Can vs. Could – English Grammar Exercises for A2
You are having dinner at a very nice, expensive restaurant. You want to order food and ask the waiter for a few things. Because it is a formal place, you must use the most polite language possible. Read the situations carefully and choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete your polite requests.
1 “Good evening. We are ready to order. ______ the menu, please?”
(A) Could I have
(B) Can I to have
(C) Do I could have
(D) Could I having
2 “For my starter, ______ the tomato soup with extra garlic bread?”
(A) do I can get
(B) could I get
(C) can I getting
(D) could I to get
3 “Excuse me, waiter. ______ bring us a bottle of sparkling water while we wait?”
(A) Do you could
(B) Can you bringing
(C) Could you to
(D) Could you
4 “I see you have a steak on the menu. ______ tell me what kind of sauce comes with it?”
(A) Could you
(B) Can you to
(C) Are you could
(D) Could you telling
5 “My wife is allergic to seafood. ______ make sure there is no shrimp in her salad?”
(A) Could you to
(B) Do you can
(C) Could you
(D) Can you making
6 “This table is a little bit too close to the kitchen. ______ move to the table by the window?”
(A) Could we
(B) Can we to
(C) Do we could
(D) Could we moving
7 “I dropped my fork on the floor by accident. ______ a new one, please?”
(A) Do I can have
(B) Could I have
(C) Can I to have
(D) Could I to have
8 “The roasted chicken sounds delicious. ______ that as my main course, please.”
(A) Could I to get
(B) Can I getting
(C) Could I get
(D) Do I could get
9 “We would like to share the chocolate cake for dessert. ______ bring us two spoons?”
(A) Could you
(B) Can you to
(C) Are you could
(D) Could you bringing
10 “The music is a little bit too loud right now. ______ turn it down just a little bit?”
(A) Do you can
(B) Could you to
(C) Could you
(D) Can you turning
11 “I am not sure what to drink. ______ recommend a good red wine to go with the beef?”
(A) Could you
(B) Can you to
(C) Do you could
(D) Could you recommending
12 “We don’t need bottled water. ______ just have a glass of regular tap water, please?”
(A) Could we having
(B) Could we have
(C) Can we to have
(D) Do we can have
13 “This soup is completely cold. ______ ask the chef to heat it up for me, please?”
(A) Can you to
(B) Do you could
(C) Could you
(D) Could you asking
14 “We have a baby with us tonight. ______ a high chair for him to sit in?”
(A) Could we get
(B) Can we to get
(C) Do we could get
(D) Could we getting
15 “The food was absolutely wonderful. ______ the bill, please?”
(A) Do I can have
(B) Could I having
(C) Can I to have
(D) Could I have
16 “I couldn’t finish all of my pizza. ______ put the rest in a box for me to take home?”
(A) Could you
(B) Can you to
(C) Do you could
(D) Could you putting
17 “I see the total is $100 ______ pay with my credit card, or do you only take cash?”
(A) Could I paying
(B) Can I to pay
(C) Could I pay
(D) Do I could pay
18 “I need to wash my hands before we eat. ______ tell me where the restrooms are?”
(A) Could you to
(B) Could you
(C) Do you can
(D) Can you telling
19 “We loved the dessert so much! ______ order one more slice of the cheesecake, please?”
(A) Do we could
(B) Could we
(C) Can we to
(D) Could we ordering
20 “Thank you for the great service tonight. ______ call a taxi for us to go back to our hotel?”
(A) Could you
(B) Can you to
(C) Do you could
(D) Could you calling
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Key: (A) Could I have
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Could I have…?” is the most polite and natural way to ask for something in a restaurant.
- Grammar Rules: (B) Modals never take “to” (Can I to have). (C) Modals never use “do” (Do I could). (D) Modals are always followed by a base verb, not an “-ing” verb (having).
2 Key: (B) could I get
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Could I get…?” is another perfectly polite way to order food, just like “Could I have”.
