What a Feast! (J9B)
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: This sentence uses an exclamatory structure starting with 'What' to express strong feelings of admiration or surprise. The pattern is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + subject + verb!'. The subject and verb (this is) can sometimes be omitted in casual speech.
What a beautiful day it is!
EN: The demonstrative pronoun 'this' is used as the subject of the clause 'this is' at the end of the exclamatory sentence, referring to the meal that is currently being eaten or just finished.
This is my favorite restaurant.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing enthusiastic appreciation for a meal is a common and polite way to show gratitude to the host or cook. Using exclamatory sentences like 'What a...' or 'How...' is a very natural way to convey this warmth and appreciation during or after a dinner.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions or reactions. The structure is 'How + adjective + subject + verb!'. Note that the verb comes at the very end, unlike in standard question forms.
How beautiful this flower is!
EN: The demonstrative adjective 'these' is used to point to plural nouns that are close to the speaker in distance or time. It must agree in number with the plural noun it modifies (e.g., 'these dumplings').
These books are very interesting.
EN: In many English-speaking cultures, expressing enthusiastic appreciation for food ('How tasty!', 'What a delicious meal!') is a common way to show politeness and gratitude to the host or cook. Dumplings, while originally an Asian staple, have become highly popular and widely enjoyed comfort food globally.
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or pleasure. The basic structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun (+ subject + verb)!'. In this sentence, the subject and verb (e.g., 'it is') are omitted for brevity, which is very common in spoken English.
What a beautiful day it is!
EN: The prepositional phrase 'from the kitchen' acts as an adjectival modifier, post-modifying the noun phrase 'a wonderful smell' to specify the source or origin of the smell.
The sound from the street was very loud.
EN: In Western culture, commenting on the delicious smell of food cooking in the kitchen is a common and polite way to compliment the host or cook before the meal is even served. It shows enthusiasm and appreciation for the effort put into cooking.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions or reactions. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful this flower is!
EN: The demonstrative adjective 'this' is used to point out a specific singular noun (here, 'mango cake') that is close to the speaker in time or space.
This book is very interesting.
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + (subject + verb)!'. In this sentence, 'What a colorful table' is the exclamatory phrase, followed by the subject 'we' and the verb 'have'.
What a beautiful day we have!
EN: The adjective 'colorful' is used to describe something full of bright colors or having a lot of variety. In the context of a dining table, it refers to the diverse and vibrant appearance of the dishes served.
EN: In Western culture, praising the host's food or the presentation of the dining table ('What a colorful table!') is a common and polite way to show appreciation and excitement before a meal. It reflects enthusiasm and gratitude for the effort put into the preparation.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions or surprise. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful the sunset looks tonight!
EN: The verb 'look' is a linking verb (copular verb) used to describe appearance. It is followed directly by an adjective (e.g., 'fresh') rather than an adverb, to describe the state of the subject.
The soup smells delicious.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing enthusiastic appreciation for food and ingredients (like fresh fruit or home-cooked meals) is a common way to show gratitude to the host or cook, and to build a warm, positive atmosphere during gatherings.
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + subject + verb!'. The subject and verb at the end are optional and often omitted in casual speech.
What a beautiful song she sang!
EN: The present perfect tense ('has/have + past participle') is used here to describe an action that was completed in the recent past, but has a strong connection or result in the present (the delicious feast is now ready on the table).
Look at the mess you have made!
EN: In many cultures, especially in Chinese and Western family traditions, grandmothers are often associated with preparing large, comforting, and delicious meals for family gatherings. Expressing enthusiastic appreciation for the cook's effort is considered polite and warm.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions or surprise. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Note that the subject and verb are not inverted as they would be in a question.
How beautiful the sunset is!
EN: Compound adjectives or multiple adjectives linked by 'and' (e.g., 'soft and warm') can modify a noun or function as a subject complement to describe the subject in detail.
The coffee is sweet and hot.
EN: In Western food culture, freshly baked bread is a symbol of warmth, comfort, and hospitality. Describing bread as 'soft and warm' often evokes a cozy, home-cooked meal atmosphere, reflecting appreciation for the host's preparation.
