English, baby!

Chores

Date: Oct 15 2010

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives

Go Super!

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen

vacuum
maid

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

Go Super to Listen

It isn’t fun living in a pigsty. But doing chores isn’t much fun either. Unfortunately, there are certain chores, like taking out the trash, that you just can’t ignore forever.

Some people don’t mind doing chores. Simple, repetitive work like folding laundry or washing the dishes can even be surprisingly relaxing. But most of us have that one chore that is our pet peeve, the one task we just hate to do. Hear about Amy and Ella’s favorite and least favorite chores.

Dialog

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

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

Amy

Ella

Amy: So, I may be moving into a new house soon.

Ella: Oh? Yes. That sounds good. Are you going to get a maid?

Amy: No. But I wish that I were going to get a maid, because it’s so nice when you move into a new house and everything is so clean and perfect, and I wish that I were the kind of person who’d always stay on top of my chores and always took out the trash on time and mopped every other day and, you know, vacuumed all the time. But I just…I don’t like doing chores.

Ella: I mean, there are some I like to do. I like putting my laundry in the washer. But I don’t like to fold it after it comes out in the dryer. I like to just throw them all on my bed and roll around like a dog ‘cause it’s so warm. And then, dishes are fun to do.

Amy: I do like doing dishes. I also…I like to wash the dishes but I hate putting the dishes away.

Ella: Yeah. I hate putting them away. It’s tedious. It’s not fun.

Amy: It is tedious. I guess that’s it, you know, the more tedious chores are the ones that are the least fun to do.

Ella: Yeah. I haven’t vacuumed in like six months ‘cause I hate it so much.

Amy: Wow.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Gerunds vs. Infinitives" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Amy loves having a clean house, but she hates doing chores. She wishes she could hire a maid to vacuum, mop the floors, and take out the trash. But maids are a luxury in the U.S. and most people don’t have one.

There are some chores that Ella doesn’t mind doing. She likes putting laundry in the washing machine, but she doesn’t like folding it and putting it away when it’s done. And she likes washing dishes, but she doesn’t like putting clean dishes back in the cabinets. Apparently she isn’t a fan of vacuuming, either, since she hasn’t vacuumed her house in six months.

What are your favorite and least favorite chores? In your country, is it common to have someone else clean your house for you?

Comments

1 through 20 of 43
Next >
1 2 3

keylighty

Macao

What does this sentence mean?”the more tedious chores are the ones that are the least fun to do.”

ivroja

Colombia

I like wash the dishes and vacuum. I find boring to do laundry. most people have a maid that’s no a luxury in Colombia

Marcelolic

Brazil

Oh yeah is pretty common and cheap instead in USA…In fact I hate chores but we have to do it,isn't it? hehe I don't have any favorite chore but our wish is always having a clean house hihihi :P

COTTON CANDY

Philippines

It is common to have maid in our country especially busy people.It was pretty fun doing some chores together with listening to a music because it serves as my exercise but its kinda boring to do the laundry.

julioces

Colombia

I like sweeping and mopping listening to music at the same time.

julioces

Colombia

yeah, in colombia it´s common to have a maid. what isn´t common is having machines to wash dishes, you have to do it with your hands.

Afrah

Saudi Arabia

I hate chores ,i just hate doing it ..

my mom does all the work at home …I love my mom …May God keep her and never take her away ..:)

zoebaby

China

it's worse when i live alone,it's gonna be pigsty,hehe,but if the house it's small i don't mind doing some chores,like mop and wash clothes,take trash away ect…

but there is another exception,if i share house with someone else,sometimes,i do a lot.cause don't wanna offend others.even those are the thing i don't like to do.

kukuka

Ukraine

I don't know if it's a luxury here, but I must say i happen to know quite many people who pay someone who cleans their homes. Being honest sometimes I think I need such a person too and almost ready to hire one but the thing is that I hate when others are in my private space which is my home. So far I'm trying to handle all the chores on my own and I'm doing not bad actually. It's not much fun though. At this point I gotta agree with the girls.

Oh, yeah, ironing is the worse chore ever!

free4it

Algeria

i dont mind doing the dishes with my wife! before i did not use to do but it takes a while to get used to, it's fun, because it's dead easy.

dragonwarrior

China

family chores is a burden for the man . take me as an example . i really like cook the dishes ,but if you ask me to do the chores like washing dishes . oh god ,it is tedious . i do not mind vacuuming the house ,cleaning the floor , and folding the laundry is okay . taking out the trash , hen ,that is the thing we must do . cause i cant stand that my house is dirty . washing dishes that is my girlfriend's job . haha …

dragonwarrior

China

Necadaina

Philippines

In my country, rich people usually hire househelper to do the housework for them but for many people who can't afford to hire a househelper, they distribute the housework to family members.

I personally like washing clothes and cleaning. But I'm lazy when it comes to ironing clothes.

yaling Chen

Canada

i have been doing housework since i was young, so all housework is done by mtself ;)

s id

Saudi Arabia

i love having a clean house .i hate doing chores .but i have to do it every day it`s my daily routine .i never can`t see house untidy. i like doing tidy house but i don`t like washing dishes and putting away after dry and also i don`t like mopped the floor.i can`t hire a maid . it`s expensive for me it`s common in my country to have maid . i wish that i got a maid .

alhgag

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

The Tidying basic of Life Make You Feel comfortable I Like This Lesson it is very nice my room sometimes is untidy .that happen when i am very busy

lolita_lempicka

Yemen

i like to chore my home by my self and i realy enjoy it specialy puting with it some crawdy music i became so active hhhhha but in future i want my hasband be helpful and share me the fun of chore looooool ;)

sofati

Mozambique

i'm a housewife and i have to do my houshold alone because it's my duty.i have to clean and cook and make the house very confortable to make sweet atmospher for my hasband

lilly_anna

India

yeah, I agree folding dried up clothes & putting the dishes away are most tedious chore. I too hate these chores.

shahla Hemen

Iraq

really when you clean your house you fell very fresh and comfortable but when you finish you fell very tiered but what we can do nothing we should to chore