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Lesson Info

Post Type
Social Post
Level
Level 3 / B1
Published
Title
Dirty Dishes in the Sink
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/smposts/2026-05-04-dirty-dishes-in-the-sink/

In this lesson:

  • Warm-up Prediction task and general discussion questions.
  • Vocab List Useful words and meanings.
  • Reading Read the main text.
  • Comment Tone Check Read comments and identify the tone.
  • Listen and Fill Gaps Listen for missing words.
  • Main Idea Choose the overall message of the text.
  • True or False Check understanding.
  • Put Events in Order Arrange events from the story into the order they happened.
  • Multiple Choice Check understanding.
  • Words That Go Together Connect words and collocated phrases from the lesson.
  • Discussion Builder Think about how ideas relate to each other to choose connecting expressions.
  • Discussion Questions Open speaking questions for discussion (or writing practice).
  • Answers Answer key for the printed tasks.

Think Ahead: Which mistake do you think the poster makes in this post?

a) He treats a serious problem like a joke.

b) He hides money problems from his girlfriend.

c) He asks her brothers for help.

A bright, tidy apartment kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes in the foreground and a suitcase standing near the doorway in the background.
Dirty dishes in the sink.

Ask: (1) Who usually does the dishes in your home? (2) How should couples share housework?

VOCAB LIST

unfair (adj.) — Not right or not equal.
deserve (v.) — If you deserve something, it is right for you to have it.
afford (v.) — To have enough money for something.
lazy (adj.) — Not willing to work or make an effort.
furious (adj.) — Very angry.
relationship (n.) — The way two people are connected to each other.
repack (v.) — To pack a bag again.
refuse (v.) — To say no and not agree to do something.

Reading

My girlfriend and I have been together for four years and lived together for one. For a long time, we have argued about the dishes. I hate doing them, and she says that is unfair.

She says I do not only hate washing dishes. I hate all cleaning. If she does the dishes, she thinks she will have to do all the other cleaning too. We cannot afford a cleaner, so that is not an answer.

Last week she was away on a work trip. I stayed home and left all the dirty dishes in the sink. When she came back yesterday, she saw them and became furious. I joked that our history should have told her I would not clean.

The joke did not help. I said it was only a few dishes, but she turned away. Then she repacked her suitcase, left the apartment, and ignored my calls and messages. This morning she said she was ending the relationship.

She told me she did not deserve a dirty home or a lazy boyfriend. She also said she was not my mother. I asked if a few dirty dishes were enough to end our relationship. She said my actions had already answered that question. Now her brothers are coming tomorrow for her things, and she still refuses to meet me. I do not know what to do.

Dirty Dishes in the Sink

Level 3 Social

Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

A bright, tidy apartment kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes in the foreground and a suitcase standing near the doorway in the background.
Dirty dishes in the sink.
Leonard @FlyingV

My girlfriend and I have been together for four years and lived together for one. For a long time, we have argued about the dishes. I hate doing them, and she says that is unfair.

She says I do not only hate washing dishes. I hate all cleaning. If she does the dishes, she thinks she will have to do all the other cleaning too. We cannot afford a cleaner, so that is not an answer.

Last week she was away on a work trip. I stayed home and left all the dirty dishes in the sink. When she came back yesterday, she saw them and became furious. I joked that our history should have told her I would not clean.

The joke did not help. I said it was only a few dishes, but she turned away. Then she repacked her suitcase, left the apartment, and ignored my calls and messages. This morning she said she was ending the relationship.

She told me she did not deserve a dirty home or a lazy boyfriend. She also said she was not my mother. I asked if a few dirty dishes were enough to end our relationship. She said my actions had already answered that question. Now her brothers are coming tomorrow for her things, and she still refuses to meet me. I do not know what to do.

likes · 3 comments

Comment Tone Check

Comment Tone Check

Choose the tone that best matches each comment.

  • Daffy

    You joked about a problem that mattered to her, so it is not surprising that she left.

    Supportive Critical Neutral Worried

    Critical
  • Mary

    This sounds like the final straw. It feels like the dishes were only one part of a much bigger problem.

    Supportive Critical Neutral Worried

    Worried
  • Jacob

    Give her some space for now, then apologize honestly if she is willing to hear from you.

    Supportive Critical Neutral Worried

    Supportive

Speaker: Australian Male  Duration: 1:28  Watch on YouTube

Two ways to use this audio:

  • Method 1: Listen for the main idea: what is the article about in one sentence? Listen a second time for more details, then try the Understanding activities below.
  • Method 2: Read the article first to learn the vocabulary and ideas. Then look at the gap-fill sentences to see what to listen for, and listen to fill them in.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

My girlfriend and I have been together for four years and lived together for one. For a long time, we have (1) about the dishes. I hate doing them, and she says that is unfair.

She says I do not only hate washing dishes. I hate all cleaning. If she does the dishes, she thinks she will have to do all the other cleaning too. We cannot afford a (2) , so that is not an answer.

Last week she was away on a work trip. I stayed home and left all the dirty dishes in the (3) . When she came back yesterday, she saw them and became (4) . I joked that our history should have told her I would not clean.

The joke did not help. I said it was only a few dishes, but she turned away. Then she repacked her (5) , left the apartment, and ignored my calls and messages. This morning she said she was ending the relationship.

