Offering Food And Drinks
Offering Food and Drinks | Part 1
How to offer someone food or a drink?
How to accept and decline an offer of food and a drink in various ways in English?
(PART 1)
- What do you usually say when you offer someone food or a drink?
- Conversely, when someone offers you food or a drink, how do you accept or decline it?
In English, we have a number of different expressions that we need to know to make offers of food and drinks and also to accept and refuse an offer. And knowing them can be really useful and important for you as you can have a choice of using them and you can also understand if someone offering you food, or a drink uses any.
Offering food or a drink to someone is one of the things we do most often in our daily life, especially when we're having someone over at our house or when we're having food or drinks that we'd like to share with someone.
I often find out that the English lesson about making offers doesn't provide adequate offering expressions and responses in English textbooks. Indeed, this lesson is often mixed and presented with some other lessons such as requests, invitations & permissions that definitely often causes a confusion to English learners. As a result, they can't speak it when it comes to using the language in their real English communication.
Here are some common expressions native English speakers often use to offer someone food or a drink, which are classified in some types:
☆ Expressions of offering food or a drink
Type 1
▪︎ What would you like to drink / eat?
▪︎ What will you have to drink / eat?
▪︎ What can I get you to drink / eat?
▪︎ What do you want to drink / eat?
We use this type of expressions to offer someone food or a drink, especially when we don't know for sure what food or drink a person would like to have and to make sure that we can get the drink / food that the person really wants.
"What would you like to drink or eat?" is a formal or polite expression that you can use to offer food or a drink to someone who you need to be polite to. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot use this with someone that you know well.
And for more casual or informal offers, instead of 'What would you like to drink / eat?', you can use 'What can I get you to drink / eat?' and also 'What do you want to drink / eat?'. We can only use these expressions especially with someone you're very close to like your friends, peers or co-workers.
And then, how to respond to this kind of offer especially when we accept it?
This type of expressions can be responded in some different ways. As a specific food or drink is not mentioned in the offer, so we need to say the name of food or drink that we would like to have.
Here are some common ways we can use to accept the offer:
First way of accepting the offer
If someone uses that expression to offer you food or a drink, you can reply to the offer by simply saying the drink or food you'd like, and you can add the word "please" to accept it politely.
Drink, + please.
Examples:
- Drinking water, please.
- Coffee, please.
- Tea, please.
- Orange juice, please.
- Tomato juice, please.
- Smoothie, please.
Meanwhile, for food you can also simply say...
Food, + please.
- Sandwich, please.
- Dessert, please.
- Cake, please.
- Salad, please.
- Toast, please.
The second way to accept the offer is that you can use a container like "a cup of a glass of, or a drink of", to especially say what you'd like to drink, and also use 'please' to sound politely.
A container of the drink, + please.
- A drink of water, please.
- A cup of coffee, please.
- A can of coke, please.
- A glass of juice, please.
- A cup of tea, please.
But for food, you don’t need to use this way. Just use like the previous one.
The third way that we can also use as a reply to the offer is by using the phrases " I'd like, or I'll have", or the more casual one "I want".
If you use these phrases, you need to include the determiner 'a' or 'some' depending on the noun.
I'd like ........, please. / I'll have ........., please.
For a drink
Examples:
- I'd like a black coffee, please.
(= I'll have a black coffee, please.)
Note that the phrase 'a black coffee' means a cup of coffee without milk.
- I'd like a drink of water, please.
(= I'll have a drink of water, please.)
- I'd like a drink of tea, please.
(=I'll have a drink of tea, please.)
For food
Examples:
- I'd like some cake, please.
(= I'll have some cake, please.)
- I'd like some cookies, please.
(= I'll have some cookies, please.)
- I'd like a green salad, please.
(I'll have a green salad, please.)
- I'd like a sandwich, please.
(=I'll have a sandwich, please.)
The last (fourth) one, you could use "May I have ...?" Or "May I get...?" as well, or you can use "Can" instead of "May" to be more casual. This may seem irrelevant to the question, yet it's also commonly used as a reply to that offering expression. In fact, we use this phrase to make sure that the host can take you a drink or food that you just want. we usually use 'thank you' before this phrase.
May I have…. / May I get .......
Can I have ……/ Can I get ......
For a drink
Examples:
▪︎Thank you. May I have / get a cup of tea, please?
(= Can I have / get a cup of tea, please?)
▪︎ Thank you. May I have / get a drink of water, please?
(= Can I have / get a drink of water, please?)
▪︎ Thank you. May I have / get a coffee, please?
(= Can I have / get a coffee, please?)
Note that a coffee can mean a cup of coffee.
For food
Examples:
▪︎ Thank you. May I have / get a green salad, please?
(= Can I have / get a green salad, please?)
▪Thank you.︎ May I have / get a sandwich, please?
(= Can I have / get a sandwich, please?)
▪︎ Thank you, but may I have / get some pasta, please?
