Everyday English (Vocabulary Building)

Vocabulary Building
Written By Kristopher Matheson

Topic: Animals & Insects

We will learn and practise vocabulary related to various types of wild and domesticated animals.

Lesson Notes July 14, 2026 (Vocabulary Building)

Words & Phrases

  • It’s so hot today, so I didn’t want to rush to my morning shift.

    • How long was your shift today? (= how long did you work today?)

    • I usually have three shifts a month, but this month I somehow have five shifts.

  • In the community centre cooling space, you must use a quiet indoor voice.

  • My brother (disposed / got rid) of three TV from my mother’s house.

    • I didn’t know how to recycle a fire extinguisher, so I phoned the recycle centre. They told me where I could bring it.

  • Our granddaughter asked my husband and me to be chaperones for her school trip to the science centre.

    • The students in class should raise their hand if they have a question.

Animals & Insects

  • “Mini-beasts” is a friendly nickname for "creepy-crawlies" or small critters.

  • Leopard (noun) ˈlɛp.ərd / LEP-urd

  • Shark (noun) ʃɑːrk / shahrk

  • “Domestic” usually just means “kept at home” or “living near humans”

  • Cats, hamster, tortoise, snake, parrot

  • Snakes, tortoises and parrots are kept as domestic pets, but their species are genetically wild because humans did not change their DNA over thousands of years.

Kristopher Matheson

Hello, I'm Kristopher, a Canadian teaching English & photographer in Japan. I am primarily interested in urban environments and the people found there, as well as abstractionism in architecture and landscapes.

http://www.krismatheson.com
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