A2 · Elementary · Hobby · 145 words · ~2 min read

👨‍🍳 A Weekend Cookery Class

Language focus: Imperatives & sequencing · instructions

Before you read

A cookery class is instructions plus narration, so the story keeps switching between imperatives from the chef and the present simple describing Tom. Notice the sequencing words holding the whole process together.

On Saturday, Tom joins a weekend cookery class to learn how to make fresh pasta. The kitchen smells of garlic, herbs and warm bread.

“First, mix the flour and eggs,” says the chef. “Then knead the dough for ten minutes.” Tom follows each step carefully and mixes in a little olive oil.

“Next, roll the dough thinly and cut it into strips,” the chef explains. While the water boils, Tom heats up a rich tomato sauce.

Finally, everyone tastes their delicious pasta together. After the meal, the students wash up and happily swap their favourite recipes.

Tom has cooked pasta at home before, but he has never made it from scratch. The dough was stickier than he expected.

He is going to buy a pasta machine next month. If the first attempt at home goes well, he will invite his family for dinner on Sunday.

Key vocabulary (8 words)

cookerynoun: The art and skill of cooking.
chefnoun: A professional cook, especially the head cook.
doughnoun: A soft mixture of flour and liquid before baking.
kneadverb: To press and fold dough with your hands.
herbsnoun: Plants used to add flavour to food.
saucenoun: A thick liquid served with food.
recipenoun: Instructions for cooking a dish.
portionnoun: The amount of food for one person.

Phrasal verbs in this story

mix in — To mix in means to add something and combine it.
heat up — To heat up means to make food warm or hot.
wash up — To wash up means to clean the dishes after a meal.

The grammar in this story

Imperatives from the chef, present simple for Tom

“First, mix the flour and eggs,” says the chef — a bare imperative with no subject. “Tom follows each step carefully and mixes in a little olive oil” — present simple with the -s because the subject is Tom. The same action appears in two grammatical costumes, which makes this story unusually useful for seeing the difference.

Sequencing words organise the steps

First, Then, Next, Finally, and After the meal. Placed at the start of a sentence with a comma, they replace any need for exact times. English recipes and instructions rely on them almost exclusively.

while for two simultaneous actions

“While the water boils, Tom heats up a rich tomato sauce.” Two things happen at the same time, and both verbs are in the present simple here because the whole story is narrated in the present. At A2 you can also pair while with a continuous form.

mix in, heat up, wash up

Mix in = add and combine. Heat up = make warm again. Wash up = clean the dishes (in British English; American English uses do the dishes). Note wash up in British English does not mean washing your hands, which is a common source of confusion.

Phrases you can reuse today

First, mix the flour and eggs.: Sequencing word plus imperative — the recipe frame.
Knead the dough for ten minutes.: For plus a duration in an instruction.
While the water boils, heat up the sauce.: Two simultaneous actions joined by while.
Shall I wash up?: Shall I…? offers help. Wash up = do the dishes.

Comprehension quiz

What does Tom learn to make?
- Fresh pasta
- Birthday cake
- Soup
Show answer
Fresh pasta
What does he mix first?
- Flour and eggs
- Sugar and salt
- Rice and water
Show answer
Flour and eggs
He ___ a little olive oil.
- mixes in
- throws out
- runs out
Show answer
mixes in
While the water boils, he ___ the tomato sauce.
- heats up
- cools down
- freezes
Show answer
heats up
What do the students do after the meal?
- Wash up
- Go home immediately
- Start again
Show answer
Wash up
“Wash up” means to…
- clean the dishes
- wash your hands only
- take a shower
Show answer
clean the dishes

Now use it yourself

Reading builds recognition; writing your own sentences is what turns it into something you can actually say. Three short tasks:

Write your favourite recipe in six imperative steps with sequencing words.
Rewrite three of those steps as narration in the present simple.
Have you ever taken a class in a hobby? What did you learn?