A1 · Beginner · Shopping · 111 words · ~2 min read

🎂 Ordering a Birthday Cake

Language focus: Polite requests · would like / can you

Before you read

Every important sentence in this story is a polite request. English has several ways to ask for something, and they are not interchangeable — I would like, can you and could you each carry a slightly different weight. Notice which one Nina uses when.

Nina walks into a small bakery. She wants to order a special cake for her son’s birthday, and the baker smiles warmly.

“I would like a chocolate cake for ten people, please,” says Nina. “Can you write ‘Happy Birthday Sam’ on top?” The baker writes down the order.

“It will be ready on Friday,” he says. “You can collect it in the afternoon.” Nina is excited and says thank you.

Nina would like white icing and ten small candles. “Could you put them in a separate bag?” she asks. “Of course,” says the baker.

On Friday afternoon Nina collects the cake. It is beautiful. Sam is going to be very happy.

Key vocabulary (8 words)

bakerynoun: A shop that makes and sells bread and cakes.
chocolatenoun: A sweet brown food made from cocoa.
candlenoun: A stick of wax with a flame, used on cakes.
slicenoun: A thin, flat piece cut from something.
icingnoun: A sweet covering on top of a cake.
specialadjective: Different and better than usual.
readyadjective: Finished and able to be used.
birthdaynoun: The day each year when you celebrate being born.

Phrasal verbs in this story

write down — To write down means to write something on paper so you remember it.

The grammar in this story

I would like is the polite I want

“I would like a chocolate cake for ten people, please.” I want is grammatically correct but sounds blunt to English ears in a shop. I would like is the version adults actually use, and it contracts to I’d like in speech. The verb after it takes to: I would like to order a cake.

Can you and Could you ask someone to act

“Can you write ‘Happy Birthday Sam’ on top?” “Could you put them in a separate bag?” Both ask the other person to do something. Could is a little softer and more polite; can is perfectly normal in a shop. Either way the verb after it stays in the base form.

Would like versus like

These two look almost identical and mean different things. I like chocolate cake is a general preference. I would like a chocolate cake is a request for one now. Dropping would by accident turns your order into a statement about your taste.

will for a promise about the future

“It will be ready on Friday.” The baker is making a commitment at the moment of speaking, which is where English uses will rather than going to. Compare the picnic story, where every plan was decided beforehand.

Phrases you can reuse today

I would like a chocolate cake, please.: The polite order. I’d like in speech.
Could you write a name on it?: A softer request than can you.
When will it be ready?: Will for asking about a commitment.
Can I collect it on Friday?: Collect is the natural British verb for picking up an order.

Comprehension quiz

What does Nina order?
- A birthday cake
- Bread
- Coffee
Show answer
A birthday cake
For how many people?
- Five
- Ten
- Twenty
Show answer
Ten
What words go on top of the cake?
- “Happy Birthday Sam”
- “Good luck”
- “Welcome home”
Show answer
“Happy Birthday Sam”
The baker ___ the order.
- forgets
- writes down
- loses
Show answer
writes down
When can Nina collect the cake?
- Monday
- Friday
- Sunday
Show answer
Friday

Now use it yourself

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

Order a cake for your own celebration in four polite sentences.
Rewrite three I want sentences as I would like.
What do you eat on your birthday? Answer in the present simple.