Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 25 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 5: Food and Drink

What is on a Ukrainian table?

Ukrainian food is tasty and has a long history. In this lesson you talk about Ukrainian dishes and about your own table. Review like, a / an / some, some / any, how much / how many and would like, and give the final talk of Block 5.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Ukrainian food

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. What do you eat every day?
  2. What is your favourite Ukrainian dish?
  3. Do you like borscht?
  4. Who cooks in your family?
  5. What would you like for dinner?
  6. What food don't you like?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. A famous red soup from Ukraine is .
  2. A kind of food that you cook, for example soup, is a .
  3. A tells you how to cook a dish.
  4. We make from flour and bake it in an oven.
  5. Holubtsi have rice and meat inside the leaves of a white round vegetable, .
  6. Deruny are made from grated .
  7. People often put some , a thick white food from milk, on borscht.
  8. A custom that people keep for many years is a .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. borscht is a
  2. bread is made from
  3. a recipe tells you how to
  4. a guest is a person who
  5. traditional = like in the
  6. tasty =
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to talk about dishes and traditions.

  • We eat...Ми їмо...We eat borscht with bread.
  • There is some...Є трохи...There is some sour cream on the table.
  • I like...Мені подобається...I like varenyky with potatoes.
  • I don't like...Мені не подобається...I don't like cabbage.
  • Would you like some...?Хочете трохи...?Would you like some borscht?
  • How much...?Скільки...?How much sour cream do you want?
  • How many...?Скільки...?How many varenyky do you want?
  • It's a tradition.Це традиція.We eat kutia at Christmas. It's a tradition.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

A Ukrainian table

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

What is on a Ukrainian table?

What is on a Ukrainian table? Many families say: first of all, borscht. Borscht is a red soup with beetroot, cabbage, potatoes and other vegetables. People often eat it with bread and put some sour cream in it. Every family has its own recipe. In July 2022, UNESCO added the culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking to its list of traditions that need urgent protection.

There are many other tasty dishes. People like varenyky, small pieces of dough with potatoes, cheese or cherries. People make holubtsi with cabbage leaves, rice and meat. Deruny are potato pancakes, and many people eat them with some sour cream. Some people also like salo, but other people don't like it.

Bread is very important. Bread and salt are a traditional way to welcome a guest. At Christmas Eve, many families make twelve dishes without meat, and kutia is often the first dish. At Easter, people usually bake a sweet bread called paska.

Food is a way to say: "You are welcome here." Would you like some borscht?

What is on your table today?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Borscht has got beetroot.
  2. Varenyky are only with cherries.
  3. Bread and salt are a traditional way to welcome a guest.
  4. UNESCO added the culture of borscht cooking to a list in 2022.
  5. All families have the same recipe.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. What dish is the best for guests?
  2. Do you cook with your family?
  3. Is a traditional dish better than a new dish?
  4. What dish would you like to learn to cook?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Review: like, countable and uncountable nouns

After like and love, use a noun or -ing: I like cooking. Add -s with he, she, it. Use a / an with one countable thing and some with more than one or with uncountable nouns.

I like borscht. She likes cooking. I eat an apple. There is some bread. There are some potatoes.

Review: some, any, how much, how many and would like

Use some in positive sentences and offers, any in negatives and questions. Use how much with uncountable and how many with countable nouns. Use would like to order or offer.

I have some bread. I haven't got any sour cream. How much sugar? How many potatoes? Would you like some borscht? I'd like some tea.

Block 5 review

Use the grammar from this block.

like, love, don't like (L21) · countable and uncountable nouns, a / an / some (L22) · some, any, how much, how many (L23) · would like (L24)

Common mistakes: like + -ing, some in positive sentences and any in negatives and questions, how much / how many and would like without -s. ✗ I like to cooking → I like cooking. ✗ I haven't got some bread → I haven't got any bread. ✗ How many sugar? → How much sugar?