She told me she did not deserve a dirty home or a lazy boyfriend. She also said she was not my mother. I asked if a few dirty dishes were enough to end our (6) . She said my actions had already answered that question. Now her brothers are coming tomorrow for her things, and she still refuses to meet me. I do not know what to do.

Main Idea

Choose one answer, then click CHECK to see your result.

Main Idea

Choose one:

  • The poster asks what to do after a long conflict about cleaning seems to end his relationship. Correct answer
  • The poster wonders if this breakup is really about a few dirty dishes or about a bigger problem between them.
  • The poster feels stuck because money problems have kept the couple from finding a fair way to share cleaning.
True or False

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

  • The poster says he and his girlfriend have lived together for one year.
    He says they have been together for four years and lived together for one.
  • The couple can afford to hire a cleaner.
    The poster says they cannot afford a cleaner, so that is not an answer.
  • The poster cleaned the dishes before his girlfriend came home from her trip.
    He says he stayed home and left all the dirty dishes in the sink.
  • Her brothers are coming tomorrow to take her things.
    At the end, he says her brothers are coming tomorrow for her things.

True or False

1. The poster says he and his girlfriend have lived together for one year. TRUEFALSE True

2. The couple can afford to hire a cleaner. TRUEFALSE False

3. The poster cleaned the dishes before his girlfriend came home from her trip. TRUEFALSE False

4. Her brothers are coming tomorrow to take her things. TRUEFALSE True

Put Events in Order

Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (5):

  • She came home, saw the dishes, and became furious.
  • The couple argued about dishes and cleaning for a long time.
  • She ended the relationship.
  • The girlfriend went away on a work trip.
  • The poster left all the dirty dishes in the sink.
  1. The couple argued about dishes and cleaning for a long time.
  2. The girlfriend went away on a work trip.
  3. The poster left all the dirty dishes in the sink.
  4. She came home, saw the dishes, and became furious.
  5. She ended the relationship.

Multiple Choice

1. Why does the girlfriend say it is unfair if she does the dishes?

   a) Because the poster always buys paper plates

   b) Because the kitchen is too small for two people

   c) Because she thinks she will end up doing all the other cleaning tooCorrect

   d) Because her brothers also leave dishes in the sink

2. What did the poster do while his girlfriend was away on a work trip?

   a) He left all the dirty dishes in the sinkCorrect

   b) He hired someone to clean the apartment

   c) He visited her at her hotel

   d) He stayed with his brother for a few days

3. What happened after the poster joked about the dirty dishes?

   a) His girlfriend laughed and washed them

   b) She called a cleaner right away

   c) She asked him to cook dinner

   d) She repacked her suitcase, left, and ignored his calls and messagesCorrect

4. What does the poster say will happen tomorrow?

   a) He will go to his girlfriend's office

   b) Her brothers will come for her thingsCorrect

   c) They will meet to talk at home

   d) A cleaner will come to the apartment

Words That Go Together

Loading vocabulary activity...

Words That Go Together

Match each word with the words it goes with:

1. dof) the dishes

2. afforde) a cleaner

3. repackd) a suitcase

4. ignorec) calls and messages

5. endb) a relationship

6. answera) a question

a) a question

b) a relationship

c) calls and messages

d) a suitcase

e) a cleaner

f) the dishes

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. I do not think this breakup was only about the dishes they had argued about cleaning for a long time.

    and / but / because / so

    I do not think this breakup was only about the dishes because they had argued about cleaning for a long time.

  2. The poster should say sorry give her some space right now.

    and / but / because / so

    The poster should say sorry and give her some space right now.

  3. , it is better if the girlfriend does not meet him before taking her things.

    Also, / For example, / To me, / Still,

    To me,, it is better if the girlfriend does not meet him before taking her things.

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you think this breakup is only about the dishes? Explain.
  2. Was the poster wrong to joke about the dishes? Why or why not?
  3. What advice would you give the poster right now?
  4. What advice would you give the girlfriend?
  5. What chores do you dislike most? Why?
  6. Have you ever lived with someone who had very different cleaning habits?
  7. Should the girlfriend meet the poster before taking her things? Why or why not?
  8. Is leaving instead of arguing sometimes the better choice?
  9. What does 'I am not your mother' mean in this story?

Answers Dirty Dishes in the Sink / Level 3

Think Ahead: a

Tone:

  1. Critical
  2. Worried
  3. Supportive

Listening: (1) argued, (2) cleaner, (3) sink, (4) furious, (5) suitcase, (6) relationship

Main Idea: The poster asks what to do after a long conflict about cleaning seems to end his relationship.

True or False:

  1. True. He says they have been together for four years and lived together for one.
  2. False. The poster says they cannot afford a cleaner, so that is not an answer.
  3. False. He says he stayed home and left all the dirty dishes in the sink.
  4. True. At the end, he says her brothers are coming tomorrow for her things.

Multiple Choice: c, a, d, b

Put Events in Order:

  1. The couple argued about dishes and cleaning for a long time.
  2. The girlfriend went away on a work trip.
  3. The poster left all the dirty dishes in the sink.
  4. She came home, saw the dishes, and became furious.
  5. She ended the relationship.

Vocabulary:

  1. do: the dishes
  2. afford: a cleaner
  3. repack: a suitcase
  1. ignore: calls and messages
  2. end: a relationship
  3. answer: a question

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Reason. 2) Addition. 3) Opinion.

  1. because
  2. and
  3. To me,

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