Eating Out, Ordering & Shopping: correct answers
Jump to answers ↓Ordering Food and Drinks
When you sit down at a restaurant, the waiter will eventually ask if you are "ready to order." Notice that we use the infinitive (to + verb) after the adjective ready.
Once you start ordering, you might want to customize your meal. If you want a sauce or dressing served in a separate little dish rather than poured directly over your food, the fixed phrase is on the side.
✅ Could I get the salad dressing on the side? ❌ Could I get the salad dressing by the side?
Another crucial detail is warning the staff about food allergies. The adjective allergic always pairs with the preposition to.
✅ My friend is allergic to peanuts. ❌ My friend is allergic with peanuts.
When grabbing a quick coffee or fast food, the cashier needs to know if you are staying in the building or taking the food away. The standard American English phrase is for here or to go. (In British English, you might hear eat in or take away).
✅ I'll have a muffin. — Is that for here or to go? ❌ I'll have a muffin. — Is that to sit or to walk?
Shopping for Clothes
When you enter a store, shop assistants will often ask if you need help. If you have a specific item in mind, use the phrasal verb look for.
Once you find something you like, you'll want to see if it fits your body. The correct phrasal verb here is try on.
✅ I love this blue coat. Can I try it on? ❌ I love this blue coat. Can I try it out?
Try out is used for testing equipment, software, or machines (like trying out a new phone or a car), but try on is strictly for testing the fit of clothing, shoes, and accessories.
Sales and discounts also rely on specific prepositions. When a price is reduced from its original amount, we say the percentage is off.
✅ All winter coats are 50% off today! ❌ All winter coats are 50% down today!
Paying at the Register: A Common Error
One of the most frequent mistakes English learners make is mixing up prepositions when talking about payment methods.
The general rule is that we use by for electronic, bank, or system methods, but we use in for physical paper money and coins.
✅ My card declined. Is it okay if I pay in cash instead? ❌ My card declined. Is it okay if I pay by cash instead?
While you might occasionally hear native speakers say "pay with cash" in casual conversation, in cash is the standard, most natural phrasing. Conversely, you pay by credit card, by phone, or by check. You never pay in card.
Correct answers
Question 1
Help the hungry customer complete their order at the cafe by dragging the correct words into the blanks.
Customer: "I would like the grilled chicken salad, but can I get the dressing on the side?"
Cashier: "Certainly. Is this order for here or to go?"
Customer: "I would like the grilled chicken salad, but can I get the dressing on the side?"
The phrase on the side is a very common fixed expression in English. It means you want an item (like salad dressing or sauce) served in a separate little container rather than mixed directly into your food.
Cashier: "Certainly. Is this order for here or to go?"
For here is the standard natural phrase used in cafes and fast-food restaurants to ask if you are going to eat your meal inside the restaurant. It directly contrasts with the phrase "to go."
Question 2
Complete the panicked shopper's question at the checkout counter.
"Oh no, my card keeps declining and there's a huge line behind me! Is it okay if I pay ___ cash instead?"
The correct answer is in.
When talking about payment methods, we say "pay by credit card" or "pay by phone," but we always say "pay in cash" (or simply "pay cash").
Question 3
Complete this everyday conversation between a shopper and a store clerk by dragging the correct words into the blanks.
Customer: "Excuse me, I am looking for a winter coat."
Clerk: "We have some great ones right here. They are all 50% off today!"
Customer: "Perfect! Can I pay by credit card?"
Customer: "Excuse me, I am looking for a winter coat."
The phrasal verb look for means to search for something you want to find or buy. If you say "look at," it means you are just pointing your eyes at something that is already in front of you!
Clerk: "We have some great ones right here. They are all 50% off today!"
When something is on sale, we use off to show how much the price has been reduced (e.g., "20 dollars off" or "50% off").
Customer: "Perfect! Can I pay by credit card?"
We use the preposition by to talk about methods of electronic payment, such as by credit card or by Apple Pay. (Note: If you are using paper money, the correct expression is "pay in cash").
Question 4
Choose the most natural phrase the barista would use to finish the transaction.
"Here's your double chocolate muffin. That'll be $4.50. Is that ___?"
The correct answer is for here or to go.
"For here or to go?" is the standard, natural phrase used in North American cafes and fast-food restaurants to ask if you want to eat your food inside the restaurant or take it with you. In British English, you might also hear "eat in or take away?"
Question 5
The correct answers are for, on, and in.
looking for means searching for something you want to find.
try on is a phrasal verb meaning to put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits.
pay in cash is the standard fixed expression when using physical money (unlike pay by card).
Question 6
Help the picky eater give the right instruction to the waiter.
"I'd like the garden salad, please, but could I get the dressing ___? I don't want the lettuce to get soggy!"
The correct answer is on the side.
In English restaurants, if you want a sauce or dressing served in a separate little container rather than mixed into your food, you ask for it "on the side."
Question 7
The correct answers are to, on, to, and by.
ready to is followed by a verb (ready to order).
on the side is a fixed expression used when you want a sauce or dressing served in a separate little bowl.
allergic to is the correct preposition combination when talking about food allergies.
pay by is used with payment methods like card, credit card, or phone (but remember, we say pay in cash!).