Setting the table is one of the most useful jobs you can do at home, and the pattern is the same in nearly every American home and restaurant. Once you learn it, you will never have to wonder where the fork goes.
Key idea
Fork on the left. Knife on the right, with the blade facing the plate. Spoon to the right of the knife. Glass above the knife. Napkin on the left, beside the fork (or under it).
Why it works
The pattern follows the hands. Most people cut with the right hand, so the knife sits on the right; the fork is picked up with the left. The blade faces the plate so nobody reaches past a sharp edge. And because everyone sets the table the same way, guests always know which glass is theirs: the one on their right.
Worked example: Setting one place
Ruby is setting the table for spaghetti. Each person gets a plate, a fork, a knife, a spoon, a glass and a napkin. Where does each go?
- Plate in the middle, in front of the chair.
- Fork on the left; the folded napkin to the left of the fork.
- Knife on the right, blade toward the plate; spoon to the right of the knife.
- Glass above the tip of the knife.
Answer: Napkin, fork, plate, knife (blade in), spoon, with the glass above the knife.
Worked example: A memory trick
Leo can never remember which side the fork goes on. What trick can help?
- Count the letters: “fork” and “left” both have four.
- “Knife,” “spoon” and “right” all have five.
- So the fork goes left; the knife and spoon go right.
Answer: Fork and left have four letters; knife, spoon and right have five.
Common mistake
Putting the fork and knife on the same side, or turning the knife blade outward. Check with the letter trick, and look at the knife: the sharp edge should point at the plate.
Setting for more courses? Utensils go in the order you will use them, from the outside in, and a bread plate goes at the upper left. That is the next step, in the Teens and Adults course.