THE BEST DISH EVER

I ate the best dish ever at a family dinner. It was lasagna with layers of cheese, meat, and sauce. First, my mom made the lasagna and baked it in the oven. The smell of the food filled the kitchen. When it was ready, she took it out of the oven. She cut it into big, warm pieces. I put one piece on my plate. I used a fork to take a bite. The cheese was gooey, and the meat was juicy. The sauce had a rich and savory flavor. It tasted amazing! Eating the lasagna made me so happy. It was the best dish ever!

Individual Sentences

1. I ate the best dish ever at a family dinner.
   Pattern: S + V + Adj O + Adv Phrase + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

2. It was lasagna with layers of cheese, meat, and sauce.
   Pattern: S + Aux + O + Prep Phrase + O + Prep Phrase + O + Conj + O

3. First, my mom made the lasagna and baked it in the oven.
   Pattern: Adv + Poss Adj + S + V + O + Conj + V + O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

4. The smell of the food filled the kitchen.
   Pattern: S + Prep Phrase + O + V + Poss Adj + O

5. When it was ready, she took it out of the oven.
   Pattern: Adv Clause + S + V + O + Prep Phrase + O

6. She cut it into big, warm pieces.
   Pattern: S + V + O + Prep Phrase + Adj + Adj O

7. I put one piece on my plate.
   Pattern: S + V + Adj O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

8. I used a fork to take a bite.
   Pattern: S + V + O + Inf Phrase + V + O

9. The cheese was gooey, and the meat was juicy.
   Pattern: S + Aux + Adj + Conj + S + Aux + Adj

10. The sauce had a rich and savory flavor.
    Pattern: S + V + Adj O

11. It tasted amazing!
    Pattern: S + V + Adj

12. Eating the lasagna made me so happy.
    Pattern: V-ing + O + V + S + Adv Adj

13. It was the best dish ever!
    Pattern: S + Aux + Adj O + Adv

Who Are You Talking To?

Just an example of how this phrase would be said in different environments:
Phrase: "What is the best dish you have ever eaten?"

1. Casual: "Hey, what’s the best dish you’ve ever had?"

2. Intimate: "Sweetie, what dish do you think is the best you’ve eaten?"

3. Formal: "May I ask what the best dish you have eaten is?"

4. Business: "Could you share what you think is the best dish you have ever tried?"

5. Writing: "Please describe the best dish you have ever eaten and why it is your favorite."

Key Vocabulary

To help you recall the words faster, draw a picture, create a sentence, or a story for each word.

1. Lasagna – A layered Italian dish made with pasta, cheese, and sauce.

2. Layers – Thin sections stacked on top of each other.

3. Gooey – Sticky and soft, like melted cheese.

4. Savory – A strong, salty, or rich flavor.

5. Flavor – The taste of food.

Comprehension Questions

Refer back to the story if you need to answer the following questions.

1. What dish did I eat at a family dinner?
   Sentence: ________________.

2. Who made the lasagna?
   Sentence: ________________.

3. What did the lasagna smell like?
   Sentence: ________________.

4. How did the cheese taste?
   Sentence: ________________.

5. Why was eating lasagna special?
   Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

1. Lasagna.

2. My mom.

3. It smelled rich and delicious.

4. It was gooey.

5. Because it made me so happy.

Speaking Activity

Practice placing stress on the bolded words to change the message of the sentence.

1. I ate the best dish ever at a family dinner. (Emphasizes who ate it)

2. I ate the best dish ever at a family dinner. (Emphasizes the dish)

3. The lasagna had layers of cheese, meat, and sauce. (Emphasizes the ingredients)

4. The cheese was gooey, and the meat was juicy. (Emphasizes the cheese’s texture)

5. Eating the lasagna made me so happy. (Emphasizes the feelings)

Writing Activity

Unscramble the Sentences:

1. Best / dish / ate / family / at / a / I / ever / dinner / the.
   Sentence: ________________.

2. Lasagna / sauce / cheese / meat / and / layers / had / the / of.
   Sentence: ________________.

3. Smell / food / kitchen / of / the / the / filled.
   Sentence: ________________.

4. Gooey / was / meat / the / juicy / and / the / cheese / was.
   Sentence: ________________.

5. Lasagna / happy / eating / me / so / made.
   Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

1. I ate the best dish ever at a family dinner.

2. The lasagna had layers of cheese, meat, and sauce.

3. The smell of the food filled the kitchen.

4. The cheese was gooey, and the meat was juicy.

5. Eating the lasagna made me so happy.

Create Activity

Follow the sentence pattern and build sentences with the following words:

Words To Use: lasagna, layers, gooey, savory, flavor

1. S + V + O.
   Sentence: ________________.

2. S + V + Adj + O.
   Sentence: ________________.

3. S + V + O + Prep Phrase.
   Sentence: ________________.

4. S + V + O + Adv.
   Sentence: ________________.

5. S + Aux + V + Adj.
   Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

1. I ate lasagna.

2. The layers are thick.

3. I tasted the savory sauce in the dish.

4. The cheese melted perfectly.

5. The flavor is amazing.

Grammar Activities

Multiple-Choice Questions:

1. What was the best dish I ate?
   a) Pizza
   b) Lasagna
   c) Salad

2. Who made the lasagna?
   a) My dad
   b) My sister
   c) My mom

3. How did the cheese taste?
   a) Gooey
   b) Sweet
   c) Crunchy

4. What filled the kitchen while the lasagna baked?
   a) The smell of the food
   b) The sound of cooking
   c) The sight of steam

5. Why was eating lasagna special?
   a) It was gooey and savory.
   b) It made me happy.
   c) Both a and b.

Answers:

1. b) Lasagna

2. c) My mom

3. a) Gooey

4. a) The smell of the food

5. c) Both a and b

Natural Dialogue

Me: What is the best dish you’ve ever eaten?
Friend: The best dish I’ve ever eaten is lasagna.
Me: Who made it?
Friend: My mom made it for a family dinner.
Me: What did it taste like?
Friend: It was gooey, savory, and absolutely delicious!