What are you eating?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Winwin2011

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Hong Kong
Current Location
Hong Kong
When a student saw his friend was having lunch. The student asked'What are you eating?'.
A teacher said " it's unnatural to say "What are you eating?' Usually we say "What are you having?'

I heard a native English Mom said to her kid 'Eat the dinner'.In what circurmstances do we use 'eat'? Can anyone give me some examples?

Thank you.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
When a student saw his friend was having lunch, the student asked'What are you eating?'
A teacher said "It's unnatural to say "What are you eating?' Usually we say "What are you having?' "

I heard a native English Mom say to her kid 'Eat the dinner'. In what circumstances do we use 'eat'? Can anyone give me some examples?

Thank you.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with "What are you eating?" In fact, I almost prefer it to "What are you having?" (which is also fine).

However, "Eat the dinner" sounds unnatural. Are you sure she didn't say "Eat your dinner"?

We use "to eat" in many different ways. Here are just a few random examples:

I was eating lunch when my house fell down.
What do you want to eat tonight?
Where are we eating on Saturday evening?
I don't eat peas.
Eat up before it gets cold.
The guilt is eating me alive. (Metaphorical use)
I haven't eaten for days.
He died from eating bad mussels.
 
Last edited:

JohnParis

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Member Type
Retired Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
France
"What are you having for lunch?" is very proper, formal and quite correct.

The thing is, if you were to go to any college canteen you'd hear the students say "what are you eating?"

"Having" is proper and that is what I would choose to say. "..eating" is contemporary, casual, and what you'll probably hear most spoken by younger by native speakers.

John
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
You still have SO FAR to go to catch up to us in the typo department, so don't be embarrassed, you here?

(Yes, that one was intentional!)
 

Ouisch

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
When a student saw his friend was having lunch. The student asked'What are you eating?'.
A teacher said " it's unnatural to say "What are you eating?' Usually we say "What are you having?'

Thank you.

Usually in AmE, we would ask "what are you having?" when inquiring about a person's lunch menu. For example, if I walked past a student in the cafeteria as he was removing his food from his lunch box I might ask "What are you having for lunch today?" If I encountered a fellow student eating something that looked (or smelled) strange or unusual to me, I might ask him (somewhat incredulously) "What are you eating?" Then he would reply "Sardines and hot mustard on rye bread. Delicious. You should try it some time."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top