EN: This sentence uses the exclamatory structure 'What a/an + adjective + singular countable noun!' to express strong feelings of admiration or appreciation. The subject and verb (e.g., 'it is') are omitted at the end because they are understood from the context.
What a beautiful day!
EN: The prepositional phrase 'with friends' acts as an adjective phrase modifying the noun 'dinner', specifying who the dinner was shared with.
I had a long talk with colleagues.
EN: In Western culture, sharing a 'lovely dinner with friends' is a highly valued social ritual. It emphasizes warmth, hospitality, and the joy of connection over a shared meal, often accompanied by lively conversation rather than just eating.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'How' is followed by the adverb 'quickly' to emphasize the speed of the action.
How beautifully she sings!
EN: The past simple tense is used here ('disappeared') to describe a completed action in the past. In exclamatory sentences describing a specific past event, the verb must agree with the time of the occurrence.
How fast the weekend passed!
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'What' are used to express strong feelings or admiration. The structure is 'What + (adjective) + plural noun / uncountable noun + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'cooks' is a plural noun, so 'What' is used without an article.
What beautiful flowers you have in your garden!
EN: The adverb 'here' is used after a noun phrase or at the end of a clause to refer to the current location or group, adding a sense of immediacy and warmth to the statement.
We have some great options here.
EN: In Western culture, it is very common and highly appreciated to enthusiastically praise the host or the people who prepared the meal. Using exclamatory sentences like 'What a...' or 'How...' is a warm, informal way to show gratitude and make the hosts feel valued.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, excitement, or gratitude. The structure is 'How + adjective + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'How lucky' is followed by the subject 'we' and the verb 'are'.
How beautiful this view is!
EN: The infinitive phrase 'to share this' acts as an adverbial modifier (specifically, an adjective complement) explaining the reason or cause for feeling 'lucky'. The structure is 'adjective + to-infinitive'.
We are happy to meet you.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing gratitude and appreciation for shared meals and family gatherings is highly valued. Using exclamatory sentences like 'How lucky we are...' is a common and warm way to show sincere appreciation to the host or family members during a dinner.
EN: The Simple Past Tense is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. In this sentence, the verb 'held' is the past tense form of the irregular verb 'hold'.
They held a beautiful wedding ceremony last month.
EN: Adverbials of Time and Place: In English, time expressions like 'last night' can be placed at the very beginning or the end of a sentence for emphasis. Location modifiers like 'at home' usually appear after the main action (verb + object).
Yesterday morning we played basketball at the park.
EN: The concept of a 'food festival at home' reflects a warm, family-centric Western tradition of hosting large, informal gatherings where family members cook and share various dishes together, creating a festive and joyful atmosphere similar to a public festival but in a private, cozy setting.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'What a/an' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is: 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun (+ subject + verb)!'. In this sentence, 'What a feast' is the exclamatory focus, and 'it turned out to be' is the subject and verb clause.
What a beautiful day it turned out to be!
EN: The phrasal verb 'turn out to be' means to be discovered to be something, or to have a particular result, especially an unexpected one. It is often followed by a noun phrase or an adjective.
The rumor turned out to be true.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful the sunset looks tonight!
EN: Linking verbs (or copular verbs) like 'smell', 'look', 'taste', and 'feel' are followed by adjectives (not adverbs) to describe the subject's state or quality.
The freshly baked bread smells delicious.
EN: Dumplings (jiaozi) are a highly significant traditional food in Chinese culture, especially during festivals like the Lunar New Year. The phrase 'steaming dumplings' evokes a warm, cozy family atmosphere, symbolizing wealth (as they are shaped like ancient gold ingots) and family reunion.
EN: The coordinating conjunction 'and' is used to connect two independent clauses: 'My mom made a soup' and the exclamatory clause 'what a rich taste it had!'. This structure helps to link actions with immediate reactions or feelings.
He played the guitar, and what a beautiful melody it was!
