Veggie Thursdays and vegan surprises! How Ghent became a plant-based paradise
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EN: Use the passive pattern 'be called + name' to say what someone or something's name or title is.
This special cake is called mooncake.
EN: In 2009, the city of Ghent officially launched 'Donderdag Veggiedag' (Thursday Veggie Day), encouraging citizens, schools, and city officials to eat vegetarian food one day a week to reduce carbon emissions and promote healthy living.
EN: Use 'eat no + noun' to express a complete negative in an affirmative sentence structure. It has the same meaning as 'do not eat any + noun'.
He drinks no coffee in the evening.
EN: In Ghent, Belgium, the city officially designated Thursday as 'Veggie Day' (Donderdag Veggiedag) in 2009 to encourage sustainable, healthy eating habits and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
EN: We use the past simple tense (started, joined) to talk about actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past (in 2009). 'And' connects two complete sentences.
We moved to this town in 2018, and our neighbors welcomed us.
EN: Ghent became famous internationally in 2009 for being one of the first Western cities to officially endorse a weekly vegetarian day ('Donderdag Veggiedag'). It was launched by local authorities to combat climate change, improve health, and promote animal welfare, with city-run schools serving meat-free lunches on Thursdays.
EN: Use 'for lunch / for breakfast / for dinner' to express what someone eats during a specific meal.
I usually have eggs and toast for breakfast.
EN: Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas or fava beans. It has become a very popular vegetarian protein choice in European schools and street food culture.
EN: Use 'so' to connect a cause/reason to its result. The pattern is: [Reason], so [Result].
It is raining outside, so we stay at home.
EN: The word 'flexitarian' is a blend of 'flexible' and 'vegetarian'. It describes someone who mainly eats a vegetarian or plant-based diet, but occasionally eats meat or fish.
EN: We use the auxiliary verb 'did' to avoid repeating a previously mentioned past action (in this case, 'said this').
Tom didn't finish his homework, but Emma did.
EN: In English news reporting, contrasting historical percentages with current figures using 'did' is a concise way to highlight dramatic shifts in public behavior or social trends.
EN: We use the preposition 'about' after the verb 'talk' (talk about + noun) to show the topic being discussed.
He talks about his new school every day.
EN: ProVeg is an international food awareness organization that works with cities, schools, and governments to encourage plant-based eating and reduce meat consumption.
EN: We use the past tense phrase 'ask for' to express requesting or demanding something. Both 'asked' and 'listened' are regular simple past tense verbs formed by adding '-ed'.
The students asked for more time, and the teacher agreed.
EN: In democratic European cities like Ghent, public initiatives often succeed through grassroots activism where citizens actively lobby municipal leaders to adopt sustainable or progressive food policies.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
to request something or state that one wants something to happen
food made mostly or entirely from plant sources rather than animals
to pay attention to someone's opinions or requests and take them seriously