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Lesson 41 / Clothing
5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.
Pin, zip, and notice how your baby's clothes change as he or she grows.
Match words to pictures →Play What is She/He doing? →
A randomly assigned, fixed male or female synthetic voice for each phrase or sentence · Slow playback at 0.7× preserves pitch.
Do up your coat before you go outside.
Do up your coat before you go outside.
I did the buttons up by myself.
I did the buttons up by myself.
In the lesson, it means buttoning or tying tightly. The past tense of “do” is “did”; different from home renovation.
Can you zip up your jacket?
Can you zip up your jacket?
I zipped my bag up so nothing could fall out.
I zipped my bag up so nothing could fall out.
Used exclusively for zipper closure; with pronouns, say “zip it up”.
I have grown out of my old coat.
I have grown out of my old coat.
Children often grow out of their shoes quickly.
Children often grow out of their shoes quickly.
Clothes that originally fit but become tight as people grow older. Past tense “grew”, participle “grown”.
This coat is big, but you will grow into it.
This coat is big, but you will grow into it.
My brother grew into the boots after a few months.
My brother grew into the boots after a few months.
The clothes are too loose; As you grow older, you will fit it. Different direction from “grow out of”.
I wore out my shoes by walking in them every day.
I wore out my shoes by walking in them every day.
These socks are worn out. I need a new pair.
These socks are worn out. I need a new pair.
The meaning here is that something is damaged due to overuse. Past tense “wore”, participle “worn”; “Wear someone out” means to make someone tired.
The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 36, 142, 58, 57, 138. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.
One step forward every day
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OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH
Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.
Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.
Vy fastened the buttons on her coat before going out.
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Vy zips up a jacket with clear zippers.
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Vy tried on an old shirt whose sleeves were too short.
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Vy held a new shirt that was still loose and imagined that when she was taller she would be able to wear it.
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Vy observed a pair of old shoes whose soles were worn out after many times of wearing.
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Choose a phrase to begin.
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Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.
Can you help me do up these buttons?
Can you help me do up these buttons?
Yes. Your old coat looks worn out.
Yes. Your old coat looks worn out.
This new one has room for me to grow into it.
This new one has room for me to grow into it.
“Do up” can mean fasten clothing; “zip up” specifically involves a zip. Choose according to how the item closes.
Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.
The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.
A coat has buttons, while a second coat has a zip. A child needs help fastening the first coat.
Give the request for the buttoned coat.
Could you help me do up these buttons?
The first coat has buttons, so ask to “do up these buttons”, rather than zip the second coat.
Correct: Please zip up it before going outside.
Please zip it up before going outside.
“It” refers to the zipped coat and precedes “up”: “zip it up”.
Explain why an old coat needs replacing.
The old coat is worn out, so we need another one.
“Is worn out” describes damage from use and explains why another coat is needed.
The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.
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