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Dinner Parties
Dinner Parties

Learn English with this dinner parties English lesson

Date: Nov 23 2018

Themes: Food, Friend, Party

Grammar: Direct vs. Reported Speech

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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You’ve invited the right number of people. You know exactly what you’re going to cook. You’ve chosen the music you want to play, and you’ve even decided where each person will sit. It’s going to be the perfect dinner party. Hosting is so much fun!

If you don’t want to plan and cook everything, you can always host a potluck. Potlucks are good for people with dietary restrictions because they can bring foods that fit their needs. But for people who enjoy being the host, a vegetarian or vegan guest just adds to the challenge of getting everything right.

In this English lesson, find out who likes hosting and who would rather not when Marni and Lily talk about dinner parties.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Lily

Lily

Marni:  Lily, I received my invitation in the mail to your dinner party.

Lily:  Oh, great! I’m so glad it found you in time. I’m so excited. It’s such a special occasion!

Marni:  I am just so impressed that you actually enjoy hosting them because I think it’s such a hassle.

Lily:  I love seeing the group dynamics of the different people that you get together. And the pride that you feel when you bring out that main course and everyone goes, “Wow. You made that? That’s awesome!”

Marni:  For me, it’s just, if I have to host a dinner party, all the thought you have to put into it… Don’t get me wrong, I love a potluck. I plan on bringing my Grandma Sally’s famous triple layer coconut cake. I can only handle making one thing.

Lily:  Do you have any dietary restrictions? Are you vegan or vegetarian or anything?

Marni:  Oh, my goodness, yes. I’m vegan, I’m lactose intolerant. No gluten. So, please take all that into consideration.

Lily:  OK. I’m taking notes, so I’ve got it down.

Marni:  Thank you.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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It’s obvious that Lily’s excited to host her upcoming dinner party. She tells Marni that she enjoys watching different people talk with each other, and Lily likes it when her cooking is appreciated by her friends. It doesn’t even worry her that Marni has a lot of dietary restrictions. Lily’s going to do what she needs to so that her dinner party’s a success.

Marni enjoys a good dinner party like everyone else, but she would rather not be the host. Hosting feels like too much of a hassle to her. It’s a lot of work, especially when it comes to cooking. Marni is happy to cook one thing, but not everything.

How do you feel about hosting parties for your friends? Is it worth the hard work, or is it better to be a guest?

 

Comments

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emma_cookie

China

I prefer potluck too. Being the host is abit hassle for me hihi

06:16 AM Jul 28 2014 |

Emily4

Emily4

China

I’d rather to be a guest.Dinner parties are awesome for those who enjoy group dynamics.While the hassle is that we all want to have a comfortable journey from the very beginning to the end.Doing cleaning is such a big deal to me.You can imagine that you host a big party inviting many people and get lots of hard work after the get-together.Moreover,when you are a host,you should take many thing into consideration,such as dietary restrictions,vegan,ect.No one can be perfect.

05:31 AM Jul 28 2014 |

DanielBorges

Portugal

I like hosting parties and in general my friends consider me a good host! Sometimes when i try to innovate and make a new dish, or try to introduce a new idea to catch off guard my friends, i screw up and i realize that the time spent on cooking or planning the idea didn’t worth the time. But must often is gratifying host a party!
Potlucks are perfect to simplify things, which is important to the host and to the guests. It can allow people to feel more comfortable, especially shy friends. And leads to a general feeling of involvement.

I like both, to be a guest or a host. It depends on the mood or the time available that i got. 


07:54 PM Sep 29 2013 |

kenlin16

kenlin16

Taiwan

I’d rather be a guest than a host. To host a part is a bit too much for me.Not only I have to watch what everyone want to eat but also keep clean of the house. People have no trouble bringing their food to the party but most of time , they have trouble keeping the house clean. They are more likely leave you a plenty of plates , scattered garbage and drips of coffee , beer, or coke stain to be washed. And to clean all these mess  costs time, money and effort. So I’d rather be a gust.

06:32 PM Sep 15 2013 |

arly88

arly88

Cameroon

i prefer both sides because i’ve already stand them; hosting party is good because you have the feeling that you’re doing something, not for you, but for your fellows, the hassle here is when it’s time to put things away and clean up all the after party’mess. i hate that, because of tiredness.however it’s always a pleasure to be a guest, unless one have dietary restrictions; to satisfy  everyone, the potluck is the best option..

05:56 PM Sep 15 2013 |

Annisa

Annisa

Indonesia

sometimes Hosting dinner party is so great. at first I felt it’s hassle when we must prepare many things. I often suggested my parents to order food, it seems simpler than cooking, but When my parents invite their friends or our relatives for dinner I learn many things such cooking in better technique, management time,good planning, so on. then I start enjoying this event. Meeting our relative, friends and new people is also exciting .If I see their enjoyment and satisfaction, I will be happier. 

