Tools and garden equipment

Hibiscus Teach · Picture vocabulary

Tools and garden equipment

Learn twenty-four useful words for DIY and gardening. Choose the right tool and explain what you use it for.

A1–A2 · Adult learnersBritish EnglishStudy at your own pace

Created by , British English teacher.

Name the pictures, listen and repeat, then try the activities. Reveal words when needed.

British English master recording

One continuous recording by Libby. Every Listen button plays a measured section of this same MP3.

Download the full British MP3

Full recording transcript

Welcome. In this lesson, we are going to learn vocabulary for tools and garden equipment. First, look at the pictures and try to name the items you already know. Then check the vocabulary, practise the words, and use them in simple conversations.

Number 1, a hammer.

Number 2, a screwdriver.

Number 3, a spanner.

Number 4, pliers.

Number 5, a saw.

Number 6, a drill.

Number 7, a tape measure.

Number 8, a spirit level.

Number 9, a torch.

Number 10, a clamp.

Number 11, a paintbrush.

Number 12, a paint roller.

Repeat. A hammer. A screwdriver. A spanner. Pliers. A saw. A drill. A tape measure. A spirit level. A torch. A clamp. A paintbrush. A paint roller.

Number 13, a spade.

Number 14, a garden fork.

Number 15, a rake.

Number 16, a hoe.

Number 17, a trowel.

Number 18, secateurs.

Number 19, hedge shears.

Number 20, a watering can.

Number 21, a hose.

Number 22, a wheelbarrow.

Number 23, a lawnmower.

Number 24, a flowerpot.

Repeat. A spade. A garden fork. A rake. A hoe. A trowel. Secateurs. Hedge shears. A watering can. A hose. A wheelbarrow. A lawnmower. A flowerpot.

Pliers is usually plural. We often say: these pliers, or a pair of pliers. Secateurs is often treated as plural in British English. Hedge shears is plural. A spade is a large digging tool. A trowel is a small hand tool. A rake has many short teeth. A garden fork has four long tines.

Listen and guess the word. You hit nails with me. You tighten or loosen screws with me. You tighten nuts and bolts with me. You hold or grip small things with me. You cut wood with me. You make holes with me. You measure length with me. You check if something is straight and level with me. You use me when it is dark. You hold things together tightly with me. You paint a small area with me. You paint a wall quickly with me. You dig the ground with me. You turn over soil with me. You collect leaves with me. You remove weeds with me. You use me for small digging jobs in the garden. You cut small stems or branches with me. You cut hedges with me. You water plants with me. You water a garden with me, and I am long and flexible. You move heavy things in the garden with me. You cut grass with me. You put a plant in me.

Can you help me put up this shelf? Of course. First, we need a tape measure and a spirit level. Then we need a drill and a screwdriver. Yes, and keep the torch nearby in case the corner is too dark.

What do you need for the garden today? I need a spade, a rake and a watering can. Are you cutting the hedge too? Yes, so I’ll also take the hedge shears.

Which of these tools have you used before? Which three items do you think are most useful at home? Which garden tools do you think are essential for a small garden? What tools would you buy first for a new home?

Well done. Now try the final recall activity and see how many words you can remember without looking.

hammer.

screwdriver.

spanner.

pliers.

saw.

drill.

tape measure.

spirit level.

torch.

clamp.

paintbrush.

paint roller.

spade.

garden fork.

rake.

hoe.

trowel.

secateurs.

hedge shears.

watering can.

hose.

wheelbarrow.

lawnmower.

flowerpot.

Choose a Listen button for a model. Press it again to stop.

A. DIY tools

Look first. Which items can you name? Which have you used?

1. hammer
1
2. screwdriver
2
3. spanner
3
4. pliers
4
5. saw
5
6. drill
6
7. tape measure
7
8. spirit level
8
9. torch
9
10. clamp
10
11. paintbrush
11
12. paint roller
12
View full A. DIY tools poster
DIY tools. Three rows of four objects, in reading order: hammer, screwdriver, spanner, pliers, saw, drill, tape measure, spirit level, torch, clamp, paintbrush, paint roller.
Text alternative: describe the pictures

Use these descriptions instead of the pictures for matching.

