Goals for this lesson
- Use the simple present to talk about food you like and when you eat it.
- Describe taste (sweet, salty, spicy), ingredients, and origin (where it’s from).
- Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) about your favorite food.
Key words & sentence frames
Tastes & textures: delicious, tasty, sweet, salty, spicy, sour, bitter, crunchy, creamy, soft, hot, cold
Ingredients: cheese, tomatoes, onions, olives, chicken, vegetables, rice, couscous, spices, bread, sauce
Useful frames:
- My favorite food is ______.
- It is from ______ (country/cuisine).
- It tastes ______ (delicious / spicy / sweet).
- It has ______ (ingredients).
- I usually eat it ______ (on Fridays / with my family / for dinner).
- I like it because ______ (it is tasty / it reminds me of home).
Tip: For routines and facts, use the simple present: It tastes, It has, I like, I eat.
Part 1 — Building sentences step by step
A clear sentence has a subject + verb + details (taste, ingredients, time, feeling).
- My favorite food is couscous. (subject + verb + food)
- It is from Morocco and North Africa. (origin)
- It tastes warm and delicious. (taste)
- It has vegetables, spices, and tender meat. (ingredients)
- I usually eat it with my family on Fridays. (when/with whom)
- I like it because it makes me feel happy. (reason/feeling)
Part 2 — Model paragraph
Example (Amira):
My favorite food is pizza. It is from Italy and it tastes cheesy and delicious. My favorite pizza has tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms. Sometimes I add chicken. I usually eat pizza on the weekend with my family. We share one big pizza and talk together. I like pizza because it is simple, tasty, and fun to eat with the people I love.
Why this is good: It uses the simple present (is, tastes, has, eat, like), gives clear details (origin, ingredients, when), and finishes with a reason.
Part 3 — Guided writing
- Plan: Choose a food. List: 2 tastes, 3 ingredients, where it’s from, when you eat it, one reason you like it.
- Draft: Use these starters:
- My favorite food is …
- It is from …
- It tastes …
- It has …
- I usually eat it …
- I like it because …
- Check: Use the A1 checklist below.
Self-check (A1 writing checklist)
- Did I use the simple present (is, tastes, has, like, eat)?
- Did I include details (origin, taste, ingredients, when/with whom)?
- Do my sentences start with a capital letter and end with a period?
- Do I have at least 5–7 sentences?
Part 4 — Practice activities
Activity 1 — Fill in the blanks
Word bank: delicious • Italy • tomatoes • family • tastes
- My favorite food is pizza. It is from ______.
- Pizza ______ cheesy and ______.
- It has cheese and ______.
- I eat it with my ______ on weekends.
Show answers
- Italy
- tastes; delicious
- tomatoes
- family
Activity 2 — Choose the correct word
- My favorite food (is / are) couscous.
- It (taste / tastes) warm and spicy.
- It (has / have) vegetables and chicken.
- I (eat / eats) it with my friends.
- I (like / likes) it because it is tasty.
Show answers
- is
- tastes
- has
- eat
- like
Activity 3 — Put the sentences in order
Number the sentences from 1 (first) to 4 (last).
- ___ It has rice, vegetables, and chicken.
- ___ My favorite food is biryani.
- ___ I usually eat it with my family on Sunday.
- ___ It tastes spicy and delicious.
Show answers
2 → 4 → 1 → 3
Activity 4 — Correct the mistakes
Rewrite the sentences.
- my favorite food are pasta.
- It taste good and it have cheese.
- I eats it with my friends on fridays.
Show answers
- My favorite food is pasta.
- It tastes good and it has cheese.
- I eat it with my friends on Fridays.
Activity 5 — Mini reading (True/False)
Text: My favorite food is couscous. It is a traditional dish in Morocco. It tastes warm and a little spicy. It has vegetables and soft meat on top. I eat it with my family every Friday. It makes me feel happy.
- The food is from Morocco. (T/F)
- The food is sweet. (T/F)
- The writer eats it on Fridays. (T/F)
Show answers
- True
- False (It says warm and a little spicy.)
- True
Part 5 — Your paragraph
Write 5–7 sentences about your favorite food. Include the origin, taste, 3 ingredients, when/with whom you eat it, and one reason you like it.
Sample answer: My favorite food is couscous. It is from Morocco and North Africa. It tastes warm and delicious. It has carrots, zucchini, and chickpeas on top. I usually eat it with my family on Friday. I like couscous because it is tasty and it reminds me of home.
Review & reflection
- Which details did you include? (origin, taste, ingredients, when/with whom, reason)
- Did you use the simple present correctly (is/tastes/has/like/eat)?
- Read your paragraph aloud. Is it clear and organized?