It’s acceptable to use either “food” or “foods” to demonstrate the plural form of the singular “food.” But, the context and usage are what will determine the difference in proper grammar. This means, that even though both are plural, there are certain situations where using one or the other may sound a little strange.
However, to be on the safe side of things, you should always go with “foods” when in doubt. This is because “food” isn’t necessarily a countable noun as say apples, peaches and bananas are. We tend to use “foods” when we imply the different types of food that exist and “food” when we just mean “food” in general.
About Countable versus Uncountable Nouns
A countable noun means you can give an object a definite unit, measurement, or metric. An uncountable noun can be either plural or singular. “Food” fits this definition like other words such as information, furniture, and water, among others.
This means we can’t assign a numeric value to uncountable words because it doesn’t serve the proper function in English. In regards to grammar, you will write “food” in accordance with singular agreement rules. This can be for singular suggestion or it is indicative of plurality. Or, at least it can infer plurality.
For example, you wouldn’t really say: “I have five foods.” This is technically correct usage and grammar, but it doesn’t feel or sound correct. You would be more specific: “I have some food. There are two peaches, two apples, and one banana.”
Consider the examples below to see how “food” can be both plural and singular:
Singular: The healthiest food is delicious and has fewer calories. [indicative of plurality]
Plural: The healthiest foods are delicious and have fewer calories. [directly plural]
Singular: Food high in vitamin C is good for illnesses, including cold and flu. [indicative of plurality]
Plural: Foods high in vitamin C are good for illnesses, including cold and flu. [directly plural]
Singular: Food for dinner tonight includes beef wellington, potatoes au gratin and some carrots. [indicative of plurality]
Plural: Foods for dinner tonight include beef wellington, potatoes au gratin and some carrots. [directly plural]
Conclusion
Since both “food” and “foods” are an acceptable plural form of the singular form of “food,” there’s really not much to remember. When you want to place a numeric value to show the amount of food, then you will have to be more specific to demonstrate the types of foods you’re talking about.
- Author
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Conor is the main writer here at One Minute English and was an English teacher for 10 years. He is interested in helping people with their English skills and learning about using A.I tools at work.
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1 Only heat-resistant ceramic and glass dishes should be used for oven baking/roasting. ……….
2 A homemade chunky and succulent beefburger, filled with mozzarella cheese and served with a side salad and baked potato. ……….
3 Wash the carrots and slice. Set to one side. Boil the potatoes for six minutes or until slightly soft to the touch. ……….
4 Open seven days a week. Ideal for wedding receptions, birthday parties and other special occasions. ……….
5 Large plates, dishes and bowls should be loaded into the bottom rack (1). Glasses should be placed upside down on the top rack (2). Cutlery should be placed in the cutlery container (3). ……….
6 Are you fed up with trying to lose weight and failing? Doreen Brown asks top nutritionists how we can lose that fat, and not put it back on again. ……….
7 Make a note of all the things you have to do before your guests arrive (laying the table, getting changed, etc) and when you have to do them. If you’re planning to cook the meal yourself (rather than having catering), make sure you choose a menu you know well. Do not experiment with new dishes on this kind of occasion! ……….
8 Whites and delicate items should be washed separately. ……….
9 I ask you all to raise your glasses so we can drink to my wonderful great-grandfather, ninety-seven years young today! ……….
10 Vegetarian and Vegan Products. ……….
Idioms, Proverbs & Sayings
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Eat to live, not live to eat.
Food contents
Which food is healthy and which is unhealthy, to your mind?
Are there any kinds of food you eat all the time? What are they?
What do you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
Any food usually consists of:
- protein
- carbohydrates
- fibre
- fat
- vitamins and minerals
What are they?
Task 1. Match the terms with their descriptions. Pay attention to the words in bold.
| 1 protein | A a substance contained in foods such as meat, cheese and butter which forms an energy store in your body |
| 2 carbohydrates | B the indigestible part of a food found mostly in wholemeal bread, vegetables and fruit |
| 3 vitamins | C body building substance found in foods such as eggs and meat |
| 4 fibre | D substances such as sugar and starch found in foods |
| 5 fat | E natural organic substances found in most foods which are necessary for growth |
Food types and dishes
Roe vs Caviar
Оба слова roe и caviar означают «икра». Только изначально roe — это, как правило, просто икра, а caviar — икра, которую солили или как-то по-другому мариновали, а затем консервировали.
