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Students talk about snack habits in shared workplaces, learn useful vocabulary, and listen to a funny conversation about missing food. They also practise quantity words like some, any, much, many, a few, and a little, then read, write, and role-play polite solutions for shared kitchen problems.

B1 Intermediate90 minutesEnglishTeacher

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1. Image

Show a funny shared kitchen scene to warm up the topic.

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2. Speaking

Speaking focus

Students discuss their own workplace, school, or shared-home snack habits. Prompts: What snacks do people usually bring? Do people label food? What is polite in a shared fridge? Have you ever hidden food? What annoys people most? Encourage short opinions, examples, and light humor.

Class speaking activity — read, then practise aloud with your teacher or partner

Talk about office snacks

Discuss your own workplace, school, or shared-home snack habits. Try to give short opinions, examples, and a little humor.

Use these questions:

  1. What snacks do people usually bring to your shared kitchen?
  2. Do people label their food? Is it polite or necessary?
  3. What do people usually share, and what do they usually hide?
  4. Have you ever borrowed food or claimed food that was yours?
  5. What annoys people most in a shared fridge?
  6. What is a fair rule for snacks in your office, school, or home?

Useful language:

  • In my workplace, people usually bring...
  • I think it is polite to...
  • I don’t mind sharing...
  • The biggest problem is...
  • Once, someone...
  • A fair rule would be...
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3. Vocabulary

  • shared kitchen
    a kitchen used by many people in one office or building
  • snack
    a small amount of food eaten between meals
  • label
    a note with a name, date, or message on it
  • borrow
    take something for a short time and return it later
  • share
    let other people use or eat something with you
  • hide
    put something in a secret place so other people cannot find it
  • claim
    say that something belongs to you
  • leftovers
    food that is left after a meal
  • polite
    showing good manners and respect
  • help yourself
    take some food if it is offered
  • run out of
    have no more of something
  • take turns
    do something one after another in a fair way
  • fair share
    a reasonable equal amount for each person
  • snack raid
    a funny way to describe people taking food from the office kitchen
  • polite request
    a kind way to ask for something, like “Could I have a little?” or “Would you mind if I take one?”

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4. Listening

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Listen for the missing snack, the label, and what each coworker thinks happened.

  1. Why is Ava looking for her yogurt?
  2. What label was on the yogurt?
  3. What does Ben joke about when he says the yogurt may have “walked away”?
  4. What clue does Ben notice in the fridge?
  5. Why does Ava think the situation is not fair?
  6. What does Ava say she will do next time?
  7. What polite rule or solution do the coworkers mention at the end?
Teacher audio script
Ava: Hey, has anyone seen my yogurt?
Ben: The one with your name on it?
Ava: Yes. I put it in the shared fridge this morning.
Ben: Hmm. In this office, food disappears faster than emails on a Friday.
Ava: Very funny. It was in a blue container with a label.
Ben: A label? That is serious office business.
Ava: It said, “Ava — do not eat.”
Ben: Wow. Very polite. Very clear.
Ava: And still missing.
Ben: I only saw one spoon and a tiny strawberry in the fridge.
Ava: So someone ate it.
Ben: Or someone borrowed it forever.
Ava: That is not borrowing. That is stealing with good manners.
Ben: Maybe the snack was claimed by the office snack monster.
Ava: I knew it. He always takes the best leftovers.
Ben: To be fair, there were no other labels on the shelf.
Ava: That does not make it okay.
Ben: No, but it does make the kitchen a little mysterious.
Ava: Next time I’m labeling everything.
Ben: Good idea. Maybe also hide the chocolate.
Ava: Or share it before it disappears.
Ben: Now that sounds like a polite office rule.
Ava: Yes. Label it, share it, or lose it.
Ben: I would put that on a sign.
Ava: Me too. Right above the fridge.

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5. Grammar

Grammar focus

Countable and uncountable nouns with some/any, much/many, and a few/a little

Countable and Uncountable Nouns with some / any, much / many, a few / a little

In a shared office kitchen, quantity words are very useful. You need them when you talk about snacks, leftovers, milk, coffee, and the mysterious biscuits that disappear at 3 p.m.

1) Countable and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns

These are things you can count one by one.

  • one apple, two apples
  • one biscuit, three biscuits
  • one yogurt, four yogurts

Uncountable nouns

These are things you do not usually count one by one.

  • milk
  • coffee
  • sugar
  • rice
  • water
  • cheese
  • bread
  • jam

You usually say:

  • some milk
  • a little sugar
  • much coffee
  • a lot of water

2) some and any

We use some in positive sentences.

  • There are some apples in the kitchen.
  • I have some leftovers in the fridge.
  • We need some labels for the food box.

We also often use some in questions when we offer something or ask politely.

  • Would you like some tea?
  • Can I have some of your crackers?

We use any in negative sentences.

