You have one day and a list of places. The English that saves the day is not descriptive — it is four practical questions asked at a ticket window before you join the wrong queue.
1. At the ticket window
Rosa: Two adults, please. How much is admission?
Clerk: Fifteen each, or twenty-five with the tower.
Rosa: Is the tower worth it?
Clerk: On a clear day, yes. Today it's cloudy.
Rosa: Just the two, then.
Clerk: Thirty. Straight through the arch.
2. Checking the times
Ken: What are your opening hours?
Staff: Nine to six, last entry at five.
Ken: Are you open on Mondays?
Staff: Closed Mondays, all year.
Ken: I'll come Tuesday, then.
Staff: Come early. It fills up after eleven.
3. The line outside
Bea: Is this the queue for tickets?
Local: That's the one. Ours is for people who booked.
Bea: Can I still book online now?
Local: You can. It'll save you forty minutes.
Bea: Doing it right now. Thank you.
4. With a guide or alone
Yusuf: Is there a guided tour in English?
Staff: Eleven and three. An hour each.
Yusuf: What if I'd rather walk round myself?
Staff: Take an audio guide. Four euros.
Yusuf: The eleven o'clock tour, please.
Staff: Meet by the statue at five to.
5. Booking a day out
Pia: Do you run day trips to the lake?
Agent: Full day or half-day trip?
Pia: Half-day. I've got something at six.
Agent: Back by four. Pick-up outside your hotel.
Pia: Is lunch included?
Agent: Not included. There's a stop at a village.
6. Asking a stranger for a photo
Tim: Excuse me, could you take a photo of us?
Woman: Of course. Press this one?
Tim: That's it. Can you get the bridge in?
Woman: Step back a little. Perfect.
Tim: Thank you so much.
Woman: Would you like one more, just in case?
7. Best view in the city
Nina: Where's the best viewpoint around here?
Local: The hill behind the church. Twenty minutes on foot.
Nina: Is it steep?
Local: The last part is. Take water.
Nina: Worth it at sunset?
Local: That's the only time to go.
8. Something to take home
Adam: I'm after a souvenir that isn't a keyring.
Seller: The tiles are made here. That one's local clay.
Adam: It's heavier than I expected.
Seller: I'll wrap it properly for the flight.
Adam: Then I'll take two.
Words to know
| admission | The price of getting into a museum, a castle or a park. Two adults, please. How much is admission? |
| opening hours | The times a place lets people in. Watch for last entry, which is earlier. What are your opening hours? |
| last entry | The latest time you can go in. Usually an hour before closing. Nine to six, last entry at five. |
| queue | A line of people waiting. Booked tickets often have a shorter one. Is this the queue for tickets? |
| guided tour | A walk round with someone explaining as you go, at a set time. Is there a guided tour in English? |
| half-day trip | An organized outing that gets you back by the afternoon. Full day or half-day trip? |
| viewpoint | A spot people climb to because you can see the whole place from it. Where's the best viewpoint around here? |
| souvenir | Something small you buy to remember a place by. I'm after a souvenir that isn't a keyring. |
Quick practice
Complete each line with a word or phrase from this lesson.
1. You are asking the price of getting in.
“Two adults, please. How much is ________?”
2. You want to know what time the place opens and closes.
“What are your ________?”
3. You are not sure whether this line is the right one.
“Is this the ________ for tickets?”
4. You want someone to show you round and explain things.
“Is there a ________ in English?”
5. You want the high place where you can see the whole city.
“Where's the best ________ around here?”
6. You want something small to remember the trip by.
“I'm after a ________ that isn't a keyring.”
Show the answers
1. admission 2. opening hours 3. queue 4. guided tour 5. viewpoint 6. souvenir
Common mistakes
Not: We did sightseeing all day.
Say: We went sightseeing all day.
English uses go with activities that end in -ing — go swimming, go shopping, go sightseeing. Do never goes in front of them.
Not: Can you make a photo of us?
Say: Could you take a photo of us?
Make means to build something new. A photo is captured, not built, so the verb is take — take a photo, take a picture.
Not: We went there by foot.
Say: We went there on foot.
By goes with vehicles — by bus, by train, by taxi. Walking has no vehicle, so it breaks the pattern: on foot.
Your turn
Say these out loud. Think of a place you would really like to see, and ask the questions as if you were standing in front of it.
- Buy two adult tickets and ask whether the extra part is worth the higher price.
- Ask about opening hours, and ask whether the place closes on a particular day.
- Ask whether the line you are standing in is the right one.
- Ask whether there is a guided tour in your language, and what the alternative is.
- Ask a stranger to take a photo of you, and ask them to include something behind you.
Quick review
Four questions before you pay for anything: How much is admission? What are your opening hours? Is this the queue for tickets? Is there a guided tour in English? Two of the answers will change your plan for the day — last entry is earlier than closing, and a booked ticket is a shorter queue.