Big knives & forks for eating dinner, smaller knife for buttering bread, smaller forks for dessert along with spooons was what I was taught as a kid. So the table setting would be big knife/fork at each side of the big plate, with the smaller knife next to the big knife on the outside OR resting on the side plate, and the smaller fork & spoon at the top of the big plate space. Soup spoon goes outside the big knife as it will be used first. Gets more complicated if there’s going to be a fish course, so the fish knife & fork (which have a special shape) go inside the big knife & fork on each side of the plate. Basically you work from the outside in, except for the bread buttering knife and the dessert fork/spoon. You can put the dessert fork/spoon inside the fish knife/fork if you prefer and have enough tableroom. Note, the bread buttering smaller knife should NOT be serrated as you don’t cut anything with it. The big knife can be if you like that style.
Big knives & forks for eating dinner, smaller knife for buttering bread, smaller forks for dessert along with spooons was what I was taught as a kid. So the table setting would be big knife/fork at each side of the big plate, with the smaller knife next to the big knife on the outside OR resting on the side plate, and the smaller fork & spoon at the top of the big plate space. Soup spoon goes outside the big knife as it will be used first. Gets more complicated if there’s going to be a fish course, so the fish knife & fork (which have a special shape) go inside the big knife & fork on each side of the plate. Basically you work from the outside in, except for the bread buttering knife and the dessert fork/spoon. You can put the dessert fork/spoon inside the fish knife/fork if you prefer and have enough tableroom. Note, the bread buttering smaller knife should NOT be serrated as you don’t cut anything with it. The big knife can be if you like that style.