Sharing Responsibilities

Rahul and Priya work out how to divide household chores and financial responsibilities fairly between the two of them.

Meanings in Rahul, Priya

Key words and phrases

choresregular small tasks done at homeThey split the household chores evenly.

responsibilitya duty that a person is expected to handleCooking is Rahul's responsibility on weekdays.

expensesmoney spent on goods and servicesThey track their monthly expenses together.

split the billto divide a payment between two peopleThey decided to split the electricity bill.

teamworkworking together to achieve somethingManaging the house takes real teamwork.

schedulea plan of when things will happenThey made a weekly cleaning schedule.

cooperateto work together helpfullyIt's easier when both partners cooperate.

fairreasonable and equal in treatmentThey tried to keep the division of chores fair.

savingsmoney kept aside for the futureThey put some money into savings every month.

compromisean agreement reached by both sides giving a littleThey reached a compromise about who cooks on weekends.

budgeta plan for how money will be spentThey set a monthly budget for groceries.

delegateto hand over a task to someone elseShe delegated the ironing to the house help.

workloadthe amount of work a person has to doHis workload increased after the promotion.

accountabilitybeing responsible for one's actions or dutiesBoth partners believe in accountability at home.

contributionthe share a person gives toward a shared goalEveryone's contribution matters in a household.

division of laborhow tasks are split between peopleThey agreed on a fair division of labor.

joint accounta bank account shared by two or more peopleThey opened a joint account for household expenses.

prioritysomething treated as more important than other thingsPaying the loan on time is their top priority.

negotiateto discuss something to reach an agreementThey negotiated who would cook on which days.

mutual respectrespect that both people show each other equallyTheir partnership is built on mutual respect.

Useful sentences

Ask Can we divide the household chores between us?
Answer Sure, I'll take care of cooking, and you handle the cleaning.
Ask How should we manage our monthly expenses?
Answer Let's split the bills equally and save the rest.
Ask Whose responsibility is grocery shopping this week?
Answer It's mine this week, yours next week.
Ask Can we make a cleaning schedule for the week?
Answer That sounds like a good idea.
Ask Should we start putting money into savings?
Answer Yes, let's set aside a fixed amount every month.
Ask Should we set a monthly budget together?
Answer Yes, that will help us plan our spending.
Ask Can you delegate some tasks to the house help?
Answer Sure, I'll ask her to handle the ironing too.
Ask Do you think our workload is balanced?
Answer Mostly, but I could use some help on weekends.
Ask Should we open a joint account for shared expenses?
Answer That's a great idea, let's do it this week.
Ask What's our top priority this month?
Answer Paying off the loan installment on time.

Dialogue

PriyaI think we should divide the chores more clearly.

RahulYou're right. I'll handle the dishes and the groceries.

PriyaAnd I'll take care of cooking and the laundry.

RahulThat sounds fair. What about the bills?

PriyaLet's split them equally and save whatever is left.

RahulGood plan. Teamwork really does make things easier.

PriyaMaybe we should also set a monthly budget.

RahulGood idea. We could even open a joint account for shared expenses.

PriyaThat would make tracking contributions easier.

RahulLet's negotiate the details this weekend and finalize everything.

Common mistakes

Saying "We are dividing works" instead of "We are dividing the chores" or "We are dividing the work" (use singular "work" or the specific word "chores").
Saying "It is my duty only" instead of "It is only my responsibility" (place "only" naturally before the noun).
Saying "We are saving money together" for a joint plan instead of the more natural "We are putting money into savings together."
Saying "We are having budget" instead of "We have a budget" or "We set a budget."
Saying "I delegate her the task" instead of "I delegated the task to her."
Saying "Open joint account" instead of "Open a joint account" (don't drop the article).

Quick quiz

1. What word describes an agreement where both sides give a little?

2. Complete: "Let's ___ the electricity bill."

3. What word means money kept aside for the future?

4. What word means a plan for how money will be spent?

5. Complete: "They opened a ___ account for shared expenses."

6. What word means to hand over a task to someone else?

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