Offering food and drinks

 


Offering food and drinks | Part 2

How to Offer someone two different types of drinks and foods?

We offer someone two different types of drinks or food, especially when we need to make sure that they can have the one they'd prefer. 

Here are common expressions used to offer someone  two, or three different types of food or drinks:

  • Would you like .......... or ...........?
  • Would you prefer ............ or ..........?
  • Would you prefer to have .........or ........?
  • Would you rather have ............ or .........?
  • Do you want .............. or ..............?   (More informal)
  • Want ....... or ........?   (More informal)
  • Have ....... or .........?  (More informal)
  • Food 1 or food 2?      (More informal)
  • Drink 1 or drink 2?   (More informal)


Note

Both formal and informal (casual) offers can be used to offer food or drinks to someone that is very close to you, but do not use the informal ones to offer food or drinks to somebody that you don't know well or someone who is older than you, as it's regarded impolite.


Examples of offering coffee or tea:

  • Would you like coffee or tea?
  • Would you prefer coffee or tea?
  • Would you prefer to have coffee or tea?
  • Would you rather have coffee or tea?
  • Do you want coffee or tea?
  • Want coffee or tea?
  • Have coffee or tea?
  • Coffee or tea?


Examples of offering a sandwich or burger:

  • Would you like a sandwich or burger?
  • Would you prefer a sandwich or burger?
  • Would you prefer to have a sandwich or burger?
  • Would you rather have a sandwich or burger?
  • Do you want a sandwich or burger?
  • Want a sandwich or burger?
  • Have a sandwich or burger?
  • Sandwich or burger?


Examples of offering a fruit salad or green salad:

  • Would you like a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Would you prefer a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Would you prefer to have a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Would you rather have a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Do you want a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Want a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Have a fruit salad or green salad?
  • Fruit or green salad?


Here are 4 common ways of replying to the offers.

To reply to this kind of offer, you can just say the one you'd prefer or use the expressions such as 'I'd prefer...', 'I'll have...', or 'I'd like', and also use please to accept the offer politely.

☆ If you'd prefer coffee rather than tea, you can say:

  • Coffee, please.
  • I'd prefer tea, please.
  • I'll have coffee, please.
  • I'd like coffee, please.


☆ But otherwise, if you choose tea rather than coffee, you could say:

  • Tea, please.
  • I'd prefer tea, please.
  • I'll have tea, please.
  • I'd like tea, please.


☆ This also applies to the foods and salads:

  • Burger, please.      (= The burger, please.)
  • I'd prefer the burger, please. 
  • I'll have the burger, please.         
  • I'd like the burger, please.             


  • Sandwich, please.  (=The sandwich, please.)
  • I'd prefer the sandwich, please.
  • I'll have the sandwich, please.
  • I'd like the sandwich, please.


  • Fruit salad, please.    (=The fruit salad, please.)
  • I'd prefer the fruit salad, please.
  • I'll have the fruit salad, please.
  • I'd like the fruit salad, please.


  • Green salad, please.  (=The green salad, please.)
  • I'd prefer the green salad please.
  • I'll have the green salad, please.
  • I'd like the green salad please.


☆ But if you don't mind having either, you say:

  • I don't mind - either.
  • Either, please.
  • Either, I don't mind.
  • Either will do.


Sample dialogues:

A: Would you like tea or coffee?

B: I'd prefer tea, please.


A: Would you prefer a burger or sandwich?

B: Oh, the burger, please.


A: Can I get you orange juice or mango juice?

B: Mango juice, please.


A: Would you rather have potato salad or macaroni salad?

B: Either, please.


A: Would you prefer to have a black coffee or white coffee?

B: I'd like the black one, please.


A: Do you want chicken soup or vegetable soup?

B: I'll have the chicken soup, please.


A: Chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream?

B: I'd prefer the chocolate ice cream, please. 


How to offer someone another drink and some more food?

if the drink or food that you served is running out or your guest has finished it up, we usually offer the person another drink or some more food. 

In this context, we use:

another + countable noun

Some more + uncountable noun

More + uncountable


Examples of offering another drink:

  • Would you like another drink?
  • Can I get you another drink?
  • Do you want another drink?
  • Want another drink?
  • Have another drink?
  • Another drink?

