Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about common everyday things and actions.
Example: I drink a cup of _____ every morning. (coffee / chair / door)
Answer: I drink a cup of coffee every morning.
Common Everyday Vocabulary
Learning common everyday vocabulary is the first and most important step in speaking English. These are the words you will use every single day — when you wake up, eat breakfast, go to work or school, and talk to people around you. In this lesson, we will look at the most useful everyday English words for beginners.
Imagine this situation: It is Monday morning. Maria wakes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and goes to school. She carries a bag, drinks water, and talks to her friend. She feels happy today.
All of the words in that short story are common everyday words. Let's learn them now!
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. People & Family Words
These words describe the people in your life — at home, at school, and in your community.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| man | noun — an adult male person | The man is at the shop. | Plural: men |
| woman | noun — an adult female person | The woman has a red bag. | Plural: women |
| child | noun — a young boy or girl | The child is playing in the park. | Plural: children |
| friend | noun — a person you like and spend time with | My friend lives near my house. | Very common word at A1 |
| family | noun — a group of people related to you | I have a big family. | e.g. mother, father, sister, brother |
| teacher | noun — a person who teaches at school | My teacher is very kind. | Also: student (a person who learns) |
2. Everyday Objects & Places
These words describe the things you use and the places you go every day.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| house | noun — a building where people live | I live in a small house. | Also: home (the place you live) |
| school | noun — a place where children learn | She goes to school every day. | Common phrase: go to school |
| shop | noun — a place where you buy things | I go to the shop on Saturday. | Also: supermarket (a large shop) |
| bag | noun — a container you carry things in | I put my books in my bag. | e.g. school bag, shopping bag |
| book | noun — a set of written pages you read | This book is very interesting. | Common: read a book |
| phone | noun — a device used to call or message people | My phone is on the table. | Also: mobile phone |
| table | noun — a piece of furniture with a flat top | We eat dinner at the table. | Related: chair |
| water | noun — a clear liquid that you drink | I drink water every morning. | Common: a glass of water |
| food | noun — things you eat | The food at this restaurant is great. | e.g. bread, rice, fruit, vegetables |
| car | noun — a vehicle with four wheels | My father drives a red car. | Common: drive a car |
3. Common Action Words (Verbs)
These are verbs — words that describe things you do every day.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| go | verb — to move from one place to another | I go to work by bus. | Irregular: go / went / gone |
| eat | verb — to put food in your mouth and swallow it | We eat lunch at 1 o'clock. | Common: eat breakfast / lunch / dinner |
| drink | verb — to swallow a liquid | She drinks coffee every morning. | Irregular: drink / drank / drunk |
| sleep | verb — to rest with your eyes closed at night | I sleep for eight hours every night. | Related noun: sleep (I need sleep.) |
| walk | verb — to move on foot at a normal speed | I walk to school every day. | Common: walk to + place |
| talk | verb — to speak with someone | We talk about our day at dinner. | Common: talk to / talk about |
| work | verb — to do a job or task | My mother works in a hospital. | Also a noun: I go to work at 9am. |
| open | verb — to move something so it is not closed | Please open the door. | Opposite: close |
| need | verb — to require something important | I need a pen for the exam. | Common: I need to + verb |
| like | verb — to enjoy or feel good about something | I like music and films. | Common: I like + noun / I like + verb-ing |
4. Describing Words (Adjectives)
These words describe people, places, and things.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| big | adjective — large in size | They live in a big house. | Opposite: small |
| small | adjective — not large in size | I have a small car. | Opposite: big |
| good | adjective — of high quality; pleasant | This is a good book. | Opposite: bad |
| new | adjective — recently made or bought | I have a new phone. | Opposite: old |
| happy | adjective — feeling pleased and joyful | She is happy today. | Opposite: sad |
| tired | adjective — feeling that you need to rest or sleep | I am tired after work. | Common: feel tired |
| hot | adjective — having a high temperature | The coffee is very hot. | Opposite: cold |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
A collocation is when two words are often used together. Here are some very common everyday collocations in English:
go + to school / work / the shop
I go to school at 8 o'clock.
eat + breakfast / lunch / dinner
We eat breakfast together every morning.
drink + water / coffee / tea
She drinks tea in the afternoon.
have + a family / a friend / a car / a job
He has a good job in the city.
talk + to (a person) / about (a topic)
I talk to my friend every day.
We talk about football at school.
feel + happy / tired / good / bad
I feel tired after a long day.
open / close + the door / the window / the shop
Please close the window — it is cold!
need + a + noun
I need a bag for the supermarket.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
House vs. Home
These two words are very similar, but they have a small difference:
- House is the physical building — the structure made of walls and a roof.
They live in a white house. - Home is the place where you feel you belong — it can be a house, a flat, or even a city.
I want to go home.
London is my home.
Big vs. Large
Both words mean "not small," but at A1 level, big is more common in everyday spoken English.
- This is a big bag. ✅ (very natural, everyday English)
- This is a large bag. ✅ (also correct, but slightly more formal)
Like vs. Love
- Like — you enjoy something.
I like music. - Love — you enjoy something very much, or you have strong feelings for someone.
I love my family.
I love pizza!
Go vs. Come
- Go — movement away from where you are now.
I go to the shop. (You are leaving your current place.) - Come — movement towards where the speaker is.
Come to my house! (You want the other person to move towards you.)
Common Mistakes
❌ I go to the school every day.
✅ I go to school every day. (Do not use "the" with school, work, or home in general statements.)
❌ She have a big family.
✅ She has a big family. (Use has, not have, with he / she / it.)
❌ I am need a pen.
✅ I need a pen. (Do not use am before need. Need is not a continuous verb.)
❌ I like play football.
✅ I like playing football. (After like, use verb + -ing: I like eating, I like walking.)
❌ He is go to work now.
✅ He is going to work now. (For present continuous, use verb + -ing.)
❌ The food is very good, I like it very much it.
✅ The food is very good. I like it very much. (Do not repeat the pronoun it twice.)
Common Everyday Vocabulary: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned the most important common everyday vocabulary for English beginners. Here is a quick review of what we covered:
- People words: man, woman, child, friend, family, teacher
- Object and place words: house, school, shop, bag, book, phone, table, water, food, car
- Action verbs: go, eat, drink, sleep, walk, talk, work, open, need, like
- Describing words: big, small, good, new, happy, tired, hot
- Key collocations: go to school, eat breakfast, drink water, feel tired, have a job
- Key differences: house vs. home, like vs. love, go vs. come
Remember: the best way to learn common everyday vocabulary is to use these words every day. Try to say one sentence in English every morning using a word from this lesson!
Now practise common everyday vocabulary in the exercises below.
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