In the listening lesson “The Chair!” I talked about how I wanted a comfortable chair to sit in on the back deck.
In this vocabulary lesson, I show you some pictures of a typical backyard and tell you some vocabulary to use when talking about your backyard!
A backyard (the area of land behind a house) usually has a lawn and a garden.
A lawn mower is used to mow the lawn / cut the grass (these two collocations mean the same thing).
A lawn is an area of short grass in front of or behind a house.
Flowers and bushes (or other plants) are planted (verb: to plant) in the garden bed.
A sprinkler is used to water the garden and the lawn.
You can also use a hose / a garden hose to water the garden.
You can also water flowers with a watering can.
The backyard is surrounded (verb: to surround) by a fence. You can get in and out of the backyard through a gate.
Some gardening tools a gardener might use: gardening gloves, a shovel, and a spade. Gardening tools and equipment are stored (verb: to store) in the shed.
A patio, a porch, a balcony, a deck – what’s the difference?
- a patio is flat on the ground and usually made of stone, cement or brick.
- a porch (sometimes called a veranda) is covered and enclosed; it’s usually at the front of the house.
- a balcony is a smaller version of a deck.
- a deck is at the back of a house; it is raised off the ground and connected to the house.
Melanie is a TESL-certified English teacher. She lives near Toronto, Canada. Through her blog, videos, podcasts, and social media, she helps thousands of people around the world improve their English. She makes English a little less confusing and a little more fun! She also helps people understand Canadian and American culture. She believes that natural interaction with a native speaker helps people practice what they have learned and builds their confidence with English!
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