I HAD TO RETURN THE DISH BECAUSE THE FISH SMELLED BAD

Sometimes when we go to a restaurant, the food is not what we expect. Maybe it's cold, too salty, or it smells bad. In this case, the fish smelled bad, so the person had to return the dish. When something is not right, it's okay to speak up politely. You can say, "Excuse me, this doesn't smell fresh," or "I'm sorry, but I can't eat this." It’s important to know how to explain the problem in English and use the past tense to talk about it.

🔹 Examples:

I had to return the soup because it was cold.
She had to leave the restaurant because she felt sick.
They had to wait for a new plate.

📘 GRAMMAR: Past Simple with had to and smelled

We use "had to" to talk about an obligation or something necessary in the past.

Structure:

Subject + had to + base verb

Examples:

I had to return the dish.
He had to speak with the manager.

Verb: smell (irregular past: smelled/smelt)

The fish smelled bad. ✅ (past)
The fish smells bad. ✅ (present)

📘 VOCABULARY (10 words):

Return – to give something back.
Dish – a plate of food.
Smell – to sense an odor.
Bad – not good, unpleasant.
Waiter – a person who serves food.
Fresh – new and good to eat.
Stale – old and not fresh.
Restaurant – a place where you buy and eat food.
Complain – to say something is wrong.
Refund – money you get back after returning something.

📘 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS:

Excuse me, something is wrong with my food.
This smells bad. Can I get a new one, please?
I’m sorry, but I can’t eat this.
Could you please take this back?
The fish is not fresh.

📘 SENTENCES:

Positive:

I had to return the dish.
The waiter brought a new plate.
The manager was very polite.

Negative:

I didn’t eat the fish.
The food wasn’t fresh.
She didn’t complain loudly.

Questions:

Did you return the dish?
What was wrong with the food?
Was the fish bad?

Answers:

Yes, I had to return it.
The fish smelled bad.
No, I didn’t eat anything.

📘 CONVERSATION:

Waiter: Good evening! Are you ready to order?

Customer: Yes, I’ll have the grilled fish, please.

Waiter: Great choice! I’ll be right back.

(Later…)

Customer: Excuse me, the fish smells bad.

Waiter: Oh, I’m really sorry about that. Would you like a different dish?

Customer: Yes, please. Can I have the chicken instead?

Waiter: Of course. I’ll bring it right away.

Customer: Thank you. I didn’t expect this problem.

Waiter: We apologize. Your new dish is coming soon.

📘 READING:

Last night, Maria went to a new restaurant with her friend. She ordered fish, but when the plate arrived, it smelled very bad. Maria was surprised. She called the waiter and said, “I’m sorry, but the fish is not fresh.” The waiter looked at the plate and agreed. He took the dish back to the kitchen. Maria didn’t want to eat fish anymore, so she ordered a salad. The restaurant did not charge her for the fish, and the manager said sorry. In the end, Maria was happy with the service, but she said she will not order fish again from that restaurant.

Questions: