Basic English Institute
Two women are seated in a room.
Where are thy seated ?
They are seated in a room.
One is dressed in a hat and coat.
What is she dressed in ?
She is dressed in a hat and coat.
The other is the woman of the house.
What is she ?
She is the woman of the house.
Woman of the House : What did you say your name was ?
What does she ask her ?
She asks what she said her name was.
Cook : Mrs. Waters.
What does she say ?
She says, "Mrs. Waters."
I have come about your advertisement.
What has she come about ?
She has come about her advertisement.
I saw it in the newspaper this morning.
What did she see ?
She saw it.
Where did she see it ?
She saw it in the newspaper that morning.
You are offering good money
What money is she offering ?
She is offering good money.
. . . and this seems to be the sort of place I am looking for.
What does that seem to be ?
It seems to be the sort of place.
What is she looking for ?
She is looking for the sort of place.
What sort of place does it seems to be ?
It seems to be the sort of place she is looking for.
Woman of the House : What experience have you had ? .
What does she ask ?
She asks what experience she has had.
Cook : I was a cook before I was married
What was she ?
She was a cook.
How was she ?
She was married.
When was she a cook ?
She was a cook before she was married.
... and after Mr. Waters' death I went back to cooking.
What did she go back to ?
She went back to cooking.
When did she go back to cooking ?
She went back to cooking after Mr. water's death.
I have been in some very good houses.
Where has she been ?
She has been in some very good houses.
Woman of the House : Are you working for anyone now ?
What does she ask ?
She asks if she is working for anyone now.
Cook : No. My heart is not strong and I have been ill,
How strong is her heart ?
It is not strong.
How has she been ?
She has been ill.
... so I had to have a rest
What did she have to have ?
She had to have a rest.
... and I went to my son in the country.
Where did she go ?
She went to her son in the country.
Now, after resting for some months, I am well enough to go back to work.
How long did she rest ?
She rested for some months.
How enough is she ?
She is well enough.
What does she go back to ?
She goes back to work.
What is she well enough to do ?
She is well enough to go back to work.
When is she well enough to go back to work ?
Now after resting for some months, she is well enough to go back to work.
I would have gone back before
When would she gone back ?
She would have gone back before.
... but I have had a cut finger which has been giving me some trouble.
What has she had ?
She has had a cut finger.
What has been giving her some trouble ?
A cut finger has been giving her some trouble.
What cut finger has she had ?
She has had a cut finger which has been giving her some trouble.
Woman of the House : Who were you with last ?
What does she ask ?
She asks who she was with last.
Cook : I was at Brighton with a woman named Mrs. Page.
Where was she ?
She was at Brighton.
What is a woman named ?
The woman is named Mrs. Page.
What woman was she with ?
She was with a woman named Mrs. Page.
There were other women servants there, and a man servant, and a boy who did the dirty work for me.
What did the boy do ?
He did the dirty work.
Who did he do the dirty work for ?
He did it for her.
What servants and boy were there ?
There were other women servants there and a man servant,and a boy who did the dirty work for her.
It was a house with a great number of rooms.
What was it ?
It was a house with a great number of rooms.
If you get in touch with Mrs. Page she will give you her opinion of me.
Who does she get in touch with ?
She gets in touch with Mrs. Page.
What will Mrs. Page give her ?
Mrs. Page will give her opinion of Mrs. Waters.
In what condition does Mrs. Page give her opinion of Mrs. Waters ?
If she gets in touch with Mrs. Page, Mrs. Page will give her opinion of Mrs. Waters.
Woman of the House : I am surprised that you were interested in my advertisement.
What was she interested in ?
She was interested in her advertisement.
How is Woman of the House surprised ?
She is surprised that Mrs. Waters was interested in her advertisement.
Have you ever been a cook in a small house like this ?
What does she ask ?
She asks if Mrs. Waters have ever been a cook in a small house like that.
Experienced cooks are frequently not very ready to go to small houses.
Who are frequently not very ready ?
