You are learning register and politeness in american english: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (formal vs. informal register: adjusting your english for the situation), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.
The Modern, MoMA, Midtown, business lunch
The Modern is the restaurant inside the Museum of Modern Art. It's the kind of place where how you speak matters almost as much as what you order. Today I'm here for a business lunch with my manager, Diane, and a client from London.
The waiter approaches. Diane doesn't say 'Can I get the salad?' — she says, 'Could I please have the seasonal salad?' The client says, 'I was wondering if you could recommend something light?' The waiter responds with equal formality: 'I'd be happy to suggest the halibut. It's prepared with a citrus glaze.'
I'm nervous. At my usual lunch spot, I'd just say 'Lemme get a burger.' Here, I adjust: 'Could I have the roasted chicken, please?' Diane nods approvingly. Small things like tone and word choice make a big difference in professional settings.
After lunch, the client says, 'Would you mind if we took a quick walk through the museum?' Diane responds, 'That would be lovely.' I almost said 'Sure, let's go' — which is fine, but a little more casual than the moment called for. Register is a skill, and like any skill, it takes practice.