A1 · Beginner · Café · 132 words · ~2 min read

☕ A Morning at the London Café

Language focus: Present Simple · polite requests

Before you read

This story is built on the present simple, the tense English uses for habits and routines. Notice how many verbs describe things Mia does regularly rather than only today, and watch the two polite question forms — they are the most useful sentences in the whole story.

It is a cold morning in London. Mia walks into a small, cosy café. A friendly waiter says hello, and she reads the menu carefully.

“Can I have a coffee, please?” she says. The waiter writes her order. “Would you like any sugar?” he asks.

The coffee is hot and delicious. Mia sits down by the window and drinks it slowly. Then she asks for the bill and pays.

Mia opens her notebook and writes for twenty minutes. The café is quiet in the morning, so she can think clearly. Outside, people walk quickly to work in the cold air.

At nine o’clock she puts on her coat. “Thank you, that was lovely,” she says to the waiter. “See you tomorrow!” he answers. Mia comes to this café every Tuesday and Thursday.

Key vocabulary (8 words)

menunoun: The list of food and drinks you can order.
ordernoun: The food or drink that you ask for.
waiternoun: A person who serves food and drinks in a café.
coffeenoun: A hot brown drink made from roasted beans.
deliciousadjective: Tasting very good.
billnoun: The paper showing how much you must pay.
sugarnoun: Sweet white grains you add to drinks and food.
cosyadjective: Warm, comfortable and pleasant.

Phrasal verbs in this story

sit down — To sit down means to lower your body into a seated position.

The grammar in this story

Present simple for a routine, not for right now

Mia walks into the café, reads the menu and pays. These are present simple forms, and the last paragraph explains why: she comes here every Tuesday and Thursday. English uses the present simple for repeated actions. If you wanted to describe only this moment you would need the present continuous — she is reading the menu.

The -s that only appears with he, she and it

Look at she says, he asks, the coffee is. With he, she and it the present simple verb takes an -s. With I, you, we and they it does not: I walk, they drink. This one letter is the most common A1 mistake, so it is worth checking every sentence you write.

“Can I have…?” is a request, not a question about ability

“Can I have a coffee, please?” does not ask whether Mia is able to hold a cup. In shops, cafés and stations, Can I have…? is simply the normal polite way to order. Would you like…? is the matching question a server asks you. Learn the pair together and you can handle almost any counter in English.

Phrases you can reuse today

Can I have a coffee, please?: The standard polite order. Swap the drink for anything: Can I have the bill, please?
Would you like any sugar?: How a server offers something. Answer Yes, please or No, thank you.
Could I have the bill, please?: Slightly more formal than can. Both are correct in a café.
That was lovely, thank you.: A short, natural compliment as you leave. Very common in British English.

Comprehension quiz

Where does Mia go?
- A cosy café
- A train station
- A library
Show answer
A cosy café
“Can I have a coffee, please?” is a…
- polite request
- strict command
- question about time
Show answer
polite request
What does the waiter ask about?
- Sugar
- Milk
- Cake
Show answer
Sugar
How is the coffee?
- Hot and delicious
- Cold and sour
- Very old
Show answer
Hot and delicious
The phrasal verb “sit down” means to…
- take a seat
- stand up
- run away
Show answer
take a seat

Now use it yourself

Reading builds recognition; writing your own sentences is what turns it into something you can actually say. Three short tasks:

Describe your own morning routine in five present simple sentences. Check each one for the -s ending.
Write the conversation you would have ordering your favourite drink, using Can I have…?
How often do you go to a café — every day, once a week, or never? Answer in a full sentence.