ESL Podcast 323 - Rooms in a House

to babysit - to take care of another person's children or pets (animals) for a short period of time, usually in exchange for money

Olivia started babysitting her neighbor's children when she was 14 years old, for $7 per hour.

in a jam - in a difficult situation; with problems; in trouble

Gregory was in a jam when the person who promised him a ride home from work left without him.

bedroom - in a house, a room where one sleeps, usually with a bed, a small table, and a place to store clothes

When you were a child, did you have your own bedroom or did you have to share one with your brother?

closet - an area built into a wall inside a home that has a door and is used to store clothes, towels, or other objects

Maggie has so many shoes that they don't fit in her closet, so she has to keep them in a box under her bed.

bathroom - a room with a toilet, sink, and often a shower and/or bathtub

We keep extra towels in the bathroom, on the shelves above the toilet.

shower curtain - a large piece of plastic or cloth that is hung in front of a shower to keep water from getting on the floor

If the shower doesn't have a door, we'll need to buy a shower curtain.

basement - a large room, usually unfinished, below the rest of a house

The basement doesn't have carpet or painted walls, so we use it to store things we don't need very often.

living room - a large room where a family spends most of its time, and where it entertains guests, usually with sofas and other comfortable furniture

The family spends Tuesday evenings playing cards together in the living room.

pantry - a small room near the kitchen where dry foods are kept

Please go to the pantry and bring me the flour, sugar, and salt.

laundry room - a room where clothes, towels, and sheets are washed, dried, and folded

Please leave your dirty clothes in the laundry room and I'll wash them this afternoon.

washer/dryer - large pieces of equipment that wash and dry clothes easily

Could you please move the clothes from the washer into the dryer, and then put these towels into the washer?

kitchen - a room where food is prepared; a room for cooking and baking

Pat spent all day baking cookies, and the kitchen smells wonderful!

counter - a long, table-like surface, usually in a kitchen or bathroom

Who left these dirty dishes on the kitchen counter?

somehow - in some way; in a way, but one isn't sure how

The dog somehow got out of the house and ran outside, and now we can't find her.

to manage to - to be able to do something that is difficult

How did you manage to finish writing the essay so quickly?

to mew - to make the "meow" noise that cats make

The poor cat mewed loudly when Ronnie accidentally stepped on her tail.

could have sworn - a phrase used to show that one thought something was true, or that one believed something, but was incorrect

I could have sworn that the professor said the test would be next week, but it was actually today!