Place Setting
Mom: John, will (would) you please set the table?
John: Yes, Mom.
How many are eating?
Mom: Today?
Tonight?
This morning?
We will have
(number):
name, name, . . .
There will be (number)
for (meal).
Well, there¡¯s (name)
. . .. That¡¯s (number).
John: Okay, so there will be (number).
__________________________________________________
Mom: John, you' ve set the table all wrong.
John: I forgot how it goes?
Mom: The place mat is centered in front of the chair on the table.
The
dinner plate is centered on
the place mat,
one inch from the bottom edge. The forks go on the left and the
knives
and spoons on
the right of the dinner plate: the dinner fork first and then the salad
fork
and the knife
and then the spoon. Make sure that the sharp-edge of the knife is
toward
the
plate.
John: Where does the water goblet go?
Mom: The water goblet goes to the right above the dinner plate with
the wineglass. And the wineglass
is right of
the water glass, inline with it.
John: And the coffee cup?
Mom: The coffee cup goes to the right of the dinner plate next to
the
spoon, and the bread plate
goes above the
forks, slightly to the right of the dinner plate. Put the butter knife
on the
top-edge of
the bread plate horizontally.
John: And the rest?
Mom: The dessert plate is centered above the dinner plate and the
dessert
fork or spoon goes on
the upper edge,
horizontal to the dinner plate. Remember to align the silver 1/2-inch
from
the table edge.
Put the salad plate to the left of the salad fork.
There! That
looks much better. Center the napkin on the dinner plate, and I will
get
the food.
Place Setting, Simplified
Place mat
Plate
Fork
Knife
Water glass
Napkin
Where does the . . . go?
Put the mat in front of the chair.
Where does the . . . go?
Put the plate in the center.
Put the fork on the left.
Put the knife on the right.
Put the water glass above and right of the plate.
Put the napkin on the plate, centered.
Where does the food go?
It goes on the plate.