Lesson 3: Animals & The Human Body

Welcome back! In this lesson, we will explore essential English vocabulary for common animals and parts of the human body.

Knowing how to name what you see around you and describing your own body are fundamental steps in mastering English. We will learn the names of animals like the elephant and water buffalo, basic body parts, and cover a tricky grammar rule regarding the irregular plural form of "foot".

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Welcome back! I am Teacher Sopheak. When I ride my bicycle around the villages in Battambang, I always see amazing animals in the fields, and I have to use my legs and feet to pedal hard.

Today, we are going to learn the English names for these animals and our basic body parts so you can easily describe what you see and how you feel.

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Core Words & Phrases

Animal

Elephant /ˈelɪfənt/

Definition: A very large gray animal with a long trunk.

Example: The tourists loved seeing the elephant in the forest.

Animal

Monkey /ˈmʌŋki/

Definition: A small to medium-sized animal that lives in trees.

Example: We saw a monkey playing near the temple.

Animal

Water Buffalo /ˈwɔːtər ˈbʌfəloʊ/

Definition: A large animal used for farming in Asia.

Example: The water buffalo is cooling down in the river.

Body Part

Head /hed/

Definition: The top part of the human body.

Example: I wore a hat on my head to block the sun.

Body Part

Hand /hænd/

Definition: The part of the arm with fingers.

Example: Please wash your hands before eating.

record_voice_over In Action: At the Temple

A

Look at that monkey!

B

Where?

A

Over there, near the big tree.

B

Wow! It has food in its hand.

warning Watch Out: Irregular Plurals!

In English, we change the spelling of the word "foot" when there is more than one.

Most words in English just add an "s" when there are two or more (e.g., Hand -> Hands). But "Foot" is an irregular plural. You cannot say "foots".

looks_one Singular

1 Foot
Only one

---

looks_two Plural

2 Feet
Two or more (Not foots!)

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Real-World Check

tour Feeding Time

You are feeding an elephant a banana. What body part are you holding the banana with?

(Hint: We use this body part to grab and hold things.)

directions_walk Walking Tour

You walked all day around the ancient temples. Now, your ______ are tired.

(Hint: You stand and walk on two of these.)

agriculture Countryside Tour

You see a large grey animal resting in the river near a rice field. It is a...

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Study Resources

Lesson Summary & Review

Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to use these words correctly.

Core Vocabulary

• Elephant: A very large gray animal with a long trunk.
• Monkey: A small to medium-sized animal that lives in trees.
• Water Buffalo: A large animal used for farming in Asia.
• Head: The top part of the human body containing the brain, eyes, and mouth.
• Hand: The part of the arm with fingers, used for grabbing.

Grammar Rule: Irregular Plurals

Most words in English form a plural by simply adding an 's' to the end of the word (for example: one hand, two hands; one monkey, two monkeys).

However, the word "foot" is an irregular plural. When you are talking about more than one, the spelling of the word completely changes. You must say feet, not "foots".

• Singular: "My left foot hurts."
• Plural: "My feet are tired from walking all day."