Ariannita walks through a home-improvement store and shows how to ask for and describe tools, building materials, lighting, kitchen fixtures, doors, flooring, and paint supplies. The visit turns everyday shopping language into a practical guide to navigating a large U.S. hardware store.

Read the full lesson summary

Ariannita walks through a home-improvement store to teach vocabulary for household products, building materials, and store navigation. She points out ladders and a stepladder, lumber, gloves, mechanic tools, a hammer, a mallet, a saw, and a level. The tour later moves to windows, garage doors, fans, chandeliers, faucets, cabinets, appliances, carpets, rugs, mailboxes, doors, plants, paint, brushes, and a paint cup. The examples show how to identify an item and describe where it is located.

The presenter models following overhead aisle signs and moving from one department to another. Learners hear comparative and descriptive language for size, color, shape, and purpose, as well as how to distinguish some related objects—for example, a hammer and a mallet, or a carpet and a smaller rug. Useful questions include “Which aisle is…?” and “What is this called?” A learner can also ask an employee to repeat a technical word or point to the right section. Product labels and names may differ by store and region.

The video includes tools that can be dangerous, such as saws and ladders, and mentions protective gloves. Its descriptions are vocabulary demonstrations, not instructions for construction, repairs, electrical work, or safe tool operation. Follow manufacturer directions and get qualified help for any real project. Store displays, prices, stock, and recording conditions are specific to the filming date and location.

For practice, learners can plan a fictional shopping trip, name an item they need, ask where to find it, and describe one feature. A partner can play a store employee and offer directions using “next to,” “across from,” or “at the end of the aisle.” They can finish by repeating the aisle or item name to confirm they understood. This language is especially useful when describing a store layout and asking for help. The goal is everyday vocabulary for home goods and asking for help, not product or repair recommendations.

S2.1

Ariannita la GringaAmerican English18:02

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Entering the store and finding ladders

Hey guys it's Ariannita and today we're doing a different type of video: shopping vocabulary at Home Depot so and let's go ahead and side to Home Depot as you can see when you first walk in we have different aisles full of different things so over there is aisle one and to my left is aisle 18. let's go ahead and start off at aisle 18 and see what they have let's start off with aisle 19 so the nice thing about coming to Home

Try it: Try using “walk in” in a sentence about entering the store and finding ladders.

Phrase cheat sheet

All phrases at a glance

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28 phrases

Showing 28 of 28 phrases

walk in

Entering the store and finding ladders · phrasal verb

Enter a building or room on foot.

Tone and use: Everyday and direct. Describe entering a store, office, or other place.

May not fit: If access is restricted or you enter by another means, name the actual entry method.

Example“When you walk in, the information desk is on your right.”

come along with me

Entering the store and finding ladders · expression

Join the speaker as they go somewhere or do something.

Tone and use: Friendly invitation, often used by presenters and guides. Invite someone to follow you during an activity or tour.

May not fit: For a formal invitation, say please join me.

Example“Come along with me and I’ll show you the paint section.”

signs on the ceiling

Entering the store and finding ladders · expression

Directional signs positioned overhead to help visitors find areas or products.

Tone and use: Neutral store-navigation language. Explain how to follow overhead signs in a large building.

May not fit: If a sign is on a wall or floor, describe its actual location.

Example“Follow the signs on the ceiling to the garden center.”

pick out

Entering the store and finding ladders · phrasal verb

Choose a particular item from a group of options.

Tone and use: Casual shopping language. Talk about selecting something from several choices.

May not fit: In formal procurement, choose or select may be more suitable.

Example“We need to pick out a ladder that reaches the roof.”

depending on the size

Entering the store and finding ladders · expression

With the choice or result changing according to how large or small something is.

Tone and use: Neutral and widely useful. Explain why a product or plan varies with dimensions.

May not fit: Name the other relevant factors too if size is not the only one.

Example“The delivery fee changes depending on the size of the order.”

climb up

Entering the store and finding ladders · phrasal verb

Move upward using your hands and feet or by stepping.

