Lesson 6 – Tuesday 3rd December

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?
– I’m going to start working out at a gym
– I’m going to find a new job

Aims
– Describing hotel rooms, there is, there are, there isn’t, there aren’t
– Introduction to phrasal verbs – hotel, restaurant and kitchen activities

Think of a hotel you enjoyed staying at and/or a restaurant you enjoyed eating at. What was the best part of the experience?
Have you ever had a problem at a hotel or restaurant? How did you solve it?

DESert DesSERT
I recommend visiting London.
I suggest/recommend eating strawberries and cream
I suggest trying local food. I suggest that you try local food.

The architecture is stunning “aah-ki- tekt-chur”
There is/was no swimming pool in the hotel. There was no breakfast available.
There aren’t/weren’t any tables in the room.
There isn’t/wasn’t any time to finish the task.
There were a lot of guided tours.
Everything was included – “It was an all-inclusive holiday”
The hotel offers half-board. (= breakfast and dinner)
They gave me a welcome drink (and snack)

In a hotel room
In groups list all the items you can possibly find in a hotel room and its en-suite bathroom. What would make this a hotel room you would enjoy staying in?

Items in a hotel room
Soft and fluffy towels, a face flannel, a bed,
sheets, pillows, duvet covers = bedclothes, bed linen,bedding
I wash the bedding/bed clothes every week
bottles of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush
We offer complimentary toiletries
The bathrooms have underfloor heating

What makes this hotel nice to stay in?
friendly staff, welcoming staff. nice/great/friendly atmosphere
High levels/standards of cleanliness/hygiene (klen-lee-ness)
The kitchen sink was unhygienic

word-of-mouth
We get most of our work through word-of-mouth recommendations.
word-of-mouth publicity
to vote with your feet
The customers voted with their feet (they left and didn’t come back)

There is a double bed and TV with remote control
There are plenty of coathangers. There are bedsheets
There isn’t a CD player
There aren’t any armchairs
Is there a minibar? Is there any clean bedding? (uncountable)
Are there any fluffy towels in the bathroom? Is there a bath towel? a hand towel. Is there a hairdryer?
a hand dryer, a hot air dryer
Pronunciation: something coathangers among “soft g”

There is no clean bedding in the guest room (uncountable)

 

Using phrasal verbs in a hotel context 1
Phrasal verbs are common in English and make communication more natural. We use them to say things in a simple and informal way. Native speakers use them a lot, so they are important to learn.

Phrasal verbs are made of a verb (look, go etc) and a small word (particle) like up, in, or out.
look out, go up, check in etc

The particle usually changes the meaning of the verb. For example, check means to look, but check in means to register at a hotel.

General Hotel Activities
Check in – Register at the hotel upon arrival.
Guests usually check in at the front desk.
Check out – Settle the bill and leave the hotel.
Don’t forget to check out by 11 a.m.
Set up – Arrange or prepare a space for use.
We need to set up the conference room for the meeting.
Take down – dismantle or remove something after use. (opp = put up the decorations)
The team will take down the decorations after the event.
Fill in/out – Complete a form.
Could you ask the guest to fill in/out the registration form?
take away = remove
Can you take away this dirty cup?

Restaurant Activities
Clear away – Remove items from a table after use.
The waiter cleared away the plates after the meal.
Run out of – No longer have a supply of something.
We ran out of coffee during breakfast service.
He ran out of time to finish the question.
The headphones have run out of battery.
Top up – Add more to a drink or other container.
Shall I top up your glass of wine?
Can I have a top up?
fill up Shall I fill up the coffee machine?
I’m late, but I’ll make up for the time at the end of my shift. (= compensate for the lost time)

Kitchen Activities
Chop up – cut into smaller pieces.
The kitchen staff chopped up vegetables for the salad.
Cool down – let something become cooler.
The chef let the soup cool down before serving it.
Heat up – make food or drink warmer
The soup was too cold, so I heated it up in the microwave. heat the soup up, heat up the soup,
Wash up – clean the dishes and utensils.
David is busy washing up the pots and pans from breakfast.
Stock up on – replenish supplies.
The kitchen needs to stock up on fresh herbs for tonight’s menu.
Hold on please! (= please wait)

Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs from the box.
check in, check out, chop up, heat up, set up, clear away, wash up. top up, run out of, clean up, pick up, stock up on, wipe down
1. Guests usually check in at the front desk when they arrive at the hotel.
2. You need to check out before 11 am.
3. Don’t forget to stock up/fill up the minibar before the next guest checks in. (stock up on red wine)
4. Could you wipe up/clean up the spilled water on table 5? I need to wipe down the table before the next party arrives. wipe up crumbs etc
5. The kitchen staff needs to chop up/stock up on more ingredients before the evening rush.
6. After the guests leave, make sure to put away/put back the tables and chairs.
7. The restaurant is about to set up/prepare tea for a group of tourists.
8. We set up/set out napkins and tableware before breakfast service starts.
9. Can you fill up/top up the glass of wine for the guest at table 7?
10. The housekeeper forgot to pick up/take the towels from the laundry.
11. We’ve run out of coffee in the lounge; can someone refill /fill up the machine?
12. After lunch, the wait staff will pick up/clear up all the dirty dishes from the tables.
13. Kitchen staff wash up after breakfast service before preparing for lunch.
14. Desserts or hot soups are allowed to cool down before serving.
15. The chef was busy chopping up vegetables for the soup.
16. Room service staff heat up leftover meals for late-night guests.