Page 26 -On Friday night. There were a lot of people in the Italian restaurant. A woman and a man sat at the table in the corner.- "May I help you?" a waiter asked. "What's today's specialty?" Rickey asked him. "Today, this course is recommended,"he said showing the menu. "How about you, Mary?" "Okay." "I'll take this." "Would you like anything to drink?" "I'll take this wine." "Certainly." "Rickey, you're sweating." "Haha, I'm nervous." "You aren't used to this atmosphere. I think you would rather go to a cafe." "Haha …." Today's points -The point 1- May I help you? "Help" means we can do it with you and your work will be easy. "May I help you?" is often used in a shop as a greeting or to take a order.. (1) May I help you? I'll have a steak. Before we order, a clerk speaks "May I take your order?" without it. "I'll take …" is used to order on the menu with pointing out. For example, "I'll take this." Moreover, "I'll have…" is also used. It is used to speak the order without the menu. May I take your order? I'll have roast beef. I'll have the same. Moreover, if we are suggested a drink, like the above, "would you like anything to drink?" is often used. (2) Would you like anything to drink? I'll have beer. Anything else? No, thank you. "Anything else?" is used if a clerk ask us the other orders. Anything else? That's all. And "That's all." is used after we have ordered. It means the end. It is also used after speaking in a conversation. When we come home and want to pay, "could I have the bill please?" is used. "Bill, please." is also used easily. But in American English, "check" is used instead of "bill" like "could I have the check please?" (3) Could I have the bill please? Sure. If we want to ask the consumption tax, "include" can be used. Does it include consumption tax? By the way, when we order a steak, we might be asked like the following. (4) How do you like your steak? "How do you like …" means which way do you like? It is used to ask how the steak is roasted. How to roast is as follows. (5c) means roasting enough. (5) a. Rare, please. b. Medium, please. c. Well done, please. "Medium rare" means between "rare" and "medium." -The point 2- What's today's specialty? "Specialty" means famous cuisine in a shop. "What's today's specialty?" is used as which do you want to give us? (6) What's today's specialty? Spaghetti is good. Oh, I'll have it. "Recommend" is also used. What do you recommend? -The point 3- I think you would rather go to a cafe. "Would rather …" is used if we want to choose "…" other than it. The verb is put after "would rather." (7) Would you like something to drink? I'll have beer. How about you? Well, I'd rather have a cocktail. "I'd" is used as "I would." It is often used in spoken. (8) I'm planning our honeymoon trip now. Which do you want to go to, Italy or France? Hmmm, I want to go to both countries. But of the two I'd rather go to Italy. What do you think? I'd rather go to France than Italy.

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