Main course meaning in English
Learn how to use Main course correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
the main course, the main dish: the principal part of a meal
What would you like for your main course? The specials are lobster and chicken.
the first course: the starter, the appetizer, the first dish of the meal
Examples
- "Moira : It's called "haggis", Brent, and it's a traditional Scottish dish which has been around for hundreds of years."
- "Not that I will have an appetite after this horrible main course!"
- "Are you ready to order a main course?"
- "Luna DeLune: Ms. DeLune is apparently training to be a part time circus-yoga instructor (a combination of yoga, clowning, and partner acrobatics), and begins her first course early Friday evening."
- "I made reservations for Chez Marguerite, but you must promise that you'll stick to an appetizer and a main course."
- "Smoked salmon pâté Main courses"
- "Woman: For my main course, I'd like the fish & chips."
Exercise 1
When you eat dinner at a typical restaurant in the United States:
The first course is called .
The second course is called .
The first course is called .
The second course is called .
When you eat dinner at a typical restaurant in the United States:
The first course is called the appetizer 1.
The second course is called the main dish 2.
The first course is called the appetizer 1.
The second course is called the main dish 2.
1 the appetizer: In the United States, the most common term for the first course is "the appetizer". Other terms include "hors d'oeuvre" or "starter" (UK). Note that the term "entrée" can be used in a very expensive restaurant to indicate the appetizer. However the French term "entrée" is used in American English most commonly to indicate the main course, strangely!
1 the entrée: In the United States, the term "entrée" generally refers to the second, or main course of a meal, not the first course. The only exception to this is in very expensive restaurants.
1 the main dish: In the United States the "main dish" is the second course of the meal, not the first. Note that in the United States, the "main dish" is often called the "entrée".
1 the snack: A "snack" is a small meal usually eaten between the main meals of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Example: I usually eat a little snack around five o'clock because I'm too hungry to wait for dinner.
2 the main dish: In the United States, the most common term for the second course is "the main dish". Other terms include "main course" or "entrée". Note that in a very expensive restaurant, an "entrée" may refer to the first course, not the main dish!
2 the appetizer: In the United States, the "appetizer" is the first course, not the second course.
2 the mid-course: The term "mid-course" describes the middle of an action. Example: The rocket was in mid-course when it fired its auxiliary boosters. "Mid-course" is not related to dining and is never used to describe the second course of a meal.
2 the principal plate: Although a native speaker might understand what you are saying, the term "principal plate" is not used when talking about the main course of a meal.
Exercise 2
It's 12:30 in the afternoon, and you are hungry.
Complete the blanks below with the most appropriate choices.
Waiter: Hello. How may I help you?
You: Hi. I'd like to some .
Waiter: Would you like a first?
You: Yes. I'd like a big of soup with bread and butter.
Waiter: Excellent, and what will you for ?
You: I'd like a giant cheeseburger with bacon, mayonnaise and onions, with French Fries .
Waiter: Certainly. And what about ?
You: Oh, no I can't. I'm !
Complete the blanks below with the most appropriate choices.
Waiter: Hello. How may I help you?
You: Hi. I'd like to some .
Waiter: Would you like a first?
You: Yes. I'd like a big of soup with bread and butter.
Waiter: Excellent, and what will you for ?
You: I'd like a giant cheeseburger with bacon, mayonnaise and onions, with French Fries .
Waiter: Certainly. And what about ?
You: Oh, no I can't. I'm !
It's 12:30 in the afternoon, and you are hungry.
Complete the blanks below with the most appropriate choices.
Waiter: Hello. How may I help you?
You: Hi. I'd like to order 1 some lunch 2.
Waiter: Would you like a starter 3 first?
You: Yes. I'd like a big bowl 4 of soup with bread and butter.
Waiter: Excellent, and what will you have 5 for the main course 6?
You: I'd like a giant cheeseburger with bacon, mayonnaise and onions, with French Fries on the side 7.
Waiter: Certainly. And what about dessert 8?
You: Oh, no I can't. I'm on a diet 9!
Complete the blanks below with the most appropriate choices.
Waiter: Hello. How may I help you?
