Talking about vegetables you like
CEFR: A1
Read/Listen first
I am at the supermarket after work. I look at the fresh vegetables. I like red tomatoes and green lettuce in my salad. I also like orange carrots and brown potatoes with chicken. I don’t like onions in my soup, but my friend loves them. Tonight I want to try cucumbers in a simple salad. Vegetables are cheap today, so I buy many for the week.⚡ Learning goals
- I can name common vegetables in a simple conversation.
- I can say which vegetables I like and don’t like.
- I can ask and answer simple questions about favourite vegetables.
✨ Key language
- I like … “I like red tomatoes.”
- I don’t like … “I don’t like onions in my soup.”
- Do you like … ? “Do you like green lettuce?”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ I like + vegetable
Rule: Use “I like” + a vegetable to talk about food you enjoy eating.Examples: I like red tomatoes in my salad.; I like green lettuce.; I like carrots with dinner.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners say “I am like tomatoes”. — Say “I like tomatoes”, not “I am like tomatoes”.
Choose the correct sentence.
Tip: Use “I like” + the vegetable name.
Fill with the best answer: ______ potatoes.
Tip: Start with “I like”.
2️⃣ I don’t like + vegetable
Rule: Use “I don’t like” + a vegetable to talk about food you do not enjoy.Examples: I don’t like onions in my soup.; I don’t like cucumbers.; I don’t like brown potatoes.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “don’t”. — Say “I don’t like onions”, not “I like not onions”.
Choose the correct negative sentence.
Tip: Use “don’t” before “like”.
Fill with the best answer: ______ cucumbers.
Tip: Use “I don’t like”.
3️⃣ Do you like + vegetable?
Rule: Use “Do you like” + a vegetable to ask about someone’s food preferences.Examples: Do you like tomatoes?; Do you like lettuce?; Do you like carrots?
Common pitfall + fix: Learners say “You like carrots?”. — Start the question with “Do you like…?”.
Choose the correct question.
Tip: Start with “Do you like”.
Fill with the best answer: ______ lettuce?
Tip: Begin the question with “Do you like”.
4️⃣ Colour + vegetable
Rule: Put the colour before the vegetable to describe it.Examples: red tomatoes; green lettuce; orange carrots.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners say “tomatoes red”. — Say “red tomatoes”, colour first, noun after.
Choose the correct order.
Tip: Colour comes before the vegetable.
Fill with the best answer: ______ potatoes.
Tip: Use a colour word before “potatoes”.
✍️ Vocabulary
tomato
Meaning: a soft red vegetable or fruit used in salads and cooking.Synonyms: tomato, vegetable, salad food.
Chunk/Idiom: a red tomato in my salad.
Example: I like tomato in my green salad.
Morphology: noun; singular: tomato; plural: tomatoes.
Self-practice: Say three sentences with “tomato”.
potato
Meaning: a brown vegetable that grows in the ground and is white inside.Synonyms: potato, vegetable, side dish.
Chunk/Idiom: brown potatoes with chicken.
Example: We eat potatoes with chicken for dinner.
Morphology: noun; singular: potato; plural: potatoes.
Self-practice: Write two sentences with “potato”.
onion
Meaning: a round white or brown vegetable with a strong smell and taste.Synonyms: onion, vegetable, cooking ingredient.
Chunk/Idiom: onions in my soup.
Example: I don’t like onions in my soup.
Morphology: noun; singular: onion; plural: onions.
Self-practice: Say a sentence about onions you like or don’t like.
carrot
Meaning: a long orange vegetable that is hard and sweet.Synonyms: carrot, vegetable, orange root.
Chunk/Idiom: orange carrots with dinner.
Example: I like carrots with my potatoes.
Morphology: noun; singular: carrot; plural: carrots.
Self-practice: Write a short sentence with “carrot”.
cucumber
Meaning: a long green vegetable that is cool and fresh inside.Synonyms: cucumber, salad vegetable, green food.
Chunk/Idiom: cucumbers in a simple salad.
Example: I want cucumbers in my salad tonight.
Morphology: noun; singular: cucumber; plural: cucumbers.
Self-practice: Say the word “cucumber” three times aloud.
lettuce
Meaning: a green leafy vegetable used in salads and sandwiches.Synonyms: lettuce, salad leaf, green vegetable.
Chunk/Idiom: green lettuce in my salad.
Example: I put lettuce and tomato in my salad.
Morphology: noun; non-count in salads; a head of lettuce.
Self-practice: Write one sentence with “lettuce” and say it aloud.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
I like green lettuce in my salad.
I don’t like onions in my soup.
Do you like carrots with your dinner?
Yes, I do. I like brown potatoes.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct sentence.
Tip: Use “I like” for things you enjoy.
Choose the correct negative sentence.
Tip: Add “don’t” before “like” in negative sentences.
Fill with the best answer:
______ lettuce?Tip: Start questions with “Do you like”.
Fill with the best answer:
______ cucumbers.Tip: Use “don’t like” for things you do not enjoy.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Which vegetable is red in the mini text?
Tip: Look back at the mini text for the colour words.
Which vegetable does the speaker want to try tonight?
Tip: Read the last sentences of the mini text.
Fill with the best answer:
Vegetables are ______ today.Tip: This word describes the price in the mini text.
Fill with the best answer:
The speaker buys vegetables for the week to make ______.Tip: Think about the simple dish with tomatoes and lettuce.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Do you like green lettuce?B: Yes, I do. I like lettuce in my salad.
A: Do you like onions in your soup?
B: No, I don’t like onions in my soup.
Why this matters:
Talking about vegetables helps you order food and shop in English. You can say what you like and don’t like. This makes daily conversations easier and more natural.Verb & Adjective Pack:
like — I like red tomatoes.don’t like — I don’t like onions.
cheap — The vegetables are cheap today.
fresh — I buy fresh vegetables after work.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: ______ green lettuce.
Tip: Use “I like” with the vegetable.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: I like onions in my soup, but I don’t.
Tip: Use one clear negative sentence with “don’t like”.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
I buy vegetables for the week.
Tip: Say the sentence slowly, then try to type every word.