How can you offer (and accept / not accept) food and drink? Here are some useful speaking phrases and grammar rules to help you.
Offering, accepting and refusing food and drink
Would you like some more?
Would you like another (potato)?
Can I get you some more wine?
Have you got enough (meat)?
Examples for accepting
Would you like some more salad?
Oh yes, please!
Can I get you some more wine?
Just a small glass, please.
Would you like another potato?
That would be great, thanks.
Examples for refusing
Can I get you some more wine?
No, not for me, thanks.
Would you like some more meat?
No thank you. I’ve got enough.
Have you got enough gravy?
Yes, that’s fine thanks.
More potatoes?
No, I’m good thanks.
Would you like some dessert?
Oh no thanks. I’m full.
(full = my stomach is full)
Do you have room for seconds?
I’m sorry, but I can’t eat any more.
(room for = space in your stomach)
(seconds = another plate of food)
Using enough
enough = the right quantity
“Do you have enough money for the bus journey?”
“Yes, I’ve got £2, but it only costs £1.50.”
“Enough” comes before a plural countable noun, or an uncountable noun.
“She hasn’t got enough vegetables on her plate.”
“He hasn’t got enough time.”
You don’t always need the noun:
Have you got enough?
(Yes, I have / No, I haven’t.)
You can also follow it with a verb:
“He earns enough (money) to have expensive holidays.”
Using too
We use “too”, “too much” and “too many” to say the quantity is big – we don’t need it all.
“I’ve got too much meat here. I can’t eat it all!”
“Please, no more potatoes! I’ve got too many here!”
We use “too” before an adjective:
“I’m too tired to go swimming.”
“She’s too angry to speak to you.”
We use “too much” before an uncountable noun:
“There’s too much salt in this soup.”
We use “too many” before a plural countable noun:
“There are too many people in this restaurant.”
Using some and any
See our page on some and any for a quick review.
Would you like some more wine?
Yes, please. I’d like some (more).
Would you like any more wine?
Yes please. I’d like some (more).
No thank you. I don’t want any (more).
In questions we can use some and any when we offer something. (With “some” the quantity is more restricted than with “any”, but there isn’t a big difference.)
If we accept, we can use “some” in the reply, but if we refuse, we can use “any” in the reply (or just say “no thank you”.)
Giving someone a choice
Would you like some ice-cream or some cake?
Either please!
(= It doesn’t matter to me.)
Would you like some ice-cream or some cake?
Both please!
(= I’d like ice-cream and cake.)
“Either…or” is a choice:
Would you like either ice-cream or cake?
Oh, the ice-cream please.
Other polite phrases at dinner
That was lovely, thanks.
This is wonderful!
How did you make this?
What did you put in … (the sauce)?
Essential English utensils vocabulary
plate = what you eat meat, etc off
bowl = where you put (liquid) soup, cereal, etc
knife = what you use to cut food (pronounced “n-eye-f”)
fork = what you hold in your left hand to carry food to your mouth
spoon = what you use to eat soup or dessert
glass = what you drink wine or water from
cup = what you drink coffee or tea from
teaspoon = small spoon for sugar
napkin / serviette = small piece of material you put on your knees
tablecloth = material to cover the table
Offering Food
Choose the correct answer.