  • There aren’t any bananas left.
  • I don’t have any money for snacks today.
  • There isn’t any milk in the fridge.

We also use any in many questions.

  • Is there any coffee left?
  • Do we have any clean cups?

3) much and many

Use many with countable nouns.

  • How many biscuits are there?
  • We don’t have many snacks today.
  • There are many labels on the shelf.

Use much with uncountable nouns.

  • How much milk is left?
  • There isn’t much sugar.
  • We don’t use much butter in this recipe.

4) a few and a little

Use a few with countable nouns. It means a small number, but enough.

  • I have a few grapes in my bag.
  • There are a few cookies in the box.
  • We need a few more labels.

Use a little with uncountable nouns. It means a small amount, but enough.

  • There is a little milk in the fridge.
  • I want a little sugar in my coffee.
  • We have a little time before the meeting.

5) Quick form guide

  • Countable nouns: many, a few, some, any
  • Uncountable nouns: much, a little, some, any
  • Positive sentences: some, a few, a little
  • Negative sentences: any, not much, not many
  • Questions: many / much / any

6) Examples from the office kitchen

  • There are some oranges on the table.
  • We don’t have any clean spoons.
  • How many snacks did you buy?
  • How much coffee is in the pot?
  • I brought a few biscuits for the team.
  • There is a little yogurt left.
  • Do you have any labels for the lunch boxes?
  • We need some polite rules in this shared kitchen.

7) Common mistakes

Mistake 1: using much with countable nouns

  • ❌ How much biscuits do we have?
  • ✅ How many biscuits do we have?

Mistake 2: using many with uncountable nouns

  • ❌ There isn’t many milk.
  • ✅ There isn’t much milk.

Mistake 3: forgetting the noun type

  • ❌ I have a little apples.

  • ✅ I have a few apples.

  • ❌ We need many sugar.

  • ✅ We need much sugar / a lot of sugar.

Mistake 4: using some in negative sentences

  • ❌ There isn’t some coffee.
  • ✅ There isn’t any coffee.

8) Remember

If you can count it, use many or a few. If you cannot count it, use much or a little. Use some for positive sentences and any for negatives and many questions.

9) Mini practice in your head

Choose the correct word:

  • There are ___ bananas on the desk.
  • We don’t have ___ milk.
  • I need ___ sugar in my tea.
  • How ___ sandwiches are left?

10) Discussion questions

  1. What snacks are common in your home or office?
  2. Do people usually label food in shared fridges where you are?
  3. What is polite to do with leftovers in a shared kitchen?
  4. Which is more difficult for you: much/many or some/any?

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6. True / false

Read each statement and decide: True or False.

  • Read each statement and decide: True or False.

Answer key (teachers only)

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7. Grammar practice

Choose the correct word or phrase for each sentence.

1.

There are ___ oranges in the shared kitchen basket.

  • much

  • many

  • a little

  • any

2.

Is there ___ coffee left for the afternoon meeting?

  • some

  • many

  • a few

  • much

3.

We don’t have ___ milk, so someone should buy more.

  • many

  • a few

  • any

  • some

4.

I only took ___ biscuits because they were for everyone.

  • a little

  • a few

  • much

  • any

5.

How ___ sugar do you put in your tea?

  • many

  • much

  • few

  • some

6.

There is ___ jam in the fridge, but not enough for the whole office.

  • a little

  • many

  • a few

  • any

7.

Do we have ___ snacks for the team lunch?

  • much

  • any

  • a little

  • many

8.

There weren’t ___ cookies left after the snack raid.

  • much

  • many

  • some

  • a little

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • Q1B. many
  • Q2A. some
  • Q3C. any
  • Q4B. a few
  • Q5B. much
  • Q6A. a little
  • Q7B. any
  • Q8B. many

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8. Text

The Great Office Snack Mystery

In our shared kitchen, the snacks have a busy social life. One Monday morning, Mia opened the fridge and saw three yogurt cups, two apples, and one very serious note: “Please do not eat. Important snack.” The note was on a banana. That made everyone curious.

By 10 a.m., the banana was gone, the yogurt cups had labels, and someone had hidden a packet of biscuits behind the milk. Then Leo arrived and said, “I only borrowed one biscuit. I was going to return it.” Nobody believed him, because he was already chewing.

The office has a simple rule: if food is shared, be polite. If food is not shared, label it. If you want to claim something, write your name clearly. If you see leftovers, ask first. And if you finish the last snack, maybe don’t pretend it was a group decision.

At lunchtime, the kitchen looked like a tiny food museum: a few grapes, a little hummus, some carrots, and no peace at all. Mia laughed and wrote a new sign: “Take turns, share fairly, and do not hide the good cookies.” Everyone agreed. For one whole day, the snacks survived.

