Visiting the Village
Rahul takes his family back to his ancestral village to reconnect with relatives and revisit the home where he grew up.
Key words and phrases
Useful sentences
- Ask How long has it been since you visited the village?
- Answer It's been almost ten years.
- Ask Is this your ancestral home?
- Answer Yes, my grandfather built it himself.
- Ask Do your relatives still live here?
- Answer Yes, my uncle and his family live nearby.
- Ask Did you draw water from this well as a child?
- Answer Yes, every morning with my grandmother.
- Ask How does it feel to be back in the village?
- Answer Wonderful, and a little nostalgic too.
- Ask Do you still have cattle on the farm?
- Answer Yes, my uncle keeps a few cows and buffaloes.
- Ask Did you visit the village temple yet?
- Answer Yes, we went there this morning with the elders.
- Ask Is the village fair happening this week?
- Answer Yes, right after the harvest is done.
- Ask Did you sit in the courtyard like you used to?
- Answer Yes, we sat on the veranda every evening.
- Ask Is your grandmother's mud house still standing?
- Answer Yes, and the orchard behind it too.
Dialogue
PriyaRahul, this village is so peaceful and beautiful.
RahulIt is. This is our ancestral home, right where I grew up.
Village relativeRahul! It's been so long. Welcome home!
RahulThank you, uncle. It feels amazing to be back.
PriyaEveryone here has shown us such wonderful hospitality.
RahulThat's the beauty of the village. It always feels like coming home to your roots.
Village relativeCome, let's greet the elders in the courtyard first.
PriyaI'd love that. Is there still cattle behind the mud house?
RahulYes, and the orchard too. We used to pick mangoes there every harvest.
Village relativeYou should stay for the village fair this weekend!
Common mistakes
- Saying "I am going to native" instead of "I am going to my village" or "I am visiting my hometown" ("native" alone is not standard English).
- Saying "They are my family members from village" instead of "They are my relatives from the village."
- Saying "I remember my childhood" alone, instead of the fuller "This place brings back my childhood memories."
- Saying "greet to the elders" instead of "greet the elders" ("greet" doesn't take "to" before its object).
- Saying "cattles" instead of "cattle" ("cattle" is already plural and has no "-s" form).
- Saying "we did harvest" instead of "we did the harvesting" or "the harvest was done" (use the correct noun or verb form).
Quick quiz
1. What do you call the original family house passed down through generations?
2. Complete: "The villagers showed great ___."
3. What word describes feeling a fond longing for the past?
4. What is a piece of land planted with fruit trees called?
5. What do you call cows and buffaloes kept for farming or milk?
6. What is a covered porch attached to the front of a house called?
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