English for Everyday Living

English for Everyday Living

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At School

The word SCHOOL can mean Elementary School (for children from about 6 to 10 or 11 years old), Middle School (usually grades 6, 7 and 8), Junior High School (grades 7, 8 and 9), High School (grades 10, 11 and 12 and sometimes grade 9), a junior or community college (2 years), college (4 years leading to a Bachelor's degree), a university (4 to 8 years, leading to a Master's or Doctoral degree), a vocational or technical school (teaching specific trades or professions such as plumbing, diesel mechanics or x-ray technician), a business school (teaching secretarial or office skills or retail management) and a variety of other places of learning.

This lesson will be dealing mainly with what we call public schools, those open to the public and paid for by the government through taxes received from the public. Some colleges and universities are also considered to be public because they receive much of their financial support from the government.

Expressions used in school:

"Is that the first bell?"
"What home room are you in?"
"No running in the hall, please!"
"Your assignment for tomorrow is to read Chapter 12 and answer the questions at the end."
"Who doesn't have his homework finished?"
"Miss Bertin, may I sharpen my pencil?"
"Settle down, students, or you won't be allowed to go out for recess."
"Jimmy, what lunch do we have today?"
"Psst! Sue, can I see your answer to question seven?"
"No cheating, class. Keep your eyes on your own papers."
"If you know the answer to the question, raise your hand."
"We're going to be dissecting frogs in biology next week."
"Who can name all fifty states?"
"I wish I didn't have to take the bus to school."
"Josh, can I see your homework?"

"Sandra, do you have your hand raised?"
"What do you want, Sandra?"
"May I go to the rest room?"
"Who knows the answer to that question?"
"Michael, no talking during the test."
"When you hear the fire alarm, stand up quickly and leave the room in a single file."
"There will be a quiz on Friday."
"Will this be on the test, Mr. James?"
"Let's play kickball at recess."
"OK, class, pass in your homework."
"Mr. Sullivan, my baby brother tore up my homework."
"Great! We're having pizza for lunch tomorrow."
"Yuck! We're having broccoli for lunch tomorrow."
"Jenny, please turn around in your seat."
"Tommy, don't tilt your chair like that."
Miss Brown, may I clean the chalkboard?"
Miss Brown, I forgot the combination to my locker."


A checkmark is the most common symbol used by teachers to mark students' papers. Sometimes it means the answer is wrong and other times it just means the teacher has read the answer.	A diploma is a special document given to students who have completed a particular course of study or who have graduated from (completed the time and course requirements) a particular school.

Exercise A: Write a meaning for each verb below that has something to do with a school, then use each verb in a sentence that you make up. (Print out this lesson or order it free by e-mail.)

Verb	Meaning	Sentence
study, studies, studied, -ing, studied
read, -s, read, -ing, read (past and past participle keep spelling, change pronunciation)
sharpen, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed
cheat, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed
finish, -es, -ed, -ing, -ed
learn, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed
answer, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed
dissect, -s, -ed, -ing, -ed
raise, -s, -d, raising, -d
pass, -es, -ed, -ing, -ed
copy, copies, copied, copying, copied
name, -s, -d, naming, -d
leave, -s, left, leaving, left
keep, -s, kept, -ing, kept

Exercise B: For each noun in the list below, write a meaning that has something to do with a school.

Noun	Meaning	Noun	Meaning
book		chalkboard
textbook		desk
tablet		gym
notebook		recess
paper		lunch
pencil		classroom
pen		teacher
eraser		principal
blackboard		guidance counselor
English		hallway
Science		pencil sharpener
Math		cafeteria
Arithmetic		flagpole
Social Studies		Geography
Library		quiz
Study Hall		exam
test		homework
History		Biology
Home Ec.		Physics
Algebra		Chemistry
Health		boys' room
detention		girls' room
backpack		water fountain
excuse		Janitor
students		subjects
absent		tardy
academic course		vocational course

Exercise C: Fill the blanks in the following sentences with the correct nouns from the list above.

1. ____________ who want to learn about cooking must take _____________ class.

2. Most students today carry their ____________ in a canvas _______________.

3. If you are ____________ from school, you must bring an ___________ when you return.

4. When you are thirsty in school, you need to raise your hand and ask the ____________ if you can go to the ________________.

5. Students need to have the following supplies: a __________ or ___________, a ___________ and a ______________ with paper in it.

6. Many _____________ assign _______________ for their students to give them more practice.

7. Students taking an __________________ are required to take subjects such as ___________, _____________, ______________ and _________________.

8. _______________ are in charge of the ______________ and the _______________ is in charge of the whole school.

9. Sometimes, teachers ask their students to write on the _______________ with chalk.

10. Children in elementary school play at _____________ and eat when they go to ___________.

Answers to Exercise C:

1. Students, Home Ec.

2. books (textbooks), backpack

3. absent, excuse

4. teacher, water fountain

5. pen, pencil, tablet, notebook

6. teachers, homework

7. academic course, English, History, Math, Science, Social Studies, Algebra, Biology, Chemistry (subjects can be in any order)

8. Teachers, classroom, principal

9. blackboard (chalkboard)

10. recess, lunch

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