Neighbor Complains About My Cooking

Level 2 Social · Checked Lesson by: Aron Thode

How to study this lesson

Ask: (1) Do you know your neighbors? (2) What smells do you like or dislike?

A woman at a table, looking up at the ceiling, worried.
Lina is worried about the upstairs neighbor.

Lina @quietkitchenlife
Dec 23, 2025 🌐

Yesterday at noon, my upstairs neighbor knocked on my door. He has recently moved in, and things have gotten more annoying. He said my cooking smell is too "spicy". He said it annoys him. I felt embarrassed, but also angry.

I cook at home after work. I open a window, but the smell still goes up. I think cooking smells are normal in apartments. I can be careful, but I don't want to stop cooking.

The smell is not the only problem. When I watch something on my laptop, he bangs on his floor. His floor is right above me. My volume is only a little up. I never play music late. When he bangs, I jump every time. It makes me feel stressed in my own home.

But he watches TV for hours at night. I can hear it through the ceiling, and I have to sleep through it. I have not complained, because I don't want a fight. So it feels like his noise is fine, but mine is not.

I am not confrontational, so I have stayed quiet. I have started using headphones more. I can try to be quieter, but yesterday made me really angry. What can I do without a big fight? Should I write a calm note, or talk to the landlord?

likes · 3 comments

Vocab List

  • Neighbor (n.) — A person who lives near you.
  • Spicy (adj.) — Having a strong, hot taste and smell.
  • Annoying (adj.) — Making you feel bothered or angry.
  • Bang (v.) — To hit something hard and make a loud sound.
  • Ceiling (n.) — The top inside surface of a room.
  • Volume (n.) — How loud a sound is.
  • Confrontational (adj.) — Wanting to argue or fight with someone.
  • Landlord (n.) — A person who owns a building and rents it to others.
  • Embarrassed (adj.) — Feeling shy or uncomfortable.
Tone Check

Tone Check

Label each comment with a tone: Nice, Tough, or Fair.

  • SoftSpiceCook

    That sounds stressful. Write down the dates and times, then talk to your landlord if it continues.

    Tone:

  • UpstairsLogic

    You should try to reduce the smell and keep the volume low. You both need to share the building.

    Tone:

  • CalmNeighborVibes

    Maybe start with a short, calm message. Ask for a fair plan about noise and cooking smells.

    Tone:

Listen and fill the gaps below:

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:

Yesterday at (1) __________, my upstairs neighbor knocked on my door. He has recently moved in, and things have gotten more annoying. He said my cooking smell is too (2) __________. He said it annoys him. I felt (3) __________, but also angry.

I cook at home after work. I open a window, but the smell still goes up. I think cooking smells are normal in apartments. I can be careful, but I don't want to stop cooking.

The smell is not the only problem. When I watch something on my laptop, he (4) __________ on his floor. His floor is right above me. My volume is only a little up. I never play music late. When he bangs, I jump every time. It makes me feel stressed in my own home.

But he watches TV for hours at night. I can hear it through the (5) __________, and I have to sleep through it. I have not complained, because I don't want a fight. So it feels like his noise is fine, but mine is not.

I am not confrontational, so I have stayed quiet. I have started using headphones more. I can try to be quieter, but yesterday made me really angry. What can I do without a big fight? Should I write a calm note, or talk to the (6) __________?

True or False

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.

  • The writer's upstairs neighbor knocked on the door at 12 p.m.
    The writer says it happened at noon, which is 12 p.m.
  • The writer says the laptop volume was only a little up.
    The writer says the volume was only a little up, not very loud.
  • The neighbor watches TV for hours at night.
    The writer says the neighbor watches TV for hours at night.
  • The writer wants to solve the problem without a big fight.
    The writer asks what to do without a big fight.

True or False

1. The writer's upstairs neighbor knocked on the door at 12 p.m. T / F

2. The writer says the laptop volume was only a little up. T / F

3. The neighbor watches TV for hours at night. T / F

4. The writer wants to solve the problem without a big fight. T / F

Put Events in Order

Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (4):

  • ___ Lina's upstairs neighbor moved in recently.

  • ___ Yesterday at noon, he knocked and complained about her "spicy" cooking smell.

  • ___ Lina felt embarrassed.

  • ___ Lina asked what she could do without a big fight.

Vocab List
  • Neighbor (n.)
  • Spicy (adj.)
  • Annoying (adj.)
  • Bang (v.)
  • Ceiling (n.)
  • Volume (n.)
  • Confrontational (adj.)
  • Landlord (n.)
  • Embarrassed (adj.)

Vocab Match

Match each vocabulary word with a definition:

1. Neighbor

2. Spicy

3. Bang

4. Ceiling

5. Landlord

a) A person who owns a building and rents it to others.

b) The top inside surface of a room.

c) To hit something hard and make a loud sound.

d) Having a strong, hot taste and smell.

e) A person who lives near you.

Sentence Completion

  1. Use the past simple tense.

  2. Use the present simple tense.

1.
1.
2.

Sentence Completion

Choose the correct word for each gap:

  1. Use the past simple tense.

    The neighbor A) __ __ __ __ __ on the door yesterday.

    A. knock / knocks / knocked


  2. Use the present simple tense.

    Lina B) __ __ __ __ __ stressed when her neighbor C) __ __ __ __ __ on the floor.

    B. feel / feels / feeling

    C. bang / bangs / banged


Discussion Questions

  1. Do you cook? What do you cook?
  2. Is it okay to cook spicy food in an apartment building? Why or why not?
  3. What can Lina do to reduce the cooking smell without stopping cooking?
  4. Is Lina's neighbor being fair? Why or why not?
  5. Have you ever had a problem with a neighbor? What happened?
  6. Should Lina answer with a note, or talk face to face? Why?
  7. When should someone talk to a landlord or building manager?
  8. Can you hear your neighbor's noise? Is it okay or too much?
  9. Do you worry that you are making too much noise at home?
  10. Are you confrontational? Or do you try to avoid fights?

Answers

Tone:

  1. Nice

  2. Tough

  3. Fair

Listening: (1) noon, (2) spicy, (3) embarrassed, (4) bangs, (5) ceiling, (6) landlord

True or False:

  1. True. The writer says it happened at noon, which is 12 p.m.
  2. True. The writer says the volume was only a little up, not very loud.
  3. True. The writer says the neighbor watches TV for hours at night.
  4. True. The writer asks what to do without a big fight.

Put Events in Order:

  1. Lina's upstairs neighbor moved in recently.
  2. Yesterday at noon, he knocked and complained about her "spicy" cooking smell.
  3. Lina felt embarrassed.
  4. Lina asked what she could do without a big fight.

Vocabulary:

  1. Neighbor: A person who lives near you.

  2. Spicy: Having a strong, hot taste and smell.

  3. Bang: To hit something hard and make a loud sound.

  4. Ceiling: The top inside surface of a room.

  5. Landlord: A person who owns a building and rents it to others.

Sentence Completion:

  1. A) knocked

  2. B) feels;

    C) bangs

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