Family TV Time

In the evening, Rahul and his parents sit together to watch television, taking turns choosing what to watch.

Meanings in Rahul, Sunita (mother), Vikram (father)

Key words and phrases

televisiona device used to watch shows and channelsThey watch television every evening.

remote controla device used to operate a television from a distanceHe pressed a button on the remote control.

channela specific station on televisionHe changed the channel to the cartoon show.

cartoonan animated show, often for childrenRahul loves watching cartoons.

volumehow loud or quiet the sound isPlease turn down the volume.

newsinformation about recent events shown on televisionHis father watches the news every night.

take turnsto do something one after another, sharing fairlyThey take turns choosing a show.

screen timethe amount of time spent watching a screenHis parents limit his screen time to an hour.

favorite showthe program a person likes bestThis is Rahul's favorite show.

togetherwith each other, as a groupThe family watches TV together every night.

subtitlestext shown on screen translating or displaying the spoken wordsRahul turns on subtitles to understand better.

advertisementa short message on TV promoting a productThe advertisement came on before the show started.

episodeone part of a TV series shown at a timeThey watched two episodes of the show tonight.

seriesa set of TV episodes with the same story or charactersThis series has ten episodes.

streamingwatching shows online instead of on regular TV channelsThey are streaming a movie tonight.

muteto turn off the sound completelyHe muted the TV when the phone rang.

channel surfingquickly changing channels to see what is onPapa was channel surfing before dinner.

documentarya TV program that gives facts about a real topicVikram enjoys watching wildlife documentaries.

sports matcha game shown live on televisionPapa never misses a cricket sports match.

cooking showa program that teaches how to prepare foodMom likes watching a cooking show on Sundays.

Useful sentences

Ask Can I hold the remote control today?
Answer Sure, but let's take turns choosing the channel.
Ask Can we watch cartoons now?
Answer Yes, after the news is over.
Ask Can you turn up the volume a little?
Answer Sure, is that better now?
Ask How much screen time do I have left today?
Answer About twenty more minutes.
Ask What is your favorite show, Papa?
Answer I enjoy watching the news the most.
Ask Can we turn on the subtitles?
Answer Yes, that will help you understand the English better.
Ask Why do you always watch the news documentary?
Answer Because I like learning about real events.
Ask Can we watch one more episode before bed?
Answer Okay, but only one, then it's time to sleep.
Ask Is this show streaming or on a regular channel?
Answer It's streaming, so we can watch it anytime.
Ask Can you mute the TV? The phone is ringing.
Answer Sure, I'll mute it right away.

Dialogue

RahulPapa, can we watch cartoons together tonight?

VikramSure, but let's watch the news first.

RahulOkay. Can I hold the remote control until then?

SunitaYes, but remember, we take turns choosing shows.

RahulI remember, Mom. After the news, it's my turn for cartoons!

VikramThat's fair. Let's all enjoy our family TV time together.

RahulPapa, can we also watch a documentary about animals sometime?

VikramOf course, we can find one on the streaming app this weekend.

SunitaAnd after that, let's watch one episode of my favorite cooking show.

RahulThat sounds like a fun plan for family TV time!

Common mistakes

Saying "Open the TV" instead of "Turn on the TV" (use "turn on/off," not "open/close," for electronic devices).
Saying "Sound is high" instead of "The volume is loud" or "Please turn down the volume."
Saying "I watch TV daily many hours" instead of "I watch a lot of TV every day" or "I watch TV for many hours daily" (correct word order).
Saying "Close the TV" instead of "Turn off the TV" (electronic devices are turned on/off, not opened/closed).
Saying "I am seeing TV" instead of "I am watching TV" (use "watch," not "see," for shows and programs).
Saying "Silence the TV" instead of "Mute the TV" (use "mute," the correct word for turning off sound on a device).

Quick quiz

1. What device is used to operate a television from a distance?

2. Complete: "His parents limit his ___ to an hour."

3. What word means to do something one after another, sharing fairly?

4. What do you call text on screen that shows the spoken words?

5. Complete: "He ___ the TV when the phone rang."

6. What word means one part of a TV series shown at a time?

Practise speaking and listening

The free Day to Day English app turns every lesson into practice with audio, a story you follow and more than 1680 words to learn.

Free for AndroidPractise in the app

menu_book Key words and phrases

forum Useful sentences

chat Dialogue

error Common mistakes

quiz Quick quiz