When I was giving a TOEIC practice test to one of my students I was surprised to hear a conversation about lawnmowers among the listening exercises. Then I wondered if it was a common TOEIC word. So far I have found the word in every TOEIC vocabulary book and list I have seen. This got me thinking about why it is included. Then I realized that cutting grass
and grass itself is an important part of English culture.
This made me remember the hundreds of hours I have spent in my life mowing the yard of every house I have ever lived in since I was about 12 years old. I have lived in 8 different houses so far in my lifetime and I have had the “pleasure” of cutting grass around each one of them!
So there you have it! Grass and lawnmowers are a cultural phenomenon in English speaking countries. I even have some grass at my current house. You can some pictures of it in this video of a BBQ party at my house in 2009. Grass certainly is important so it might be good to study about lawnmowers, lawns, grass-court tennis, football and golf. You see! Grass plays an important role in English culture. Enjoy the video! 2009 Smith’s Schools of English Okamoto, Tsukaguchi and Kawanishi Joint BBQ Party.
Sample conversation:
A: Hey Bill, can I borrow your lawnmower? Mine seems to be on its last legs! I can’t get it started.
B: No problem Jim. Just make sure to refill the gas and sharpen the blade if you run over any rocks.
A: You bet Bill! I’ll have her back by sundown. (Note: Men often refer to their cars and machines with engines as if they are females. That’s why I used “her” in the last sentence.)
Al Bartle (Owner and Head Coach of Smith’s School of English in Kobe-Okamoto)
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