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🍽️ Eating Out • B1 Grammar Sprint (12 Mins)

Gave us a dessert or gave a dessert to us

Learn where to put the person and the thing, and when to say to or for.

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Lesson Time

12 Minutes

📋 How to use this lesson

For Teachers

Run this 12-minute sprint with the whole class or assign it for quick independent practice.
Check answers together using the short feedback notes beneath each exercise.

For Learners

First read the four clear rules and their restaurant examples in the matrix below.
Next complete the twelve quick tasks from easiest to hardest to test yourself.

Four patterns: who gets the thing

4 Patterns

Pattern: Action + Person + Thing

(Example: "My uncle told us a funny story")

Put the person right after the action word. Then say the thing. Do not put to or for before the person. Say gave us a dessert, not gave to us a dessert.

Example A The chef gave us a free dessert.

Example B Our waiter offered the guests a vegetarian starter.

Pattern: Action + Thing + to + Person

(Example: "The waiter brought the soup to my sister.")

You can also say the thing first. Then you need to before the person who gets it. Say brought the soup to my sister, not brought the soup my sister.

Example A The server brought clean cutlery to our table.

Example B The manager showed a stylish table to my parents.

Pattern: Deciding Between "to" and "for"

(Example: "My dad cooked a special meal for us.")

Some action words go with to: you give, send, bring or show something to a person. Some go with for: you make, cook or buy something for a person. Say cooked a meal for us, not cooked a meal to us.

Example A (Preparation) The cook made a tasty soup for the vegetarian customer.

Example B (Transfer) The cashier sent the takeaway receipt to my brother.

Pattern: Short Words Like "it" and "them"

(Example: "The waiter will bring it to you in a minute.")

When the thing is it or them, say it right after the action word. Then add to or for and the person. Say bring it to you, not bring you it.

Example A The spicy curry is ready and the staff will serve it to you now.

Example B We needed extra cutlery so the assistant brought them to us quickly.

💡

Teacher's Golden Rule

People usually say "send it to me", not "send me it". Keep the short words (it / them) right after the action word!

Practice Arena

Twelve quick challenges arranged from easiest to hardest.

12 Items

Part 1: Choose the correct sentence

Pick the option with natural word order.

1. Which sentence gives the starter to the customers correctly?

(starter)

____ The chef served us a tasty starter ____ The chef served to us a tasty starter

2. Which sentence puts the bill before the customer properly?

(bill)

____ The waiter brought the bill to my friend ____ The waiter brought to my friend the bill

3. Which sentence handles the short word "it" naturally?

(sauce)

____ She gave the chef it ____ She gave it to the chef

Part 2: Fill in the gaps

Type the single missing word in each sentence.

4. Complete the sentence with the correct small joining word:

(help)

The kitchen made a spicy dish ____ the vegetarian guest.

5. Complete the sentence with the correct connecting word:

(direction)

The owner showed the stylish dessert menu ____ our group.

6. Supply the missing short word replacing the plural food boxes:

(boxes)

When the fresh takeaway meals were ready, the cook handed ____ to the driver.

Part 3: Rewrite the sentence

Change the word order as instructed. Keep spelling and punctuation accurate.

7. Rewrite this sentence using "to":

"The assistant offered the customer clean cutlery."

(forks)

____ (Type the rewritten sentence here...)

8. Rewrite this sentence without "to":

"The head chef sent a spicy surprise to my family."

(meal)

____ (Type the rewritten sentence here...)

9. Rewrite putting the person ("us") directly after the verb:

"My uncle ordered a tasty takeaway meal for us."

(dinner)

____ (Type the rewritten sentence here...)

Part 4: Correct the chat message error

Identify the mistake in the message and type the corrected phrase.

10. Fix the error with the pronoun in this text message:

(package)

💬 "Hi Sam! The food arrived! The courier brought me it five minutes ago."

Correct phrase for brought me it: ____ (Type the correct phrase...)

11. Fix the wrong joining word in this request:

(kitchen)

💬 "Can you please cook to me that tasty vegetarian pasta tonight?"

Correct phrase for cook to me: ____ (Type the correct phrase...)

12. Remove the extra word in this review:

(sweets)

💬 "The friendly staff showed to our table the stylish dessert trolley."

Correct phrase for showed to our table: ____ (Type the correct phrase...)

🌟

Sprint Complete!

You have learned how to say who gets the food, and when to use to and for.

B1 Mastery • to, for, it, them

Verbs with Two Objects: Give, Send, Show, Tell

Gave us a dessert or gave a dessert to us

📋 How to use this lesson

Four patterns: who gets the thing

Pattern: Action + Person + Thing

Pattern: Action + Thing + to + Person

Pattern: Deciding Between "to" and "for"

Pattern: Short Words Like "it" and "them"

Practice Arena

Sprint Complete!

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