English for Beginners: Environment Vocabulary
Dialogue
Alice: Bob, guess what I did today?
Bob: Alice! Oh no, did you finally try to hug a tree and get stuck?
Alice: Very funny! I actually just sorted all my recycling. Took ages!
Bob: Recycling again? You’re a machine! My garbage bin is just… a bin.
Alice: Bob! We talked about this! Separating plastic, paper, glass – it’s so important for the environment!
Bob: I know, I know. It’s just so much effort. I saw a huge pile of waste near the park yesterday.
Alice: See? That’s pollution! It hurts nature. We need to conserve!
Bob: I do try! I always turn off the lights to save energy.
Alice: Good! And what about bringing your own bag for shopping? No more plastic bags!
Bob: Oh, my reusable bag! It’s usually in my other jacket. Oops.
Alice: (Sighs dramatically) We need to reduce our carbon footprint, Bob!
Bob: Is that like the footprint from a giant, environmentally-conscious yeti?
Alice: (Laughs) No! It’s the impact we have on the planet. Less driving, more walking! Less electricity!
Bob: Okay, okay. I get it. Less waste, more walking. Maybe I should get a solar panel hat.
Alice: A solar panel hat? That’s… creative! Anything to be more eco-friendly!
Bob: Next week, I’ll even try to plant something. Maybe a small herb.
Alice: Perfect! Every little bit helps protect our planet!
Current Situation
In today’s world, talking about the environment is very common and important. We hear about topics like recycling, pollution, and climate change every day. Learning basic environmental vocabulary helps you understand news, participate in conversations, and talk about your own actions to help the planet. Even small habits like sorting your recycling or saving energy can make a big difference, and knowing the English words for these actions is a great step!
Key Phrases
To separate garbage like plastic, paper, and glass so it can be used again.
Example: I always sort my recycling on Tuesdays.
A container where you put waste that will be thrown away.
Example: Please put your apple core in the garbage bin.
Lightweight bags made of plastic, often used for shopping.
Example: Try to use fewer plastic bags when you shop.
The total amount of greenhouse gases produced by our actions.
Example: Riding a bike instead of driving helps reduce your carbon footprint.
Not harmful to the environment.
Example: This new car is very eco-friendly because it uses less gas.
To keep the Earth safe and healthy.
Example: We all need to work together to protect our planet.
To use less electricity or fuel.
Example: Remember to turn off the lights to save energy.
Grammar Points
We use the simple present tense to talk about things we do regularly or habitually.
- I sort my recycling every week. (Regular action)
- He always turns off the lights. (Habitual action)
- We conserve water by taking shorter showers. (General truth/habit)
We use the base form of the verb to give a suggestion, command, or instruction. These sentences usually start with the verb.
- Recycle your plastic bottles!
- Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Reduce your waste.
“Need to” means something is necessary or required. It’s followed by the base form of a verb.
- We need to protect our planet. (It’s necessary)
- I need to buy a reusable bag. (It’s required for shopping)
- They need to save water. (It’s important)
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Match the Word to its Meaning
Match the environmental words from the dialogue with their correct definitions.
- Recycling
- Pollution
- Waste
- Eco-friendly
- Carbon footprint
A. Harmful substances in the air, water, or land.
B. Products or materials that are no longer useful and are thrown away.
C. The total amount of greenhouse gases produced by an individual or organization.
D. The process of treating used objects or materials so that they can be used again.
E. Not harmful to the environment.
Answers:
- Recycling – D
- Pollution – A
- Waste – B
- Eco-friendly – E
- Carbon footprint – C
Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the correct environmental word from the box below.
[ energy, plastic bags, protect, garbage bin, nature ]
- Always turn off the lights to save ___________.
- Don’t throw trash on the ground; use a ___________.
- Many animals live in the wild __________.
- We should ___________ our planet for future generations.
- Supermarkets often charge for __________ now.
Answers:
- energy
- garbage bin
- nature
- protect
- plastic bags
Exercise 3: Make it a Command! (Imperatives)
Change these sentences into commands or suggestions using imperative forms.
- You should recycle your bottles.
- You must turn off the water.
- We need to plant more trees.
- It’s important to save energy.
- Don’t throw trash here.
Answers:
- Recycle your bottles!
- Turn off the water!
- Plant more trees!
- Save energy!
- Don’t throw trash here!
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