Vocabulary Lessons

Doing housework is just a part of life that most people don’t enjoy, but they realize it has to be done. Some people hire home cleaning services; the rest of us just do it ourselves. Listen to the words below and consult a dictionary if you need a definition. Write a sample sentence for each word to learn how it is used in context. You can use the Internet to find such sentences or related information.

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

1. clean off the table (also, “clean the table off“)
2. clean up the room
3. dust the furniture
4. fix up the apartment
5. hang up the suit
6. make the bed
7. mop the floor
8. pick up the clothes
9. polish the furniture
10. put away the books
11. set the table
12. sweep up the mess
13. take out the trash
14. throw out the garbage
15. tidy up the closet
16. turn off the light
17. vacuum the floor
18. wash the clothes
19. wash down the walls
20. watch the kids

Who does the housework in your family? Do men, women, and children share in the household chores? Do you think children should be required to do housework in order to receive allowance?