(= Can I have / get some pasta, please?)
Remember not to use the phrase "Yes, please. / Yes, I would." to accept the offer, as it is not relevant to the kind of offer.
A: What would you like to drink / eat?
B: Yes, please.
It's incorrect to use "Yes, please" to accept the kind of offer.
☆ Expressions of offering food or a drink
Type 2
In the second type, we use modal verbs "Would", "May", "Can" and an auxiliary verb "Do" at a beginning of the sentence. Let's have a look.
1 ▪︎ Would you like something to drink?
2 ▪︎Would you like me to get you a drink / a beverage?
3 ▪︎ Would you like a beverage?
4 ▪︎ Would you like a drink?
5 ▪︎ Would you care for a drink?
We use 'would' to make polite offers. In other words, this is a very formal form of asking someone if they would like something.
Even the expressions are different, but they mean the same thing.
6 ▪︎ May / Can I offer you something to drink?
7 ▪︎ May / Can I offer you a drink?
8 ▪︎ May / Can I get you something to drink?
9 ▪︎ May / Can I get you anything to drink?
10 ▪︎ May / Can I get you a drink?
Can is more informal than May.
11 ▪︎ Do you want something to drink?
12 ▪︎ Do you want a drink?
The word want is only used to make offers casually.
13▪︎ Do you fancy a drink?
The phrase 'Do you fancy' is very often used in the UK. It's informal and used to ask someone if they would like something.
For food, it applies the same. Instead of "Would you like something to eat?", you can also use the other possible ones that mean the same thing as in:
1 ▪︎ Would you like something to eat?
2 ▪︎ Would you like some food?
3 ▪︎ Would you care for some food?
4 ▪︎ Would you like me to get you some food?
5 ▪︎ May / Can I offer you some food?
6 ▪︎ May / Can I offer you something to eat?
7 ▪︎ May / Can I offer you anything to eat?
8 ▪︎ May / Can I get you something to eat?
9 ▪︎ May / Can I get you anything to eat?
10 ▪︎ May / Can I get you some food?
11 ▪︎ Do you want something to eat?
12 ▪︎ Do you want some food?
13 ▪︎ Do you fancy some food?
So, these expressions can also be optional for you to choose or use one of them as an alternative.
We use this type of expressions to offer someone food or a drink without mentioning the name of the food or drink, especially if you just want to serve or get the one that you're having. And your guest doesn't mind having any.
The way to accept or refuse this type of offer is different form the previous ones of the first type.
There are 2 different ways to accept the offer in type 2:
Fist way
If you don't mind any food / drink that's offered to you, you could simply say:
- Please.
- Yes, I would.
- Oh yes, please.
- Yes, please.
- Yes, please. Thank you.
- Yes, please. Thanks.
- Yes, thank you. (= Yes, thanks.)
- Thank you. (= Thanks.)
But if you want to make sure to get the drink / food that you really want, you have to use the phrase " May / Can I have ... or May /Can I get...
Second way
Examples:
- Yes, I would. But can I have a drink of water, please?
- Yes, please. Can I get a drink of water?
- Yes, thank you. Can I have salad, please?
- That would be nice, may I have a drink of water, please?
- I would, may I get a drink of water, please?
- Yes, may I have salad, please?
☆ Expressions of offering food or a drink
Type 3
The other common way to offer someone something especially food or drinks is by mentioning specific name of the food or drink that we offer. And we commonly take a determiner like some, a, or and sometimes it's also possible without any determiner if the noun is uncountable.
some + uncountable / plural countable noun
Some + name of food / drink
▪︎ Would you like some cake?
▪︎ Would you care for some coffee?
▪︎ Would you like me to get you some soup?
▪︎ May / Can I offer you some cookies?
▪︎ May / Can I get you some steak pie?
▪︎ Do you want some rice?
▪︎ Do you fancy some chicken nuggets?
a / an + singular countable noun
Meanwhile, if the noun is countable, we use a/ an.
▪︎ Would you like a drink of juice?
▪︎ Would you like me to get you a sandwich?
▪︎ Would you care for a burger?
▪︎ May / Can I offer you a green salad?
▪︎ May / Can I get you a chicken curry?
▪︎ Do you want an apple?
▪︎ Do you fancy a coffee?
In English, the determiner 'a' before the word 'coffee' can mean 'a cup of'. Native English speakers often say 'a coffee' instead of a cup of coffee, and if they need two cups of coffee, they say two coffees.
So, 'Would you like coffee?', 'Would you like some coffee?' 'Would you like a coffee?' and 'Would you like a cup of coffee?' mean the same thing and are all correct and acceptable.
Without any determiner
It's also very common to use would you like with a direct noun or without any determiner if the noun is uncountable.
▪︎ Would you like cake?
▪︎ Would you care for tea?
▪︎ Would you like me to get you pasta?
▪︎ May / Can I get you coffee?
▪︎ May / Can I get you fruit salad?
