Do you offer the meat pie? - a correct way to ask?

Question

1) Do you offer meat pies?

2) Do you offer the meat pie?

I know (1) is probably the standard way to ask whether they sell meat pies.

Can I use (2)? I remember when you add "the" before a noun, it means the thing in general sense. Like:

The tiger is a ferocious animal.

The elephant is the largest animal on land.

They don't mean a specific tiger or elephant. They are talking about tigers and elephants in a general sense.

Why 'offer'? If you want to know if they sell meat pies why not ask them if they sell meat pies? 'Offer' makes it sound like they stand out in the street holding pies out to anyone who passes. — DoneWithThis., Commented Aug 19, 2023 at 6:42
offer does have the meaning of "have available for purchase" but it is a tad formal, perhaps slightly dated, a little old-fashioned. have is a generic verb you could use there. Do you have meat pies? — TimR on some device, Commented Aug 19, 2023 at 11:43
offer is rarely used when questioning the person behind the counter but occurs fairly often in descriptions of an establishment. They offer a wide range of pastries, both savory and sweet. — TimR on some device, Commented Aug 19, 2023 at 12:49

Kate Bunting · Accepted Answer · 2023-08-19 08:27:50Z

5

Adding 'the' before a noun can mean that thing in general, but in many contexts it doesn't.

The most natural question would be "Do you sell/have meat pies?"

answered Aug 19, 2023 at 8:27

Kate Bunting

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