ENGLISH III PREPOSITIONS GOING TO A RESTAURANT AND GOING SHOPPING PREPOSITIONS AT / ON / IN (time) Preposition Use Example AT Time of the day at 5 o’clock at lunchtime at the weekend/at weekends ON Days and dates on Friday(s) on my birthday IN Longer periods (months/years/seasons) in April in the 18 th century in the past Some exceptions: In the morning(s) / in the afternoon(s) / in the evening(s) , not at the morning(s). At Christmas / at Easter IN / ON / AT (place) Preposition Use Example IN Inside of (with “the”) in the room / garden Inside of (without “the”) in bed / hospital / prison Towns, cities and villages in Madrid / Spain ON On top of / over something on the floor / wall /page 7 AT Next to at the door / corner at the top (of the page) at the end (of the street) To find yourself somewhere (without “the”) at home / work / university Profession at the doctor’s / butcher’s To be at an event at a party / meeting 1 ENGLISH III • For example, if you want to say that the shop was very crowded you would say: There were a lot of people in the shop. (= Inside of the shop.) However, if you are giving directions to someone and you want them to turn left just after the shop, you would say: Go along this road, then turn left at the shop. (= When you are next to the shop, when you go past it.) • We use at when we say where an event takes place : o We went to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. o They showed their film at the local church. o I was at Helen’s house last night. However, we use in when we are thinking about the building itself : o The bar in the Royal Albert Hall was beautiful. o I enjoyed the film but it was very cold in the church. o The rooms in Helen’s house are very small. • For transport we use: o IN : in a car in a taxi o ON : on public transport: on a bus / train / plane / boat on a bicycle / horse (= on top of it) Complete the following sentences with in, on or at : 1. Vanessa is ______ a conference. 2. Martin is _______ hospital. 3. I saw Mary ______ her bicycle. 4. Judy is ______ the hairdresser’s. 5. He has been _____ prison for 5 years. 6. Tom wrote his name _____ the first page. 7. Her boyfriend was waiting for her _____ the end of the street. 8. She has a bathroom _____ her room. 2 ENGLISH III TO / AT / IN / INTO Preposition Use Example TO Movement I am going to France. Can you come to the party? IN Position (country / city / town) I live in France. AT Position (events) I’ll see you at the party. INTO Enter somewhere I got into the car. • With the verb GET we use to and with the verb ARRIVE either in or at : o Get to a place: What time did you get to London? What time did you get to the party? o Arrive in/at a place: Country/city/town: What time did you arrive in London? Other places and events: What time did you arrive at the party? BY Preposition Use Example BY How we do something pay by credit card How something can happen by mistake / by chance How somebody travels by car / train / boat / bus Next to / beside the switch is by the door Passive: the subject who does the action a letter was written by Dan a play by Shakespeare (written) Complete the following sentences with to, in, at, into, by : 1. At what time did they get _____ Paris? 2. They arrived _____ Paris _____ 5 o’clock. 3. Sophie got _____ the car and drove away. 4. I am going _____ Rome next weekend. 5. See you _____ the conference! 6. They are travelling _____ train. 3 ENGLISH III AT THE RESTAURANT! Useful vocabulary: Types of restaurant Tipos de restaurante drive -in restaurant restaurante autoservicio in salir del coche fast -food restaurant restaurante de comida rápida self -service restaurant restaurante autoservicio pub pub / bar café cafetería take -away (GB) restaurante que vende comida para llevar Things on a table Cosas en una mesa plate Plato (físico) dish plato (de comida) fork tenedor knife cuchillo spoon cuchara glass vaso / copa cup taza jar / jug jarra mug taza grande bottle opener abridor napkin servilleta tablecloth mantel pepper mill pimienta molida People in a restaurant Personas en un restaurante waiter camarero waitress camarera chef chef cook cocinero client, customer cliente 4 ENGLISH III Types of meal Tipos de comida snack tentempié appetizer aperitivo aperitif bebida alcohólica antes de la comida starter / entre e entrada / primer plato main course / main