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Talking about food you like

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English for Beginners: Food Talk!

Dialogue

Alice: Hey Bob, what’s up? I was just thinking about lunch.

Bob: Alice! Perfect timing! I’m always thinking about food. What’s your favorite thing to eat?

Alice: Hmm, that’s a tough one! I really like pizza. A classic, you know?

Bob: Pizza is good, but for me, it’s tacos. Specifically, crunchy beef tacos with extra cheese. And guacamole!

Alice: Oh, tacos are great! But ‘extra cheese’ and guacamole for you? I’m not surprised!

Bob: Hey! You can never have too much cheese or guacamole. What about dessert? Do you like sweets?

Alice: Definitely! I love chocolate cake. Especially with vanilla ice cream.

Bob: Chocolate cake is divine! But my heart belongs to strawberry cheesecake. The creamy kind, with a thick crust!

Alice: Wow, you really have strong opinions about food, Bob!

Bob: It’s important, Alice! Food is life! Do you like vegetables?

Alice: Some of them! I like carrots and broccoli. Not a big fan of spinach, though.

Bob: Broccoli is okay. But I love roasted potatoes. They’re crunchy outside, soft inside… perfection!

Alice: Roasted potatoes are amazing, I agree! You make me hungry now.

Bob: Mission accomplished! So, pizza or tacos for our next lunch?

Alice: Hmm, maybe both? We can order a little bit of everything!

Bob: Excellent idea, Alice! My kind of friend!

Current Situation

Talking about food you like is a fantastic way for English beginners to start conversations! Everyone eats, so it’s a universal topic. It helps you learn common food vocabulary, express your preferences (like “I like…”, “I love…”, “I don’t like…”), and use descriptive words such as “delicious,” “sweet,” or “crunchy.” It’s also a great way to make friends and discover new things about people’s cultures and tastes. Plus, who doesn’t love talking about yummy food?

Key Phrases

  • What’s up?: An informal greeting, meaning “How are you?” or “What’s new?”
    Example: “Hey Mark, what’s up? How was your weekend?”
  • Perfect timing!: Something happened at a very good moment.
    Example: “Oh, you just arrived? Perfect timing! Dinner is ready.”
  • What’s your favorite thing to eat?: Asking about someone’s top food preference.
    Example: “After a long day, what’s your favorite thing to eat for dinner?”
  • I really like… / I love…: Expressing strong positive feelings about food.
    Example: “I really like Italian food, especially pasta.” / “I love chocolate ice cream.”
  • Not a big fan of…: Expressing that you mildly dislike something or aren’t enthusiastic about it.
    Example: “I’m not a big fan of spicy food.”
  • Especially with…: Used to add a specific detail or condition to a preference.
    Example: “I like coffee, especially with milk and a little sugar.”
  • I agree!: Used to show that you share the same opinion as someone else.
    Example: “You think that movie was great? I agree!”

Grammar Points

  1. Expressing Likes and Dislikes (Verbs ‘Like’ and ‘Love’)

    We use these verbs to tell people what foods we enjoy or don’t enjoy.

    • Use “I like…” for things you enjoy.
      Example: “I like pizza.”
    • Use “I love…” for things you enjoy very much.
      Example: “I love chocolate cake.”
    • Use “I don’t like…” for things you dislike.
      Example: “I don’t like spinach.”
    • Use “I’m not a big fan of…” for things you mildly dislike or aren’t enthusiastic about. It’s a softer way to say “I don’t like.”
      Example: “I’m not a big fan of very spicy food.”

  2. Simple Present Tense

    We use the Simple Present Tense to talk about facts, habits, and general truths. When you talk about food you like, you are stating a general truth about your preference.

    • Structure: Subject + Base Verb (or Verb + -s/-es for he/she/it)
    • Examples:
      “Pizza is good.” (Fact)
      “I eat vegetables every day.” (Habit)
      “He loves tacos.” (General truth about his preference)

  3. Asking Questions about Preferences

    Here are common ways to ask someone about their food preferences:

    • “What’s your favorite…?”: Used to ask about a specific top choice.
      Example: “What’s your favorite food?” / “What’s your favorite dessert?”
    • “Do you like…?”: Used for general preferences, usually answered with “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t.”
      Example: “Do you like coffee?” / “Do you like to cook?”

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using words from the box: agree, like, favorite, timing, fan

  1. Oh, you brought snacks? Perfect ______!
  2. What’s your ______ food? Mine is pasta.
  3. I really ______ pizza. It’s so delicious!
  4. I’m not a big ______ of olives.
  5. “That movie was amazing!” “I ______!”

Exercise 2: Express Your Preference

Complete the sentences using “I like,” “I love,” or “I don’t like.”

  1. (chocolate) ________ chocolate.
  2. (broccoli) ________ broccoli. (Imagine you don’t like it)
  3. (ice cream, a lot!) ________ ice cream!
  4. (spicy food) ________ spicy food.
  5. (coffee, but only a little bit) ________ coffee.

Exercise 3: Answer the Questions

Answer these questions about yourself.

  1. What’s your favorite fruit?
  2. Do you like vegetables? Which ones?
  3. What food are you not a big fan of?
  4. Do you like sweet food or salty food more?

Answers

Answers to Exercise 1:

  1. timing
  2. favorite
  3. like
  4. fan
  5. agree

Answers to Exercise 2:

  1. I like/love chocolate.
  2. I don’t like broccoli. (or ‘I’m not a big fan of broccoli.’)
  3. I love ice cream!
  4. I like/don’t like spicy food. (Answer depends on your personal preference)
  5. I like coffee.

Answers to Exercise 3:

(Your answers will be personal, here are examples:)

  1. My favorite fruit is mango.
  2. Yes, I like vegetables. I like carrots and peas.
  3. I’m not a big fan of very bitter food.
  4. I like sweet food more.

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