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'What' are used to show strong emotion. The pattern is: 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'it had' (subject + verb) is placed at the end for emphasis.
What a wonderful day we had!
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing enthusiastic appreciation for a home-cooked meal is a common and polite way to show gratitude to the host or family member who prepared the food. Using exclamatory sentences like 'What a...' is a natural way to convey this warmth.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful the sunset looks tonight!
EN: The linking verb 'look' is used to describe appearance. It is followed by an adjective (e.g., 'colorful') to describe the subject. When adding a cause or accompanying circumstance, the prepositional phrase 'with...' can be used.
The room looked cozy with the warm fireplace.
EN: The coordinating conjunction 'and' is used to connect two independent clauses: 'We tried sweet cakes' and 'what soft bread we had!'. It shows a logical addition of experiences.
We visited the museum, and what a great time we had!
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'What' are used to express strong emotion. The structure is 'What + (adjective) + uncountable/plural noun + subject + verb!'. Here, 'soft bread' is an uncountable noun phrase.
What beautiful music they played!
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'How happy' is followed by the subject 'everyone' and the linking verb 'felt'.
How beautiful the sunset looks tonight!
EN: The conjunction 'while' is used to introduce a subordinate clause showing an action happening at the same time as the main clause. When the subject of the 'while' clause is the same as the main clause, the subject and 'be' verb can be omitted, resulting in 'while + -ing' (a participle clause). Here, 'while eating together' is shortened from 'while they were eating together'.
Please be quiet while studying in the library.
EN: In many cultures, sharing a meal is a key way to build and reinforce social and family bonds. Expressing gratitude and joy during or after a meal, as seen in this exclamatory sentence, is a common way to show appreciation to the host or family members for their effort in cooking.
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + subject + verb!'. The subject and verb at the end are optional and often omitted in casual speech.
What a beautiful day it is!
EN: Using coordinate adjectives (two adjectives separated by 'and') to modify a single noun. In this sentence, 'warm' and 'noisy' both modify 'evening' to describe two different qualities of the same night.
It was a long and tiring journey.
EN: In Western culture, a 'noisy' evening spent with family or friends is often viewed positively, associated with warmth, laughter, lively conversation, and a bustling, happy household, rather than negative noise pollution.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions. The structure is 'How + adjective + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'How lucky I am' follows this pattern to emphasize the speaker's feeling of being fortunate.
How beautiful the sunset is!
EN: The infinitive phrase 'to have...' functions as an adverbial modifier of result or cause, explaining why the speaker feels 'lucky'. 'Such a/an + adjective + singular noun' is used to emphasize the quality of the noun.
I am glad to meet such a kind person.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing gratitude and appreciation for one's family is highly valued and commonly voiced, especially during family gatherings or festive occasions. Using exclamatory sentences like this warmly reinforces family bonds.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'How + adjective + subject + verb!'. Note that unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful this flower is!
EN: The demonstrative adjective 'this' is used to point out a specific singular noun ('fried rice') that is close to the speaker in terms of physical distance or time.
This soup is too salty.
EN: Fried rice is a staple comfort food in many Asian cultures, often made from leftover rice stir-fried with various ingredients. Expressing enthusiasm for home-cooked food is a common way to show appreciation to the host or family members.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or delight. The basic structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + (subject + verb)!'. In this sentence, 'What a sweet smell' is the exclamatory phrase, followed by the subject 'the cookies' and the verb 'have'.
What a beautiful voice she has!
EN: The verb 'have' is used here to indicate that the subject possesses a certain quality or characteristic (in this case, a sweet smell). While 'have' often denotes physical possession, it is also commonly used with abstract qualities, sensations, or characteristics.
The flowers have a fresh scent.
EN: In Western culture, baking cookies at home is a classic symbol of warmth, family comfort, and hospitality. The aroma of freshly baked cookies is often associated with cozy family gatherings and childhood memories.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful this flower is!
EN: The verb 'look' is a linking verb (copular verb) used to describe appearance. It is followed directly by an adjective (e.g., 'fresh') rather than an adverb, to describe the state of the subject.