Tone and use: Common physical-action language. Describe going up a ladder, hill, or other surface.

May not fit: Use a specific safety instruction when there is a risk of falling.

Example“He climbed up the ladder to clean the gutter.”

carry heavy supplies

Describing building materials and ladder types · expression

Transport substantial or weighty materials from one place to another.

Tone and use: Practical workplace and home-improvement language. Describe moving building materials or equipment.

May not fit: If weight limits or lifting risks matter, specify how the items should be moved safely.

Example“The cart can carry heavy supplies across the warehouse.”

step one up

Describing building materials and ladder types · expression

Step onto a higher rung or step; in this lesson, the intended meaning is to step up onto the ladder.

Tone and use: Understandable but less idiomatic than step up onto. Give a simple description of climbing onto a low step ladder.

May not fit: For clear instructions, say step up onto the first step.

Example“Step up onto the first step and hold the side rails.”

go down to the next aisle

Describing building materials and ladder types · expression

Move along to the next aisle in a store.

Tone and use: Common shopping and navigation language. Give directions inside a shop or supermarket.

May not fit: If the aisle is on another floor, say go downstairs or go to the aisle on the lower floor.

Example“Go down to the next aisle to find the light bulbs.”

caught my attention

Finding lumber, gloves, and construction tools · expression

Made you notice or become interested in something.

Tone and use: Neutral and natural in conversation. Explain why you noticed an item, idea, or event.

May not fit: If something merely appeared in your view without interest, use noticed instead.

Example“That display caught my attention because of its unusual color.”

pick up a piece of lumber

Finding lumber, gloves, and construction tools · expression

Lift or collect one piece of cut wood used for building.

Tone and use: Everyday hardware-store language. Describe handling or purchasing a piece of building material.

May not fit: If you only mean purchasing it, say buy a piece of lumber to avoid ambiguity.

Example“Ask for help before you pick up a heavy piece of lumber.”

protect your hands

Finding lumber, gloves, and construction tools · expression

Keep your hands from being hurt or exposed to a hazard.

Tone and use: Neutral safety language. Discuss gloves or another protective measure.

May not fit: Name the specific hazard when a general warning is not enough.

Example“Wear gloves to protect your hands from splinters.”

move on

Finding lumber, gloves, and construction tools · phrasal verb

Leave one item, place, or topic and continue to the next.

Tone and use: Conversational; can sound abrupt when directed at a person. Transition between products or stages of a task.

May not fit: If someone has not finished speaking, invite them to finish before moving on.

Example“We’ve found the hammer; let’s move on to the saws.”

unlock it

Opening windows and looking at garage doors · expression

Use a key, code, or mechanism to release a lock so something can be opened.

Tone and use: Common and neutral. Describe opening a locked door, window, or device.

May not fit: If something is stuck rather than locked, say release or unfasten it.

Example“Unlock the window before you try to open it.”

garage door

Opening windows and looking at garage doors · expression

A large door that closes the opening of a garage.

Tone and use: Everyday American home vocabulary. Talk about home access, repairs, or storage.

May not fit: For repair instructions, distinguish the door from its opener or track.

Example“The garage door needs a new remote.”

sharp edges

Naming hand tools and comparing a hammer with a mallet · expression

Edges that can cut or injure someone.

Tone and use: Neutral safety description. Warn about tools, metal, glass, or other cutting hazards.

May not fit: If the hazard is a pointed tip, say sharp point instead.

Example“Be careful—the metal panel has sharp edges.”

level out

Handling a saw and a level · phrasal verb

Make something flat, even, or aligned at the same height.

Tone and use: Practical DIY and measurement language. Describe adjusting or checking a surface or object.

May not fit: For precise work, use a level and follow the project specifications.

Example“Use a spirit level to level out the shelf.”

bubble is in the middle

Returning to the store and browsing lighting · expression

The bubble in a spirit level sits between the center marks, indicating the surface is level.

Tone and use: Practical tool-use language. Explain how to read a bubble level.

