Discussing Roommate Responsibilities
New or existing roommates are discussing shared responsibilities, chores, and house rules to ensure a harmonious living environment.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
responsibilities
Duties or tasks that you are expected to do, like sharing chores in a house. Use it when talking about what each person should handle in shared living.
schedule
A plan that shows when tasks will happen, like a cleaning timetable. It's useful for organizing shared duties to avoid confusion.
alternate
To take turns doing something, like one week you do it, next week the other person. Common in roommate talks for fair sharing.
vacuuming
The act of using a vacuum cleaner to clean floors and remove dust. A practical chore word for discussing cleaning routines.
trash
Garbage or waste that needs to be thrown away. In housing talks, it refers to taking out the household rubbish.
groceries
Food and household items bought from a store. Use this when discussing how to share costs for shared items like milk.
split
To divide costs or tasks equally between people. Very useful in roommate discussions for fairness, like splitting bills.
accommodating
Willing to help or adjust to make things easier for others. Say this to thank someone for being flexible in agreements.
touch base
To meet or talk briefly to check on something. It's an informal idiom for follow-up conversations, like reviewing rules later.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hey Michael, do you have a few minutes? I was hoping we could chat about house responsibilities.
This is a polite way to start a conversation about important topics. 'I was hoping' softens the request, making it less direct. Use it when you want to discuss shared duties without sounding demanding.
I think it's a good idea to get things sorted out.
Agrees and shows support for organizing. 'Get things sorted out' means to arrange or resolve issues clearly. Useful for positive responses in planning talks; it's informal and encouraging.
Maybe we could make a schedule?
Suggests an idea using 'maybe' for politeness. This question form invites agreement. Great for proposing solutions in roommate discussions, like chore plans.
A schedule sounds fair. How about we alternate weeks for vacuuming and wiping down surfaces?
First part agrees simply with 'sounds fair.' Second suggests a specific plan with 'how about.' Useful pattern for negotiating chores; shows fairness and details actions.
Yeah, that works for me. 'Clean as you go' for dishes is definitely the best approach.
'That works for me' is casual agreement. 'Clean as you go' is an idiom meaning to tidy immediately after use. Use this to confirm ideas and explain why something is practical.
How does that sound?
A common way to ask for opinion on a suggestion. It's open-ended and polite. Perfect for ending proposals in discussions to get feedback.
Thanks for being so accommodating!
Expresses gratitude for flexibility. 'Accommodating' highlights helpfulness. Use this to end talks positively and build good relationships.
Let's touch base again in a month to see if anything needs adjusting.
'Touch base' means to check in later. 'Needs adjusting' refers to making changes if necessary. This suggests follow-up; useful for ongoing agreements like house rules.