Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about the home, household items, and chores.
Example: She puts the dirty clothes in the washing ___. (machine / room / shelf)
Answer: She puts the dirty clothes in the washing machine.
Home, Household and Chores
Where do you live? What does your home look like? And who does the washing up in your house? In this lesson, we look at essential vocabulary for talking about home, household objects, and chores — the everyday tasks we do to keep our homes clean and tidy.
Read this short situation first:
Maria lives in a small flat in the city. Every Saturday morning, she does her chores. She hoovers the living room, does the laundry, and washes the dishes. Her flatmate, Tom, takes out the rubbish and makes the beds. Afterwards, they both sit in the kitchen and have a cup of tea. "I love a clean flat!" says Maria.
In this lesson, you will learn the key words and phrases from situations like this one — vocabulary for the rooms in your home, common household objects, and the chores you do every week.
Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown
1. Rooms and Parts of the Home
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| flat | noun — a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a larger building | She rents a small flat near the train station. | a one-bedroom flat, a ground-floor flat, rent a flat |
| house | noun — a building where one family or group lives | They live in a big house with a garden. | a detached house, move house, buy a house |
| living room | noun — the main room in a home where people relax and sit together | We watch television in the living room every evening. | also called a sitting room or lounge |
| bedroom | noun — the room where you sleep | My bedroom has a large window and a wardrobe. | a double bedroom, a spare bedroom, go to your bedroom |
| kitchen | noun — the room where you cook and prepare food | Can you help me in the kitchen? Dinner is almost ready. | kitchen table, kitchen sink, be in the kitchen |
| bathroom | noun — the room with a bath or shower, and usually a toilet | The bathroom is upstairs, next to the bedroom. | bathroom cabinet, bathroom floor, use the bathroom |
| toilet | noun — the room (or the object) used for going to the toilet | Could you tell me where the toilet is, please? | In British English, toilet is the most common word. Also: loo (informal) |
| garden | noun — the outdoor area at the back or front of a house | The children are playing in the garden. | back garden, front garden, work in the garden |
| garage | noun — a small building next to a house where you keep a car | He parked the car in the garage. | a double garage, park in the garage |
| hall | noun — the small area inside the front door of a home | Leave your umbrella in the hall when you come in. | also called a hallway; entrance hall |
| upstairs | adverb / adjective — on or to a higher floor in a building | The bedrooms are all upstairs. | go upstairs, upstairs bathroom |
| downstairs | adverb / adjective — on or to a lower floor in a building | The kitchen and living room are downstairs. | come downstairs, downstairs toilet |
2. Household Objects and Furniture
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| furniture | noun (uncountable) — large objects in a home such as tables, chairs, and beds | They bought new furniture for the living room. | piece of furniture (NOT a furniture), wooden furniture |
| sofa | noun — a long, comfortable seat for two or more people | I like to read on the sofa in the evenings. | also called a couch; sit on the sofa |
| wardrobe | noun — a large cupboard where you hang your clothes | All my clothes are in the wardrobe in my bedroom. | open the wardrobe, a built-in wardrobe |
| cupboard | noun — a piece of furniture with doors, used for storing things | The plates and cups are in the cupboard above the sink. | kitchen cupboard, open a cupboard, cupboard door |
| shelf | noun — a flat board fixed to a wall or inside a cupboard, used for storing things | There are books on the shelf above the desk. | plural: shelves; put on the shelf, a bookshelf |
| curtains | noun (plural) — pieces of cloth that hang in front of a window | She opened the curtains to let in the morning light. | open / close / draw the curtains, thick curtains |
| carpet | noun — a thick covering for the floor, usually made of soft material | The bedroom has a soft, cream-coloured carpet. | fitted carpet, hoover the carpet, on the carpet |
| sink | noun — a fixed bowl in the kitchen or bathroom connected to water pipes | Leave the dirty dishes in the sink and I'll wash them later. | kitchen sink, bathroom sink, wash something in the sink |
| tap | noun — the object you turn to make water come out of a pipe | Don't forget to turn off the tap after you wash your hands. | turn on / off the tap, hot tap, cold tap |
| washing machine | noun — a machine that washes clothes automatically | I put my clothes in the washing machine this morning. | put on / use the washing machine, washing machine cycle |
| fridge | noun — a large electric machine that keeps food and drinks cold | Is there any milk in the fridge? | short for refrigerator; put in the fridge, open the fridge |
| bin | noun — a container for rubbish | Please put the empty bottles in the bin. | rubbish bin, recycling bin, empty the bin, take out the bin |
3. Household Chores and Cleaning
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| chore | noun — a regular, necessary household task | I have to do my chores before I go out. | do chores, household chores, everyday chores |
| hoover | verb / noun — to clean the floor using a vacuum cleaner; also the machine itself | She hoovers the living room every Saturday. | hoover the carpet / floor; also: vacuum (more formal) |
| mop | verb / noun — to clean a hard floor with a wet mop (a tool with a long handle) | He mopped the kitchen floor after cooking. | mop the floor, use a mop |
| sweep | verb — to clean a floor by pushing dirt away with a brush | Can you sweep the hall? There's a lot of dust on the floor. | sweep the floor, sweep up, use a broom to sweep |
| dust | verb / noun — to remove the thin layer of dry dirt from surfaces; also the dirt itself | I need to dust the shelves — they're very dirty. | dust the furniture, dust the shelves; dusty (adjective) |
| do the washing up | phrase — to wash the dirty dishes and pots after a meal | Whose turn is it to do the washing up tonight? | also: wash up; washing-up liquid (the soap used) |
| do the laundry | phrase — to wash, dry, and sometimes iron clothes | I do the laundry every Monday morning. | also: do the washing; put on a wash |
| iron | verb / noun — to make clothes smooth using a hot iron; also the tool itself | He ironed his shirt before the job interview. | iron clothes / a shirt, use an iron, ironing board |
| make the bed | phrase — to arrange the sheets and pillows on a bed neatly | Please make your bed before you go to school. | make the bed every morning |
| take out the rubbish | phrase — to carry the bin bags outside for collection | Don't forget to take out the rubbish — it's collection day tomorrow. | also: put the bins out; rubbish collection |
| tidy up | phrasal verb — to put things in their correct place and make an area look neat | Let's tidy up the living room before our guests arrive. | tidy up the room / kitchen / house; also: tidy (adjective) = neat and organised |
| wash up | phrasal verb — to wash the dishes after a meal (British English) | I'll wash up while you dry the dishes. | Note: in American English, wash up means to wash your hands and face |
| clean | verb / adjective — to remove dirt from something; also means not dirty | She cleaned the bathroom on Sunday morning. | clean the bathroom / windows / house; a clean flat |
| rubbish | noun (uncountable) — things you throw away; waste | There is too much rubbish in this bin. I need to empty it. | rubbish bin, take out the rubbish; American English: garbage / trash |
Collocations and Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Learning them together helps you sound more natural.