You: Hi. I'd like to order 1 some lunch 2.
Waiter: Would you like a starter 3 first?
You: Yes. I'd like a big bowl 4 of soup with bread and butter.
Waiter: Excellent, and what will you have 5 for the main course 6?
You: I'd like a giant cheeseburger with bacon, mayonnaise and onions, with French Fries on the side 7.
Waiter: Certainly. And what about dessert 8?
You: Oh, no I can't. I'm on a diet 9!
1 order: To "order food" is to request it at a restaurant. This verb is the only appropriate choice in this list.
1 command: The verb "command" isn't used in English to describe the act of requesting food. "Command" is generally reserved for expressing imperative wishes (from a person of high authority), for example: I command you to attack that squadron of Danish Dragoons.
1 demand: Although grammatically correct in this construction, the verb "to demand" isn't used to request food. In English, "to demand" expresses a stronger sense than "to ask" and is used to formally and urgently request something, generally in official context.
2 lunch: "Lunch" is generally the second meal of the day around midday.
2 dinner: "Dinner" is generally the last meal of the day, eaten sometime in the evening.
2 breakfast: "Breakfast" is generally the first meal of the day, eaten in the morning.
3 starter: "A starter" refers to an "appetizer" or "entrée" (in American English): a small, light dish served before the "main course", or principal dish.
3 beginner: As a noun, a "beginner" generally refers to a "novice" or "amateur". For example: Although he is just a beginner, he has shown a real aptitude for the language. The term is not used to describe a meal.
3 main course: The "main course" of a meal is the principal or biggest portion of it. It doesn't make sense for you to start with a "main course"!
3 first dish: This is a very literal description of a course, not used when ordering food at a restaurant!
4 bowl: "Soup" is traditionally eaten from a "bowl", a circular vessel, ideal for holding liquids.
4 plate: "Plates" are flat, and don't provide the depth necessary to contain a significant amount of fluid.
4 glass: "Glasses" do provide the depth necessary to contain a liquid, however "soup" is traditionally eaten from a bowl, whereas "glasses" typically house such liquids as juice, water and wine.
5 have: When ordering food, the verb "to have" is often used in place of the verb "to take". In fact in this construction, using "have" is the only grammatically correct answer!
5 take: "What will you take for dessert?" is very unnatural in English, and shouldn't be said. In this construction, and when ordering food in general, the verb "to have" is often used in place of "to take".
6 the main course: The main course of a meal is the principal or biggest portion of it. It makes sense for you to order a "main course" after the starter. Furthermore, your description of a cheeseburger fits under the category of a "main course"!
6 next: "What will you have for next?" doesn't make any sense, and shouldn't be said in English. A better way to rephrase this question: What will you have next? Note that "next" should never directly follow the preposition "for".
6 the principal plate: This is a very literal description of a course, not used when ordering food at a restaurant!
6 the big dish: This is a very literal description of a course, not used when ordering food at a restaurant!
7 on the side: When ordering food, to specify that something should be served "away from" or "adjacent to" another portion of food, we use the expression "on the side". In this dialogue, you are specifying that the French Fries should be served "on the side" of the plate, away from the cheeseburger. Note that the expression "on the side" can also be used in a different context to describe a secondary activity, for example: I am a doctor, but also a yoga instructor on the side.
7 aside: The term "aside" can express a similar meaning as the expression "on the side", however not in the context of ordering a meal. Although "aside" can describe a position "adjacent to" or "next to" an object, it shouldn't be used in this context.
7 sideways: The term "sideways" (both adjective and adverb) describes a position "at an angle" or "towards one side". The term cannot describe the placement of a portion of food on a plate.
7 outside: The term "outside" describes a position "towards the exterior" or "on the exterior" (of a location). It cannot be used to describe the placement of a portion of food on a plate in this context.
8 dessert: "Dessert" describes the last course of a meal, which generally includes sweet items such as fruit, chocolate, cake, cookies, etc. Note that in British English, dessert is often called "pudding". In the wise words of an obese and sardonic feline named Garfield, "life is short, eat dessert first".
