Necessary English words on the topic “Pets and Beasts” for beginners, children: list with transcription and translation
Theme "Pets" in English is always interesting for children to study, because such lessons can be filled with different forms of work:
- Acting out dialogues
- Learning songs
- Watching cartoons
- Reading poems
- Drawing
- Hearing
In addition, the lesson assumes that large quantity visuals (pictures) that children like so much.
The whole topic can be divided into several sections:
- Pets
- Animals on the farm
- Animals in the forest
- Exotic animals
Vocabulary plays the main role in studying this topic, so try to compile your own vocabulary (dictionary) and consolidate it by writing out, pronouncing and repeating each word. It is useful to write down and learn words based on transcription (signs representing sounds). If the child is small, but already knows how to read, you can even write down the sounds in Russian letters.
Topic vocabulary 
Exercises in English for children on the topic “Pets and Beasts”
It is not enough just to give the child vocabulary (a list of words on a given topic), they should also be reinforced with the help of simple and complex exercises: written or oral.
What exercises can you suggest:
- In the first part, you should label all the pictures so that the word matches the picture. In the second part of the task, simply connect the word and the picture with a line.
- A simple task for young children that involves copying words - animal names.
- Label the pictures of animals in the right words, and then fill in the crossword puzzle with them so that the letters match perfectly (it is advisable to use a pencil).
- Label the pictures using the suggested words in the column
- A creative task for which colored pencils will be useful. In the picture you should recognize and highlight different animals in color, naming them.
- Complete the colorful crossword puzzle using the pictures provided (remembering their names in English).
Dialogue in English for children on the topic “Pets and Beasts” with translation
Act out a dialogue on the topic “Pets” in the class or with an individual student; it will help consolidate acquired knowledge and actively use new vocabulary in speech.
What dialogues are suitable:
Video: “Animal Comparisons Dialogue – English Lesson for Kids”
Phrases in English for children on the topic “Pets and Beasts” with translation
In order to have a good command of the topic “Animals and pets”, you should introduce into your conversation not only individual vocabulary units, but also entire phrases, with the help of which the child can compose stories, monologues and dialogues.
Phrases and phrases:
| English | Translation |
| I like animals | I love animals |
| I have a pet | I have a pet |
| My favorite pet is… | My favorite pet is... |
| Do you like animals? | Do you love animals? |
| My pet's name is... | My pet's name is... |
| What's your cat (dog) name? | What is the name of your cat (dog)? |
| Animals (pets) are good | The animals are very nice |
| Dogs our friends | Dogs are our friends |
| Domestic pets live in a farm | Pets live on a farm |
| Exotic animals live in a tropic | Exotic animals live in the tropics |
| I have a red cat | I have a red cat |
| My dog is clever | My dog is very smart |
| Parrot is a bird | Parrot is a bird |
| I feed my pet with… | I feed my pet... |
| My dog likes bones | My dog loves bones |
Songs for children in English on the topic “Pets and Beasts” with transcription and translation
A song in an English lesson is not only a way to escape from monotonous and complex work, but also a very effective form of work. By relaxing and moving, it is much more pleasant to memorize vocabulary and therefore it is deposited in memory much more firmly. An alternative to songs is musical cartoons, which also use visual memory, and therefore are more effective.
Songs about animals:
Video: “The animal song”
Cards in English on the topic “Pets and Animals” with transcription and translation
Cards are the main visual aid in the lesson, which will help any teacher to present well educational material children. The pictures on the cards must be bright, clear, and positive.
On the other hand, cards are individual work for each child, for example, cards with tasks where you need to write a certain word or complete a sentence.
Thematic cards for the lesson:
Cards on the theme "animals" 
Games and riddles in English on the topic “Pets and Animals”
With the help of the game, you can interest your child in learning English and help him remember new vocabulary easier and faster.
What games can be used:
- Individual cards. They may have a task: solve a crossword puzzle or connect an animal and its favorite food by signing each picture.