Однако США и Канаде на банках пишется слово caviar, только если это икра осётра. На банках икры другой рыбы пишут название рыбы и добавляют слово roe, например, salmon roe — икра лосося, carp roe — икра карпа, trout roe — икра форели, и т.д.
В Европе словом caviar также можно назвать только икру осётра, а вот икра других рыб будет называться заменителем икры — caviar substitute.
People
1. I have a sweet tooth and can never say ‘no’ to cakes and biscuits.
2. I won’t have dessert, thanks. You’re lucky being so slim; but I’m afraid I have to count the calories. I have to be a bit calorie-conscious these days.
3. I like to eat the meal with something savoury, like cheese.
4. Ben’s a bit of fussy eater.
5. No, thanks, I won’t have wine. I’m teetotal.
6. Before I book the restaurant, do you have any particular dietary requirements?
7. I won’t have any more wine, thanks. I don’t want to overdo it.
Task 2. Rewrite the underlined parts of these sentences using the expressions you have come across above to describe food and drink preferences.
1. I never drink alcohol. (Use an adjective.)
2. I don’t really like sweet things. (Use an idiom.)
3. Are there things you can’t or mustn’t eat? (Use a formal/polite expression.)
4. Just a small portion for me, please. I don’t want to eat too much. (Use an expression that means the same.)
5. She’s become very careful about how many calories she’s eating. (Give two different ways of saying the same thing.)
6. Sasha is such a choosy person when it comes to food. It’s difficult to find things she likes. (Use an expression that means the same.)
1 I’m teetotal.
2 I haven’t got a sweet tooth.
3 Do you have any special/particular dietary requirements?
4 Just a small portion for me, please. I don’t want to overdo it.
5 She’s become very calorie-conscious. / She’s counting the calories.
6 Sasha is such a fussy eater. It’s difficult to find things she likes.
Expressions to describe food and meals
Preparing home-cooked food is a good way to make a balanced meal.
I adore pasta, pizza and Italian cuisine in general.
My grandmother makes mouth-watering apple pies / makes apple pies which make my mouth water every time I think about them.
A nutritious breakfast is a great way to start the day, as it gives your body the nutrients and you get enough energy.
Try to avoid processed foods like flavored nuts and cereal bars. It is much healthier to eat organic food.
Choose lean meats and poultry and vary your protein choices.
Chances are, you’re looking forward to a hearty, flavorful, savory meal to enjoy in your sweats at the end of a long day.
This dreamy salad works great as a dip, so feel free to break out a bag of tortilla chips on the side.
What I really need is a hot shower, a square meal, and a full night’s sleep.
I had no desire to cook, so I bought a ready meal in a nearby supermarket.
I feel like making a greasy slap-up meal tonight.
I’m going to call the Japanese restaurant and order a takeaway.
Eating sugary, salty, fatty foods doesn’t make you feel less stressed.
The average American now eats 10 servings of refined grains each day.
Is money tight? Do you need to save on your food budget? Here are more than 20 frugal meal ideas to get you started and help you keep your grocery bill down!
A nice place to have a substantial meal during a day out.
a box lunch – a cold meal, such as sandwiches and fruit, that is given to someone to eat later, especially at a conference or meeting
Expressions to describe breakfast
a continental breakfast – a breakfast consisting of bread and butter, coffee or tea, and sometimes pastries or croissants
a cooked breakfast – a breakfast of cooked food that is traditional in the UK, usually including eggs, bacon, toast, and tea or coffee
Expressions to describe snacks
cream tea – a small meal eaten in the afternoon consisting of tea with scones, jam, and cream
Eating a quick snack instead of the main meal can be harmful for stomach.
Expressions to describe products
Whole-grain bread is a healthy and delicious alternative to packaged supermarket breads.
Plain, unsweetened yogurt can offer many health benefits.
