Order a takeaway

When you phone a takeaway shop, the people who work there use some common phrases. They ask: "Can I take your order?" and "Anything else?". You also need phrases to say what you want. Here are the most useful phrases for ordering a takeaway in English.

Remember: please and thank you are very important on the phone. People use them a lot in English. They are polite, and they make you sound friendly. Try to use please in every request, and thank you at the end.

When you hear the question "Anything else?", you can say "Yes, please" and order more food, or "No, that's all, thank you" to finish. Listen carefully for the worker's questions. They will often ask the time, the total price, and if you want delivery or pick up. Be ready to answer all three.

Sometimes the shop is very busy and the worker speaks fast. Don't worry. It is okay to say "Sorry, can you say that again, please?" This is a very useful English phrase for the phone.

You will use all these phrases in the next part. Listen for them in the phone call. Try to remember the order: greeting → order → delivery or pick up → price → goodbye. Now you are ready to order a takeaway!

Listen to a short phone call between a customer and a pizza shop. Notice the order: greeting, food, side, delivery choice, price, goodbye.

Read this phrase aloud. Notice the polite 'please' at the end.

Read this phrase aloud. This is how to finish your order politely.

In this section, you will hear a phone call. Emma is phoning a curry house near her home in Manchester. She wants to order dinner for herself and her flatmate. Listen carefully. What does she order? What time will the food be ready? And how much does it cost in total?

Before you listen, think about these questions. When you phone a takeaway in your country, what do you usually say? What food is popular where you live? Are there curry houses, pizza shops, or burger places near your home? Thinking in English — or in your first language — before you listen will help you get ready for the phone call.

While you listen, focus on the key phrases from the previous section. The shop worker will ask "Anything else?" and "Delivery or pick up?". Emma will use phrases like "I'd like..." and "How much is the total?". Don't worry if you miss every single word. Listen first for the main idea: who is calling, and why.

The phone call has two speakers: Emma (the customer) and Sam (the shop worker). They are polite, and they use please and thank you. The shop is busy, so they speak at a normal speed. You will hear the dialogue, then answer questions about it.

After you listen, you will answer three questions. The first is about the main idea (the gist). The second is about a specific piece of information — for example, true or false. The third is about a small detail, like a number or a time. Use the phrases from the Everyday English section to help you understand.

Ready? Press play and listen to the phone call.

Listen to this phone call between Emma (customer) and Sam (shop worker) at a curry house. Try to catch: the food, the time, and the price.

GIST: Why is Emma phoning the curry house?

The long vowel /eɪ/ is a very important sound in English. You hear it in the lesson's title word takeaway — in fact, the sound appears twice in this one word: in take and in a-way. The sound /eɪ/ is called a diphthong. This means your mouth moves while you say it. It is not a short, fixed sound.

To make /eɪ/, start with your mouth open and your lips spread wide, like a small smile. Say the first part "eh", and then close your mouth a little and finish with "ee". The sound takes a little time. Hold it for about one second. Feel your lips and tongue move as you say it.

The /eɪ/ sound is voiced. This means your voice is on while you say it. Put your hand on your throat. You can feel the vibration. Now try it. Say "eh-ee". Feel your voice. Now try "ay" as in the word day. Good!

Here are some common words with /eɪ/ that you can use when you order a takeaway:

Listen to the speaker. Notice how the mouth opens and then closes. In English, your mouth moves more than in many other languages, and the sound ends with a small "ee". Practice this sound slowly first. Then say the words faster.

You will also hear this sound in make, great, same, and say. When you order food, you can use these words a lot. Practice the /eɪ/ sound today, and your English will sound more natural and friendly.

To make /eɪ/: start with your mouth open and lips spread, say "eh", then close your mouth a little and finish with "ee". The sound is long, and your voice is on. Practice with take, away, and takeaway.

Say this word clearly. The /eɪ/ sound is long, in both syllables.

Read this sentence aloud. Notice /eɪ/ in 'May', 'take', and 'name'.

Read this short phrase aloud. Notice /eɪ/ in 'today'.

In this section, you will read a short blog post. The writer, Maya, talks about her favourite takeaway place. She lives in London, and she orders from a small pizza shop near her flat. The post is on a food blog.

