Study & everyday life · News English
A tidy place to study
A university asks students to care for shared spaces.
Your goal: understand and give simple, polite instructions.
Small actions in a shared library
What should students do before they leave?
1The University of Manchester has a message for people who use its library: help keep our study spaces clean and comfortable. On 28 September, the university announced a campaign about looking after the library together. It asks users to take a few simple actions when they study there.
2First, people should put their rubbish in the recycling bins or waste bins provided. They should also take their things away when they leave. The message asks people not to leave items in library spaces overnight. In other words, their belongings should not stay there until the next day.
3What happens if a space needs cleaning? Library users should tell a member of staff about the mess. Staff will then arrange for someone to clean it as soon as possible. The announcement does not promise that every problem can be fixed immediately.
4The university also points students towards places where they can eat their meals: the refurbished Library Lounge and Cosy Campus spaces. The campaign brings these practical requests together. Its aim is a clean, tidy and comfortable place for everyone who uses the library.
Original teaching summary. Language examples and model answers are illustrative, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
tidy
with things arranged neatly
Please keep your desk tidy.
rubbish
things you want to throw away
Put the rubbish in the bin.
overnight
during the night, until the next day
We stayed overnight at a hotel.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English: polite instructions
Use please + base verb: Please close the door. For a negative instruction, use do not + base verb: Do not leave your bag here.
These are learning examples, not extra library rules.
Give two instructions for a shared kitchen.
Model and help
Model: Please wash your cup. Do not leave food on the table.
Alone: repeat politely. Tutor: ask Why is this helpful?
Speak: a shared space
Choose a classroom, kitchen or study room. Give two helpful instructions and one reason. Speak for 30 seconds.
Labelled model answer
Please keep the table tidy. Do not leave rubbish here. Other people need this space too.
This is an illustrative model, not a quotation.
Alone: record and repeat. Tutor: ask Which instruction matters most?
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
University of Manchester announcement: 28 September 2026, 08:30 BST (UTC+01:00). Archive library photo:22 June2022.
- University of Manchester: Help us look after our Library
Original announcement, 28 September 2026, 08:30 BST.