Both regular and low-fat dairy products can be an important part of a healthy diet but portion control is still important.
specific dishes
bubble and squeak – a food made from cold cooked potatoes and cabbage mixed together and then cooked in a large pan
casserole – food prepared in a casserole dish
chilli con carne – chilli made with meat
a cottage pie – a meal made from small pieces of cooked meat, especially beef, covered with a layer of cooked potato and baked in an oven
fish and chips – a meal consisting of fish and long thin pieces of potato, both cooked in very hot oil
a fritter – a food made by covering a piece of food in batter and cooking it in hot fat
fry-up – a meal of fried food, especially consisting of eggs, bacon, and sausages
haggis – a Scottish food made from the inner organs of a sheep that are cut up, mixed with grain, and pushed into a bag to be cooked. The bag is traditionally made from a sheep’s stomach.
hotpot – a meal that consists of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in the same container in the oven
jambalaya – a food made from rice, shellfish, and chicken. Jambalaya was originally a Cajun food, from the southern US.
kebab – a food consisting of small pieces of meat and vegetables cooked on a stick
kedgeree – a meal made from fish, rice, and eggs
macaroni cheese / mac’n’cheese – a meal consisting of macaroni in a cheese sauce
meat loaf – a type of food made from a mixture of small pieces of meat, bread, and eggs, baked in one piece
omelette – a flat round food made by mixing eggs together and cooking them
pot roast – a meal consisting of a large piece of meat cooked in a container with a small amount of water, usually served with potatoes and vegetables
Scotch egg – a boiled egg covered with small pieces of bread and meat and cooked in oil
crepe – a light thin pancake
croquette – a food made from a mixture of pieces of fish, meat, or vegetables pressed into a circular or tube shape, covered with breadcrumbs, and cooked in oil
cutlet – a food made from pieces of vegetables or nuts pressed together into a long flat shape and cooked in oil
dumpling – a small solid lump of cooked food made from flour and water, sometimes eaten with meat or added to soup
Expressions to Describe Places to Eat and Actions
I usually dine at a restaurant that’s in a walking distance of my home.
We’re dining in tonight. / We’re dining out tonight.
I first thought those strawberries were too expensive, but when I tasted them I understood that their quality justified the bill.
I went to a diner starving hungry yesterday and ate the whole roast chicken.
– Would you like more chips?
– No, thank you, I’m already full-up!
-I knew that we were going to go to a restaurant that’s why I didn’t eat much at home so that not to spoil my appetite.
I think street food is a staple around here. You can find bustling food stalls all around our nation, and they are my go-tos for a cheap and cheerful meal. I mean gourmet restaurants are nice and all, but street food is what our country is all about.
Actually, I’d like to think that cooking is my forte. I developed a passion for culinary arts when I first watched the cooking show Masterchef. Since then, I have learnt a lot of recipes and I can easily whip up a good dinner.
Task 3. Match sentences 1-10 with a second sentence A-J. Use the key words in bold to help you.
1. A lot of people are allergic to nuts.
2. Many people do not trust genetically modified foods.
3. Organic vegetables are more expensive but are better for you.
4. We refuse to eat battery chickens.
5. We prefer to eat free range meats.
6. The harvest has been very bad this year.
7. Following the floods in Mozambique, there was a terrible scarcity of food.
8. There has been an outbreak of salmonella, listeria and other food poisoning in Perth.
9. Too many people don’t eat a balanced diet.
10. Fast food is very popular.
A. This is because they are cultivated naturally, without using any chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
B. There wasn’t enough to feed everyone affected by the disaster.
C. They are not sure that altering the composition of cells to change certain characteristics is safe.
D. It’s good to know that the animals were given enough space to express their natural behaviour.
E. Terrible weather conditions have prevented the crops from ripening and reduced the yield.
F. A lot of people are in hospital as a result.
G. Unfortunately, a diet of burgers, pizzas and fried chicken is not very healthy
H. They physically react very badly.
I. This is because they spend their life confined in a small cage.
J. They don’t consume sufficient quantities of the different food groups.
- H
- C
- А
- I
- D
- E
- B
- F
- J
- G
Words Easily Confused
Food, meal, cuisine
FOOD
Food is the most general word, referring to anything you can eat. A banana is food. A hamburger is food. A salad is food.
The word food is usually singular – so you should say “I ate a lot of food last night” not “I ate a lot of foods last night”.
