ENGLISH ACTIVITY

Manners are Important

Britain is the birthplace of
Newton, Darwin, Shakespeare and the Beatles; home of the world's largest foreign
exchange market, the world's richest football club - Manchester United , the inventor of
the hovercraft and the JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books. From Scotland
to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long
histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they're all interesting and are all
part of the British way of life. There are some interesting stories that have to do with
British life.

The word sandwich that we use today was born in London during the very late hours
one night in 1762 when an English nobleman, John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of
Sandwich (1718-1792), was too busy gambling to stop for a meal even though he was
hungry for some food. The legend goes that he ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef
between two slices of bread. The Earl was able to continue his gambling while eating
his snack; and from that incident, we have inherited that quick-food product that we
now know as the sandwich. He apparently had the meat put on slices of bread so he
wouldn’t get his fingers greasy while he was playing cards.

The English are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are famous for
their politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of humour. Basic
politeness (please, thank you, excuse me) is expected.

Do´s and Don´ts in England

Do stand on line: In England we like to form orderly queues ( standing
in line) and wait patiently for our turn: boarding a bus.It is usual to
queue when required and expected that you will take your correct
turn and not push in front( Queue jumping).
Do say “ Excuse me”: If someone is blocking your way and you would
like them to move, say excuse me and they will move out of your
way.

Do say “Please” and “Thank you”: It is very good manners to say

“Please and “Thank you”. It is considered rude if you don´t. You will
notice in England that they say “Thank you a lot”.

Do cover your mouth: When yawning or coughing always cover your

mouth with your hand..

Do shake hands: When you are first introduced to someone, shake

their right hand with your own right hand.

Do say “sorry”: If you accidentally bumo into someone, say “sorry”.

They probably will too, even if it was your fault.

Do “smile”: A smile face is a welcoming face.

Do drive on the left side of the road.

Do “ open doors “ for other people: Men and women both hold open
the door for each other. It depends on who goes through the door
first.

Do not greet people with a kiss: we only kiss people who are close
friends or relatives.

Avoid talking loudly in public

It is impolite to stare at anyone in public.

Do not ask a lady her age: It is considered impolite.

Do not pick your nose in public: if your nostrils need de-bugging, use
a handkerchief.

Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging: this is only

done among close friends.

Do not spit: Spitting in the street is considered to be very bad

mannered.

Do not burp in public: you may feel better by burping loudly after
eating or drinking, but other people will not. If you cannot stop a burp
from bursting out, then cover your mouth with your hand and say
“excuse me “ afterwards.

It is Impolite to speak with your mouth full of food.

Do not ask personal or intimate questions such as “How much money
do you earn?”, How much do you weigh? Or Why aren´t you married?.

Never eat off a knife when having a meal.

Time
British people place considerable value on punctuality. If you
agree to meet friends at three o'clock, you can bet that they'll be
there just before three. In Britain, people make great effort to
arrive on time. It is often considered impolite to arrive even a
few minutes late. If you are unable to keep an appointment, it is
expected that you call the person you are meeting.

How to Greet someone in Britain

T h e Han ds h ak e

A handshake is the most common form of greeting among the English and British
people and is customary when you are introduced to somebody new.

T h e Kis s

It is only when you meet friends, whom you haven't seen for a long time, that you
would kiss the cheek of the opposite sex. In Britain one kiss is generally enough.

Fo rm a l greetin gs

The usual formal greeting is a 'How do you do?' and a firm handshake, but with a lighter
touch between men and women.

‘How do you do?’ is a greeting not a question and the correct response is to repeat ‘How
do you do?' You say this when shaking hands with someone.

First person "How do you do?"

Second person " How do you do?"

'How are you?' is a question and the most common and polite response is "I am fine
thank you and you?"

First person "How are you?"

Second person "I am fine thank you and you?"
Nice to meet you – Nice to meet you too. (Often said whilst shaking hands)

Delighted to meet you– Delighted to meet you too.

Pleased to meet you – Pleased to meet you too. .

Glad to meet you - Glad to meet you too

Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good Evening

In f o rmal greetin gs

Hi - Hi or hello

Morning / Afternoon / Evening ( We drop the word 'Good' in informal situations).

How's you? - Fine thanks. You?

T h an k you / th ank s / ch eers

We sometime say 'cheers' instead of thank you. You may hear 'cheers' said
instead of 'good by

Meals and Meal Times

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the
evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and
perhaps some crisps and some fruit.

W e h a ve th ree main meals a d ay:

• Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,

• Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
• Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between
6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)

Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:

• Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,

 • Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
• Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.

On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening.
This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, yorkshire pudding and
two or three kinds of vegetables.

BREAKFAST

What is a typical English Breakfast?

Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs,
bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup
of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl
of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee.

Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal. They are made
with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc.

In the winter many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats.

What is the traditional English Breakfast?

The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread,
baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast
today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain.

The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to
as 'The Full English Fry-up'.
LU N C H

What is a typical British lunch?

Many children at school and adults at work will

have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a
sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a
drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic
container.

Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie'

in some parts of the UK.

My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonnaise. I also love tuna and mayonnaise and
ham and pickle sandwiches.

DINNER

The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.

What is a traditional British Dinner?

A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot brown gravy,
(traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat, but more often today from a
packet!) on the meat and usually the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always
potatoes.
What is a typical British Dinner like today?

The traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, apart from on Sundays. A recent survey
found that most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta dishes are now favoured as the
'British Dinner'.

Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still
very popular.

T h e Su n d ay Roas t D in n er

Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast.

Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two
different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common
joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular.

Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb
with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.

ST UD ENT A CTI V I T Y

• Which of the follow i ng socia l custom s a re

sim ila r or d ifferen t to your coun try?
• Ma k e a sim ila r list for visito rs to your country.

Write 7 different do’s and don’ts about English and

Spanish manners and uses

Do’s Don´ts

Engl Spain England Spain

and
Make a list of do’s and don´ts for visitors to Spain
Do’s Don´ts