Cleanliness. Speaking exercise

In this lesson we will be talking about Cleanliness in English, and looking at some similes in English. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things with as…as… to create a more vivid image of the description.

 

“I can't focus when there's too many things around. Whenever I used to go to the office, I used to always say, 'Tidy up’”.

— Zaha Hadid

 

 

There are those whose house is immaculate, germ-free, and with not a thing out of place, and then those who live like pigs in a house that looks like a bomb has just hit it. It’s fair to say, that most of us live somewhere between these two extremes.

One thing is for sure, and that is that housework and cleanliness around the house have been topics of conversation and a cause for tension between housemates since housemates were invented. You could even say that the compatibility of housemates often depends largely on their attitude towards housework and cleanliness.

Before we get started with today’s lesson, here is a list of vocabulary that will help you talk about cleanliness with your native English-speaking teacher in your conversation classes via Skype.

 

English vocabulary related to Cleanliness

• Clean
• Cleanliness
• Dirty
• Dirtiness
• Germs
• Hand sanitiser
• Pile
• Messy
• Neat
• Tidy
• Slob
• To dust
• To sweep
• To mop
• To wash up

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Grammar to use in your online English conversation class

Similes in English use the construction as…as… and are used to create a more descriptive image of what the speaker is talking about.

Here are some similes you might use when talking about cleanliness in English.

1. As clean as a whistle

My kitchen is as clean as a whistle, as my wife cleans it twice a day.

2. As happy as a pig in muck

I’ve got a home cinema, an indoor pool, and a huge garden. I’m as happy as a pig in muck here!

3. As busy as a beaver

I work 12 hours a day, I look after the kids and I have to clean the house… I’m as busy as a beaver!

4. As common as muck

This is used to describe someone who is low class. (Muck is another word for dirt)

5. As dry as dust

This is used to describe someone who is uninteresting and not stimulating.

 

We can also use the construction verb + like + noun

1. To eat like a pig

He eats like a pig, and he always dirties his shirt when we eat out.

2. To live like a pig

The girl on today’s video (below) lives like a pig — clothes all over the floor, dirty dishes in the sink etc.

3. To sleep like a baby

I love it when my bed sheets are clean and the bed is already made when I go to bed… It really helps me to sleep like a baby!

 

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Useful verb forms:

• sweep - swept - swept
• throw - threw - thrown

 

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Common mistakes:

X bacterias
√ bacteria (plural)

X Your healthy is important
√ Your HEALTH is important

 

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Common pronunciation problems:

• Tidy /'taɪdɪ/
• Dirty /‘dɜ:tɪ/
• Clean /'kli:n/
• Cleanliness /ˈklenlinəs/

 

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Questions we will discuss in your online English conversation class:

• Is your home clean and orderly most of the time or only when you are
• expecting guests?
• Do you carry hand sanitizer with you everywhere you go?
• How often do you clean your house?
• Do you think it is possible for a house to be too clean?
• How dirty is too dirty?
• How can bacteria help humans?
• If you drop food on the floor, will you pick it up, blow it off/dust it off and eat it?

 

• Do you know anyone who is REALLY concerned about germs and cleanliness?
• Would you rather live with a neat freak or a slob? Why?
• Do you do the dishes right after eating? How long do you let the dirty dishes sit without washing them?
• How important is it to have an organized work space?
• Some people say it is a sign of respect to look your best for other people. Do you agree or disagree?

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Practice reading and listening before speaking with your native English-speaking teacher:

In this article, the author comments on a post she found on the internet, stating 10 reasons why it is a good idea to keep your house clean.

“10 Reasons I keep my house clean. 
No.1. It just looks better: This should be fairly obvious right? Straightened sheets and comforters with pillows in their proper place are far more aesthetically pleasing than disheveled blankets and a pile of pillows on the floor. A sink full of dirty dishes just looks ugly, whereas I could stare at my clean and sparkly kitchen all day long….” Read more

 

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And this short video is taken from popular television series, Friends, in which Ross goes out with a beautiful girl, who invites him back to his house after dinner. On entering her house, he realises that she lives like a slob!

Do listening exercise on this video!

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Speaking practice:

Now book your online English conversation class with one of our native English-speaking teachers to put into practice what you’ve learned in this lesson.

 

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Only by doing this will you improve the most important communication skill in English: speaking!

 

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