Grammar note

We use countable nouns for things we can count: an apple, two biscuits, many snacks. We use uncountable nouns for things we cannot count easily: milk, sugar, hummus, water. Use some in positive sentences, any in questions and negatives, much with uncountable nouns, many with countable nouns, a few with countable nouns, and a little with uncountable nouns.

Context note

In real shared workplaces, people often joke about “snack theft,” but the best solution is usually simple: label food, ask politely, and keep the kitchen fair.

Discussion questions

  1. What snacks disappear in your shared spaces?
  2. Is it polite to take food without asking?
  3. What should people write on a label?
  4. What is a fair rule for a shared kitchen?

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9. Matching

Match each word or phrase with its meaning.

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10. Speaking

Speaking focus

In pairs, students role-play short office-kitchen situations: someone took a snack by mistake, someone forgot to label food, someone wants to share biscuits, someone is annoyed by a 'mystery lunch.' Students practise polite questions, apologies, and solutions. Encourage phrases like 'Excuse me...', 'I think...', 'Sorry, that was mine.', 'Would you mind...?'. Switch roles after each scene.

Class speaking activity — read, then practise aloud with your teacher or partner

Role-play: The Office Snack Mystery

Work in pairs. Take turns being Person A and Person B. Use polite language and short explanations.

Scene ideas

  1. Someone took a snack by mistake.
  2. Someone forgot to put a label on their food.
  3. Someone wants to borrow biscuits from the shared kitchen.
  4. Someone is annoyed because a lunch box disappeared.
  5. Someone found leftovers in the fridge and wants to ask about them.

Useful phrases

  • Excuse me...
  • I think...
  • Sorry, that was mine.
  • Would you mind...?
  • Did you take this by mistake?
  • I left it in the shared kitchen.
  • I put a label on it.
  • Let’s be fair and share.

Try to solve the problem

After each scene, agree on a polite solution. For example:

  • put a label on food
  • ask before you take something
  • share snacks clearly
  • write a polite note for the fridge

Switch roles after each scene.

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11. Writing task

Write a short, friendly message or rule for a shared office kitchen. It should be polite, clear, and slightly humorous. Include at least two rules about labeling, sharing, or cleaning up. Use simple B1 English.

Aim for at least 60 words.

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12. Fill in the blanks

Complete the short note with the missing words.

In our    , snacks disappear fast, so please put a    on your food. If you want to    someone’s yogurt, ask first. It is more    to share than to    your biscuits in a secret drawer. We have    fruit, but not    chocolate. There are only    muffins left, and there is    milk in the fridge. If you take the last snack, please leave the    for the next person.

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • Blank 1shared kitchen
  • Blank 2label
  • Blank 3borrow
  • Blank 4polite
  • Blank 5hide
  • Blank 6some
  • Blank 7much
  • Blank 8a few
  • Blank 9a little
  • Blank 10leftovers

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13. Flashcards

Flip the cards and learn the office snack words.

  • label

    a note with a name or message on it

  • leftovers

    food not finished from a meal

  • borrow

    take something for a short time and return it

  • claim

    say something belongs to you

  • polite

    showing good manners and respect

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14. Spot the mistake

Find and correct the 3 mistakes in the text.

Text with errors (3 intended)

In our shared kitchen, there are much snacks on Monday morning. Someone always puts a label on the yogurt, but the biscuits disappear anyway. Please be polite and take only a few if the box is not yours.

Correct version

In our shared kitchen, there are many snacks on Monday morning. Someone always puts a label on the yogurt, but the biscuits disappear anyway. Please be polite and take only a few if the box is not yours.

  • much→many
  • a few→a few
  • there are much snacks→there are many snacks

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • 1. muchmany
  • 2. a fewa few
  • 3. there are much snacksthere are many snacks

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15. Word ordering

Teacher preview — use the slider to move between sentences and try the task as students see it.

Put the words in order to make each sentence.

Sentence 1 / 3

Your sentence

Tap words to place them here

Word bank

Sentence 1 of 3: 0 / 8 words placed

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • Slide 1Please label your yogurt in the shared fridge.
  • Slide 2Do not take snacks without asking first.
  • Slide 3I will borrow a few crackers and leave a polite note.

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16. Board game

Student's turn

Student
Teacher

Play the snack etiquette board game: move around the shared kitchen, follow the prompts, and see who can keep the office snacks safe. Use the cards, answer politely, and try not to become the snack thief!

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17. AI conversation

Roles chosen for this lessonTopic-based chat

Who is responsible for what

Stay in your role during the live voice chat. The AI partner follows the other role.

You (student)

young employee

AI partner

coworker

What to do

  • Use your microphone and speak for about 5 minutes.
  • Stay on the topic of office snacks, shared kitchens, labels, leftovers, and polite rules.
  • Compare your experiences and give short opinions or explanations.
  • Try to use some lesson language like label, shared fridge, leftovers, help yourself, claim, stash, fair share.

Students connect here for a live 5-minute AI voice conversation.

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