But there are some exceptions – we use foods when talking about several food types, for example,
“At the international festival, I tried foods from around the world.”
DISH
The word dish has two meanings:
1) a physical object used to hold, cook, and serve food. When we talk about washing the dishes, we are washing the plates, bowls, pots, pans, spoons, forks, etc.
2) it can also refer to one prepared item of food, like a lasagna or a fruit salad.
MEAL
The word meal refers to the customary time/occasion of eating food. Most people eat 3 meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meal also refers to all the food eaten during one of these occasions – so one meal can include multiple dishes. Dinner is one meal, but you might have chicken, rice, salad, and ice cream. Each of those is one dish, and when eaten all together on one occasion, they are a meal.
A meal may include many dishes.
CUISINE
The word cuisine describes a typical manner/style of preparing food. We usually use this word with with country adjectives (Italian cuisine, Brazilian cuisine, Moroccan cuisine) or ethnic or regional adjectives (Cajun cuisine, Jewish cuisine, South Indian cuisine). In everyday English, however, many people simply say “food” when talking about getting something to eat:
I love Chinese food.
Do you want to try some Ethiopian food?
Practice
Read this short text. Answer these questions.
a What is it not acceptable to do at mealtimes in China?
b How is eating similar or different in your country?
In China, the sorts of plates / dishes served at the three main meals are pretty much the same – soup, rice or noodles, and meat and vegetables. Each person has their own bowl of rice and a couple / pair of chopsticks, but helps themselves to the soup, meat and vegetables directly from the communal plates in the centre of the table. It is perfectly acceptable to reach across the table to take food.
To eat the rice, the diner raises / rises the bowl to their lips and pushes the grains into their mouth with the chopsticks. The diner must finish all the rice. To leave even a tiny amount is considered bad manners.
/chinese-table-manners-dining-etiquette-56a956a65f9b58b7d0fa7b00.jpg)
Here are some more words which are often confused. Choose the correct word in each pair.
a That pudding was nice. Can I have the
receipt / recipe
?
b In some religions, people
fast / diet
for periods of time.
c Crisps and hamburgers are sometimes referred to as
junk / rubbish
food.
d Most people prefer bottled water to
tap / running
water. Some people prefer sparkling water to
flat / still
water.
g Waiter! Could we have another look at the
menu / list
, please? And could you bring us the wine
menu / list,
too?
e There are two main tastes: ‘sweet’, like cakes and biscuits, and ‘
savoury / salty
‘ , like crisps and cheese.
f Don’t you think James is an excellent
cooker / cook
?
Упражнение 1, с. 39
1. Copy the table in your notebook. Put the words into the correct categories. Add one more word to each category. — Скопируйте таблицу в свою тетрадь. Распределите слова в правильные категории. Добавьте ещё одно слово в каждую категорию.
FRUITS & VEGETABLES: broccoli, banana, cabbage, strawberries (grapes)
ФРУКТЫ И ОВОЩИ: брокколи, банан, капуста, клубника (виноград)
MEAT, POULTRY & FISH: beef, lamb, chicken, salmon (trout)
МЯСО И РЫБА: говядина, баранина, курица, лосось (форель)
DESSERTS: apple pie, chocolate brownie, ice cream, waffles (cherry pie)
Десерты: яблочный пирог, шоколадное пирожное, мороженое, вафли (вишневый пирог)
DRINKS: milk, coffee, cola, tea (orange juice)
НАПИТКИ: молоко, кофе, кола, чай (апельсиновый сок)
Упражнение 2, с. 39
2. Choose the correct words. — Выберите правильные слова.
The drive-through restaurant is one of the USA’s great traditions. It’s unusual because the 1) customers don’t usually go inside! They drive up to a speaker outside the restaurant, 2) order their food from a worker and get it from a window. Customers can go inside and eat at a 3) table, but taking your food to go is more 4) popular. Drive-throughs are very popular in the USA and sell a wide 5) range of 6) fast food, like burgers and fries.