- Structural Errors: (A) “do I can” is invalid. (C) “can I getting” uses an “-ing” verb. (D) “could I to get” uses an illegal “to”.
3 Key: (D) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Asking the waiter to do something for you politely.
- Structural Errors: (A) “Do you could” is invalid. (B) “bringing” is an “-ing” verb. (C) “to bring” is invalid after a modal.
4 Key: (A) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: A polite request for information about the menu.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Are”. (D) uses an “-ing” verb (“telling”).
5 Key: (C) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking the waiter to perform a special action for an allergy.
- Structural Errors: (A) has “to”. (B) uses “Do”. (D) uses an “-ing” verb.
6 Key: (A) Could we
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking for permission to change tables.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Do”. (D) uses an “-ing” verb.
7 Key: (B) Could I have
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: The classic phrase for requesting an item from the staff.
- Structural Errors: (A) uses “Do”. (C) and (D) use “to”.
8 Key: (C) Could I get
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely ordering the main course.
- Structural Errors: (A) has “to”. (B) uses “-ing”. (D) uses “Do”.
9 Key: (A) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely requesting the waiter to bring an item.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Are”. (D) uses “-ing”.
10 Key: (C) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Asking the staff to adjust the environment politely without sounding bossy.
- Structural Errors: (A) uses “Do”. (B) has “to”. (D) uses “-ing”.
11 Key: (A) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking for the waiter’s expert advice.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Do”. (D) uses “-ing”.
12 Key: (B) Could we have
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Polite request for the whole table (“we”).
- Structural Errors: (A) uses “-ing”. (C) has “to”. (D) uses “Do”.
13 Key: (C) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Complaining and asking for a fix can be awkward, so using “Could you” keeps the tone highly respectful and calm.
- Structural Errors: (A) has “to”. (B) uses “Do”. (D) uses “-ing”.
14 Key: (A) Could we get
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Requesting an extra piece of furniture for the baby.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Do”. (D) uses “-ing”.
15 Key: (D) Could I have
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Could I have the bill, please?” is the universal, polite way to ask to pay.
- Structural Errors: (A) uses “Do”. (B) uses “-ing”. (C) has “to”.
16 Key: (A) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking for a “to-go” box.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Do”. (D) uses “-ing”.
17 Key: (C) Could I pay
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking about payment methods.
- Structural Errors: (A) uses “-ing”. (B) has “to”. (D) uses “Do”.
18 Key: (B) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking for directions inside the restaurant.
- Structural Errors: (A) has “to”. (C) uses “Do”. (D) uses “-ing”.
19 Key: (B) Could we
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Polite request to order more food.
- Structural Errors: (A) uses “Do”. (C) has “to”. (D) uses “-ing”.
20 Key: (A) Could you
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Politely asking for a final favor before leaving.
- Structural Errors: (B) has “to”. (C) uses “Do”. (D) uses “-ing”.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Magic Words: “Could I have…?”
- When you are at a restaurant, cafe, or shop, “Could I have…?” or “Could I get…?” are the best phrases you can use.
- While “Can I have…?” is also okay in casual places (like a fast-food restaurant), “Could” is much more polite, respectful, and elegant. It is perfect for fine dining or speaking to strangers providing a service.
- Example: “Could I have the menu, please?”
- Asking the Waiter to Do Something: “Could you…?”
- If you want the waiter to perform an action (like bringing the bill, explaining a dish, or calling a taxi), use “Could you + base verb?”.
- Example: “Could you bring us some water?”
- The Grammar Rules for Forming Modal Questions:
- Rule 1: NEVER use auxiliary verbs like Do, Does, Did, Am, Is, or Are to make a question with Can or Could.
- Wrong: Do you could help me?
- Right: Could you help me?
- Rule 2: NEVER put the word to after Can or Could.
- Wrong: Could I to get a menu?
- Right: Could I get a menu?
- Rule 3: The main verb must always be in its base, original form. NEVER use -ing, -ed, or -s.
- Wrong: Could you bringing the bill?
- Right: Could you bring the bill?