8 desert: "Desert" with one "s" describes a hot, arid landscape without much precipitation, often full of sand and cacti. The Sahara, Mojave, Gobi and the Sonora are all famous deserts. There is an idiom I was once taught to remember which "desert" is which: You always want two "desserts" in the "desert", meaning that "dessert" (the food) takes two "esses"!
8 Sugar Plum Fairies: Good guess, but no. Sugar Plum Fairies are sprite-like creatures featured in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. There is also an obscure reference to Sugar Plum Fairies in the Beatles melancholy classic "A Day in the Life".
9 on a diet: "To be on a diet" describes a regimen designed to lose weight. The preposition "on" is used to form this expression.
9 in a diet: The preposition "on" is used to form this expression, not "in"!
9 doing a diet: This construction isn't formed with the verb "to do", but with the verb "to be"!
9 making a diet: This construction isn't formed with the verb "to make", but with the verb "to be"!
Exercise 3
Imagine that you had a meal in the Delavigne canteen on Wednesday. Later, you tell a friend about the experience! Complete the sentences below with the most appropriate terms!
Friend: So, how was your lunch?
You: Horrible! I chose the carrot surprise as a . The "surprise" was a black hair. Then for my , I had the liver and onions. I think it was made with human livers. After that, I had no desire to try a !
Friend: Oh dear. Do you want some of my sandwich?
Friend: So, how was your lunch?
You: Horrible! I chose the carrot surprise as a . The "surprise" was a black hair. Then for my , I had the liver and onions. I think it was made with human livers. After that, I had no desire to try a !
Friend: Oh dear. Do you want some of my sandwich?
Imagine that you had a meal in the Delavigne canteen on Wednesday. Later, you tell a friend about the experience! Complete the sentences below with the most appropriate terms!
Friend: So, how was your lunch?
You: Horrible! I chose the carrot surprise as a starter 1. The "surprise" was a black hair. Then for my main course 2, I had the liver and onions. I think it was made with human livers. After that, I had no desire to try a dessert 3!
Friend: Oh dear. Do you want some of my sandwich?
Friend: So, how was your lunch?
You: Horrible! I chose the carrot surprise as a starter 1. The "surprise" was a black hair. Then for my main course 2, I had the liver and onions. I think it was made with human livers. After that, I had no desire to try a dessert 3!
Friend: Oh dear. Do you want some of my sandwich?
1 starter: "Starter" is the best answer here. The "starter" is the first course of a meal, used to prepare your taste-buds for the courses to come, and to stop very hungry people from eating the people sitting next to them. Example: "This restaurant offers over 20 different starters!".
1 before: The term "before" refers to a period of time, not a course during a meal. It does not make sense here.
1 beginner: A "beginner" is someone who is new to something, such as someone who has recently started to play a certain sport. This does not make sense here.
1 entry: "Entry" shares a similar meaning with "entrance" or refers to the act of entering a building. This does not make sense here.
2 main course: "Main course" is the right answer. The "main course" of a meal contains the largest quantity of food, and it's usually the focus of the meal. Example: "The starter was so big, that I couldn't eat all of the main course!".
2 high course: This term does not make sense here.
2 big course: Although the "main course" of a meal is usually the biggest, this term does not make sense here.
2 principal course: Although the "main course" of a meal is usually the focus, this term does not make sense here.
3 dessert: "Dessert" is the best choice here. "Dessert" is also called "pudding" in the UK. It refers to the sweet course which comes at the end of a meal. Example: "Raspberry sorbet is my favourite dessert". Be careful not to confuse this term with "desert", which is a dry, sandy patch of the earth!
3 after table: This does not make sense here.
3 last plate: The "last plate" is the only flat china item left in the cupboard. This does not make sense here.
3 finals: "Finals" refers to the set of exams taken at the end of one's university career. This does not make sense here.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks with terms from the conversation!
Jean asks Hannah for "seasoning" that will add flavor to his course (the principal dish before dessert).
Hannah gives Jean the following seasonings:
- A white powder that comes from the sea called .
- A spicy brown, grey or black powder called .
- A hot, yellow sauce called .