The soup smells delicious!
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or excitement. The structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun + (subject + verb)!'. In this sentence, 'What a huge cake' is the exclamatory phrase, and 'Grandma baked' is the optional subject and verb clause at the end.
What a beautiful song she sang!
EN: The simple past tense (baked) is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. In this exclamatory structure, the verb 'baked' agrees with the singular subject 'Grandma'.
What a delicious dinner Grandma cooked!
EN: In English-speaking cultures, grandmothers are often associated with home-baked goods, comfort food, and family gatherings. Expressing enthusiastic appreciation for a grandmother's cooking or baking is a common way to show love and gratitude within the family.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions or surprise. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. Unlike questions, the subject comes before the verb.
How beautiful this flower is!
EN: The linking verb 'is' (a form of 'be') connects the subject 'this soup' with the adjective 'spicy' which describes it. In exclamatory sentences, this verb is placed at the very end of the sentence.
How expensive that car is!
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'What' are used to express strong feelings or emphasis. The structure is 'What + (adjective) + plural noun / uncountable noun + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'What kind friends' is the exclamatory phrase, followed by the subject 'I' and the verb 'have'.
What beautiful pictures you took!
EN: The prepositional phrase 'at this table' acts as an adverbial of place, modifying where the action or state of 'having friends' is situated. 'At' is commonly used to indicate a specific point or location, such as sitting around a dining table.
We sat at the table and enjoyed our dinner.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing gratitude and appreciation for the company of friends and family during a meal is a common and highly valued social custom. Complimenting the guests or the host at the dining table fosters a warm, communal atmosphere.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions or surprise. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'How' modifies the adverb 'fast'.
How beautifully she sings!
EN: The present continuous tense (be + verb-ing) is used here to describe an action that is happening right now, in front of the speaker's eyes. 'Are disappearing' emphasizes the ongoing process of the food being eaten quickly.
The snow is melting under the sun.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, commenting on how quickly food is disappearing is a high compliment to the host or cook. It implies that the food is so delicious that everyone is eagerly eating it, rather than implying greediness.
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What a/an + adjective + singular countable noun' are used to express strong feelings of surprise, admiration, or appreciation. The structure is followed by a subject and a verb (often 'this is' or 'it is'), which can sometimes be omitted in casual speech.
What a beautiful day it is!
EN: The demonstrative pronoun 'this' is used as the subject of the clause to refer to something close to the speaker in time or space, followed by the linking verb 'is' to identify or describe the subject.
This is my favorite book.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing enthusiastic appreciation for food (especially dessert) is a common social courtesy. Using exclamatory sentences starting with 'What a...' or 'How...' is a natural way to compliment the host or chef at the end of a meal.
EN: Exclamatory sentences starting with 'How' are used to express strong emotions. The structure is 'How + adjective/adverb + subject + verb!'. In this sentence, 'How' modifies the compound adjectives 'full and happy'.
How beautiful this sunset is!
EN: The verb 'feel' is a linking verb (copula) that connects the subject to a subject complement (an adjective describing the subject's state). Here, 'full and happy' function as the subject complements describing the subject 'I'.
She feels tired after the long walk.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing sincere appreciation and physical satisfaction after a meal (such as saying how full and happy you are) is a warm way to compliment the host or cook, showing that the food was both delicious and plentiful.
EN: Exclamatory sentences with 'What' are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, admiration, or pleasure. The basic structure is 'What + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun (+ subject + verb)!'. In informal speech, the subject and verb (e.g., 'it is') are often omitted.
What a beautiful day!
EN: The word 'together' is an adverb used to describe doing something with another person or people. In this sentence, it functions as a post-modifier, describing the 'dinner' as a shared experience.
We enjoyed a quiet lunch together.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing enthusiastic appreciation for a meal and the company of others is a common social courtesy. Using exclamatory sentences like 'What a...' is a warm, sincere way to thank the host and show that you enjoyed the gathering.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
An event featuring a variety of food, often celebrating culinary traditions
To prove to be in the end; to result in
A dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan