Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Let's say, you eat out with your friends. You enjoy dinner, finish eating, and are ready to pay. You ask the waiter for the bill. You may receive one single bill for the table, in other words, one bill for everyone. It'll be okay if you're paying all together. However, if you want to pay separately, in other words, everyone pays for their own food and drink, then you need to have separate bills. Ask the waiter by saying, “Could we have separate bills?" I would say, though, if you want to pay separately, it may be a good idea to let the restaurant know in advance.

Now, someone in the group may suggest that they should split the bill. Are you familiar with the expression? If you split the bill, you divide the expense evenly.

And finally, if the dinner is on you, you're buying dinner for everyone, in other words, paying for everyone in the group.

Now, would you like to practice together. Please repeat after me:

Could we have separate bills?