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Dinner Parties

Dinner Parties

Date: Apr 23 2010

Themes: Food, Party

Grammar: First Conditional

Intro

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

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You know you’re a true adult once you’ve hosted your first dinner party. But a dinner party doesn’t have to be a formal affair, with candles, fancy china and a white tablecloth. It can be as simple and casual as making a big pot of spaghetti and asking your friends to bring over some bread, wine, and dessert. It can also be fun to have a potluck, where everyone brings a different dish and you get to try all your friends’ cooking.

Devan and Beren both like hosting dinner parties. But as you’ll find out, they have very different ideas about what the ideal dinner party would be like.

Dialog

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

Beren

Beren

Devan

Devan

Beren:  Devo, do you like to have people over for dinner, like groups of people, groups of friends?

Devan:  Like dinner parties?

Beren:  Mm-hmm.

Devan:  Yeah, I love hosting dinner parties.

Beren:  Hmm.

Devan:  I’m kind of a control freak and I like to have anything done my way.

Beren:  So you’re not into potlucks.

Devan:  Not so much, really. I don’t like when people bring things over, especially if it doesn’t go with everything else I’ve prepared.

Beren:  Really?

Devan:  Like I like…you know, I make everything, like I’ll make the different things I saute and bake and all the dips that I make. I like to make everything coordinate and go together.

Beren:  Do you like to make guacamole?

Devan:  Yes. So like if someone brings some like Pace Picante salsa to the dinner party then I’m gonna be pissed.

Beren:  That upsets you? It doesn’t go with the guacamole?

Devan:  Yeah.

Beren:  What if you have a guest that’s allergic to avocado?

Devan:  Then I will accommodate them. I’m very good about these things. I just like to have it my way, you know.

Beren:  Huh.

Devan:  What about you, do you like to have dinner parties?

Beren:  I do, but I prefer the potluck. I like it when people bring over different dishes, and, you know, casseroles. And then you don’t…if you’re hosting you don’t really have to do anything. Just let people come over.

Devan:  But you still have to clean it all up.

Beren:  Oh that’s true. That’s what I don’t like, the clean up.

Devan:  Yeah. I would agree with that.

 

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Discussion

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Devan loves having dinner parties. When she has a group of friends over for dinner, she likes to control everything. She prefers to prepare all the food to be sure it all tastes good together.

Beren likes to have dinner parties to, but she isn’t a control freak like Devan. She doesn’t mind when people bring dishes with them to her house. In fact, she loves hosting potlucks because then she doesn’t have to do as much work. But no matter what type of dinner party you host, you always have to clean up, unless you have really polite guests who do their own dishes.

Do you like to host dinner parties? Do you prefer potlucks or dinner parties where you do all the work? What foods do you like to make for dinner parties or potlucks?

 

Comments

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sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

well,I prefer dinner parties ad I’d rather not to be host and be invited to the party!

03:51 PM Jun 10 2014 |

Olga_Woburn

Russian Federation

I don't like to host dinner parties. I prefer to go on parties to my friends and I can help them cook.  

08:14 PM Nov 15 2010 |

xiaodanta

China

i like dinner parties.and i prefer control everying.i will cook chinese soup.meat….all chinese food.but i hate clean dishes….so i  have a  housekeeper

to clean up…

04:30 AM Oct 21 2010 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

I like to entertain friends at home :) even for a simple chatting or snacking…I have never did a dinner parties even I don't know how to cook sofisticated dishes but I'm an interested person about that subject ;)

If I had an event in my house I'd prefer potlucks 'cause it's more practical each one brings their own dish ;)

09:01 PM May 27 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

I am a guy,so I hate host dinner parties.If my friends come over,I just take them to a restaurant.It's more conveient.And I think cooking is a waste of time. We should use our limited time to do something big,but not the stupid cooking.

03:08 PM Apr 27 2010 |

Strawhatone

China

nice topic!
it is so happy to dinner with friends in house,
i enjoy hosting if time is ok.

07:44 AM Apr 27 2010 |

1 person likes this

生活是美好的

生活是美好的

China

    i like to host  dinner party, but not so much times. i never had a potluck that my guests bring their dishs to my house. i think it will be very funny and we can try everyone's  cooking.  

    prepareing a dinner for my guest is a wonderful and happy thing, i'd love to .But clean up all the dishes after the dinner party is also a  tough work.

12:35 PM Apr 26 2010 |

rogeholl

rogeholl

Brazil

I LIKE  FEIJOADA !!  IT´S O POPULAR BRAZILIAN DISH

06:43 PM Apr 25 2010 |

qinqiner715

Christmas Island

i like potluck dinner

02:29 PM Apr 25 2010 |

jaafaralkhteeb

Jordan

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

02:04 PM Apr 25 2010 |

mossavi

mossavi

Afghanistan

great, site,  i like it very much

 

10:58 AM Apr 25 2010 |

Stephen.Han

China

Nice English!

07:33 AM Apr 25 2010 |

s id

Saudi Arabia

 i like to  host of dinner parties .but i prefer pot lucks party .when people bring  many kind of  dishes with them . we all share  together.

07:19 PM Apr 24 2010 |

hanan-2009

Saudi Arabia

i like make different kinds of dessert for potlucks

04:40 PM Apr 24 2010 |

Colibri

Colibri

Russian Federation

one lesson I have learned here in US – when you have a special occasion like birthday , it is not you who host party, have to make it by your own like cooking food and organize the table and then clean after your guests, it is somebody else like your friend makes it for you. It is such a great tradition. I do not know how it goes in different countries, but as for me, Russian, it was very surprising. Like my friends made bridal shower for me when I was going to get marry, and housewarming party when we moved to the new house. And I do love the idea about potluck where everybody can find something he craves or likes because of variety of food that doesn't depend on someone's taste. But it seems that here in America they all love almost the same things: everybody loves hotdogs and hamburgers, you will never be wrong with that, ah and potato salad. Very simple, but there is never  leftoverof that dishes. I do not like to cook for a big crowd, so this way of having party is ideal for me. But you still have to provide some activities for your guests and maybe drinks. I do enjoy making different  cocktails. And of course, like somebody made a comment, it works for informal parties.

03:35 PM Apr 24 2010 |

Mai Nasr

Egypt

I like dinner parties so much, but it depends on the people who is coming , if they are friendly and i love them , i 'll be so happy and make best food regardless cleaning up and washing dishes .

it's nice topic, i like it

03:11 PM Apr 24 2010 |

spacedragon

Brazil

would any girl like to snog ??????

12:56 PM Apr 24 2010 |

seagull2010

Russian Federation

I have over only my close friends and we very often have a potluck. But many of my acquaintances prefer going out to a cafe because they don't give themselves the trouble to make dinner.

11:09 AM Apr 24 2010 |

woai200701002

China

prtty easy

10:17 AM Apr 24 2010 |

nuna2300

nuna2300

Thailand

I like dinner parties. It looks funny and full of friendship.

08:15 AM Apr 24 2010 |

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