English lessons and practice games are intended for people aged 13 and over.
Enable JavaScript to listen, practice and save progress. The lesson content can still be read below.
Lesson 124 / Service & care
5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.
Help guests, keep costs low and create a quiet reading corner.
Match words to pictures →Play What is She/He doing? →
A randomly assigned, fixed male or female synthetic voice for each phrase or sentence · Slow playback at 0.7× preserves pitch.
She attended to a visitor who needed help.
She attended to a visitor who needed help.
We will attend to your request this afternoon.
We will attend to your request this afternoon.
Keep “to”. This differs from “attend a meeting”, meaning be present at a meeting.
Cambridge Dictionary · attend to
She waited on the guests at the reading event.
She waited on the guests at the reading event.
Two volunteers waited on the visitors.
Two volunteers waited on the visitors.
Means serve, unlike “wait for”, meaning await. Here An brings water to guests.
Cambridge Dictionary · wait on
She kept the event costs down by reusing decorations.
She kept the event costs down by reusing decorations.
Buying only what we need helps keep costs down.
Buying only what we need helps keep costs down.
Emphasises keeping a low level. It does not mean everything is free; the past of “keep” is “kept”.
The children piped down when the reading began.
The children piped down when the reading began.
Please pipe down so everyone can hear the story.
Please pipe down so everyone can hear the story.
Informal and sometimes quite direct. “Please” can soften the request.
She saw the guests out after the event.
She saw the guests out after the event.
Thank you for coming. I will see you out.
Thank you for coming. I will see you out.
Here it means accompanying a guest to the exit. “See something out” can also mean staying until a period ends.
The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 8, 137, 71, 97, 112. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.
One step forward every day
Your browser could not save your play history. Results from this session may be lost when you close the page.
Sentences using suggestions are counted as needing more practice. Review schedule based on each phrase's meaning.
OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH
Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.
Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.
An helps a visitor choose a suitable storybook from a low shelf.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
An sets a glass of water on the table for a seated reading guest.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
An reuses stored decorations instead of buying new ones to keep costs low.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
An gently asks two chatting children to quieten down as story time starts.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
An walks with a guest from the reading corner to the doorway and says goodbye.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Choose a phrase to begin.
Your browser could not save your play history. Results from this session may be lost when you close the page.
Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.
Could you attend to the visitors at the door?
Could you attend to the visitors at the door?
Yes. I will wait on the tables once everyone is seated.
Yes. I will wait on the tables once everyone is seated.
Please keep the noise down while I see the first group out.
Please keep the noise down while I see the first group out.
“Attend to” means deal with a need or task; “wait on” means serve someone, for example with food. The service setting clarifies the intended sense.
Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.
The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.
A guest needs help finding a seat. Later a server brings food to the table, and a host accompanies guests to the door.
Describe dealing with the first request.
The host attends to the guest’s request for a seat.
The host “attends to the guest’s request” by dealing with the seating need, rather than merely looking at the guest.
Complete: The server will wait ___ the table.
on
“Wait on the table” means serve it; “on” distinguishes service from waiting for a table to become free.
Write the host’s offer at departure.
I will see you out when you are ready to leave.
“See you out” offers to accompany guests to the door when ready, rather than orders them to leave immediately.
The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.
Progress is saved on the device. Sign in with Google to save with the same account and continue on another device.