- Puppet theater. To do this, use soft toys - different animals. They can communicate or talk about themselves, for example: I am cat. My name is Foxy. I like milk. I live in a big house.
- Riddles. You can give the characteristics of a specific animal, and the student’s task will be to guess and name it in English. For example, “Who is it?”: it has white fur and a long ears. - Rabbit!
Poems in English on the topic “Pets and Beasts”
Learning rhymes in English will help your child not only remember words, but also practice pronunciation of owls using intonation and stress. Select theme poems in advance and have the children memorize them to present to the class.
SECRET: To make it easier for your child to remember, invite him to recite a poem with an animal - a toy. So he will use his associations.
Rhyme "Little Bird" in English 
Poem in English “My cat” and “The cow speaks” 
Poem in English “Once I caught a fish” 
Poem in English "Pig" and "Little Turtle" 
Poem in English “I have a little turtle” and “Monkeys” 
Poem in English “Birds” and “Rooster, Fox, Cat and Wolf” Cartoons for children on the topic “Pets and Animals”
Educational cartoons will help you diversify the lesson and make it more fruitful, because children absorb information with much greater interest through multimedia files and visuals than from text.
Game “Crocodile”: one child depicts the animal, the others guess it (only the English word should be named). Imitate animal sounds (as is customary in English). Talk about your pets, introduce them or show photos. Use individual and group cards for work (preferably colorful and with pictures). Ask to use your children creativity, for example, draw a beautiful picture of your pet and talk about it in English. Play the game “Moms and Babies”: distribute the pictures among the animals and name them in English words, for example, “hen - chicken”. Video: “Animals in English: video trainer”
It is impossible to imagine learning English without learning the names of animals. After familiarizing yourself with a minimum of vocabulary and the simplest grammatical structures, you need to move on to short texts in which the presence of animals as characters is highly desirable. When we teach animals in English for children, the traditional set includes approximately equal numbers of domestic and wild fauna. It’s better to start memorizing with monosyllabic words, gradually moving to two- and three-syllable names.
Animal names in English
At the very beginning of training, it is acceptable for animals in English to be learned with pronunciation in Russian, that is, with Russian transcription. It is strongly recommended that, in parallel with memorizing words, you learn English transcription signs, without knowledge of which it will be impossible to work with any dictionary.
Domestic animals
Cat - Cat
Cow - Cow
Dog - Dog
Duck - Duck
Donkey - Donkey
Goat - Goat
Goose - Goose (goose)
Hamster - Hamster (hamste)
Chicken - Hen
Horse - Horse (hos)
Mouse - Mouse (mouse)
Pig - Pig (pig)
Rabbit - Rabbit
Sheep - Sheep (thorn) [ʃ I:p]
Having gone to the section on animals in English with a translation into Russian, it is very important to explain to the child that the British not only call animals “not our way,” but also hear most of the sounds they make differently from us. For example, an English dog barks "bow-bow" or "woof-woof", the chicken clucks "cluck-cluck", the mouse squeaks "squeak-squeak" and the sheep bleats "baa-baa".
It's helpful to introduce these sounds with sentences like these:
- The pig on the farm goes “oink-oink”.
- The horse on the field goes “neigh-neigh”.
- The cow on the meadow says “moo-moo”.
Children notice that native speakers hear some animals in a very unique way, and, for example, the mooing of a cow or the meowing of a cat is reproduced approximately equally by our speech apparatus.
It is also useful to compose dialogues with approximately the following content:
- - What does the cat on the roof say?
- It says “miaow”.
Or a little more complicated:
- - Does the duck in the pool say “oink-oink”?
- No, it isn't. The duck says “quack-quack”.