Experienced cooks are frequently not very ready.
Where do they go ?
They go to a small house.
What are they frequently not very ready to do ?
They are frequently not very ready to go to a small house.
Mr. White and I and our small daughter are the only persons in the family.
Who are the only persons in the family ?
Mr. White and she and their small daughters are the only persons in the family.
The housework is done by a woman who comes in every morning.
What is done ?
The housework is done.
Who is it done by ?
It is done by a woman.
When does she come in ?
She comes in every morning.
What woman is it done by ?
It is done by a woman who comes in every morning.
Cook : I was with a small family before I went to Mrs. Page,
What family was she with ?
She was with a small family.
Who did she go to ?
She went to Mrs. Page.
When was she with a small family ?
She was with a small family before she went to Mrs. Page.
. . . and I am looking for a small place now.
What is she looking for ?
She is looking for a small place.
When is she looking for a small place ?
She is looking for a small place now.
A cook has more authority in a house where there are other servants,
What servants are there ?
There are other servants.
Where are there other servants ?
There are other servants in a house.
What authority does a cook have ?
A cook has more authority.
In what house does a cook has more authority ?
A cook has more authority in a house where there are other servants,
. . . and the work is much more interesting,
What is much more interesting ?
The work is much more interesting.
. . . but it is frequently harder.
How is it ?
It is harder.
How harder is it ?
It is frequently harder.
A quiet place is better for an old woman such as I am.
How is it ?
It is better.
Who is it better for ?
It is better for an old woman.
What old woman is it better ?
It is better for an old woman such as she is.
Women of the House : Things are quieter, naturally, in a small house,
What are quieter ?
Things are quieter.
Where are they quieter ?
They are quieter in a small house.
How are they quieter in a small house ?
They are quieter, naturally, in a small house.
. . . but some cooks say there is more work.
What work is there ?
There is more work.
Who say there is more work ?
Some cooks say there is more work
You will not be helped as much here as you were in your last place.
How will she not be helped ?
She will not be helped much.
Where was she ?
She was in her last place.
How much will she not be helped here ?
She will not be helped here as much as she was in her last place.
Cook : I did more work when I was with Mrs. Page than I had ever done before.
What did she do ?
She did work.
Who was she with ?
She was with Mrs. Page.
When did she do work ?
She did work when she was with Mrs. Page.
What had she done ?
She had done work
When had she done work ?
She had done work before.
What work did she do when she was with Mrs. Page than ?
She did more work when she was with Mrs. Page than she had ever done before.
She had friends for almost every meal
Who did she have ?
She had friends.
What meal did she have friends for ?
She had friends for almost every meal.
. . . and I had a great amount of cooking to do for the other servants.
What did she have ?
She had a great amount of cooking.
What did she do ?
She did cooking.
Who did she do cooking for ?
She did cooking for other servants.
What did she have a great amount of cooking to do ?
She had a great amount of cooking to do for other servants.
Sometimes I was kept up very late.
How late was she kept up ?
She was kept up very late.
When was she kept up very late ?
Sometimes she was kept up very late.
Does the woman who comes in do all the housework ?
What does she ask ?
She asks, "Does the woman who comes in do all the housework ?"
Woman of the House : Almost all of it.
What does she say ?
She says, "Almost all of it."
I make our beds
What does she make ?
She makes their beds.
. . . and if you keep your bedroom clean and the room where you do the
cooking, Mrs. Porter will do the other rooms.
How does she keep her bedroom ?
She keeps her bedroom clean
What does she do ?
She does the cooking.
Where does she do the cooking ?
She does the cooking in the room.
How does she keep the room ?
She keeps the room clean.
What room does she keep clean ?
She keeps clean the room where she does the cooking.
What will Mrs. Porter do ?
She will do the other rooms.
In what condition will Mrs. Porter do the other rooms.
If she keeps her bedroom and the room where she does the cooking
Mrs. Porter will do the other rooms.
Cook : At what time does she come in the morning ?
What does she ask ?
