Shadowing Practice: complaining at the restaurant | English conversation practice - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
61 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hi, I'm Mark and welcome to another lesson with Master Everyday English.
2
In today's lesson we're having a conversation at the restaurant.
3
Now this is a conversation you'll need to have
4
if you have a problem at the restaurant and you need to make a complaint.
5
Let's think about some of the things at the restaurant that you might complain about.
6
silverware, the plates, the bowls,
7
the napkins, the starter or the appetizer,
8
the main meal, the sides, The dessert.
9
The server.
10
The host.
11
The busboy.
12
The manager.
13
The service.
14
The wait time.
15
The attitude of the staff.
16
The price.
17
The bill.
18
Now let's think about the way you can make your complaint in a polite way.
19
Now normally you'll start your sentence like this.
20
Yeah, I'm really sorry but.. for example...
21
Yeah, I'm really sorry but this fork is dirty.
22
I hate to say this but...
23
I hate to say this but we've been waiting for 45 minutes for our meal.
24
I don't usually complain but...
25
I don't usually complain but the food is undercooked.
26
Let's think about some of the typical things you'll need to complain about when you're in a restaurant.
27
The food is too sweet.
28
The food is too salty.
29
The food is cold.
30
The food is overcooked or undercooked.
31
The plate, the bowl, the silverware, something is dirty.
32
The server is unfriendly or unhelpful.
33
The portions are very small.
34
I've been waiting a long time for my starter I've been
35
waiting a long time for my main meal I've been waiting
36
a long time for my drink The people at the next table are too noisy Now let's put
37
that polite complaint form and the problem together.
38
For example, Yeah, I don't usually complain but the food is too salty.
39
Yeah, I'm sorry but my burger is undercooked.
40
Yeah, I hate to say this, but the silverware is dirty.
41
If you're enjoying this video, why not go to my channel Master Everyday English.
42
There are more videos about life and work in the United States, and there's a really good video
43
about getting a table in the restaurant
44
and I'll put the link up here for you now let's
45
see how much you can remember it's time for a little quiz
46
look at the pictures and then listen to the sentence see if you can choose the picture that matches the sentence.
47
After a few seconds I'll show you the answer so you can check to see if you got it correct.
48
Yeah I'm sorry but this silverware is dirty.
49
yeah I don't usually complain but the people at the next table are really noisy
50
yeah I'm sorry but this burger is completely overcooked Yeah,
51
I hate to say this, but the server here has been really rude.
52
Here are a few things that are useful to know
53
if you have to make a complaint at a restaurant in the United States.
54
In most cases just saying to the server that you have a problem, being polite, you'll find a solution to that problem.
55
If there's a problem that maybe you have with your server,
56
it's always a good idea to either speak to another server or to the host at the front of the restaurant, if there is a host.
57
Otherwise, you'll need to find the manager.
58
That's it for today.
59
I hope this lesson is useful for you if you find yourself in
60
that situation where you're at a restaurant and you need to make a complaint.
61
And don't forget, if you enjoyed the video, please give me a thumbs up, leave me a comment and click to subscribe.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B115
26 sentences
At a Restaurant: This Isn't What I Ordered
American AccentBritish AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
23 sentences
Complaining about a Holiday
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
280 sentences
Speak English At The Restaurant!
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B14
94 sentences
Improve your Speaking and Conversational skills at Home: English speaking practice
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
333 sentences
English At The Cafe – Order Like a Pro! ☕ | English Podcast For Beginners & Intermediate Learners
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
181 sentences
How To Order Food In English At A Restaurant Drive-Thru
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
A21
23 sentences
Restaurant English: Can I have the salmon?
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
A21
217 sentences
【🎧每天50句】🥗餐廳出餐英文對話｜🎬沉浸式英文動畫｜✅ A1-A2初學者必學｜🍽️這不是我點的！😰餐點太冷、送錯餐？ 🍰這份招待！超體面英文應對法 ｜旅行必備英文｜💡不用背多聽就會用｜英文聽力訓練
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B16
111 sentences
English mistakes at the restaurant
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
A21
471 sentences
🍽️ Soup or Salad? Ordering at an American Restaurant | Slow and Easy English Story for Beginners
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B14
50 sentences
Restaurant English: How to Make a Reservation
Travel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
A26
22 sentences
Restaurant Conversation | Learn English Speaking Easily #trending #ytshorts #shorts #learnenglish
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 61 sentences and 605 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:14. The speaker talks slowly, about 84 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| server noun | /ˈsɝvɚ/ | A program that provides services to other programs or devices, either in the same computer or over a computer network. |
| complain verb | /kəmˈpleɪn/ | To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. |
| complaint noun | /kəmˈpleɪnt/ | The act of complaining. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| polite adjective | /pəˈlaɪt/ | Well-mannered, civilized. |
| burger noun | /ˈbɝ.ɡɚ/ | A hamburger. |
| starter noun | /ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/ | Someone who starts, or who starts something. |
| salty adjective | /ˈsɔlti/ | Tasting of salt. |
| noisy adjective | /ˈnɔɪzi/ | Making a noise, especially a loud unpleasant sound |
| rude adjective | /ɹuːd/ | Lacking in refinement or civility; bad-mannered; discourteous. |
| fork noun | /fɔɹk/ | A utensil with spikes used to put solid food into the mouth, or to hold food down while cutting, or for serving food. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| thumb noun | /ˈθʌm/ | The shortest and thickest digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose (moved to touch) all of the other fingers. |
| dessert noun | /dɪˈzɝt/ | The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | we've been waiting · I've been waiting |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is undercooked · is overcooked |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · has been |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | you'll need · you'll start · I'll put |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 26 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you'll. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like server, complain, complaint.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.