▪︎ Do you want drinking water?
▪︎ Do you fancy steak?
With "one"
We can also use 'one' espcially if the specific food or drink has been mentioned before. For example,
▪︎ I'm just making a cup of tea. Would you like one?
▪︎ I've just made some coffee. Would you like one?
In this case, we don't need to repeat the item that has been mentioned, just use one.
With "instead"
And if you don't have the drink that the person asks you for, you can offer another drink that you have. In this situation, you have to tell the person that you don't have the drink, then offer another one by using the word 'instead'. For instance:
▪︎ There's no coffee - would you like a cup of tea instead?
▪︎ I've run out of coffee - would you like a cup of tea instead?
☆ Expressions of offering food or a drink
Type 4
In this type, we can use want or a noun with a questioning intonation in more casual offers:
A: Want some salad?
B: No, thank you.
A: Coffee?
B: Oh yes, please.
☆ Phrases of accepting the offers
Here are some other various phrases native English speakers often use to accept the offers of either food or a drink, especially for types 2, 3 and 4:
1. Please.
2. Yes, I would.
3. Yes, please. ( or Oh yes, please. )
4. Thank you.
( This means yes. )
5. Thanks.
(This also means yes but thanks is more informal than thank you.)
《 We use thank you or thanks as a reply to an offer that both mean yes.》
6. Yes, please, thank you.
7. Oh, that would be great, thanks.
8. Yes, I'd like to. ( or Yes, I'd love to. ) / Oh, I'd love to, thank you.
9. Yes, please. That would be nice.
10. Thank you. I'd like to.
11. That's very kind of you.
12. That sounds nice/ good / great.
13. Sure, thank you.
14. That's a good idea.
15. Yes, if you don't mind / if you wouldn't mind.
16. I wouldn't say no.
17. That's very nice of you, thank you.
18. That's a very kind offer, thanks.
(I wouldn't say no is an informal expression used to say that you would like something that is offered to you.)
☆ Phrases of declining the offers
However, if you don't need anything to drink or to eat?, you may have just had one.
Here are some various phrases that we can use to refuse or decline the offers for types 1, 2, 3 and 4:
- No, thank you.
(= No, thanks.)
The phrase number 1 is No, thank you or no, thanks. This is a very common phrase that we can use to refuse an offer. But 'No, thanks' is more informal than thank you.
- No, I'm all right, thank you.
( = No, I’m all right, thanks. )
Number two is ‘I’m all right’. When you don’t want something that is offered to you, you can refuse it by saying “No, I’m all right, thank you or No, I’m all right, thanks.
- No, I'm good, thank you.
(= No, I’m good, thanks.)
Next, 'No, I’m good, thank you' or No, I’m good, thanks.’ is also a phrase that you can use to respond to an offer especially when you turn it down.
- No, thank you, I'll pass.
(= No, thanks, I’ll pass.)
And another common way to decline an offer is No, thank you, I’ll pass or No, thanks, I’ll pass.’.
- No, thank you. I'm fine.
(= No, thanks. I’m fine.)
The phrase number 5 is I’m fine that comes after no, thanks or no thank you.
- I'm okay, thank you. I've just had one.
(= No, I'm okay, thanks.)
Number 6 is I’m okay, thanks or I’m okay, thank you. It’s also a very common phrase native English speakers often use to decline an offer.
- Nothing for me, thank you.
( = Nothing for me, thanks. )
The phrase number 7 is nothing for me. It means that you don’t want any food or drink because you might have had one.
- Thank you, but I'm full.
- It's very nice of you, unfortunately / but I've already had one.
- I'd like to, but I'm on a diet.
- It's very kind of you. But I think I'll pass. I've just had one.
The last (eighth) one, to turn down the offer, Sometimes, we can use phrases like 'Thank you', 'It's very kind or nice of you' and 'I'd like to'. We say this to appreciate the offer and use the word 'but' to give your reason to show that you cannot accept it rather than just saying no.
☆ Expressions of offering food or a drink
Type 5
The last one, we use who wants..?, who would like..? Or who fancies..? to offer food or a drink to a group of people. When we are having some people visiting, we need to offer them food or a drink at a time.
Who wants ....? / Who would like ....? Who fancies ....?
- Who wants dessert?
- Who would like ice cream?
- Who fancies coffee?
And to answer this offer, if you'd like what's offered to you, you can say "I would" or "I'd love", and say "No one" if nobody would like what's offered.
For the food or drink as in the examples can be changed according to the real one that you'd like to offer, as each country has different typical food and drink that the people usually offer to someone.
That was about it. I hope this English lesson can really help you know how to make offers of food and drinks and to accept and decline the offers in English. Now, you have a choice of using any of them.
Definitely we still have some other ways of offering someone food or a drink along with the responses as well, especially for other different contexts in PART 2. Thank you very much for visiting this blog.
I wish you a good day!
See also:
Offering food and drinks | Part 2