Strategy: Skimming When you skim a text, you read it quickly to get the general idea. You don't read every word. Look at the title, the first line, and the last line. This helps you understand the topic before you read the details. Skimming is great for blogs, messages, and emails.

Here are four important words from the blog. Read them first to help you understand the text:

Now skim the blog. What is the topic? Is it about cooking at home? About a restaurant? Or about ordering takeaway? The title and the first line will tell you.

Then read the blog again more slowly. This time, look for the details: what food does Maya order? How much does it cost? How long is the delivery? When does she usually order?

After you read, you will answer three questions. The first is about the gist (the general topic). The next two are about details in the text. Read each question carefully. Then find the answer in the blog. If you don't know a word, try to guess it from the sentence.

Remember: you don't need to understand every word to get the right answer. Skimming and scanning are very useful skills. Practice them every time you read in English!

My Favourite Takeaway

My name is Maya, and my favourite takeaway is a small pizza shop near my flat. It is called Tony's Pizza. I usually order a large margherita pizza with extra cheese. The pizza is always hot and delicious.

Sometimes I order garlic bread too. The price is good: a pizza costs about £10, and delivery is free. The delivery is fast — only 25 minutes!

I love Tony's Pizza because the food is great and the people are friendly. I order from there every Friday. Do you have a favourite takeaway? Write and tell me!

GIST: What is this blog post about?

How much does a pizza cost at Tony's Pizza?

Now it's your turn to speak. You will order a takeaway on the phone. First, you will hear a model conversation between a customer and a shop worker. Then you will repeat the key sentences. Finally, you will have your own live phone call with the AI.

Here are the most useful phrases for this speaking task. Practice them out loud before the roleplay. The more you say them, the more natural you will sound.

When you speak on the phone, remember: speak clearly, use please and thank you, and listen to the shop worker's questions. Don't worry about mistakes. Mistakes are normal. The shop worker is there to help you.

Before the roleplay, listen to the model dialogue. Notice the order: the customer says hello → orders food → asks for delivery → asks the price → says goodbye. Follow this same order in your own phone call.

In the live roleplay, the AI plays the shop worker. You are the customer. Order a pizza, ask for delivery, and find out the price and the time. Try to use at least three of the phrases from the table. Speak clearly. Use please and thank you. Have fun!

After the roleplay, think about how you did. Did you use please? Did you say goodbye? These are small words, but they are very important in English.

Listen to this short model phone call. Notice the order: greeting, food, side, delivery, price, goodbye.

Read this aloud. This is how to start a phone call politely.

Read this aloud. This is how to finish your order.

In this section, you will write a short message to a takeaway shop. Many people use messages or apps to order food now. A good message is short, clear, and polite. Look at this model message from a customer called Sam:

To: Tony's Pizza Hi! I'd like to order a large margherita pizza and a portion of garlic bread, please. Can I pick it up at 7pm? My name is Sam. Thank you!

This message is good for three reasons:

1. It is short — only about 35 words.
2. It is polite: it uses "Hi", "please", and "thank you".
3. It is clear: it has the food, the time, and the name.

Using please and thank you In English, please and thank you are very important in messages. Always use them when you ask for something, and when you finish. They make your message friendly and polite. Look at the model: Sam uses "please" once, and "thank you" once. You should use them in your own message too.

Here are some useful sentence starters for your message:

• "Hi! I'd like to order ___."
• "Can I ___?"
• "My name is ___."
• "Thank you!"

Now it's your turn. Write a similar short message (40-60 words) to order food from a takeaway shop. Include the food you want, your name, and the time you want it. Use please and thank you at least twice.

When you finish, read your message aloud. Listen to how it sounds. Does it sound friendly? Does it have all the information? If not, change it. Then read it again. Practice makes perfect!

Using please and thank you. Always use 'please' when you ask for something. Always use 'thank you' at the end. These two small words make your English polite and friendly. Look at the model: Sam uses 'please' once and 'thank you' once. Try to do the same in your own message.

Which sentence is more polite?

Now write your own short message (40-60 words) to order food from a takeaway shop. Include the food, your name, and the time. Use 'please' and 'thank you' at least twice. Then read your own message aloud when you finish.