Food and Drink — Unit 7, Beginner English
Everyday food, fruit and vegetables, countable/uncountable, cooking methods, and ordering at a restaurant.
Reading: Shopping for Food
My name is Lisa. I go shopping every Saturday. I buy food for my family. I always buy bread. I never buy white bread. I buy brown bread because it is healthier. I also buy rice. Rice is good with meat and vegetables.
I buy a lot of fruit and vegetables. I buy apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes. I also buy potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomatoes. Fruit and vegetables are important for good health.
I know that bread and rice are uncountable. I can't say "a bread" or "a rice". I say "some bread" and "some rice". But fruit and vegetables are countable. I can say "an apple" or "two oranges".
I also buy eggs, milk, cheese, and butter. I buy meat, but not every week.
My mother likes cooking. She makes delicious food. She cooks rice, pasta, and vegetables. She also makes soup and cakes. I like helping her in the kitchen. I learn a lot about food.
On Sunday my mother cooks a big lunch. She buys a chicken and she roasts it in the oven. She also makes boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables. My father doesn't eat meat, so she makes fish for him. She grills the fish with garlic and oil.
I help in the kitchen. I wash the spinach and I cut the onions and the mushrooms. My little sister puts the salt and the pepper on the table.
For dessert we usually have fruit — strawberries, pineapple or watermelon. Sometimes my mother makes a cake, but she says too much sugar is not good for us.
I want to learn to cook. Next month my mother is going to teach me. First I want to learn pasta, and then rice with vegetables.
Vocabulary from this unit
| Word | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bread (u) | /bred/ | uncountable |
| rice (u) | /raɪs/ | uncountable |
| pasta (u) | /ˈpæstə/ | uncountable |
| noodles | /ˈnuːdəlz/ | countable |
| cereal (u) | /ˈsɪəriəl/ | uncountable |
| sugar (u) | /ˈʃʊɡə/ | uncountable |
| salt (u) | /sɔːlt/ | uncountable |
| Word | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| meat (u) | /miːt/ | uncountable |
| chicken (u) | /ˈtʃɪkɪn/ | uncountable |
| fish (u) | /fɪʃ/ | uncountable |
| eggs | /eɡz/ | countable |
| seafood (u) | /ˈsiːfuːd/ | uncountable |
| nuts (u) | /nʌts/ | uncountable |
| Word | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cheese (u) | /tʃiːz/ | uncountable |
| milk (u) | /mɪlk/ | uncountable |
| butter (u) | /ˈbʌtə/ | uncountable |
| yoghurt (u) | /ˈjɒɡət/ | uncountable |
| oil (u) | /ɔɪl/ | uncountable |
| cream (u) | /kriːm/ | uncountable |
6 more vocabulary sections in the full unit.
This is the free sample from this unit. The full unit adds 1 more reading passage, comprehension questions with an answer key, the listening exercises, flashcards for the vocabulary above, and a speaking task — with your progress tracked so the next unit unlocks when you are ready for it.
Common questions
What level is this unit?
Beginner — roughly CEFR A0–A1. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
Do I need to pay to use this?
The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.