12:24 AM Sep 15 2013 |

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

I like guests. I always invite the guests to my house with great pleasure. I like cooking and may be so, hosting isn’t hassle for me. Also I like tiding-up and so the further cleaning isn’t problem for me and I do it quickly and easily.
I know not few people who don’t like hosting and prefer to go to the quests themselves, because if they are waiting for the quests to their houses, as usually, they feel a big discomfort. The differents causes can explain it. First of all, those people may be nervouse and worry for the success or unsuccess of the party. Secondly, they can not like cooking and prefer to meet with their friends in the restaurants, but not at home.

05:33 PM Sep 14 2013 |

keyamycath

keyamycath

China

what i hate the most is after the Dinner Parties,who takes the duty to do the clean-up,is really a big problem.

04:17 PM Sep 14 2013 |

1 person likes this

Jhon Smith

Jhon Smith

Myanmar

well , it is not very coommon in Myanmar .. but coming from Chin state where i was born .. we do a lot of hosting where the host family kills one or two of their cows and pigs as well and cook them well and serve the guests … sometimes , we have had some guests not invited and the party went wild and peole talked about their drama problem as they got drunk and all that … we are very tired and the pride that we feel so as to host others and feed them well …

03:53 PM Sep 14 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I agree with Lily, hosting  parties might be a hassle  for some people  but the reward of  seeing your guests  happy, entertained and  enjoying the food  and delicacies  that  are on the table  make up  for all the work  put  to organize a dinner party for your family and friends..I don´t host but i have been invited  to dinners many times and I could watched how the hostess  went all the way to attend  the guests ,to make them feel  happy and well fed . Potluck is OK, helps to  reduce the cost  of food and drinks involved, and also the attendees  may want to show how well they cook  and be flattered by the hostess  and guests.   lol…..

11:26 AM Sep 14 2013 |

blocky_2013

China

most people dont eat dinner here, i dont even know why ^^

10:27 AM Sep 14 2013 |

oroba

oroba

Yemen

For Me ,I don’t prefer to be a host  .you can’t satisfied all people 


08:09 AM Sep 14 2013 |

yousefkohpeyma

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Having gotten used to it,it makes no difference for me whether I’m a host or a guest,but mainly I would like to attend dinner parties in which my friends and relatives are present as well,since in any respect I do feel free more.However, hosting a party is a little bit hard,I like it,aside from other guests I do my best to invite those friends of mine who I haven’t seen them for a long time either.What is more,I find it interesting to see some people are vegetarian, some people are omnivorous and so on!.

08:05 AM Sep 14 2013 |

1 person likes this

Nijar

Nijar

Egypt

It’s not the big deal for my family to be the host or the guest, they can deal all people’s appetite,and for me it is a massive fun if my friends’ families are the guests, that way I can spend lovely time with my dears.


For mom,  tea parties are the best where she can collect nice number of her Does,have a freely women talk  without men and kids attend:(


Potluck party, potluck party which is not our culture, if we are in a foreign country it’s okay, nevertheless rarely when we do ‘culture’. For me I attend these parties once per a year in my school, really amazing when you look around and find all the administration here among you , your friends and mates, holding love , deliciousness dishes and desserts in their hands, and far call; hey Rajin, did you bring ‘Chocolate, Quince, Almond Tart’ with you?:)  

11:06 PM Sep 13 2013 |

taauiza

taauiza

Jordan

ohhhhhhh 



My mother likes hosting , but i don’t 



but we did alot of concerts with a buffet having delicious meals in birthdays 



but it is tiring thing ,so you need more than one day to prepare every thing


yara>>


10:25 PM Sep 13 2013 |

1 person likes this

you-_-minw

you-_-minw

Yemen

hi 

08:21 PM Sep 13 2013 |

1 person likes this

Drmahsa1995

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i think its better to be a guest ;)... but hosting  for ur friends can also be enjoyable in an other hand it takes so much effort !

06:08 PM Sep 13 2013 |

mitya09

Russian Federation

I liked idea of potluck. Every can bring food and dringks, which he respects without any doubts. And it’s true, we have often met together not for feeding)

05:08 PM Sep 13 2013 |

salmasalima

Morocco

i enjoy hosting parties for my friends ,feed them special meals and having fun at the same time

04:21 PM Sep 13 2013 |

1 person likes this

Seiyf_khawas

Turkey

ı like dinner parties with relatives,friends,neighbors…it doesnt matter to be host or guest ..of course ,to be host in parties is harder than to be guest..you have to prepare somethings,meals in advance..but it worths :)

10:34 AM Sep 13 2013 |

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