← Back to lessons
A2In the Kitchen

When and How to Throw Away Food

Phrasal Verb: throw away |Grammar: Modal Verbs (should)

Objective

Students will learn to use the phrasal verb 'throw away' with modal verb 'should' to talk about food waste and expiry.

Article

In every kitchen, we have food that can go bad. Sometimes, you should throw away food to stay healthy. For example, you should throw away milk if it smells sour or cheese if it looks mouldy. You should not eat food that has passed its expiry date. Also, you should check fruits and vegetables carefully. If they are too old or soft, you should throw them away. Throwing away food is not always easy, but it is important to avoid getting sick. To reduce waste, you should plan your meals and buy only what you need. This way, you will throw away less food and save money. Remember, you should throw away food that is unsafe, but you should try to use fresh food first. By doing this, your kitchen stays clean and your family stays healthy.

Grammar Explanation

Meaning

'Throw away' means to get rid of something you do not want, usually by putting it in the bin.

Grammar Note

Modal verbs like 'should' are used to give advice or say what is the best thing to do.

Usage Tips

  • Use 'should' before 'throw away' to give advice about food safety.
  • Remember 'throw away' is two words and means to dispose of something.
  • Use 'should not throw away' to advise against wasting food if it is still good.

Examples

You should throw away old bread to avoid eating mould.

Advice about bread safety

If the milk smells bad, you should throw it away.

Advice about milk

You should not throw away fresh vegetables too quickly.

Advice about not wasting food

Always check the expiry date before you should throw away food.

Advice about expiry dates

If you are not sure, you should throw away food to be safe.

Advice about safety

Dialogue

Context: Two friends discuss what to do with food in the kitchen.

A:
This milk smells strange. Should I throw it away?
B:
Yes, you should throw away milk if it smells bad.
A:
What about these tomatoes? They are a little soft.
B:
You should not throw away tomatoes if they are still okay to eat.
A:
Okay, I will keep the tomatoes but throw away the milk.
B:
Good idea. You should always check food carefully.

Vocabulary

throw away
To get rid of something by putting it in the bin
Example: You should throw away spoiled food.
Synonym: discard
expiry date
The date when food is no longer safe to eat
Example: Check the expiry date before eating yogurt.
Synonym: best before date
mouldy
Covered in mould, showing signs of spoilage
Example: The bread is mouldy and must be thrown away.
Synonym: spoiled
fresh
Recently made or gathered and not old
Example: I like to eat fresh vegetables every day.
Synonym: new
soft
Not hard or firm; easy to press
Example: The tomatoes are soft but still good to eat.
Synonym: tender
smell
The way something smells; a scent or odour
Example: Milk can smell bad if it is old.
Synonym: scent
safe
Not causing harm or danger
Example: You should only eat food that is safe.
Synonym: secure
waste
Food or materials that are thrown away and not used
Example: Try to reduce food waste by planning meals.
Synonym: discard
plan
To decide what to do before doing it
Example: Plan your shopping to avoid wasting food.
Synonym: organise
bin
A container for rubbish or waste
Example: Throw away old food in the bin.
Synonym: trash can

Tips

  • Always check the smell and appearance before deciding to throw away food.
  • Use 'should' to give polite advice about what to do with food.
  • Don't confuse 'throw away' with 'throw up' which means to vomit.

Summary

In this lesson, you learned how to use 'throw away' to talk about disposing of food in the kitchen. You practiced using the modal verb 'should' to give advice about food safety and waste. Now, you can talk about when you should or should not throw away food to keep your kitchen safe and clean.

← Back to all lessons