A2 — Lesson 07

The Kitchen Inventory

Kitchen Vocabulary · Countable & Uncountable · Quantifiers · Some / Any · Containers · Too / Enough
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Vocabulary: The Kitchen

Kitchen nouns, food vocabulary and containers — all with IPA and Bulgarian translations.

Countable Nouns — Броими съществителни

Ingredient(s)/ɪnˈɡriː.di.ənt/Съставка
Vegetable(s)/ˈvedʒ.tə.bəl/Зеленчук
Potato(es)/pəˈteɪ.təʊ/Картоф
Onion(s)/ˈʌn.jən/Лук (глава)
Carrot(s)/ˈkær.ət/Морков
Plate(s)/pleɪt/Чиния
Customer(s)/ˈkʌs.tə.mər/Клиент
Recipe(s)/ˈres.ɪ.pi/Рецепта

Uncountable Nouns — Неброими съществителни

Flour/flaʊər/Брашно
Rice/raɪs/Ориз
Sugar/ˈʃʊɡ.ər/Захар
Salt/sɒlt/Сол
Oil/ɔɪl/Олио / Мазнина
Soup/suːp/Супа
Advice/ədˈvaɪs/Съвет
Butter/ˈbʌt.ər/Масло

Containers & Measures — Контейнери и мерни единици

A bottle of/ˈbɒt.əl/Бутилка (вода / вино)
A carton of/ˈkɑː.tən/Кутия (сок / мляко)
A can of/kæn/Кенче / Консерва
A jar of/dʒɑːr/Буркан (сладко / мед)
A packet of/ˈpæk.ɪt/Пакет (бисквити / ориз)
A bag of/bæɡ/Плик (брашно / чипс)
A box of/bɒks/Кутия (зърнена закуска)
A tub of/tʌb/Кофичка (сладолед / масло)
A loaf of/ləʊf/Самун (хляб)
A slice of/slaɪs/Парче (тънко)
A piece of/piːs/Парче (общо)
📝 Exercise A: Choose the correct container for each item.
1. ___ of olive oil — used for cooking.
2. ___ of bread — bought from the bakery.
3. ___ of jam — found in the cupboard.
4. ___ of milk — from the supermarket.
5. ___ of flour — for making bread.
🎯 Exercise B: Countable (C) or Uncountable (U)? Write C or U for each noun.
1. sugar →
2. onion →
3. flour →
4. carrot →
5. advice →
6. butter →

Grammar Lab

Countable & Uncountable nouns, all quantifiers, Some/Any, Too/Enough, and containers — complete A2 reference.

Part 1 — Countable vs Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns are things you can count — they have a singular and plural form. Uncountable nouns are liquids, powders, abstract ideas, and materials — they have no plural and always use a singular verb. To count uncountable nouns, use a container or measure word.

Countable (C)

  • Has a plural: carrot → carrots
  • Can use a / an: an onion
  • Can count: three potatoes
  • Use: many, a few, few, how many

Uncountable (U)

  • No plural: sugars / rices
  • No a / an: a rice
  • Always singular: The flour is fresh.
  • Use: much, a little, little, how much

Counting the Uncountable

  • Use a container: a bag of flour
  • Use a measure: a litre of oil
  • Use a portion: a slice of bread
  • Plural container: two bags of rice
📝 Easy: Choose the correct form — Countable or Uncountable.
1. Rice is ___.
2. Plate is ___.
3. Advice is ___.
4. Carrot is ___.
5. Salt is ___.
🎯 Harder: Write the correct form. Use each noun with a container or write the plural where possible — or write no plural if it has none.
1. flour → plural?
2. onion → plural?
3. rice → to count it, we say: a ___ of rice
4. advice → plural?
5. potato → plural?
6. oil → to count it, we say: a ___ of oil

Part 2 — Much / Many / A lot of / Plenty of

Use much with uncountable nouns and many with countable nouns — mainly in negative sentences and questions. Use a lot of and plenty of in positive sentences with both types.

QuantifierUse withSentence typeExample
muchUncountable(-) and (?)We don't have much time. / How much flour?
manyCountable(-) and (?)There aren't many chairs. / How many guests?
a lot ofBoth(+)We have a lot of food. / She has a lot of friends.
plenty ofBoth(+) — more than enoughThere is plenty of water. / We have plenty of time.
📝 Easy: Choose much or many.
1. How ___ sugar do you want?
2. There aren't ___ carrots left.
3. He doesn't eat ___ meat.
4. How ___ plates do we need?
5. There isn't ___ oil in the pan.
🎯 Harder: Fill in the gap with much / many / a lot of / plenty of. Only one is correct in each sentence.
1. She has ___ experience in the kitchen. (Positive — very experienced)
2. There are ___ restaurants in this city. (Positive — loads of choice)
3. How ___ oil do you need for this recipe?
4. We don't have ___ guests coming — just six people.
5. Don't rush — we have ___ time before the dinner service starts.