  1. A hand tool with a heavy metal head, a claw and a wooden handle.
  2. A long metal shaft with a narrow tip and a red-and-black grip.
  3. A flat metal tool with open jaws at both ends.
  4. Two hinged metal gripping jaws with red handles.
  5. A long toothed blade with an orange handle.
  6. A yellow powered hand tool with a rotating metal bit.
  7. A yellow flexible measuring strip in a round black-and-yellow case.
  8. A long yellow bar with small liquid-filled bubble windows.
  9. A black handheld light with a wide front lens.
  10. A metal frame with an adjustable screw and a red handle for holding things together.
  11. A wooden handle attached to a block of bristles.
  12. A cylindrical white cover on a bent metal frame with a blue handle.
Vocabulary and pronunciation support

Say each form aloud. Spanner can also be wrench; torch can also be flashlight.

  • 1. a hammer
  • 2. a screwdriver
  • 3. a spanner (acceptable alternative: wrench)
  • 4. pliers / a pair of pliers
  • 5. a saw
  • 6. a drill
  • 7. a tape measure
  • 8. a spirit level (acceptable alternative: level)
  • 9. a torch (acceptable alternative: flashlight)
  • 10. a clamp
  • 11. a paintbrush
  • 12. a paint roller

B. Garden equipment

Look first. Which items can you name? Which have you used?

13. spade
13
14. garden fork
14
15. rake
15
16. hoe
16
17. trowel
17
18. secateurs
18
19. hedge shears
19
20. watering can
20
21. hose
21
22. wheelbarrow
22
23. lawnmower
23
24. flowerpot
24
View full B. Garden equipment poster
Garden equipment. Three rows of four objects, in reading order: spade, garden fork, rake, hoe, trowel, secateurs, hedge shears, watering can, hose, wheelbarrow, lawnmower, flowerpot.
Text alternative: describe the pictures

Use these descriptions instead of the pictures for matching.

  1. A long wooden handle with a broad, flat metal digging blade.
  2. A long wooden handle with four long metal tines.
  3. A long handle with a wide row of short metal teeth.
  4. A long handle with a short flat metal blade set at an angle.
  5. A small hand tool with a wooden handle and a pointed metal scoop.
  6. A small hinged cutting tool with two red handles and curved blades.
  7. A large cutting tool with two long metal blades and wooden handles.
  8. A green container with a handle and a long spout ending in a rose.
  9. A long flexible green tube, coiled up.
  10. A deep green tray with two handles, supporting legs and one wheel.
  11. A wheeled machine with a long handle and a red engine cover.
  12. A round terracotta container with a wide rim for growing a plant.
Vocabulary and pronunciation support

Say each form aloud. Spanner can also be wrench; torch can also be flashlight.

  • 13. a spade
  • 14. a garden fork
  • 15. a rake
  • 16. a hoe
  • 17. a trowel
  • 18. secateurs (acceptable alternatives: pruning shears, pruners)
  • 19. hedge shears
  • 20. a watering can
  • 21. a hose / a garden hose
  • 22. a wheelbarrow
  • 23. a lawnmower
  • 24. a flowerpot (acceptable alternative: plant pot)

Speak for 20–45 seconds: Name three tools you have used.

On my own: speak aloud, then compare with the model.

Possible model response

I used a hammer to hit a nail, a screwdriver to tighten a screw and a rake to collect leaves.

What am I?

Say the word aloud, or type it to check. Use each main lesson word once. Equivalent names are accepted.

Open the 24 clues

Useful forms and sentences

Say a hammer or a spade. Say these pliers are useful, or this pair of pliers is useful. Secateurs and hedge shears are also normally plural.

A spade is a large digging tool; a trowel is a small hand tool. A rake has many short teeth; the pictured garden fork has four long tines.

Use a tool to + verb: I use a saw to cut wood. Use it for + -ing: A saw is for cutting wood.

Speak for 20–45 seconds: Explain what two tools are for.

On my own: speak aloud, then compare with the model.

Possible model response

I use a tape measure to measure a shelf. A spirit level is for checking if the shelf is level.

Choose the best sentence: ten questions
G1. Which is correct?
G2. Which is correct?
G3. Which is correct?
G4. Which is correct?
G5. Which is correct?
G6. Which is correct?
G7. Which is correct?
G8. Which is correct?
G9. Which is correct?
G10. Which is correct?

Choose the right item for the job

Say your choice before opening a possible answer. Explain why it would help.

