Hey there! This is TOP episode 312. Vocabulary Booster: Everyday Problems
You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. My name’s Ola, and this is Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
Today, we’re diving into everyday problems, things that can go wrong at home, and the words you actually need to talk about them. But before we start, I want to tell you about something special I’m running next week: a free live training called “Present… Not That Simple.”
I’ve been working with my Voice Loop groups for a while, and here’s what I’ve noticed: the present simple tense, the one everyone thinks is basic, is actually tricky for many B1 learners. You might think you know it, but little mistakes sneak in, your sentences feel shaky, and your English just doesn’t sound stable.
Sometimes, it’s not even about confidence, you might not even realize you’re making these mistakes. That’s why I created this session: a live event where you’ll discover exactly what’s stopping your English from flowing naturally. No clichés, no fluff, just real, actionable insight you can use immediately.
The training happens on Wednesday, 29th of October, at 8:20 p.m. The link to sign up is in the show notes and in the episode description, wherever you’re listening. Grab your spot, and let’s finally sort out the present simple once and for all.
Now! Let’s have a look at 13 everyday problems. Let’s go!
One. The lights are not working. There must be a power cut.
Okay, so the lights suddenly go out, very annoying, right? A power cut is when the electricity stops working in your area. Sometimes it’s temporary, sometimes longer maybe the neighbors are in the same boat.
You could also say power outage (more common in American English).
You might hear someone say casually:
Oh no, the lights are out! Must be a power cut.
And yes, you’ll notice we say must be here because we’re guessing. Very useful in daily chat.
Two. Oh no, the bathroom’s flooded! Get a mop, quick!
When a room is flooded, it’s basically full of water. Usually it’s a pipe, a bath, or maybe you left the tap running (we’ve all been there).
Don’t slip! Grab a mop!
Also, fun fact: you can use flooded metaphorically too, I’m flooded with work today.
Three. The kitchen door handle’s come off.
Here we’re in present perfect territory: has come off. The handle has detached, it’s off now, that’s why we use the present perfect.
Notice the verb forms: come – came – come. Yep, it’s irregular.
Four. The batteries have run out. I’ll have to get some more.
When batteries (or anything) run out, it means they’re finished, empty. You could say: My remote’s run out of batteries again. Can you pass me a new pack? And yes, it’s a phrasal verb.
Five. The washing machine broke down. I’ll have to wash by hand.
Another handy phrasal verb: break down. This is what we say when a machine stops working. Cars, dishwashers, washing machines, anything mechanical.
Six. Oh dear, the chair’s broken.
Here we use present perfect again because the result is important now: the chair is broken.
Verb forms: break – broke – broken.
Seven. The pipe’s leaking.
Pay attention to pronunciation: leaking /ˈliːkɪŋ/, long /iː/ sound.
Something that leaks lets liquid escape slowly, like a dripping tap.
Eight. I’m sorry, your cup’s chipped.
When a cup or plate is chipped, it means a small piece has broken off. It’s usually just cosmetic, but sometimes sharp, so watch out.
Notice the short /ɪ/ in chipped, compared with the long /iː/ in leaking. You could apologize: Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop it, it’s only a small chip.
Nine. I’ve mislaid the bill. Have you seen it anywhere?
To mislay something means to put it somewhere and then forget where it is. Forms: mislay – mislaid – mislaid.
You could say: I’ve mislaid my keys again. Can you help me look for them?
Ten. She spilled some coffee on the laptop.
Spill = accidentally let a liquid flow out.
Also notice stain — if the liquid leaves a mark, we say it stained the surface: Oh no, the coffee has stained my notebook.
Eleven. I overslept this morning. I was half an hour late for work.
Oversleep = sleep longer than you intended. Not the same as sleep in, which is intentional. I slept in yesterday because I didn’t have to get up early.
I overslept… again. Alarm clocks hate me.
Twelve. The car won’t start.
Here will not / won’t is used because the car isn’t alive, but we treat it like it has its own will.
You could joke: My car won’t start. It clearly hates Mondays.
Thirteen. The kitchen clock’s slow / fast.
If a clock is slow, it shows the wrong time, behind the real time.
Example: The kitchen clock’s slow. I’ll be late if I don’t check my phone. Same with fast, ahead of real time.
Let’s practice! The best practice is having a real conversation. So go out there and have one! If you have no place to practice speaking or you simply need more: join Voice Loop. On Wednesdays we still have 2 spots left. It’s on Wednesday at 6 pm. B1+/B2. If you need a lower level group, like A2+/B1, join the Tuesday group at 5:20 pm. If you don’t know your level and need help with this just go to tacherola.com/grupy and complete the form. Teacherola.com/grupy/
And now it’s time to practice on your own. With me. Listen and repeat out loud:
The lights are out. There must be a power cut.
The bathroom’s flooded! Get a mop, quick!
The batteries have run out. I’ll have to get some more.
The washing machine broke down. I’ll have to wash by hand.
Be careful, the pipe’s leaking, don’t step in it!
Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop it, it’s only a small chip.
I’ve mislaid my keys again.
She spilled some coffee on the laptop.
I overslept this morning.
My car won’t start.
The kitchen clock’s slow.
Now you’ve got a bunch of handy vocabulary for everyday problems and you know exactly how to talk about them. But here’s the thing: learning words is only half the battle. The real progress happens when you put them into action.
If you’ve ever noticed that even basic English, like the Present Simple, trips you up… or you’re unsure whether you’re saying things correctly, I’ve got something just for you. I’m running a free live training called Present Not That Simple. We’ll dig into those tricky moments, explore why even simple sentences feel shaky, and give you tools to finally feel in control of your English in real conversations.
It’s happening Wednesday, 29th October, at 8:20 p.m. and you can sign up right now. The link is in the show notes and episode description, wherever you’re listening.
Don’t overthink it. Just come, see what’s holding you back, and take the step that actually makes a difference.
I can’t wait to see you there. Thank you for listening. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud! I’m Teacher Ola, and you’ve been listening to the Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now! See you at the training.