Jean uses one phrase to ask Hannah for these items. What is it?
the X, please? (4 words)
Jean asks Hannah for "seasoning" that will add flavor to his course (the principal dish before dessert).
Hannah gives Jean the following seasonings:
- A white powder that comes from the sea called .
- A spicy brown, grey or black powder called .
- A hot, yellow sauce called .
Jean uses one phrase to ask Hannah for these items. What is it?
the X, please? (4 words)
Fill in the blanks with terms from the conversation!
Jean asks Hannah for "seasoning" that will add flavor to his [not done] main 1 course (the principal dish before dessert).
Hannah gives Jean the following seasonings:
- A white powder that comes from the sea called [not done] salt 2.
- A spicy brown, grey or black powder called [not done] pepper 3.
- A hot, yellow sauce called [not done] mustard 4.
Jean uses one phrase to ask Hannah for these items. What is it?
[not done] Could you pass me 5 the X, please? (4 words)
Jean asks Hannah for "seasoning" that will add flavor to his [not done] main 1 course (the principal dish before dessert).
Hannah gives Jean the following seasonings:
- A white powder that comes from the sea called [not done] salt 2.
- A spicy brown, grey or black powder called [not done] pepper 3.
- A hot, yellow sauce called [not done] mustard 4.
Jean uses one phrase to ask Hannah for these items. What is it?
[not done] Could you pass me 5 the X, please? (4 words)
1 main: In a three course meal, the main course would be the second dish. Fish and chips, steak with green beans, pizza, stew, lasagna, and stuffed vegetables are all examples of main courses. In general, the term "main" means the largest in terms of size or importance. Example: The MAIN reason I didn't invite you to my party is that you slept with my wife.
2 salt: "Salt" comes from the sea and is used in cooking to add flavor to food. Example: I think McDoodles puts too much SALT on its fries. Tip: Don't use too much salt: it's bad for your heart!
3 pepper: "Pepper" and "salt" are the most commonly used condiments and can usually be found on the table in most restaurants. Example: Don't put too much PEPPER on your food or you'll ah... ah... ah... AHCHOO! Sneeze!
4 mustard: Mustard is a condiment made from mustard seeds. It has a very strong and distinctive flavor. It is often used in salad dressings.
5 Could you pass me: "Could you pass me the (salad/bread/wine/vodka/gun)" is the standard phrase for asking someone to pass you an item at the dinner table. It is short and polite - a bit like Jean!
Exercise 5
When you eat dinner at a typical restaurant in the United States:
The first course is called .
The second course is called .
The first course is called .
The second course is called .
When you eat dinner at a typical restaurant in the United States:
The first course is called the appetizer 1.
The second course is called the main dish 2.
The first course is called the appetizer 1.
The second course is called the main dish 2.
1 the appetizer: In the United States, the most common term for the first course is "the appetizer". Other terms include "hors d'oeuvre" or "starter" (UK). Note that the term "entrée" can be used in a very expensive restaurant to indicate the appetizer. However the French term "entrée" is used in American English most commonly to indicate the main course, strangely!
1 the entrée: In the United States, the term "entrée" generally refers to the second, or main course of a meal, not the first course. The only exception to this is in very expensive restaurants.
1 the main dish: In the United States the "main dish" is the second course of the meal, not the first. Note that in the United States, the "main dish" is often called the "entrée".
1 the snack: A "snack" is a small meal usually eaten between the main meals of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Example: I usually eat a little snack around five o'clock because I'm too hungry to wait for dinner.
2 the main dish: In the United States, the most common term for the second course is "the main dish". Other terms include "main course" or "entrée". Note that in a very expensive restaurant, an "entrée" may refer to the first course, not the main dish!
2 the appetizer: In the United States, the "appetizer" is the first course, not the second course.
2 the mid-course: The term "mid-course" describes the middle of an action. Example: The rocket was in mid-course when it fired its auxiliary boosters. "Mid-course" is not related to dining and is never used to describe the second course of a meal.
2 the principal plate: Although a native speaker might understand what you are saying, the term "principal plate" is not used when talking about the main course of a meal.
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