Listening transcript · Episode 201

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B1–B2Everyday EnglishAbout 3 min + dynamic ads5 PDF versions available
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Martin, is that a light bag?

It is light, but I still packed too much.

Welcome to One Word, Three Lives.

Today our word is light.

One spelling, several useful meanings.

First, light can be an adjective meaning not heavy.

This suitcase is light enough to carry upstairs.

The opposite is heavy.

We can also say a light meal when the meal is small or not rich.

Next, light is a noun.

It can mean the brightness that lets us see.

The light in the hallway is still on.

You can turn on a light or switch off the lights.

In the plural, lights can also mean lamps or signals.

For example, stop when the traffic lights turn red.

Now light can be a verb.

It means make something start burning.

Please light the candle before dinner.

The past form is lit.

She lit a small fire to keep warm.

Notice how grammar tells us which meaning we need.

Before a noun, light may describe weight.

After “the,” light can name the brightness in a room.

After a person as the subject, light can be an action.

Lightweight is another useful adjective built from light.

A lightweight jacket is light and easy to carry.

As a noun, light appears in phrases such as daylight and traffic lights.

Light pollution makes the night sky harder to see.

As a verb, light has the past form lit.

He lit the fireplace before the guests arrived.

We can also say that a room is well lit.

Here, lit describes the result of someone turning on or arranging lights.

Listen for the grammar around the word.

In “a light suitcase,” light describes the suitcase.

In “turn on the light,” light is a thing.

In “light the candle,” light is an action.

Let us test the three lives.

The box is easy to lift because it weighs very little.

It is light.

The room is bright because the lamp is on.

There is a light on.

You use a match to start a candle burning.

You light the candle.

Now make your own sentence with one meaning of light.

Find the examples and vocabulary on the episode page.

The link is in the description.

Thank you for listening.

See you next time.

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