Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about society and everyday life.
Example: She goes to the local market every Saturday to buy fresh ___. (vegetables / furniture / medicine)
Answer: She goes to the local market every Saturday to buy fresh vegetables.
Society and Everyday Life: Essential Vocabulary for Intermediate Learners
Whether you are talking about your local community, discussing current issues, or simply describing your daily routine, knowing the right vocabulary for society and everyday life will help you communicate more naturally and confidently in English. In this lesson, you will learn key words and phrases that native English speakers use when talking about living, working, and interacting with the world around them.
Mini Situation: A Conversation at a Community Centre
Maria has just moved to a new town. She visits the local community centre to find out about activities and meet her neighbours. She speaks to the receptionist, Tom:
"Hello! I've just moved to this neighbourhood. I'm looking for ways to get involved in the local community. Are there any volunteer programmes or social events I could join?"
"Absolutely! We have a lot going on. There's a recycling campaign this weekend, a public debate about affordable housing next Tuesday, and we run a support group for people who feel isolated. Everyone is welcome!"
This short conversation introduces many of today's key words. Let's look at them in detail.
Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown
1. Community and Social Life
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| community | noun — a group of people who live in the same area or share the same interests | The local community came together to clean the park. | local community, sense of community, community centre, online community |
| neighbourhood | noun — the area near where you live; the people who live there | It's a very friendly neighbourhood — everyone knows each other. | in the neighbourhood, friendly neighbourhood, rough neighbourhood |
| citizen | noun — a person who belongs to a country or city, either by birth or by law | Every citizen has the right to vote in a general election. | senior citizen, responsible citizen, citizen of + country |
| volunteer | noun / verb — a person who does work without being paid; to offer to do something for free | She volunteers at the local food bank every Saturday. | volunteer for, volunteer work, voluntary organisation |
| social event | noun phrase — a planned occasion where people meet and spend time together | The school organises social events so that parents can get to know each other. | organise / attend / hold a social event |
| get involved (in) | phrasal verb — to begin taking part in an activity or group | I decided to get involved in local politics after reading about housing issues. | get involved in, become involved in, deeply involved |
| isolated | adjective — feeling alone and cut off from other people | Elderly people often feel isolated if they live alone. | feel isolated, become isolated, isolated from others |
| support group | noun — a group of people who meet to help each other with a shared problem or difficulty | He joined a support group after losing his job. | join / run / attend a support group |
2. Society, Issues, and Change
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| affordable | adjective — cheap enough for people to be able to buy or pay for | There is a serious shortage of affordable housing in many cities. | affordable housing, affordable prices, afford + to + verb |
| campaign | noun / verb — a planned series of activities to achieve a goal, often social or political | They launched a campaign to reduce plastic waste in the city. | launch / run / join a campaign, campaign for / against something |
| debate | noun / verb — a formal or public discussion about an important topic where people share different opinions | There is a public debate about whether to build a new road through the park. | public debate, debate about / on, take part in a debate |
| equality | noun — the state of being treated fairly and having the same rights as others | Many people are fighting for gender equality in the workplace. | gender equality, racial equality, equality of opportunity |
| poverty | noun — the state of being very poor and not having enough money or resources | The charity works to reduce poverty in rural areas. | live in poverty, reduce / tackle / escape poverty, extreme poverty |
| recycling | noun — the process of treating used materials so they can be used again | The council has introduced new recycling bins for glass and paper. | recycling bin / centre, recycle + material, encourage recycling |
| pressure | noun — a strong feeling of stress caused by demands, expectations, or problems | Young people often feel pressure to do well in their exams. | under pressure, put pressure on, peer pressure |
| responsibility | noun — a duty or obligation to do something or to take care of someone | It is our responsibility to look after the environment for future generations. | take responsibility for, have a responsibility to, shared responsibility |
3. Daily Life and Routines
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech and Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| routine | noun / adjective — a regular way of doing things; describes something done regularly without much thought | My morning routine includes a short walk and a cup of tea. | daily / morning / evening routine, stick to a routine, break your routine |
| habit | noun — something you do regularly, often without thinking about it | Biting your nails is a common nervous habit. | bad / good habit, develop a habit, break a habit, habit of + -ing |
| commute | noun / verb — the regular journey between home and work or school | His daily commute takes over an hour by train. | long / daily commute, commute to work, commute by train / bus / car |
| queue | noun / verb — a line of people waiting for something; to wait in a line | There was a long queue outside the post office this morning. | join / stand in a queue, queue up, queue for something |
| leisure | noun — free time when you are not working; time spent doing enjoyable activities | What do you like to do in your leisure time? | leisure time, leisure activities, leisure centre |
| deal with | phrasal verb — to take action to handle or manage a situation or problem | She doesn't know how to deal with the stress of her new job. | deal with a problem / situation / issue, difficult to deal with |
| attitude | noun — a person's way of thinking or feeling about something | His attitude towards recycling changed after watching a documentary about pollution. | attitude towards / to, positive / negative attitude, change your attitude |
| income | noun — the money a person earns regularly from work or other sources | It can be very difficult to save money on a low income. | low / high income, monthly income, earn an income, income tax |
Collocations and Useful Expressions
get involved + in
It's important to get involved in your local community.
