Renee and her friend Julia went to a small restaurant after a long day of errands. Renee ordered soup, but when it came to the table, it was barely warm. She looked at the bowl and said quietly, “I don’t want to give anyone a hard time.” Julia said, “You’re not giving anyone a hard time. You ordered hot soup.” Renee raised her hand, and the server came over.

Renee said, “I’m sorry, but this soup is not hot.” The server looked at the bowl and said, “I’ll take care of it.” A few minutes later, he returned with a fresh bowl and said, “Thank you for bringing it to my attention.” Renee smiled and said, “I appreciate you fixing it.” Julia looked at Renee because she understood the message behind the server’s words.

SPEAK

Think about the phrases. Answer in complete sentences.

1. Renee said, “I don’t want to give anyone a hard time.” What was she worried about?

2. Julia said, “You ordered hot soup.” What was Julia pointing out?

3. The server said, “I’ll take care of it.” What did he do next?

4. The server said, “Thank you for bringing it to my attention.” What did Renee tell him?

5. Renee said, “I appreciate you fixing it.” What does this show about her tone?

6. Which phrase shows that Renee did not want to sound difficult?

7. Which phrase shows that the server accepted the problem?

8. Did Renee complain in a rude way or a respectful way? Use the reading to support your answer.

LISTEN

Listen to your teacher’s statement and question. Then answer in complete sentences.

Teacher recording:

“I think Renee was careful with her words because she did not want to sound rude. The server also answered professionally by saying he would take care of the problem.”

1. What did the speaker say?

2. How do you respond to the speaker’s opinion?

3. Use the reading to support your response.

WRITE

Write 5–7 sentences.

Choose two phrases from the reading. Explain what each phrase means and what message the speaker was sending.

NOTES

give someone a hard time

• What it means:
  To bother, criticize, pressure, or make things difficult for someone.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase when someone worries about sounding too demanding or difficult.

• Why we use it:
  It helps describe concern about tone.

• Example:
  Renee did not want to give the server a hard time.

take care of it

• What it means:
  To handle or fix a problem.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase when someone accepts responsibility for a task or issue.

• Why we use it:
  It sounds calm, helpful, and professional.

• Example:
  The server took care of the cold soup.

bring it to my attention

• What it means:
  To tell me about something I did not notice.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase when someone informs us about a problem, detail, or mistake.

• Why we use it:
  It sounds polite and professional.

• Example:
  The server thanked Renee for bringing the problem to his attention.

fix it

• What it means:
  To correct a problem.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase for many situations: food, machines, mistakes, plans, writing, and schedules.

• Why we use it:
  It is simple and common in everyday English.

• Example:
  The server fixed the problem by bringing a fresh bowl.