May not fit: Check the level on the surface itself; visual alignment alone may not be accurate.

Example“The shelf is level when the bubble is in the middle.”

kicked me out

Returning to the store and browsing lighting · phrasal verb

Made someone leave a place, often because they were not allowed to stay.

Tone and use: Informal and potentially forceful. Casually describe being required to leave a venue.

May not fit: In formal or neutral accounts, say asked me to leave or told me to leave.

Example“The staff asked us to leave because the store was closing.”

spin around in a circle

Describing fans, chandeliers, and faucets · expression

Turn repeatedly around a central point.

Tone and use: Plain descriptive language. Describe the movement of a fan or rotating object.

May not fit: For technical writing, specify the rotation or direction more precisely.

Example“The ceiling fan spins around slowly.”

gush out

Describing fans, chandeliers, and faucets · phrasal verb

Flow out quickly and forcefully, usually in a large amount.

Tone and use: Vivid and informal description. Describe water or another liquid coming out strongly.

May not fit: If the flow is controlled and gentle, say run or pour out instead.

Example“Water gushed out when the old pipe broke.”

just like it is

Describing fans, chandeliers, and faucets · expression

In its current form, without changing or assembling it further.

Tone and use: Casual shopping language. Ask whether an item or display can be purchased in its existing setup.

May not fit: For a precise purchase, confirm which parts and services are included.

Example“Can we order the desk just like it is, with the same finish?”

in front of your door

Looking at microwaves, carpets, and rugs · expression

In the area immediately before the entrance to a home or room.

Tone and use: Neutral and useful for directions. Describe where a doormat, package, or sign should go.

May not fit: For delivery instructions, specify the exact entrance or location.

Example“The courier left the package in front of your door.”

attached to the back of your deck

Comparing sliding doors and choosing plants · expression

Connected or fixed to the rear side of an outdoor platform beside a house.

Tone and use: Practical home-description language. Describe how a door, fixture, or addition connects to a structure.

May not fit: Use a more exact construction term if the connection affects installation or safety.

Example“The sliding door is attached to the back of your deck.”

thinking about painting my apartment

Choosing paint colors and brushes · expression

Considering whether to paint the apartment, without having decided yet.

Tone and use: Natural way to introduce a plan under consideration. Ask for advice while a decision is still open.

May not fit: If the decision is final, say I’m going to paint my apartment.

Example“I’m thinking about painting my apartment a lighter color.”

light gray

Choosing paint colors and brushes · expression

A pale shade of gray.

Tone and use: Neutral color vocabulary. Specify or compare paint, clothing, or design colors.

May not fit: If the precise shade matters, use a sample or color code.

Example“We chose light gray for the bedroom walls.”

touch up the edges

Choosing paint colors and brushes · expression

Make small corrections or finish details along the borders of a painted area.

Tone and use: Common painting and repair language. Describe small finishing adjustments after the main paint job.

May not fit: For repainting a large area, say repainting rather than touching up.

Example“I’m touching up the edges around the window.”

dip your paintbrush

Using paint supplies and wrapping up · expression

Briefly put the bristles of a brush into paint or another liquid.

Tone and use: Practical instruction language. Explain how to load a paintbrush before painting.

May not fit: Do not immerse the whole brush; follow the paint and tool instructions.

Example“Dip your paintbrush in the paint, then wipe off the excess.”

Knowledge check

Practice the phrases you heard

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What it means · “caught my attention”

Teaching English at Home Depot

Transcript

All phrases at a glance

walk in

come along with me

signs on the ceiling

pick out

depending on the size

climb up

carry heavy supplies

step one up

go down to the next aisle

caught my attention

pick up a piece of lumber

protect your hands

move on

unlock it

garage door

sharp edges

level out

bubble is in the middle

kicked me out

spin around in a circle

gush out

just like it is

in front of your door

attached to the back of your deck

thinking about painting my apartment

light gray

touch up the edges

dip your paintbrush

Practice the phrases you heard

A display caught your attention. What happened?