Use in after "get involved" when talking about activities or groups.
take + responsibility + for
The government needs to take responsibility for improving public transport.
We always use for after "responsibility" when saying what the responsibility is about.
campaign + for / against
They are campaigning for better workers' rights.
Many people campaigned against the new motorway.
Use for when you support something, and against when you oppose it.
live + in + poverty
Millions of people around the world still live in poverty.
We say live in poverty, not "live with poverty" or "live of poverty".
depend + on
Whether we recycle more depends on people's attitudes.
"Depend" always takes the preposition on in English.
deal + with
Community workers help people deal with loneliness and isolation.
"Deal with" is a very common phrasal verb. Do not separate it — say "deal with the problem", not "deal the problem with".
put + pressure + on
Social media puts a lot of pressure on young people to look perfect.
This is a very useful expression for discussing social issues.
stick + to + a routine
It's easier to stay healthy if you stick to a routine.
Use stick to when you continue to follow a plan or habit.
Important Differences and Confusing Words
Habit vs Routine
These two words are related but have slightly different meanings:
- A habit is something you do regularly, often automatically or without planning. It can be good or bad: a bad habit, a healthy habit.
- A routine is a regular and planned set of actions done at a specific time. Routines are usually structured and deliberate.
Brushing your teeth before bed is both a good habit and part of your evening routine.
Checking your phone constantly is a habit, but it is probably not part of a planned routine.
Community vs Society
- Community refers to a smaller, specific group of people — often those who live in the same area or share a common identity: the local community, the Muslim community, an online community.
- Society refers to people in general living together in an organised way, usually within a country or large group: modern society, British society, a benefit to society.
It is important that every community has access to good schools.
Society as a whole needs to address the problem of poverty.
Afford vs Affordable
- Afford is a verb used with can / can't: I can't afford to buy a new car.
- Affordable is an adjective describing prices or things that are not too expensive: We need more affordable homes in this city.
Do not say "The house is very afford." — use the adjective form: "The house is very affordable."
Leisure vs Free Time
Both expressions mean time when you are not working, and they are often used interchangeably. However:
- Leisure is slightly more formal and is commonly used in collocations like leisure time, leisure centre, leisure activities.
- Free time is more informal and conversational: What do you do in your free time?
Pressure vs Stress
- Pressure comes from outside — it is caused by demands, expectations, or situations: exam pressure, peer pressure.
- Stress is the feeling inside — the way your body and mind react to pressure: I feel a lot of stress at work.
The pressure of modern life causes many people to feel stress.
Common Mistakes
❌ She is very interested on local politics.
✅ interested in — She is very interested in local politics.
The correct preposition after "interested" is always in.
❌ He joined a campaign for fight against poverty.
✅ to fight — He joined a campaign to fight against poverty.
After "a campaign", use the infinitive to + verb, not "for + verb".
❌ I can't afford buying a new laptop.
✅ afford to buy — I can't afford to buy a new laptop.
"Afford" is always followed by to + infinitive, not a gerund (-ing form).
❌ There were a lot of peoples waiting in the queue.
✅ people — There were a lot of people waiting in the queue.
"People" is already plural. Never add an "s" — "peoples" is only used in very specific formal contexts (e.g. "the peoples of the world").
❌ She volunteers in the food bank every weekend.
✅ volunteers at — She volunteers at the food bank every weekend.
When talking about a specific place, use the preposition at, not "in".
❌ Young people are under a lot of pressure from their teachers about to study hard.
✅ pressure to study — Young people are under a lot of pressure from their teachers to study hard.
Use pressure + to + infinitive to explain what someone is expected to do.
❌ The cost of life is very high in London.
✅ cost of living — The cost of living is very high in London.
"Cost of living" is a fixed phrase in English. Do not translate it word for word from other languages.
Society and Everyday Life: Quick Summary and Review
In this lesson, you have learnt essential vocabulary for talking about society and everyday life in English. Here is a quick summary of the key areas covered:
- Community and social life: community, neighbourhood, citizen, volunteer, social event, get involved in, isolated, support group
- Society, issues, and change: affordable, campaign, debate, equality, poverty, recycling, pressure, responsibility
- Daily life and routines: routine, habit, commute, queue, leisure, deal with, attitude, income
Remember the key grammar points:
- Use interested in (not "interested on")
- Use depend on (not "depend of")
- Use afford to + infinitive (not "afford + -ing")
- Use campaign to + verb or campaign for / against something
- Use cost of living as a fixed phrase
Understanding the vocabulary of society and everyday life will help you discuss important topics, share your opinions, and connect with others in English-speaking environments. The more you use these words in real contexts — in conversations, writing, or reading — the more natural they will feel.
Now practise your society and everyday life vocabulary in the exercises below.
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