Explanation
Exercises
Everyday problems
B1 Upper-Intermediate • Vocabulary
Useful words and phrases for talking about typical problems at home and minor physical injuries.

1. Everyday problems at home (I)

  • power cut – a period when the electricity stops working in a house or area.
    There was a power cut last night, so all the lights went off.
  • flooded – full of water because of heavy rain or a problem with pipes or taps.
    He left the tap on and now the bathroom is flooded.
  • come off – to become loose or separate from something.
    The handle has come off the kitchen cupboard again.
  • run out (of something) – to use all of something so there is none left.
    We’ve run out of coffee; could you buy some on your way home?
  • break down – for a machine or appliance to stop working properly.
    Our washing machine broke down in the middle of the cycle.
  • leak / water leak – when liquid escapes through a small hole or crack.
    The tap is leaking again. There’s a water leak under the sink.
  • chipped – with a small piece missing from the edge.
    I dropped the plate and now it’s chipped on one side.
  • clogged / blocked – unable to let water or waste pass through.
    The sink is clogged with food, and the toilet is blocked again.

2. Everyday problems at home (II)

  • jammed – stuck and difficult or impossible to move.
    The window is jammed and won’t open at all.
  • torn – ripped or with a hole, usually in fabric.
    There’s a torn patch in the curtain near the bottom.
  • blown fuse – a fuse that has broken because of an electrical problem, cutting the power.
    The lights went out; it’s probably a blown fuse.
  • dented – with a small hollow after being hit.
    She accidentally dented the fridge door with a heavy pan.
  • stain – a dirty mark that is hard to remove.
    There’s a red wine stain on the tablecloth.
  • spill – to accidentally let liquid fall or flow somewhere.
    I spilled juice all over the carpet.
  • lock yourself out – to shut the door and leave your keys inside the house or car.
    I locked myself out and had to call a locksmith.
  • the car won’t start – the engine doesn’t start when you turn the key or press the button.
    It’s so cold this morning that the car won’t start.

3. Small physical problems & injuries

  • bump / bang your head – to hit your head against something; bang sounds stronger than bump.
    I bumped my head on the cupboard door. He banged his head on the wall when he slipped.
  • twist your ankle – to hurt your ankle by turning it in an awkward way.
    She twisted her ankle while running and it became very swollen.
  • graze your knee – to rub the skin so that the top layer comes off.
    He fell off his bike and grazed his knee on the road.
  • bruise – a dark mark on the skin after you hit something.
    There’s a huge bruise on my arm from walking into the table.
  • back spasm – a sudden, painful tightening of the muscles in your back.
    He bent down too fast and felt a back spasm immediately.
  • pull a muscle – to injure a muscle by stretching it too much.
    She pulled a muscle in her leg while doing exercise.
  • splinter – a tiny, sharp piece of wood, glass or metal stuck in your skin.
    I got a splinter in my finger from the wooden chair.
  • trip over – to almost fall because your foot hits something.
    Be careful not to trip over the cable on the floor.

These words are useful for everyday conversations: explaining what went wrong at home or describing small accidents and injuries.

Exercises:
1
2
3
4

Everyday problems

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
The whole street went dark and all the houses lost electricity – there was a last night.
Correct: A power cut = when the electricity supply stops, often in a large area.
2
The pipe burst and now the kitchen floor is completely with water.
Correct: If a room is flooded, it is full of water, usually because of heavy rain or a broken pipe.
3
The handle has the cupboard door – it’s in my hand now, not on the door.
Correct: If something has come off, it has become detached and separated from the main thing.
4
I wanted to make tea, but we’ve completely milk, so I’ll have to go to the shop.
Correct: To run out (of something) = to have no more of that thing left.
5
Our washing machine didn’t finish the cycle and stopped working – I think it’s going to soon if we don’t repair it.
Correct: If a machine breaks down, it stops working because of a mechanical problem.
6
I can smell gas in the kitchen – there might be a in one of the pipes.
Correct: A leak = a small hole or crack where gas or liquid escapes.
7
There’s a dark patch on the ceiling and drops falling into a bucket – we clearly have a from the bathroom upstairs.
Correct: A water leak = water escaping from pipes or the roof into the house.
8
Don’t use that mug – the edge is and you could cut your lip on the missing piece.
Correct: If something is chipped, a small piece has broken off its surface or edge.
9
The bathroom sink is full of water and won’t empty – the drain is completely with hair and soap.
Correct: A clogged drain = it is blocked inside by something like hair or food.
10
The toilet won’t flush properly – it seems to be by too much paper.
Correct: If a toilet or pipe is blocked, something is stopping water from passing through.
11
I can’t open this drawer – it’s and won’t move at all.
Correct: If something is jammed, it is stuck and cannot move.
12
The curtain got caught on a nail and now it’s right across the middle.
Correct: If cloth or paper is torn, it has been pulled apart and has a rip in it.
13
The lights in the living room went off, but the rest of the flat still has power – it’s probably a in the fuse box.
Correct: A blown fuse = a safety device in the house electrical system that has stopped the current.
14
I dropped a heavy pan on the fridge door and now the metal is – there’s a big hollow mark in it.
Correct: If something metal is dented, it has been hit and has a hollow area on its surface.
15
The red wine left a dark on the white carpet that we can’t remove.
Correct: A stain = a dirty coloured mark that is difficult to clean.
16
Be careful with that coffee – one more and my laptop will be ruined.
Correct: A spill = an accident when liquid falls or flows out of a container.
17
I closed the front door and realised my keys were still inside – I managed to again and now I have to call a locksmith.
Correct: To lock yourself out = to accidentally be outside with the keys still inside, so you can’t get in.
18
I turned the key again and again, but – I think the battery is dead.
Correct: If the car won’t start, the engine does not begin to work when you try to start it.

Everyday problems

Match the sentences with the home problem words
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Sentences

Words

Everyday problems

Everyday problems