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Lucas21c Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

How to order water in a restaurant

Could you confirm whether the following expressions are okay?

1. Can I get a glass of tap water? (free)
2. Can I get a glass of water for free? (free)
3. I'd like a glass of mineral water. (charged)
  

Top answer

Everywhere I've been, free water comes in a glass and priced water comes in a bottle.

  • Everywhere I've been, free water comes in a glass and priced water comes in a bottle.
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14 Answers
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Everywhere I've been, free water comes in a glass and priced water comes in a bottle.
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Then, would it be better to change #3 into "I'd like a bottle of mineral water?"
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lucas21cThen, would it be better to change #3 into "I'd like a bottle of mineral water?"
If what I say is true, yes. That leaves these as native:

2. Can I get a glass of water?
3. I'd like a bottle of mineral water.
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1. Doesn't "Can I get a glass of water for free?" sound native?

2. How about the following conversation?

Customer: Excuse me, do you have water for free?
Waiter/Waitress: I'm sorry we have only pay mineral water.
Customer: Then, I'd like a bottle of mineral water, please.
Waiter/Waitress: I see. I'll get you one right away.
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lucas21c1. Doesn't "Can I get a glass of water for free?" sound native?
No, it doesn't. We expect a glass to be free, as discussed above. Your last conversation is odd indeed.
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Then, could you make it natural? First, I corrected it again for myself.

Customer: Excuse me, can I get a glass of water?
Waiter/Waitress: I'm sorry that we have only pay water.
Customer: Then, can I order a bottle of mineral water?
Waiter/Waitress: Yes, you can. I'll get you one if you want.
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Customer: Excuse me, can I get a glass of water?
Waiter/Waitress: I'm sorry. We only have mineral water.
Customer: How much is it?
Waiter/Waitress: Twenty pesos.
Customer: OK, I'll have a bottle, please.
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When I lived in The Netherlands, if you went to a restaurant and asked for water, they brought you either still or sparking bottled water. You had to explicitly request tap water (kraanwater) if you didn't want to pay for it.

In Mexico, you can get Montezuma's revenge from tap water, so always order bottled drinks.
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If I don't know whether a restaurant serve water for free, how do I ask it? Could you tell me which one is okay of the the following sentences? If both of them are not good, please give me some example sentences for the situation. This time, let us not start from the premise that a glass of water is free tap water and a bottle of water is pay mineral water.

1. Do you have free
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Use #1.

But . . . in Canada and many other countries, tap water is purified, ie safe to drink.

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