Проездной ресторан — одна из великих традиций США. Это необычно, потому что клиенты обычно не заходят внутрь!Они подъезжают к громкоговорителю возле ресторана, заказывают еду у рабочего и достают её из окна. Клиенты могут зайти внутрь и поесть за столом, но брать еду с собой более популярно. Рестораны на вынос очень популярны в США и продают широкий ассортимент фаст-фуда, таких как гамбургеры и картофель фри.
Упражнение 3, с. 39
3. Choose the odd word out. — Выбери лишнее слово.
1 tub — carton — jar — jam
упаковка — картонная коробка — банка — варенье
2 protein — bones — muscles — skin
белок — кости — мышцы — кожа
3 boil — fry — order — grill
варить — жарить — заказывать — гриль
4 pepper — onion — prawn — celery
перец — лук — креветки — сельдерей
5 salty — fried — sweet — creamy
солёное — жареное — сладкое — сливочное
Collocations
Расположения
Упражнение 4, с. 39
4. Complete with: side, fast, top, jacket, scrambled, cherry, frying, reduce, bunch, cold. — Заполните: сторона, быстрый, верхний, куртка, яичница, вишня, жарка, уменьшение, пучок, холод.
1 cold drinks — прохладдительные напитки
2 top сhef — лучший шеф-повар
3 scrambled eggs — яичница-болтунья
4 side order — дополнительный заказ
5 frying pan — сковорода
6 jacket potato — картофель в мундире
7 fast food — быстрое питание
8 cherry pie — вишнёвый пирог
9 reduce diseases — уменьшить количество заболеваний
10 bunch of bananas — связка бананов
Prepositions
Предлоги
Упражнение 5, с. 39
5. Chose the correct prepositions. — Выберите правильные предлоги.
1 Visitors buy local products made from oranges.
Посетители покупают местные продукты из апельсинов.
2 There’s a great choice of snakes to choose from.
Есть большой выбор змей на выбор.
3 Ann’s is famous for its delicious cherry pie.
Энн славится своим восхитительным вишнёвым пирогом.
4 Chocolate contains a high amout of fat.
Шоколад содержит большое количество жира.
5 Serve the stew with rice.
Подавайте тушёное мясо с рисом.
GAME
In teams, make sentences. Use words/phrases from the list below. Each correct sentences gets one point. The team with the most points wins.
В командах составляйте предложения. Используйте слова/фразы из приведённого ниже списка. Каждое правильное предложение получает одно очко. Побеждает команда, набравшая наибольшее количество очков.
resort — курорт
boiled egg — варёное яйцо
dessert — десерт
poultry — птица
creamy — сливочный
drinks aisle — отдел напитков
frozen food — замороженные продуктыв.
grill — гриль
salty — солёный
tub of ice cream — банка мороженого
loaf of bread — буханка хлеба
protein — белок
deep fried — жарятся во фритюре
baked goods — хлебобулочные изделия
serve — обслуживать
dish — блюдо
scrambled eggs — яичница-болтунья
customers — посетители
menu — меню
chop — нарезать
low-fat — нежирный
spicy — острый
breathe — дышать
Menton is a resort town.
Ментон — курортный город.
Would you like a boiled egg for breakfast?
Хотите варёное яйцо на завтрак?
Apple pie is my favourite dessert.
Яблочный пирог — мой любимый десерт.
Chicken is poultry.
Курица — это птица.
This soup is very creamy.
Этот суп очень сливочный.
You can find cola in the drinks aisle.
Вы можете найти колу в отделе напитков.
Milk and cheese are dairy products.
Молоко и сыр — это молочные продукты.
You can get some ice cream from the frozen food section.
Вы можете купить мороженое в разделе замороженных продуктов.
You grill steaks on a barbecue.
Вы жарите стейки на гриле.
This soup is too salty. There’s a lot of salt in it.
Этот суп слишком солёный. В нём много соли.
Let’s buy a big tub of ice cream.
Давай купим большую банку мороженого.
You can buy a loaf of bread at the bakery.
В пекарне можно купить буханку хлеба.
Meat and fish contain protein.
Мясо и рыба содержат белок.
These chips are deep fried.
Эти чипсы жарятся во фритюре.
Pretzels and bagels are baked goods.
Крендели и рогалики — это хлебобулочные изделия.
Waiters serve customers in a restaurant.
Официанты обслуживают клиентов в ресторане.