do + the washing up
It's your turn to do the washing up after dinner.
do + the laundry / the washing
I usually do the laundry on Sundays.
do + the ironing
He does the ironing while he watches television.
do + the hoovering
Can you do the hoovering this morning? The carpet is very dirty.
make + the bed
She always makes the bed as soon as she gets up.
take out + the rubbish / the bins
Remember to take out the bins before Tuesday morning.
tidy up + the room / the kitchen / the house
Let's tidy up the kitchen before Mum gets home.
open / close / draw + the curtains
He opened the curtains and looked outside at the rain.
turn on / turn off + the tap
Don't leave the tap on when you brush your teeth.
put something in + the fridge / the bin / the cupboard
Put the leftovers in the fridge so they stay fresh.
rent / buy + a flat / a house
They want to buy a house with a garden next year.
move + house
We're moving house next month — I'm very excited!
Important Differences and Confusing Words
House vs. Flat vs. Home
House refers to a building, usually with more than one floor and often with a garden. A flat is a set of rooms on one floor inside a larger building. Home is more general — it means the place where you live and feel comfortable. You can use home for a house, a flat, or any place where you live.
She lives in a house in the countryside.
He rents a small flat in the city centre.
I'm going home now. I'm tired.
Tidy vs. Clean
Tidy means things are in their correct place — nothing is out of order or messy. Clean means there is no dirt. A room can be tidy but not clean (everything is in order, but there is dust), or clean but not tidy (it has been washed, but things are everywhere).
Her bedroom is very tidy — everything is in the right place.
Please clean the bathroom — the sink is dirty.
Hoover vs. Vacuum
Both words describe the same action — using a machine to suck up dust from the floor. Hoover is the common British English word (it comes from a famous brand name). Vacuum is the more formal or American English word. Both are correct in British English.
I need to hoover the living room — there's dog hair everywhere.
Could you vacuum the bedroom, please?
Wash Up vs. Do the Washing Up
In British English, both wash up and do the washing up mean to clean the dishes after a meal. However, in American English, wash up means to wash your hands and face. Be careful with this difference!
British English: I'll wash up after dinner. (= clean the dishes)
American English: Go and wash up before dinner. (= wash your hands)
Rubbish vs. Garbage vs. Litter
Rubbish is the standard British English word for waste you throw away. Garbage and trash are the American English equivalents. Litter is rubbish that is dropped in a public place — on the street or in a park — rather than in a bin.
Can you put that in the rubbish bin?
Don't drop litter in the park — use a bin.
Common Mistakes
❌ I must do a hoovering.
✅ I must do the hoovering. — Use the with household chore phrases: do the hoovering, do the ironing, do the washing up.
❌ I need to make a laundry.
✅ I need to do the laundry. — We say do the laundry, not make. Laundry is also uncountable, so no article a.
❌ She made the washing up after dinner.
✅ She did the washing up after dinner. — We always use do, not make, with household chores.
❌ There is a furniture in the living room.
✅ There is some furniture in the living room. — Furniture is uncountable in English. We cannot say a furniture. Say: a piece of furniture.
❌ I live in a home with a garden.
✅ I live in a house with a garden. — When describing the type of building, use house or flat. Use home when talking about going back or feeling at home.
❌ Can you sweep the carpet?
✅ Can you hoover / vacuum the carpet? — We sweep hard floors (wood, tiles). We hoover or vacuum carpets.
❌ I cleaned up my bedroom — everything is in the right place now.
✅ I tidied up my bedroom — everything is in the right place now. — Use tidy up when you put things in order. Use clean when you remove dirt.
❌ The shelfs are full of books.
✅ The shelves are full of books. — The plural of shelf is shelves, not shelfs.
Home, Household and Chores: Quick Summary and Review
In this lesson, you have learned important vocabulary for talking about your home, household objects, and chores in English. Here are the key points to remember:
- Use house or flat for the type of building. Use home to talk about where you live in a general, personal way.
- Rooms include the living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and hall. Things can be upstairs or downstairs.
- Common household objects include the sofa, wardrobe, cupboard, shelf, curtains, fridge, washing machine, and bin.
- For chores, we almost always use the verb do: do the washing up, do the laundry, do the hoovering, do the ironing.
- Use make only for: make the bed.
- Remember the difference between tidy (in order, not messy) and clean (no dirt).
- Furniture is uncountable. Say a piece of furniture, not a furniture.
- The plural of shelf is shelves.
Now practise home, household and chores vocabulary in the exercises below.
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