When in Rome do as the Romans do.
The fork should be in your left hand the tip should be down, You should always push your food away from you. When eating peas you should Push the tip down into two or three peas then push more onto the fork while holding the fork point up. Againg pushing away from you. When cutting you must hold the point down, and keep your elbows tight. Soup should be eaten by pushing the spoon away from you aswel. Never tip the bowl. If you hold the fork with your thumb and little finger with you pointing finger pointing along the fork facing down, the other two fingers as support. same with a knife but in the other hand. If at home and nobody cares for etiquette do as you feel. It comes from knights who used their daggers for cutting their meet. The fork was designed to be held point down. And forking the food. When finished both knife and fork should be left together at the right of your plate. This tells the waiter that you have finished.

Thank you yadokta for the crash course on dining etiquette. I guess it is British etiquette. I wonder if it differs from the US etiquette.

You are the first one to answer this survey. I thought no one were interested. So I just browsed through the net to find the answer and it is said that in US the normal etiquette on how to hold the fork is the opposite of what you wrote. This is the copy:

When you eat, your fork is held in your right hand, like a pencil. (For all of your lefties out there, the fork is still held in the right hand.) The tines (your prongs on the fork) face up.
• When you cut your food, switch hands. Fork goes in the left hand, knife goes in the right to cut. Using your index finger, point your fork with tines down to pierce your food.
• Switch the fork back in the right hand to eat.
• Presto! Elegant dining!
(From: Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com)

Now I'm even more confused, which one I suppose to follow?

My god this is sacrelidge!!! If your eating a desert then I would hold the fork in the right hand otherwise no way it makes you look greedy.
and always pointed down, America you have no manners, stick to eating with your hands from a king size jumbo bucket!!!
Thank you for the info.

Eatting with lots of posh people, I rescently had the oppotunity to learn more about the anal retentive sport of etiquette. I know here you would get shot for eatting this way. You only hold a fish knife in this pencil way. There are also lots more etiquette for breaking bread eating bread and so on. I have also, found you can tip a soup bowl but only away from you.
Wha kind of restuant or hotel are you eating at? how posh is it?

Glad that very rarely we eat in a classy expensive restaurant. Not because it is expensive but mainly because it is too formal for us. I almost can't swallow my food if the waiter is standing there watching us and keep coming back to ask if everything is alright. Ha...

Now and then we are invited by certain friends who always eat in a proper way (formal dinner). I watch the way many people eat here in Australia. Some hold their fork with the prongs facing down and some up. That was why I had this survey.... Sadly you are the only person who are interested in it. Actually it is important to know these things, especially for those who frequently attend corporate fuctions etc....

Do you know one thing that I can't stand and will never do it my self? Licking fingers while eating. I think it is gross and very unhygienic. Also for example, many people when they are cutting a cake and have a bit of icing on their fingers and then lick it.... Oh yuck!!!!

Yes, holding the fork differs greatly in the U.S. Here it is generally held tip up, in the right hand. It is held tip down and in the left hand only when used to cut food.

Well perhaps yadokta is right: When in Rome do as the Romans do. So if one day I go to China I have to use chopsticks...Eventhough I have Asian background, I never can eat with them :(