A Day At The Cafe - Learn Modals With Grammar Stories
Learn how to use "Can," "Could," "Would," and "Would You Mind…?" in real-life English conversations!
In this fun ESL story set in a café, you'll see examples of how native speakers use these polite modal verbs in natural conversations.
📖 In this post, you'll learn examples of:
✅ How to use Can for requests & offers
✅ When to use Could for polite requests & permission
✅ How Would makes offers & preferences sound natural
✅ Why "Would you mind...?" is perfect for extra polite requests
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A Day At The Cafe
Emma stepped into La Petite Rose Café on a rainy afternoon, shaking off her umbrella. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and soft jazz played in the background. She spotted her best friend, Sophie, at a cosy corner table.
"Hey, Sophie! Can I sit here?" Emma asked, setting her bag down.
"Of course! Would you like some coffee? I was just about to order," Sophie replied, waving at the barista.
"That sounds great. Could you get me a cappuccino, please?" Emma smiled as she took off her coat.
Sophie walked to the counter and returned with two steaming cups of coffee.
"Here you go! Oh, by the way, would you mind watching my bag for a moment? I forgot to grab some sugar," Sophie said.
"Not at all! Go ahead," Emma replied.
As Sophie walked away, a stranger approached Emma’s table.
"Excuse me, would you mind if I took this chair?" he asked politely.
Emma hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Sure, go ahead."
Sophie returned and frowned. "Hey, where’s my chair?"
Emma chuckled. "Well, he asked nicely, and I couldn’t say no!"
They both laughed, enjoying their coffee as the rain continued to fall outside.
Vocabulary Word List With Meanings & Examples
a. shake off → removing or getting rid of something
e.g. She was shaking off the cold as she entered the warm cafe.
b. spotted → noticed or saw something/someone quickly
e.g. She spotted an empty table near the window.
c. steaming → very hot, producing steam
e.g. He held a steaming cup of coffee in his hands.
d. grab → to take or pick up something quickly
e.g. Can you grab a menu for me?
e. not at all → a polite response meaning "you're welcome" or "it's no problem"
e.g. Thank you for your help! - Not at all.
f. go ahead →a phrase used to give someone permission to do something
e.g. May I sit here? - Go ahead.
g. hesitate → to pause before doing or saying something because of uncertainty
e.g. She hesitated before ordering, unsure of what she wanted.
📖 A Day At The Cafe – Comprehension Quiz
Multiple Choice
What does Emma ask when she arrives at the café?
a) Can I sit here?
b) Would you mind ordering for me?
c) Could you give me your chair?
What does Sophie ask Emma to do?
a) Would you mind ordering coffee?
b) Would you mind watching my bag?
c) Could you grab some sugar for me?
Why does Emma let the stranger take the chair?
a) She doesn't like Sophie.
b) He asked politely.
c) She wanted to leave.
What is Sophie’s reaction when she returns?
a) She is angry.
b) She is confused but amused.
c) She doesn’t notice.
Answers:
a
b
b
b
We hope you've enjoyed learning grammar modals can, could, would, would you mind... through this fun story.
Thank you for reading & Happy Learning!
For more Modal Verbs for Making Requests check out the links ⬇️
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