She asks, "At what time does she come in the morning ?"
Woman of the House: Quite early.
What does she say ?
She says, "Quite early."
While you are boiling the eggs or cooking the fish for the morning meal,
she will get the table ready.
What is she boiling ?
She is boiling the eggs.
What is she cooking ?
She is cooking the fish.
What is she doing the boiling or the cooking for ?
She is doing it for the morning meal.
What will Mrs. Porter get ready ?
She will get the table ready.
During what time will Mrs. Porter get the table ready ?
She will do it while Mrs. Waters is boiling the eggs or cooking the fish.
Then she will do the rooms.
What will she do ?
She will do the rooms.
This is not a dirty house
What house is it not ?
It is not a dirty house.
. . . and we have almost no ornaments about.
What do they have ?
They have almost no ornaments.
Where do they have almost no ornaments ?
They have almost no ornaments about.
She does her work with care
What does she do ?
She does her work.
How does she do her work ?
She does her work with care.
. . . and gets through it very quickly.
What does she get through ?
She gets through it.
How quickly does she get through it ?
She gets through it very quickly.
Cook : Who gets the buckets of coal and does the shoes?
What does she ask ?
She asks who gets the buckets of coal and does the shoes.
I am getting feeble now
How is she getting ?
She is getting feeble.
When is she getting feeble ?
She is getting feeble now.
. . . and I am not able to do work of that sort.
What is she not able to do ?
She is not able to do work of that sort.
Woman of the House : Mrs. Porter has said that she will take up the coal,
What will she take up ?
She will take up the coal.
What has Mrs. Porter said ?
She has said that she will take up the coal.
. . . but we have more wood than coal for our fires.
What do they have ?
They have wood.
What do they have more wood than ?
They have more wood than coal.
What do they have more wood than coal for ?
They have more wood than coal for their fires.
The wood is cut for us by Mr. Porter,
Who is the wood cut by ?
It is cut by Mr. Porter.
Who is it cut for ?
It is cut for them.
. . . and he comes at night
When does he come ?
He comes at night.
. . . and does the boots and shoes.
What does he do ?
He does the boots and shoes.
He has the care of the fowls,
What does he have the care of ?
He has the care of the fowls.
. . . and when he has time he does some gardening.
What does he have ?
He has time.
What does he do?
He does some gardening.
When does he do gardening ?
When he has time he does some gardening.
He is a good gardener.
What gardener is he ?
He is a good gardener.
Cook : Do you get eggs from your fowls ?
What does she ask ?
She asks if they get eggs from their fowls.
Woman of the House : Yes, we get a great number of eggs at this time of the year.
What do they get ?
They get a great number of eggs.
When do they get them ?
They get them at this time of the year.
In our family, we don't have much meat.
What don't they have ?
They don't have much meat.
Where don't they have much meat ?
In their family they don't have much meat.
We have fish and eggs and a great amount of garden produce.
What do they have ?
They have fish and eggs and a great amount of garden produce.
I get all our milk and butter from a farmer near here,
What does she get ?
She gets all their milk and butter.
Who does she get them from ?
She gets them from a farmer near there.
. . . and sometimes he lets us have a cheese he has made.
What does he let them have ?
He lets them have a cheese.
What has he made ?
He has made a cheese.
What cheese does he let them have ?
He lets them have a cheese he has made.
Cook : That is the healthiest sort of food
What is it ?
It is the healthiest sort of food.
I myself take very little meat.
What meat does she herself take ?
She herself takes very little meat.
Anyone who has a bad heart is very much better without it.
Who is very much better ?
Anyone is very much better.
What does anyone have ?
Anyone has a bad heart.
What person is very much better ?
Anyone who has a bad heart is very much better.
How is anyone who has a bad heart very much better ?
Anyone who has a bad heart is very much better without meat.
Woman of the House : My daughter comes back from school in the middle of the day.
What does she come back from ?
She comes back from school.
When does she come back ?
She comes back in the middle of the day.
. . . and we have our chief meal then.