Part 3 — A few / Few / A little / Little

This is the most important distinction at A2 level. A few / A little are positive — the speaker has some and is not worried. Few / Little (without a) are negative — there is almost none and it is a problem.

QuantifierUse withFeelingExample
a fewCountable✅ Positive — some, enoughI have a few friends. (I'm happy.)
fewCountable❌ Negative — not enoughI have few friends. (I'm lonely.)
a littleUncountable✅ Positive — some, enoughWe have a little milk. (We can make coffee.)
littleUncountable❌ Negative — not enoughWe have little milk. (We need to buy more.)
Memory trick: When you add a, you add positivity. A few / A little = "I have some — it's okay." Without a: Few / Little = "Almost none — it's a problem."
📝 Easy: Choose the correct quantifier.
1. I have ___ money. (I can buy it — happy)
2. There are ___ people in the restaurant. (It is empty — problem)
3. Add ___ salt — just a pinch.
4. There are ___ onions left. (Enough for dinner)
5. We have ___ flour. (We can't bake — problem)
🎯 Harder: Write the correct quantifier: a few / few / a little / little.
1. She has ___ good recipes — she can make a lovely dinner.
2. There is ___ hope left — the situation is very serious.
3. I have ___ friends in the city — not many, but I'm happy.
4. We have ___ time before the guests arrive — let's hurry!
5. Add ___ oil to the pan — just enough to stop it sticking.

Part 4 — Too much / Too many / Enough / Not enough

Too much / Too many mean there is more than wanted — it is a negative excess. Enough means the correct amount. Not enough means less than needed. Note that enough comes before nouns but after adjectives.

StructureUse withMeaningExample
too much + nounUncountableNegative excessThere is too much salt in this soup!
too many + nounCountableNegative excessThere are too many people in the kitchen.
enough + nounBothCorrect amountWe have enough plates for everyone.
not enough + nounBothInsufficientThere is not enough time to cook it.
adjective + enough—Sufficient degreeThe soup is hot enough. / Is she old enough?
📝 Easy: Choose too much, too many, or enough.
1. There is ___ sugar in this cake — it's far too sweet!
2. We have ___ chairs for the dinner party.
3. There are ___ cooks in this kitchen — it's chaos!
4. There isn't ___ flour — we can't make the bread.
5. You put ___ oil in the pan — now it's greasy.
🎯 Harder: Fill in too much / too many / enough / not enough. Write the full phrase.
1. The dough is ruined — I added ___ flour and now it's too dry.
2. The oven isn't hot ___ — wait another ten minutes before putting the bread in.
3. There were ___ people at the picnic and the food ran out.
4. Do we have ___ plates for all twenty guests?
5. He didn't season the soup — there was ___ salt and it tasted bland.

Part 5 — Some vs Any

Some is used in positive sentences and in offers or requests. Any is used in negative sentences and questions. Both can be used with countable and uncountable nouns.

QuantifierUse inExample
somePositive sentences (+)I have some butter in the fridge.
someOffers and requestsWould you like some soup? / Can I have some water?
anyNegative sentences (-)I don't have any flour left.
anyQuestions (?)Do you have any onions? / Is there any rice?
✅ There is some rice in the cupboard.
✅ I don't have any salt.
✅ Would you like some tea?
✅ Do we have any eggs?
❌ There is any rice in the cupboard.
❌ I don't have some salt.
❌ Would you like any tea? (offer = some)
❌ Do we have some eggs? (question = any)
📝 Easy: Choose some or any.
1. Would you like ___ cake?
2. I don't have ___ onions.
3. She bought ___ fresh vegetables at the market.
4. Is there ___ sugar in the bowl?
5. We don't need ___ more salt — it's perfect.
🎯 Harder: Write some or any. Think carefully — is it a positive statement, a negative, a question, or an offer?
1. Can I have ___ more water, please? (polite request)
2. There isn't ___ butter left in the fridge.
3. She made ___ amazing soup with the leftovers.
4. Have you seen ___ carrots? I can't find them.
5. I didn't put ___ oil in the pan — it was a mistake.
6. Would you like ___ cheese with that?

