Describing Food with the Passive Voice

Describing food with passive voice

Choose something connected to food such as one of the words on the next page and describe it using the phrases below until your partner guesses what you are talking about. If they know that thing, they can then comment on and add to your description. If they don’t know that thing (well), they can ask for more details. Take turns doing the same until your teacher stops you.

• … are fed on this (…)
• It has been eaten (in this country) since…
• It is added to…
• It is banned/ prohibited…
• It is boiled/ roasted/ grilled/ fried/ deep fried/ steamed/…
• It is cooked…
• It is cut/ grated/ sliced/ chopped/ diced/ ground (up) (and…)
• It is disliked…
• It is dried (in…)
• It is drunk…
• It is eaten for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner/ a snack.
• It is eaten with…
• It is exported…
• It is fermented…
• It is grown…
• It is imported…
• It is liked…
• It is made by/ in/ into…
• It is mixed…
• It is prepared…
• It is served…
• It is smoked
• It is sold…
• It is transported…
• It is used to celebrate…
• It is used…
• It isn’t eaten (by…) (because…)
• It isn’t eaten…
• It shouldn’t be eaten/ drunk (by…) (because…)
• It used to be eaten…
• It was brought to… from…
• It was first eaten…
• It was first grown…
• It was first made…
• It was introduced…
• It was invented…
• It was prohibited…
• It wasn’t eaten until…

Ask about any phrases or foods you can’t understand or couldn’t use, working together to make a sentence using that language each time.

Possible food etc to describe with passive voice

aluminium foil/ silver foil                            aubergine/ egg plant                    bagel

bamboo shoots                             barley                                                       batter

bean curd (= tofu)                                  beansprouts                           bitter gourd

black pepper                       blender/ food mixer                                    bonito flakes

bread                                     broth/ stock                             brown rice/ white rice

buckwheat noodles                          butter                                            champagne

champignon mushrooms                       chewy rice cake                       chicken wings

chili peppers                                Chinese cabbage                    Chinese dumplings

Chinese steamed pork buns      chips/ French fries                                      chopsticks

cider/ (hard) cider                     condensed milk/ milk                   corn dog

corned beef                                crab                                           crème caramel

cucumber                                 custard                                     Danish pastry

dried mushrooms                           egg (white/ yolk)                     English breakfast

fermented soy beans                   ferns                                                 fish cake

fish eggs                                                      flour                                      freezer

fridge (= refrigerator)                    fried rice                           G&T (=gin and tonic)

gravy                                                    green peppers/ red peppers       grill

hamburger patty                           horse                                                  hot plate

ice lolly/ ice pop                                  iced tea                         Japanese horseradish

Japanese pickles                        Japanese rice wine                       Japanese spirits

Japanese-style curry                   Japanese-style fried chicken      Japanese lunchbox

jellyfish                                           kitchen scales                         Korean barbecue

liver                                      lotus root                                           margarine

mashed potato                              microwave (oven)                             miso soup

m(ono)s(odium)g(lutamate)       octopus                          olives

oven                                               pickled plums                                pita bread

pork cutlet                                       pot noodles                                         potato

potato croquette                        powdered green tea                     prawns/ shrimps

puffer fish                                        quail eggs                                         raw fish

red bean jam                                  rice ball                                       rice crackers

rice porridge (= congee)                    salad dressing                              salmon

salt                                          sausage                                    seaweed

sesame oil                                    shaved ice                                          shellfish

skewer                                           snails                                              soy sauce

spinach                                          sponge cake                                   spring onion

spring rolls                            squid                                         sumo wrestler’s stew

sweet potato                            sweet rice wine vinegar               Japanese breakfast

tripe                                          vinegar                                           vodka

waffle                                           walnuts                        whiskey on the rocks

white coffee

Passive voice grammar presentation

Without looking above, fill the gaps below with the right forms

• It ____________________ (prohibit) in Saudi Arabia for religious reasons.
• Babies ___________________________________________ (feed) on this.
• It ___________________________________________ (not eat) by Hindus.
• It ___________________________________ (first grow) in South America.
• It _____________ (invent) in Japan by the founder of the company Ajinomoto.
• It ____________________________ (eat) in this country since the 19^th

Check your answers with the phrases on the top page and/ or the answers below the fold.  

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Suggested answers

• It ____is prohibited_________ (prohibit) in Saudi Arabia for religious reasons.
• Babies _________are fed____________________________ (feed) on this.
• It ___________________isn’t eaten_______________________ (not eat) by Hindus.
• It _____________________was first grown____ (first grow) in South America.
• It ___was invented_ (invent) in Japan by the founder of the company Ajinomoto.
• It ______has been eaten____________ (eat) in this country since the 19^th

Try to think of at least one thing related to food that matches each of the descriptions above.