Although it is not essential to know what the names of the different things you eat and drink with at a restaurant (or at home), they are very useful to know.
If you are having a meal with English speakers you will probably have to say (or hear others say) the names of them (e.g. 'can you pass me the..., please.'). In addition, if you need something from the waiter/waitress (e.g. 'could we have another..., please.'), then it is good to know what the things are called in English.
In this first part of three exercises on the English names of the things we eat and drink with, you'll learn and remember the names of the objects we use to eat food with and what we eat food from.
The vocabulary which you are going to learn and understand in this exercise are the following words/phrases: knife, fork, teaspoon, dessert spoon, cutlery, chopsticks, plate, side plate & bowl.
After you have done this online exercise, go to the second part of this online exercise to learn the vocabulary used to talk about the things we drink from and with in English.
Click here to see more of our free online exercises on food, drink and restaurant vocabulary
In the following conversation, two friends (Peter and Juan) are eating at a restaurant. Peter is explaining to Juan the names in English for things that are used to eat food with.
From the context, try to guess what object the words in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.
Peter:'The food looks good, doesn't it?'
Juan:'Yes, it does. But I don't have, what do you call it, the metal thing to cut my food with.'
Peter:'Do you mean a knife?'
Juan:'A knife, that's what you call it. So, what do you call the other metal things that you eat with?'
Peter:'Well, the metal thing you use with a knife to pick food up with is called a fork.'
Juan:'And I know that the metal thing which is circular and used to eat liquid food (like soup) is called a spoon.'
Peter:'That's right. But there are different size spoons and they have different names. Do you know the name of the small spoon, which you often use with tea or coffee?'
Juan:'A drink spoon?'
Peter:'Close, but it's called a teaspoon. And the bigger spoon which you use to eat soup or other things with, is called a dessert spoon.'
Juan:'What's the name for all the metal or wooden things (like knives, forks and spoons) that you use to eat food with? I know you have a name for them in English.'
Peter:'We do. We call them cutlery. So knives are a type of cutlery and so are forks.'
Juan:'But not everybody uses knives or forks to eat food with. In China and Japan, they use two sticks to eat their food with. What are they called?'
Peter:'In English, we call these two sticks to eat food with chopsticks.'
Juan:'Ok.'
Peter:'So now you know the English names for the things we eat food with, I'll tell you the names of the things we eat food from.'
Juan:'I know one. You call the round object which is flat that you eat food from a plate.'
Peter:'That's right. But you have different sizes of these. We normally just call the big one (that you eat your main course of a meal from), just a plate. But what do call the one which looks like it, but is smaller?'
Juan:'A small plate?'
Peter:'Some people do say that, but it is more normal to call it a side plate.'
Juan:'And what's the name of the thing you eat soup from? It has the shape of a half circle. Is it called a soup plate?'
Peter:'No, it isn't. We call the type of thing that you eat soup from, a bowl.'
Below is a photo/picture of each of the objects in bold from the above text. Now choose the name of the object from the question's selection box which you believe matches each of the photos. Only use one word once. Click on the "Check" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.
When the answer is correct, two icons will appear below the answer. The "" icon contains extra information on the word/phrase. In the "" icon, you can listen to the pronunciation of the word/phrase.
Now go to the second part of this online exercise to learn the vocabulary used to talk about the things we drink from and with in English.
Now that you understand the meaning of the words/phrases and when to use them, practise using them by creating your own sentences with them in English. Also click on the "" icon under each correct answer and listen how each is pronounced correctly.
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