Part 6 — Other Useful Quantifiers

These quantifiers complete your A2 toolkit. Learn when each one is used and what feeling it communicates.

A bit of (Informal)

  • Means the same as a little
  • Informal / spoken English
  • Uncountable only
  • Add a bit of pepper.

No / None

  • No + noun = zero quantity
  • None = zero (no noun after)
  • There is no bread.
  • "Do we have eggs?" — "None."

More / Less / Fewer

  • More = extra quantity (both)
  • Less + uncountable
  • Fewer + countable
  • Use less oil, fewer eggs.
📝 Easy: Choose the correct word.
1. There is ___ milk left — we need to buy more.
2. "Do we have any butter?" — "___."
3. Add a ___ of salt — just a tiny amount.
4. We need ___ eggs for this recipe — the carton is almost empty.
5. This soup uses ___ salt than the last recipe.
🎯 Harder: Fill in the gap with the correct quantifier.
1. I don't want ___ ketchup, thank you — just mustard.
2. There are ___ customers tonight — the restaurant is very quiet.
3. She put ___ much oil in the pan and it caught fire.
4. We have ___ of time before dinner — let's relax.
5. Could I have ___ water, please? (polite request)

Reading: The Company Picnic

📝

Text 1: The Planning

From: Mr. Smith Team, for the picnic we need plenty of food. I have checked the list. We have too many crisps — fifty bags! — but we have little fruit. Please buy more apples. Also, there is a lot of water, but few juices. Most people want juice, so this is a problem. We need enough drinks for everyone.

Questions:

1. What is the main problem with the food?

2. "We have few juices" — what does this tell us?

3. "We have little fruit" — why is little used and not few? (Language focus)

4. What kind of person does Mr. Smith appear to be based on this message? (Inference)

🛒

Text 2: Emma at the Market

From: Emma I am at the shop. I bought a few melons and some strawberries. The strawberries look great! However, I have little money left in the budget, so I can't buy much meat. I bought a little chicken, but is it enough? Also, do we need any ketchup? I don't see any on the list.

Questions:

1. Why can't Emma buy much meat?

2. "I bought a few melons" — what does this tell us?

3. "Do we need any ketchup?" — why is any used here? (Language focus)

4. What can we infer about Emma's attitude in this message? (Inference)

🔥

Text 3: Jake at the Grill

From: Jake The fire is ready. I have a few burgers, but I need a bit of oil for the grill. Also, Sarah, please bring the salads. There is too much mayonnaise in the potato salad! It tastes heavy. Next time, use a little less mayo. By the way, how many plates do we have? I only see ten.

Questions:

1. What is wrong with the potato salad?

2. "I have a few burgers" — is Jake happy about this?

3. "I need a bit of oil" — which quantifier means the same? (Language focus)

4. Jake asks "how many plates" — what does this tell us? (Inference)

🥗

Text 4: The Conclusion

From: Mr. Smith Great job everyone. The picnic is a success. We had enough food and plenty of fun. We have a little food left over, so please take it home. Jake, the burgers were delicious — not too salty at all! Next time, we will buy more cake and fewer crisps.

Questions:

1. Was there enough food at the picnic?

2. Mr. Smith says "fewer crisps" next time — why fewer and not less? (Language focus)

3. "We have a little food left" — what does this suggest? (Language focus)

4. What does the tone of Mr. Smith's message tell us? (Inference)

Text 1 / 4

Cloze Text

Choose the correct word or phrase from each drop-down menu. Words are not in order in the menus.

Chef Anna is preparing for a big dinner party. She checks the kitchen. There is (1) rice in the cupboard — at least three bags — so that is fine. However, there is (2) butter left in the fridge. She needs it for the sauce, so this is a problem.

Anna goes to the market. She does not have (3) time, so she buys quickly. She picks up (4) onions and (5) fresh herbs. She also asks the butcher: "Do you have (6) lamb today?"

Back in the kitchen, Anna tastes the soup. There is (7) salt — it is far too salty. She adds (8) water to balance the flavour. Finally, she checks the dessert. They do not have (9) sugar for the cake. She sends a message: "Can you bring (10) sugar on your way over?"

Exercises

15 exercises covering all grammar and vocabulary from this lesson.

Tense Writing Practice

Five exercises, 10 sentences each — all mixed tenses in every exercise. Tenses: Present Simple · Present Continuous · Past Simple · Present Perfect · Will · Be Going To
Read each sentence carefully and put the verb in brackets into the correct tense.