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. She
    varenyky.
  2. I love
    .
  3. There is
    bread on the table.
  4. I haven't got
    sour cream.
  5. salt do you want?
  6. potatoes do you want?
  7. Would you
    some borscht?
  8. He doesn't
    cabbage.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. She like borscht. →
  2. I haven't got some bread. →
  3. How many sugar do you want? →
  4. How much potatoes do you want? →
  5. Would you likes some soup? →
  6. I eat a bread. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use the grammar of Block 5.

  1. What do you like to cook?
  2. What is on your table every day?
  3. Is there any bread in your home?
  4. How much bread do you eat?
  5. What would you like for dinner today?
  6. What dish do you not like?
5

Three people and their tables, and a final talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and their tables

Three people tell about their tables. Compare them. Who cooks borscht? Who doesn't like beetroot? What is on your table?

Person 1

Olena, 60

  • Is from Ukraine
  • Cooks borscht every week
  • Puts some sour cream in it
  • Says bread is on every table
Person 2

Mark, 30

  • Is a guest in Kyiv
  • Would like some more varenyky
  • Doesn't like beetroot
  • Eats a lot of bread
Person 3

Nina, 10

  • Likes deruny
  • Doesn't like cabbage
  • Would like some juice
  • Loves her grandmother's cooking
5.2

Final talk of Block 5: food

This is the final speaking task of Block 5. Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for two minutes.
  2. Part 1: say what food you like and don't like.
  3. Part 2: say what is on your table and what there isn't.
  4. Part 3: offer a dish to a guest with would like and ask one question.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What is on your table every day?
  2. What is your favourite Ukrainian dish?
  3. Do you like cooking?
  4. Is there any bread in your home?
  5. How much bread do you eat?
  6. What food don't you like?
  7. What would you like for dinner today?
  8. Do you cook borscht?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who cooks borscht in your family?
  2. Who likes varenyky?
  3. Who doesn't like cabbage?
  4. Who makes a lot of food for guests?
  5. Who buys the bread?
  6. Who would like a big dinner?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is traditional food better than new food?
  2. Is it good to cook at home?
  3. Is bread important on a table?
  4. Is borscht the best soup?
  5. Should children learn to cook?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Final talk: my table

You

Speaker

A friend (your teacher) asks about food:
  • say what food you like and love
  • say what is on your table every day
  • say what you don't like and what there isn't
  • say what you would like for dinner
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use the grammar of Block 5.
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. What do you like?
  2. What is on your table?
  3. What don't you like?
  4. What would you like for dinner?
7.2

A guest at home

You

Host

A guest (your teacher) comes to your home:
  • say hello and offer some borscht
  • ask how much sour cream the guest wants
  • ask if the guest would like some bread
  • ask if the guest likes the dish
You do most of the talking. Use: Would you like...? · How much...? · Do you like...?
Your teacher

Guest

Says things like:
  1. Yes, please.
  2. A little, please.
  3. Yes, I would.
  4. It is very tasty!
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

borschtdishrecipebreadcabbagepotatoessour creamtradition
  1. A famous red soup from Ukraine is .
  2. A kind of food that you cook, for example soup, is a .
  3. A tells you how to cook a dish.
  4. We make from flour and bake it in an oven.
  5. Holubtsi have rice and meat inside the leaves of a white round vegetable, .
  6. Deruny are made from grated .
  7. People often put some , a thick white food from milk, on borscht.
  8. A custom that people keep for many years is a .
H2

Block 5 review: choose the correct word

  1. She borscht.
  2. I love .
  3. There is bread on the table.
  4. I haven't got bread.
  5. soup do you want?
  6. potatoes do you want?
  7. Would you some tea?
  8. He doesn't cabbage.
H3

Correct or incorrect? (Block 5 review)

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. She likes varenyky.
  2. She like varenyky.
  3. I haven't got any bread.
  4. I haven't got some bread.
  5. How much sugar do you want?
  6. How many sugar do you want?
  7. Would you like some borscht?
H4

Match the two halves

  1. We eat
  2. There is
  3. I don't
  4. Would you like
  5. How much
  6. How many
  7. It's

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.