What meal do they have ?
They have their chief meal.
At night we have only soup and cheese and some fruit such as apples and oranges, or nuts.
What do they have ?
They have only soup and cheese and some fruit such as apples and oranges, or nuts.
It gives the cook less work.
What work does it give the cook ?
It gives the cook less work.
Cook [laughing] : That seems a very good idea.
What idea does it seem ?
It seems a very good idea.
Woman of the House : Will you come to me, Mrs. Waters, or are you not strong enough ?
What does she ask her ?
She asks her if she will come to her or she is not strong enough.
I would let you have quite a long rest every day
What rest would she let her have ?
She would let her have quite a long rest.
When would she let her have quite a long wrest ?
She would let her have quite a long wrest every day.
. . .and my daughter would be quite ready to give you some help with the washing up,
How ready would she be ?
She would be quite ready.
What would she give her ?
She would give her help with the washing up.
What would she be quite ready to do ?
She would be quite ready to give her some help with the washing up.
Cook : The work does not seem hard.
How does it not seem ?
It does not seem hard.
May I come for a month and see if I am able to do it ?'
What does she ask ?
She asks, "May I come for a month and see if I am able to do it ?'"
Woman of the House : That is a wise suggestion.
What suggestion is it ?
It is a wise suggestion.
When will you come ?
What does she ask ?
She asks when Mrs. Waters will come.
We have no one now,
What do they have ?
They have no one.
When do they have no one ?
They have no one now.
. . . and I am doing all the cooking and am teaching at the same time,
What is she doing ?
She is doing all the cooking and is teaching.
When is she doing them ?
She is doing them at the same time.
. . . so I am getting very tired.
How tired is she ?
She is very tired.
I was hoping to get someone quickly.
What does she get ?
She gets someone.
How does she get someone ?
She gets someone quickly.
What was she hoping to do ?
She was hoping to get someone quickly.
Cook : My son has gone to the seaside with his family
Where has he gone ?
He has gone to the seaside.
Who has he gone to the seaside with ?
He has gone to the seaside with his family.
. . . and I said I would take care of his house till he came back.
What would she take care of ?
She would take care of his house.
What does he do ?
He comes back.
Till when would she take care of his house ?
She would take care of his house till he came back.
If I come a week from now, will that be early enough ?
What does she ask ?
She asks, "If I come a week from now, will that be early enough ?"
Woman of the House : That will be all right,
How right will it be ?
It will be all right.
. . . but please don't come any later!
What does she ask her ?
She asks her not to come any later.
Cook : Are there any animals in the house ?
What does she ask ?
She asks if there are any animals. in the house.
Woman of the House : Yes.
What does she say ?
She says, "Yes."
We keep a dog and a cat.
What do they keep ?
They keep a dog and a cat.
Mr. White has taken the dog with him today
What has he taken with him ?
He has taken the dog with him.
When has he taken the dog with him ?
He has taken the dog with him today.
. . . but the cat is by the fire in her room.
Where is the cat ?
It is by the fire in her room.
Cook : I'm a lover of animals, and specially cats.
What is she ?
She is a lover of animals and specially cats.
Woman of the House : So am I.
What does she say ?
She says, "So am I."
Come and have a look at it and see the other rooms of the house before you go.
What does she suggests her to do ?
She suggests her to come and have a look at the cat and see the other rooms
They get up
What do they do ?
They get up.
. . . and Mrs. White takes a look out of the window.
What does she take a look out of ?
She takes a look out of the window.
There's Mr. Porter watering the flowers.
Who is there ?
There's Mr. Porter.
What is he watering ?
He is watering the flowers.
What person is there ?
There's Mr. Porter watering the flowers.
Cook : Will you be writing to Mrs. Page ?
What does she ask her ?
She asks if Mrs. White will be writing to Mrs. Page
Woman of the House : No. There is no need for that.
What is there ?
There is no need for it.
They go out.
What do they do ?
They go out.
Saburo Terada
Saitama Prefecture