eng7-V1· Vocabulary· ~13 min

School & Education

Words for school subjects, people, places and studying.

This lesson covers common English words about school and education. You will learn the names of school subjects like Maths, Science, and History. You will also learn words for people and places in a school, such as headteacher, classmate, and laboratory. Finally, you will practise useful study verbs like revise, take notes, and hand in homework.

Key terms

timetable — A schedule that shows when each lesson happens during the school day.
laboratory — A special room with equipment for doing science experiments. Often shortened to 'lab'.
revise — To go over your notes and study again before a test or exam.
learn by heart — To memorise something so well that you can say or write it without looking at your notes.
hand in — To give your completed homework or work to the teacher.
headteacher — The person who is in charge of the whole school. In American English, 'principal'.
School places and what you do there
PlaceWhat you do there
libraryborrow and read books
laboratorydo science experiments
canteeneat lunch and snacks
playgroundplay and do sports during break

Common places in a school and their uses.

✎Study vs Revise — What Is the Difference?
  1. 1Step 1: You study a new topic for the first time in class or at home.
  2. 2Step 2: When you already know the topic but want to remember it before a test, you revise it.
  3. 3Example: "I studied the topic in class on Monday. On Friday, before the test, I revised my notes."
🚫Common mistake

Don't confuse 'pass an exam' with 'take an exam'. To pass means to succeed and get a good mark. To take an exam simply means to sit and do it.

⚠️Caution

In British English, 'headteacher' is used. In American English, the word is 'principal'. Both mean the person in charge of a school.

💡Note

'Learn by heart' means the same as 'memorise'. If you learn a poem by heart, you can say it without looking at the book.

Rules

  1. 1School subjects are always written with a capital letter: Maths, Science, History, Art, PE.
  2. 2'PE' stands for Physical Education — the subject where you do sports and exercise. 'ICT' stands for Information and Communication Technology.
  3. 3'Hand in' is a phrasal verb — you hand in your homework to the teacher so they can check it.
  4. 4'Revise' means to study again before a test or exam. In American English, people say 'review' instead.
  5. 5'Learn by heart' means to memorise something completely — you can say it without looking at your notes.
  6. 6School places like 'library', 'laboratory' and 'canteen' are common nouns — do not capitalise them unless they are part of a name.

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed