English Conversation --On the Breakfast Table

Tutorial TWO

AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE

The mother, Neera Verma has the breakfast ready to serve to her family.

Mother Come along everybody. Breakfast is on the table.

Reena Mamma, I’ll lay the table.

Ranjan I’ll bring in and serve the breakfast dishes afterwords?

Mother Yes, that will be a big help. Thank you.

Father Well, well. What do we have for breakfast this morning?

Reena To begin with, there is porridge with milk.

Mother I’ve made scrambled eggs for all of us. Papa is having his eggs fried.

Ranjan Vikram, would you like some butter for your toast?

Vikram Yes please. And lots of jam as well.

Mother That is a pretty flower arrangement you’ve made, Reena.

Father Please pass me the salt and the pepper , Ranjan. Thank you.

Vikram Yummy, scrummy! The toast is delicious.

Reena Be careful. Do not spill your food on the table cloth, Viki.

Vikram Why does papa always sit at the head of the table?

Ranjan Because papa is the head of the family so that is his place.

Reena And mammy sits at the other end of the table.

Vikram Mammy, What’s for lunch today?

Mother I am planning to make a meat curry, dal fried rice and some salad

Vikram What about a pudding?

Mother I’ have already set the ice cream in the fridge.

Father When you finish your meal be sure to fold your napkins.

Ranjan Vikram, lay your fork and knife straight on your plate.

Vikram I hate to drink milk.

Reena But you have to drink it. Let me add some Bournvita to your milk, then it will taste better.

Mother Who will give me a hand with clearing the table?

Everyone We all will.

Mother Mind, no one drops the china dishes. Please place all the plates near the sink.

Reena I’ll rinse out and wipe the cutlery.

Ranjan I’ll dry out the plates and the glass tumblers.

Father And I’ll put them away in the crockery in the cupboard

(B) Vocabulary

Meal tough chew

Salad raw hungry

Spoon vegetable thirsty

Glass pie sweet

Phrases

A hearty meal good appetite

Welcome guests pleasant meal

Vase of flowers clear the table

Shining cutlery delicious food

Meanings

Scrambled eggs eggs prepared with onions tomatoes, chillies all mixed together.
“Bhurji”

Clearing the tables removing all the knives, forks and other items from the dining
table.

Flower arrangement a bowl of flowers artistically arranged.

Delicious tasty.

Salad a dish made up of uncooked vegetables.

(C) Study the following responses:

1 Describe your dining room suite.

Response We have a dining table with eight dining chairs.

2 Which is your favorite meal?

Response My favorite meal is dinner. I can relax and eat my dinner in peace without hurrying to catch a bus or to attend a meeting.

3 Do you think that the whole of the Verma family eat their breakfast together everyday?

Response No. It seems that the break fast scene described in the lesson was a Sunday or on a holiday. It is unlikely that on working days the entire family would be eating breakfast at the same time.

4 Why do you think the Verma family eat breakfast at different times and not together?

Response I think that considering the age difference between the family members, they would be going to school or to work at different hours of the morning. The little boy Vikram would be leaving for school very early in the morning and his father would be going to office later.

(D) Make suitable responses

1 Why should Vikram lay his fork and knife straight on his plate after finishing his meal?

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2 When you have finished eating your meal is it polite for you to leave the table immediately?

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3 What do you understand by the expression “to lay the table”?

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4 What did Vikram eat for his breakfast?

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