My favourite dish is fish ‘n’ chips.
Мое любимое блюдо — рыба с жареной картошкой.
I eat scrambled eggs for breakfast.
На завтрак я ем яичницу-болтунью.
The restaurant has a lot of customers on Sunday nights.
В воскресенье вечером в ресторане много посетителей.
There’s fried chicken on the menu.
В меню есть жареная курица.
Can you chop the onions for me?
Ты можешь нарезать лук для меня?
Is this yoghurt low-fat like chili peppers.
Этот йогурт нежирный, как перец чили.
This chicken is too spicy. I don’t like it.
Эта курица слишком острая.
We couldn’t breathe without our muscles.
Мы не могли дышать без наших мышц.
Quiz
Read through Module 2 and answer the questions. Now write a quiz of your own. Give it to your partner. Check his/her answers.
Викторина
Прочитайте Модуль 2 и ответьте на вопросы. А теперь напишите свой собственный тест. Отдайте его своему партнёру. Проверьте его/её ответы.
1 How many tons of fruit do they use in the Menton Lemon Festival? 145
Сколько тонн фруктов они используют на Ментонском фестивале лимонов? 145
2 In which section can you find yougurt in a supermarket? in the dairy products section
В каком разделе можно найти йогурт в супермаркете? в разделе молочные продукты
3 What is a chippy? a fish ‘n’ chips shop or restaurant
Что такое «чиппи»? рыбный магазин или ресторан с чипсами
4 What can you eat in an ethnic restaurant? dishes from a specific country or culture
Что можно съесть в этническом ресторане? блюда из определённой страны или культуры
5 How much energy doess our brain use? 20% of the energy from the food we eat
Сколько энергии использует наш мозг? 20% энергии из пищи, которую мы едим
6 What can you do at Huntington’s Kitchen? have a free cooking lesson
Что вы можете сделать на кухне Хантингтона? взять бесплатный урок кулинарии
7 What does red meat contain? iron and protein
Что содержит красное мясо? Железо и белок
8 How many bones are there in the human body? over 200
Сколько костей в человеческом теле? более 200
9 What does our skin do? It covers our body, protects us and gives us our sense of touch.
Что делает наша кожа? Она покрывает наше тело, защищает нас и даёт нам чувство осязания.
10 What foods have a lot of calcium in them? dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt
В каких продуктах содержится много кальция? молочные продукты, такие как молоко, сыр и йогурт
1 What are the most popular ethnic cuisines in the UK? (Indian, Chinese and Italian)
Какие самые популярные национальные кухни в Великобритании? (Индийская, китайская и итальянская)
2 What are baked goods? (cakes and biscuits)
Что такое хлебобулочные изделия? (пирожные и печенье)
3 What has Jamie Oliver’s ‘Food Revolution truck’ got in it? (eight cooking stations and TV plasms screens)
Что у Джейми Оливера в «грузовике пищевой революции»? (восемь кухонных станций и телевизионные плазменные экраны)
4 What do the letters ‘tsp’ stand for? (teaspoon)
Что означают буквы «tsp»? (чайная ложка)
5 What is the healthiest type of chocolate? (Good quality dark chocolate)
Какой самый полезный вид шоколада? (Хороший качественный тёмный шоколад)
6 How many muscles are in the human body? (over 600)
Сколько мышц в человеческом теле? (более 600)
7 When does the Lemon Festival in Menton take place? (every February to March)
Когда проходит фестиваль Лимонов в Ментоне? (каждый февраль-март)
8 What kinds of food are carbohydrates? (cereals, bread and pastа)
Какая пища являются углеводами? (крупы, хлеб и макароны)
9 What do we need to build and repair muscles? (protein)
Что нам нужно для наращивания и восстановления мышц? (белок)
10 In which section can you usually find pears in a supermarket? (the fruit and vegetables section)
В каком разделе обычно можно найти груши в супермаркете? (раздел фруктов и овощей)
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ГДЗ по английскому языку. Starlight. Звёздный английский. Учебник. 6 класс. Баранова К.М., Дули Д., Копылова В.В.
Рабочая тетрадь. Starlight. 6 класс. Workbook.
Английский язык. 6 класс