Talking about lunch

Introduction Neil and Beth have a real conversation in easy English about their lunches. Learn to talk about things you like to eat for lunch. Grammar tips Use prefer to talk about something you like more than something else. Prefer can be followed by a noun, an -ing form or an infinitive Would rather can also be used to talk about something you like more than something else. Would rather can be followed by the infinitive without to skip not have or do working lunch a lunch that you have while you are working leftovers where you don't finish a meal so you eat what is left the next day Transcript Beth Hello and welcome to Real Easy English, the podcast where we have real conversations in easy English to help you learn. I'm Beth. Neil And I'm Neil. There is a video version of this podcast on our website, where you can also find a worksheet and transcript to help you learn. It's at bbclearningenglish.com. Beth Hi, Neil, how are you? Neil I'm hungry. Beth Me too. I'm starving. Neil Well, that's good, because we're talking about lunch today. Beth We're recording this just before lunch, so it's no wonder that we're both very hungry. Neil You might be able to hear our tummies rumble because we're hungry. Beth OK. So, shall we begin? Neil Yes. Let's do it. Beth What have you got for lunch today? Neil Today for my lunch, I have chicken with potatoes and vegetables in a harissa paste. Beth Oh, that sounds really nice. Neil Yeah, it's leftovers actually, which I have heated up and brought in in a little flask. Beth What are leftovers? Neil Good question. Leftovers. That's food from a meal that you've already had that you didn't finish, and you can heat it up and eat it again. Beth Yes. I also have leftovers for my lunch today. So, yesterday I made a pasta for lunch with vegetables in it and I have that. Neil So, Beth, what do you usually have for lunch? Is it usually leftovers or something else? Beth It's usually leftovers when I come into work because it's easier, and then I don't need to buy lunch. But if I go out and buy food, then I would usually go for something like sushi or ramen. What about you? What do you usually have for lunch? Neil Yeah. Sometimes I have leftovers that I bring in. Sometimes, I buy a sandwich, for example. Beth What's your favourite kind of sandwich? Neil If I have a sandwich, if I buy a sandwich for lunch, I like to get things like smoked salmon. Nice. With pickles maybe, yeah. Beth There's a really good baguette I like actually that has smoked salmon and egg mayonnaise in it. Oh, it's so nice. Neil Stop it. Beth Sorry. Neil I'm so hungry. Beth Me too. Neil, do you ever skip lunch? Neil No. No way. I would be in a horrible mood if I skipped lunch. Beth I don't understand how anyone can skip any meal. I need to eat all my meals. Neil Yeah. Otherwise, you get hangry. Beth Exactly. 'Hangry' is hungry and angry. I'm on the… I'm almost getting hangry now. What's your favourite meal? Is it lunch? Breakfast? Dinner? Neil I think the evening meal is probably my favourite because we sit at the table and chat and it's the biggest, nicest meal of the day and you don't really have to do anything after so you can relax.   Beth Yeah that's good. I really like brunch which is that sort of in between breakfast and lunch, maybe 10:00. And I might have eggs and bacon and hash browns and avocado, a big meal full of lots of good food, like a brunch. Neil Do you ever have a working lunch?   Beth I do occasionally if I'm working from home because I can carry on working and eat quickly. And then in my actual lunch break, I might have a nice long walk or something like that, but when I'm in the office, I don't want to eat at my desk. Neil No. Me neither. I don't really like working lunches. I would rather eat my lunch without working.   Beth Yeah, I'd prefer the same, really. Let's recap the language we heard during the conversation. We had 'skip', which means not have or do. For example, I never skip lunch. Neil We heard 'working lunch', which is when you eat your lunch while you're working.   Beth We also had 'leftovers', which is when you don't finish a meal, so you have more of it at a different time, like the next day. Neil And we talked about which meals and food we prefer. If you prefer something, you like it better than something else. Beth Yes. And another phrase we can use to say this is 'would rather'. For example, I'd rather have sushi than a sandwich for lunch. Neil That's it for this episode of Real Easy English. Test what you've learned with a worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Beth And make sure you join us again for another easy English conversation. We'll be back next week. See you soon. Neil Goodbye.   Now try this... More programmes about food. Practise using the free worksheet.