cuchara dessert postre side dish acompañamiento half portion media ración full portion ración fixed -price menu menú de precio fijo set menu menú del día hot meal comida caliente full meal comida completa de tres platos square meal comida completa de tres platos the house special el plato de la casa Types of drink Tipos de bebida still mineral water agua sin gas sparkling mineral water agua con gas tap water agua del grifo soft drink refresco juice zumo beer cerveza red wine vino tinto red wine with lemonade tinto de verano tea té herbal tea infusión coffee with milk café con leche small black coffee / espresso café solo small coffee with a little milk café cortado milk with a dash of coffee leche manchada espresso with water added café americano iced coffee café con hielo coffee and brandy carajillo rum on the rocks ron con hielo 5 ENGLISH III Time of the meal Hora de la comida breakfast desayuno brunch brunch lunch comida tea merienda dinner cena Food preparation Preparación de la comida rare poco hecho medium -rare al punto menos medium al punto well done muy hecho overdone / overcooked hecho de más / pasado undercooked / raw crudo How is food? ¿Cómo está la comida? It’s delicious! ¡Está muy rico! It’s good. Está bueno. It’s so -so. Está regular. It’s awful! ¡Está horrible! This isn’t what I ordered. Esto no es lo que he pedido. It has gone bad / It has expired. Ha caducado. It’s rotten. Está podrido. It’s very tender. Está muy tierno. It’s hot / spicy Está picante. It’s mild. Está suave. It’s crunchy. Está crujiente It’s bitter. Está amargo. It’s sour. Está agrio. It’s salty. Está salado. It’s savoury. Está sabroso. It’s tasteless. No sabe a nada. 6 ENGLISH III Useful phrases: It is important you know what to say and how to react in the following five situations: 1) Booking a table 2) Arriving at the restaurant 3) Ordering 4) Complaining 5) Asking for the bill 1) Booking a table In order to book a table we use the following expression: I would like to book a table for (nº of people) under the name of (name of person), please. More examples: • I would like to book / reserve a table for four at 8pm, please. • I would like to book a table for two at 8 under the name of Rodríguez, please. • Could we have a table by the window, please? • Could we have a non-smoking table, please? • Could we have a table away from the kitchen/toilets, please? • Could you make sure it's a quiet table, please? 2) Arriving at the restaurant When we arrive at the restaurant we use the following expression: I have a table booked for (nº of people) under the name of (name of person) . More examples: • Good evening, I have a table booked for two under the name of Rodríguez. • Do you have the menu in Spanish, please? • Do you have a high chair for young children, please? • Could we have an extra chair, please? • Could we have that table, please? • I'm sorry but I asked for a table by the window. 7 ENGLISH III 3) Ordering When we order our food we use the following expressions: I would like the (name of dish) , please. / I’d like the (name of dish) , please. I will have the (name of dish) , please. / I’ll have the (name of dish) , please. Could I have the (name of dish) , please. More examples: • What is the house special today? • Could I see the wine menu, please? • Which wine would you recommend? • I'd like the chicken, please. • For starters I'll have the soup and for the main course I'd like the roast beef. • Could I have chips instead of jacket potato, please? • I'll have a bottle of the South African Cabernet Sauvignon. 4) Complaining When we want to complain about something we use the following expressions: Excuse me, (complaint) . I’m afraid (complaint). I’m sorry but (complaint). More examples: • Excuse me but my meal is cold. • Excuse me, we've been waiting for over half an hour for our drinks. • Excuse me, this steak is overdone, I ordered rare. • I'm sorry but I ordered the side salad not the vegetables. • I'm afraid this wine tastes corked. 5) During the meal These are some expressions you can use during the meal to ask for something: 8 ENGLISH III Could I have (name of thing) , please. Do you have (name of thing) . More examples: • Could we have some more bread, please? • Could I have some dressing, please? • Could you pass me the salt, please? • Do you have a pepper mill? • That was delicious.