Grammar and Cleaning
2023-08-11
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1Whether you enjoy it or not, cleaning is an activity that all of us have to do from time to time.
2As a result, we should explore how to talk about it.
3In this Everyday Grammar, you will learn about different kinds of verbs we use to talk about cleaning.
4Let's start with the verb "clean."
5We can think of "clean" as a kind of general term for many activities.
6For example, a person might say:
7"I am cleaning my house."
8Aside from "clean," we can use a number of more exact verbs.
9For example, we have "sweep," "vacuum," "wash," and "dust."
10Let's explore each of these in turn.
11We use the verb "sweep" when we remove dust or dirt with a broom.
12We use "vacuum" when we clean something with a special device known as a vacuum cleaner.
13We use "wash" when we clean something with water and soap.
14We use "dust" when we make something clean by wiping the surface, often with cloth.
15So, we have a group of verbs.
16"Clean" is the widest in meaning; the others describe more exact activities - "sweep," "vacuum," "dust," and so on.
17You might be asking yourself how this discussion connects with grammar.
18The question leads us to an important point. We have a group of verbs.
19These verbs are interesting because all of them can be used in a transitive or an intransitive sense.
20Transitive means to take a direct object.
21Intransitive means to not take a direct object.
22What this means is that the verbs we have explored - clean, sweep, dust, and so on - have some sense of flexibility in how they can be used.
23Think back to the sentence you heard earlier:
24"I am cleaning my house."
25In the example, we have the subject, "I," the present progressive form "am cleaning," and the object, "my house."
26In this sentence, we can say that the verb "clean" is followed by an object.
27But we could also say:
28"I am cleaning."
29In this example, we do not have an object.
30Now, let us take some of the other verbs we explored earlier.
31They all follow the same general idea.
32The verb "sweep" might be used with an object, as in:
33"She swept the floor."
34Or without an object, as in:
35"She swept."
36The same idea is true of "vacuum," where a person might say:
37"I vacuumed the living room."
38Or
39"I vacuumed."
40The main difference between the statements is in the amount of shared information.
41If the speaker and listener both know what is being discussed, then the object is not necessary.
42If the listener does not know what is being discussed, then the speaker might need to include the object.
43Let's take some time to work with these ideas.
44Make a sentence using the present progressive form of the verb "dust." Be sure to use the object, "the bookshelf."
45Pause the audio to consider your answer.
46Here is one answer:
47"I am dusting the bookshelf."
48Today, you learned a few basic ideas that are important for talking about cleaning.
49You learned some related verbs and how to use them with or without an object.
50The next step will be to develop more complex sentences that involve adverbs and prepositions.
51But that will have to be the subject of a future report.
52I'm John Russell.
1Whether you enjoy it or not, cleaning is an activity that all of us have to do from time to time. 2As a result, we should explore how to talk about it. 3In this Everyday Grammar, you will learn about different kinds of verbs we use to talk about cleaning. 4Group of verbs 5Let's start with the verb "clean." 6We can think of "clean" as a kind of general term for many activities. For example, a person might say: 7"I am cleaning my house." 8Aside from "clean," we can use a number of more exact verbs. For example, we have "sweep," "vacuum," "wash," and "dust." 9Let's explore each of these in turn. 10We use the verb "sweep" when we remove dust or dirt with a broom. 11We use "vacuum" when we clean something with a special device known as a vacuum cleaner. 12We use "wash" when we clean something with water and soap. 13We use "dust" when we make something clean by wiping the surface, often with cloth. 14So, we have a group of verbs. "Clean" is the widest in meaning; the others describe more exact activities - "sweep," "vacuum," "dust," and so on. 15Important 16You might be asking yourself how this discussion connects with grammar. 17The question leads us to an important point. We have a group of verbs. These verbs are interesting because all of them can be used in a transitive or an intransitive sense. 18Transitive means to take a direct object. Intransitive means to not take a direct object. 19What this means is that the verbs we have explored - clean, sweep, dust, and so on - have some sense of flexibility in how they can be used. 20Let's clarify. 21Think back to the sentence you heard earlier: 22"I am cleaning my house." 23In the example, we have the subject, "I," the present progressive form "am cleaning," and the object, "my house." In this sentence, we can say that the verb "clean" is followed by an object. 24But we could also say: 25"I am cleaning." 26In this example, we do not have an object. 27Now, let us take some of the other verbs we explored earlier. They all follow the same general idea. 28The verb "sweep" might be used with an object, as in: 29"She swept the floor." 30Or without an object, as in: 31"She swept." 32The same idea is true of "vacuum," where a person might say: 33"I vacuumed the living room." 34Or 35"I vacuumed." 36The main difference between the statements is in the amount of shared information. If the speaker and listener both know what is being discussed, then the object is not necessary. If the listener does not know what is being discussed, then the speaker might need to include the object. 37Practice 38Let's take some time to work with these ideas. 39Make a sentence using the present progressive form of the verb "dust." Be sure to use the object, "the bookshelf." 40Pause the audio to consider your answer. 41Here is one answer: 42"I am dusting the bookshelf." 43Closing thoughts 44Today, you learned a few basic ideas that are important for talking about cleaning. You learned some related verbs and how to use them with or without an object. The next step will be to develop more complex sentences that involve adverbs and prepositions. But that will have to be the subject of a future report. 45I'm John Russell. 46John Russell wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 47broom - n. a brush that has a long handle and that is used for sweeping floors 48bookshelf - n. a shelf that is used for books