Open twelve situations

1. You want to put up a picture and need to hit a nail into the wall. What do you need?

Possible model response

A hammer.

2. You need to tighten a loose screw in a chair. What do you need?

Possible model response

A screwdriver.

3. You want to know if a shelf is straight. What do you need?

Possible model response

A spirit level.

4. You need to measure the width of a table. What do you need?

Possible model response

A tape measure.

5. You want to hold two pieces of wood together while glue dries. What do you need?

Possible model response

A clamp.

6. You need to cut a piece of wood. What do you need?

Possible model response

A saw.

7. You need to dig a large hole in the garden. What do you need?

Possible model response

A spade.

8. You want to plant a small flower in the soil. What do you need?

Possible model response

A trowel.

9. You want to water a plant on the balcony. What do you need?

Possible model response

A watering can.

10. You need to cut the grass. What do you need?

Possible model response

A lawnmower.

11. You want to move garden waste from one side of the garden to the other. What do you need?

Possible model response

A wheelbarrow.

12. You want to cut a small branch from a rose bush. What do you need?

Possible model response

Secateurs.

Listen to two short dialogues

Listen first, answer the questions, then open the transcript. Practise both roles aloud.

A simple repair job

Read the transcript

A: Can you help me put up this shelf?

B: Of course. First, we need a tape measure and a spirit level.

A: Then we need a drill and a screwdriver.

B: Yes, and keep the torch nearby in case the corner is too dark.

Check understanding: three questions
L1. What two tools do they need first?
L2. What do they need next?
L3. Why might they need the torch?

In the garden

Read the transcript

A: What do you need for the garden today?

B: I need a spade, a rake and a watering can.

A: Are you cutting the hedge too?

B: Yes, so I’ll also take the hedge shears.

Check understanding: three questions
L4. Which three items does B mention first?
L5. What extra item will B take?
L6. Why does B need the extra item?

Speak for 20–45 seconds: Practise one conversation and change one tool.

On my own: speak aloud, then compare with the model.

Possible model response

Can you help me paint this wall? Of course. We need a paint roller and a paintbrush.

Make it personal

  • Which of these tools have you used before?
  • Which three items do you think are most useful at home?
  • Which garden tools do you think are essential for a small garden?
  • Would you prefer to do DIY work yourself or ask someone else? Why?
  • Have you ever painted a room or built something simple?
  • What tools would you buy first for a new home?

Speak for 20–45 seconds: Choose one question and answer it.

On my own: speak aloud, then compare with the model.

Possible model response

I would buy a screwdriver first because I often need to tighten screws at home.

British English spanner can be wrench, and torch can be flashlight. Secateurs can also be pruning shears or pruners. These alternatives are accepted in naming practice.

Equip a new home and garden

Choose eight items from the lesson. Say why you would buy each one. Use full sentences.

I would buy … because …
I would need … for …
I wouldn’t buy … because …

On my own: say your eight choices aloud, then compare with the model.

Possible model response

I would buy a hammer for nails and a screwdriver for loose screws. I would need a tape measure and a spirit level to put up shelves. I would buy a torch because some corners are dark. For the garden, I would choose a spade for digging, a watering can for the plants and secateurs for cutting small stems.

Mastery check

Revisit four useful points
M1. Which is correct?
M2. Which is correct?
M3. Which is correct?
M4. Which is correct?

Final recall challenge

Hide the labels and word banks. Answer these six prompts from memory. You may also name all 24 pictures aloud or use optional boxes.

Name four tools for DIY jobs inside the house.

Reveal a possible answer

For example: hammer, screwdriver, drill and tape measure.

Name four things used in the garden.

Reveal a possible answer

For example: spade, garden fork, rake and watering can.

Which two items help you measure or check position?

Reveal a possible answer

Tape measure and spirit level.

Which three items are used for cutting?

Reveal a possible answer

For example: saw, secateurs and hedge shears.

What is the difference between a spade and a trowel?

Reveal a possible answer

A spade is a large digging tool; a trowel is a small hand tool.

What is the difference between a rake and a garden fork?

Reveal a possible answer

A rake has many short teeth; the pictured garden fork has four long tines.

Listen and repeat

Use the play button beneath each original picture. Reveal a word when you want to check it, then say it aloud.

Picture A · Picture B

Choose three words you find difficult. Listen and repeat each one again, then say them from memory.