutting meat into pieces? ___
Look at “sharp blade”. Here we need “a tool with a sharp blade used for cutting”: “knife”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Which table utensil has a sharp blade for cutting meat into pieces? knife”.
Use a ___ to lift the soup to your mouth.
Look at “lift the soup”. Here we need “an eating tool with a small bowl at one end”: “spoon”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Use a spoon to lift the soup to your mouth.”.
Put the pizza on a flat ___, not in a deep bowl.
Look at “flat”. Here we need “a flat round dish used for serving food”: “plate”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Put the pizza on a flat plate, not in a deep bowl.”.
It has a handle and a saucer. We drink tea from it. It is not a drinking glass. It is a ___.
Look at “handle and a saucer”. Here we need “a small drinking container usually with a handle”: “cup”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “It has a handle and a saucer. We drink tea from it. It is not a drinking glass. It is a cup.”.
Windows are made of it. We use the same word for something we drink water from. The word is ___.
Look at “Windows are made of it”. Here we need “a drinking container made of glass, usually without a handle”: “glass”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Windows are made of it. We use the same word for something we drink water from. The word is glass.”.
Wipe the food from your mouth with a ___.
Look at “Wipe the food”. Here we need “a small piece of cloth or paper used while eating”: “napkin”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Wipe the food from your mouth with a napkin.”.
Before we order, the waiter gives us a ___ listing every dish available to choose and its price.
Look at “listing every dish”. Here we need “a list of the food and drinks available”: “menu”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “Before we order, the waiter gives us a menu listing every dish available to choose and its price.”.
After the meal, the waiter brings our ___ showing the total amount we owe for what we ate.
Look at “total amount we owe”. Here we need “a written statement of how much you must pay”: “bill”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “After the meal, the waiter brings our bill showing the total amount we owe for what we ate.”.
He pushes the points of his ___ into a piece of potato.
Look at “points”. Here we need “an eating tool with several long pointed parts”: “fork”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “He pushes the points of his fork into a piece of potato.”.
Be careful: the blade of that ___ is sharp.
Look at “blade”. Here we need “a tool with a sharp blade used for cutting”: “knife”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Be careful: the blade of that knife is sharp.”.
Which word names a wide, deep eating dish for soup, rather than a drinking cup or glass? ___
Look at “wide, deep eating dish”. Here we need “a deep round dish for food or liquid”: “bowl”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Which word names a wide, deep eating dish for soup, rather than a drinking cup or glass? bowl”.
She asks for a small handled drinking container with a matching saucer for coffee. It is not a glass. It is a ___.
Look at “handled drinking container”. Here we need “a small drinking container usually with a handle”: “cup”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “She asks for a small handled drinking container with a matching saucer for coffee. It is not a glass. It is a cup.” / “She asks for a small cup and saucer for her coffee.”.
A ___ is extra money for service, not the price of the meal.
Look at “extra money for service”. Here we need “extra money given to a person for their service”: “tip”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “A tip is extra money for service, not the price of the meal.”.
The restaurant is full, but they have kept a table for our ___.
Look at “kept a table”. Here we need “an arrangement to keep a table or room for you”: “reservation”. Choosing food, owing a total, paying extra for service and booking ahead are different. Completed sentence: “The restaurant is full, but they have kept a table for our reservation.”.
Which table utensil has a small rounded hollow end for measuring loose sugar into coffee? ___
Look at “rounded hollow end”. Here we need “an eating tool with a small bowl at one end”: “spoon”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “Which table utensil has a small rounded hollow end for measuring loose sugar into coffee? spoon”.
The waiter puts a clean flat ___ in front of each person for the main course.
Look at “flat”. Here we need “a flat round dish used for serving food”: “plate”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “The waiter puts a clean flat plate in front of each person for the main course.”.
What is the usual name for a tall, straight-sided drinking container with a flat base and no handle, used for cold water at the table? A ___.
Look at “tall, straight-sided drinking container with a flat base and no handle”. Here we need “a drinking container made of glass, usually without a handle”: “glass”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “What is the usual name for a tall, straight-sided drinking container with a flat base and no handle, used for cold water at the table? A glass.” / “Her tall, narrow drinking glass is made of glass and has no handle.”.
There is a folded paper ___ next to each plate.
Look at “folded paper”. Here we need “a small piece of cloth or paper used while eating”: “napkin”. Check the object’s shape and intended use, not a way you could improvise with it. Completed sentence: “There is a folded paper napkin next to each plate.”.