(Not: some more drink, as it is countable in this context)


Examples of offering some more coffee:

  • Would you like some more coffee?  

  • Can I get you another coffee?  

         (Or can I get you another cup of coffee)

  • Do you want more coffee?

  • Want some more coffee?

  • Have any more coffee?
  • More coffee?
  • Another coffee?

Note

Another coffee means another cup of coffee.


Examples of offering some more food:

  • Would you like some more food? 
  • Can I get you any more food?
  • Do you want more food?
  • Want some more food?
  • Have more food?
  • More food?

(Not: another food as it is uncountable)


Examples of offering some more salad:

  • Would you like any more salad? 
  • Can I get you some more salad?
  • Do you want more salad?
  • Want some more salad?
  • Have any more salad?
  • More salad?


Note

We use some in an offer when we're expecting a yes answer, while we use any when we think that the person might want another drink or some more food.


Here are common words / phrases native English speakers use to accept the offer:

  • Please.
  • Yes, please.
  • Oh yes, please.
  • Yes, please. Thank you.
  • Yes, please. Thanks.
  • I would. 
  • Yes, I would.
  • Thank you.
  • Thanks.
  • Yes, thank you.
  • Yes, thanks.
  • I wouldn't say no.
  • Oh, that would be great/ nice. Thanks.
  • Yes, I'd love to.
  • Yes, I'd like to.


Note that thank you is more polite than thanks. So, they can be exchangeable or preferable.

Examples dialogues:

A: Would you like another drink?

B: Yes, please. 


A: Would you like some more cake?

B: Oh yes, please.


A: Would you like some more soup?

B: Thank you. 


A: Would you like some more salad?

B: Yes, I would. 


A: More potatoes?

B: Thanks.


A: Do you want some more chicken curry, Jane?

B: I wouldn't say no. Thank you.


A: Can I get you more juice?

B: Yes, I'd love to. 


A: More coffee?

B: Yes, that would be nice. Thank you.


Here are some common words / phrases we can use to decline the offer:

  • No, thank you.
  • No, thanks.
  • No, thanks. I'm fine.  
  • No, I'm fine, thanks.
  • No, thanks. I'm good.
  • No, I'm good, thanks. 
  • No, thanks. I'm all right.
  • No, I'm all right, thanks.
  • No more coffee for me, thank you.
  • No more dessert for me, thank you.


Sample dialogues:

A: More coffee?

B: No, I'm good, thank you.


A: Can I get you more juice?

B: No, thank you. I'm fine.


A: Have more juice?

B: No more juice for me, thanks.


A: Do you want some more chicken soup?

B: No, I'm good. Thank you.


A: Another sandwich?

B: No, I'm all right, thank you.


A: Want more dessert?

B: No, thank you.


If there are some people and you are afraid that the food or drinks you have served aren't enough for everyone, you can ask 'Have you had enough food / drinks?'.

Example dialogues:

A: Have you had enough food?

B: Yes, it's quite enough. Thank you.

     No, we need some more.


A: Have you had enough drinks?

B: Yes, they're more than enough. Thank you.

    No, I think we need some more. 


When we are carrying some food, drinks, or fruits and we ask someone to take one / some, the verbs have / take is used here: 

Example situations:

☆ You're bringing some apples, and you ask someone to take one, you say:

  • Have one. (= Take one.)

☆ You're carrying several pieces of food, and you ask someone to take some, you say:

  • Have some. (= Take some.)

As you are giving the drink or food, you can say:

  • Here's your tea.             (More polite)
  • Here's your salad.         (More polite)
  • Here are your drinks.   (More polite)
  • Here you are.                 (More informal)
  • Here you go.                   (More informal)
  • There you are.               (More informal)
  • There you go.                 (More informal)

These expressions have the same meaning in this use.


We commonly use 'Enjoy' after giving the drink or food, or when we want the person to enjoy it:

  • Enjoy!

  • Enjoy your meal!
  • Here's your coffee. Enjoy!
  • Enjoy your drink!


That's it. Hopefully, this English lesson has given you enough references on this subject and also helps improve your spoken English. Have a nice day!

See also:

Offering food and drinks| Part 1

When to say thank you?

What are you doing this weekend?

How was your weekend?

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