Talking about food: likes and polite requests
Niveau CECR : A1
CEFR: A1
Read/Listen first
At lunch, I am in a small café with a friend. I like chicken and salad, but I don’t like steak. I order some French fries and a piece of bread. My friend likes ice cream and cereal with milk. She asks, “Can I have some ice cream, please?” I ask the waiter, “Can I have a glass of milk, please?” We are happy with our simple meal.⚡ Learning goals
- Can say what food I like and don’t like.
- Can ask politely for food and drinks in a café.
- Can answer simple questions about my favourite food.
✨ Key language
- I like / I don’t like “I don’t like steak.”
- Do you like … ? “Do you like salad?”
- Can I have some …, please? “Can I have some ice cream, please?”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ I like / I don’t like + food
Rule: Use “I like” or “I don’t like” + a food word to talk about preferences.Examples: I like chicken.; I don’t like steak.; I like salad.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “like”. Fix: Always say “I like” or “I don’t like” before the food word.
Choose the best sentence.
Tip: Use “don’t like” for negative sentences.
Fill with the best answer: I ______ chicken and salad.
Tip: Use “like” to talk about food you enjoy.
2️⃣ Do you like … ?
Rule: Use “Do you like” + food to ask about someone’s favourite food.Examples: Do you like salad?; Do you like steak?; Do you like ice cream?
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “do”. Fix: Start the question with “Do you like … ?”.
Choose the correct question.
Tip: Start the question with “Do you like … ?”.
Fill with the best answer: __________
Tip: Write a complete question with a question mark.
3️⃣ Can I have some …, please?
Rule: Use “Can I have some …, please?” to ask politely for food that is not counted one by one.Examples: Can I have some French fries, please?; Can I have some ice cream, please?; Can I have some bread, please?
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “please”. Fix: Add “please” to sound polite.
Choose the most polite sentence.
Tip: Use “Can I have …, please?” for polite requests.
Fill with the best answer: Can I have _________, please?
Tip: Use “some” with foods like ice cream or bread.
4️⃣ Can I have a piece / a glass of … ?
Rule: Use “a piece of” or “a glass of” + food or drink to ask politely for one serving.Examples: Can I have a piece of bread?; Can I have a glass of milk?; Can I have a piece of chicken?
Common pitfall + fix: Learners forget “of”. Fix: Say “a piece of bread”, not “a piece bread”.
Choose the correct phrase.
Tip: Put “of” after “piece” or “glass”.
Fill with the best answer: Can I have __________, please?
Tip: Use “a piece of” for one small part of a food.
✍️ Vocabulary
chicken
Meaning: meat from a chicken for a meal.Synonyms: chicken meat, roast chicken.
Chunk/Idiom: grilled chicken; chicken with salad.
Example: I like chicken with salad for lunch.
Morphology: noun; singular; uncountable in meals.
Self-practice: Say three meals with chicken that you like.
salad
Meaning: cold food with vegetables, often with dressing.Synonyms: mixed salad, green salad.
Chunk/Idiom: chicken salad; small salad.
Example: I don’t like salad with a lot of oil.
Morphology: noun; countable; singular or plural.
Self-practice: Describe a simple salad you like or don’t like.
steak
Meaning: a thick piece of meat, usually beef.Synonyms: beef steak, grilled steak.
Chunk/Idiom: steak and fries; piece of steak.
Example: I don’t like steak with a lot of fat.
Morphology: noun; countable; singular or plural.
Self-practice: Say if you like steak and why or why not.
French fries
Meaning: thin pieces of fried potato, often with salt.Synonyms: fries, chips.
Chunk/Idiom: some French fries; fries with chicken.
Example: Can I have some French fries with my steak?
Morphology: noun; plural; often uncountable as food.
Self-practice: Ask for French fries with a polite question.
ice cream
Meaning: cold sweet food made from milk or cream.Synonyms: vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream.
Chunk/Idiom: a scoop of ice cream; some ice cream.
Example: She can have a scoop of ice cream after lunch.
Morphology: noun; usually uncountable as food.
Self-practice: Say two flavours of ice cream you like.
milk
Meaning: white drink from cows, goats, or plants.Synonyms: fresh milk, cold milk.
Chunk/Idiom: a glass of milk; some milk.
Example: Can I have a glass of milk, please?
Morphology: noun; uncountable; used with a glass of.
Self-practice: Ask for milk politely in two different ways.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
I like chicken and salad.
I don’t like steak.
Can I have some French fries, please?
Can I have a glass of milk, please?
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct sentence.
Tip: Use “I like” + food, not “I am like”.
Choose the correct question.
Tip: Start the question with “Do you like … ?”.
Fill with the best answer:
I ______ steak.Tip: Use “don’t like” for negative preferences.
Fill with the best answer:
__________Tip: Write a full polite question with “Can I have …, please?”.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
What food is made from potatoes?
Tip: Think of hot, salty food on the plate in the story.
What food is cold and sweet?
Tip: Look at the sweet dessert in the mini text.
Fill with the best answer:
Can I have _________, please?Tip: Use the same expression from the mini text with bread.
Fill with the best answer:
Can I have _________, please?Tip: Remember how the speaker asks for milk in the café.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Do you like chicken?B: Yes, I do. I like chicken and salad.
A: Can I have some French fries, please?
B: Sure. Can I have a glass of milk, please?
Why this matters:
These short sentences help you order simple food in a café. You can speak politely and clearly. You can say what you like and don’t like.Verb & Adjective Pack:
like — I like chicken and salad.don’t like — I don’t like steak.
have — Can I have some French fries, please?
happy — We are happy with our simple meal.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: Can I have some _________, please?
Tip: Use the food the speaker orders in the mini text.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: I no like steak.
Tip: Remember to use “don’t like” and end with a full stop.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
can I have a glass of milk, please?
Tip: Say the sentence aloud before you type it.