Wild animals
Bear - Bear (bee)
Crocodile - Crocodile (crocodile)
Deer - Deer
Elephant - Elephant
Giraffe - Giraffe (giraffe)
Fox - Fox (fox)
Koala - Koala (kouale)
Leopard - Leopard (laped)
Monkey - Monkey (monkey)
Ostrich - Ostrich [ɔstritʃ]
Panda - Panda (panda)
Snake - Snake (snake)
Turtle - Tortoise (totes)
Keith - Whale
Zebra - Zebra (zebra)
He, she or it?
When learning the names of wild animals, there is no particular need to reproduce sounds, perhaps with the exception of snakes (hiss). It should be noted that in everyday situations and in real life pronouns he And she are not used in relation to animals. In most cases, you need to use a pronoun it, which is used when referring to inanimate objects. For example:
This is a crocodile. It is green long and fierce.
In fairy tales and some stories, animals are personified and “rewarded” with the pronouns he or she. Also in English there is one very interesting feature: when you are told about any animal that has a nickname or name (in fairy tales), it is “introduced” as follows:
John, the Cat
Gray, the Horse
Martin, the Bear.
Smart as a monkey
Just like in the Russian language, animals from the British or Americans are endowed with qualities that are inherent in some people. In some cases, these comparisons coincide with ours, when they say about a person that he has the strength and endurance of a horse. For example:
Dick was strong as a horse and he could easily make fifteen kilometers on foot.
On the other hand, when we teach animals in English to children, they need to be taught that we and native English speakers have differences in mentality, and therefore we perceive many realities of life differently. In the field of the animal world, this is especially pronounced in relation to wolves and monkeys. Yes, in some fairy tales we treat the wolf with disdain, but we will never compare a man with a wolf in the following way:
"He's stupid as a wolf", and English-speaking people do this: "Brian's as stupid as a wolf".
Even more curious is the attitude of the British towards monkeys. If we say that a person is as smart as a monkey, most likely he will take this as an insult, but among native speakers this is literally the highest praise:
“Tracy has finished her school with honors - she’s as clever as a monkey”.
As a rule, such transfers of human characters onto animals can be found in fables in literature. Characters There are usually various animals there. Reading fables in English is one of the ways to replenish vocabulary, there you will find many names of animals, words that describe character and behavior. At the end of each fable there is usually a moral stated. From these final proposals characterizing different life situations, you can take a lot of useful things to enrich your speech.
On the educational site, in addition to short funny stories, interesting stories and fairy tales, English fables are also used to learn English. On our website, a user with any initial level of knowledge will find suitable educational material for himself.
1 Words on the topic: Pets and birds (sound, transcription)
Other words:
domestic animal– pet; pet– favorite pet, pet; poultry– poultry; animal husbandry– livestock farming
calf(bull) – calf; foal– foal; kid– kid; lamb– lamb, lamb; piglet(sucking pig) - piglet; puppy(pup) – puppy, cub of a dog; kitten- kitty; duckling- duckling; chick- chick
squeak- squeak, squeal (made by animals); clucking- clucking, clucking; moo– mu; baa– me (be); oink, oink!– oink-oink; bow-wow!- woof-woof; miaow(mew) - meow; quack-quack- quack-quack; cock-a-doodle-doo!- crow
2 Words on the topic: Wild animals (sound, transcription)
Other words:
wild animal– wild animal; herbivorous animal– herbivore; carnivorous/flesh-eating animal– carnivore; predatory animal- predator
whelp (cube)– puppy, cub of wild animals; calf– baby (deer, elephant, whale); baby– baby (animal); kid– a baby animal; young– used from ch. in plural cubs, offspring (of animals)
lion's whelp (lion cub)- lion cub; bear cub- teddy bear; wolf cube– wolf cub; elephant calf– baby elephant; baby kangaroo- baby kangaroo; kid fox- little fox; young camel– baby camel; young deer– fawn
...........................................3 Words on the topic: Birds (sound, transcription)
Other words:
bird- bird; waterfowl– waterfowl; bird of prey– bird of prey; wader- marsh bird; migrant bird (bird of passage)– migratory bird; songbird- songbird
nestling, fledgeling, chick- chick, baby bird; young cuckoo– cuckoo baby; eaglet– eaglet
caw– croaking; chirp, chatter, twittering- tweeting, chirping; peep- squeak, chirp; cuckoo– peek-a-boo (imitation of the cuckoo call)
4 Words on the topic: Fish and sea animals (sound, transcription)
Other words:
fish- fish; freshwater fish– freshwater fish; saltwater fish– sea fish; tropical fish– tropical fish
...........................................5 Words on the topic: Insects (sound, transcription)
Other words:
insect– insect; insects bite– insects bite; insects crawl/creep– insects crawl; insects fly- insects fly
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6 Video in English with animal names
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7 Bird names in English
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8 Video clip in English with the names of fish and sea animals
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9 Names of insects in English
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10 Features of the use of words denoting groups of animals
1. Type expression a flock of birds, as well as other names for groups of objects, such as a school(school, school of fish or other marine life) or a herd(herd), agrees with the singular verb:
A school of fish was swimming down the river– A school (flock) of fish swam down the river.
A herd of cows is grazing in the field— A herd of cows is grazing in a field.
2. Russian flock, depending on the totality of which animals are meant, is conveyed in English by various nouns:
flock– in relation to birds: a flock of ducks– a flock of ducks; pack– in relation to dogs, wild and domestic: a pack of wolves, dogs– pack / pack of wolves, dogs; school– in relation to fish: a school of fish– a school of fish; colony / troop– in relation to monkeys or ants: a colony / troop of monkeys, ants– a flock of monkeys, a family of ants; swarm– in relation to insects: a swarm of flies– swarm/cloud of flies.
3. Team may refer to groups of animals performing the same task together: a team of dogs (of four horses)– dog team (four horse team).
...........................................11 Plural nouns denoting animals, not formed according to the standard rule
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12 Animals and birds in English idioms
jolly dog- merry fellow; womanizer; ladies' man
lucky dog- lucky
lazy dog- lazy
top dog– “dog on top”, the master of the situation, the winning side
dead dog- “dead dog”, good for nothing, worthless person
dog's age– a long time
dog's breakfast/dinner– British decomposition mess
dog in the manger- dog in the manger
to go to the dogs- to perish, to go bankrupt
to help a lame dog over a stile- help someone in trouble
to throw to the dogs- throw away as unusable
to put on the dog– mouth to put on airs, to act arrogantly
dog-and-pony show- Amer. decomposition circus, show
dogs of war- disasters, horrors of war
(as) sick as a dog- Amer. decomposition severely nauseous
attack dog– fierce critic, chain dog
in the doghouse– colloquial in disgrace, in disgrace
dog eat dog- wolf laws
dog days– the hottest summer days; dead season
dog in a blanket– pudding with jam
puppy love– puppy love (passionate falling in love of children and adolescents with their idols, teachers, older comrades)
the cat's meow / whiskers / pajamas– colloquial first grade
to fight like Kilkenny cats– fight until mutual destruction (Kilkenny is a city in Ireland)
to fight like cat and dog– to live like a cat and a dog (usually about spouses)
enough to make a cat laugh- “even makes a cat laugh”, and can make a dead person laugh
to grin like a Cheshire cat- “grind your teeth like a Cheshire cat”, smile from ear to ear, grin
to let the cat out of the bag- let it slip, accidentally blurt out a secret
to see which way the cat jumps- wait to see which way the wind blows
that cat won't jump– colloquial this number will not work
to turn cat in the pan- become a defector
barber's cat– “hairdresser’s cat”, colloquial. chatterbox, chatterbox
to put / set the cat among the pigeons– British decomposition disturb the peace, cause discord
cat burglar– thief-window operator
cat ladder– attic staircase
till the cows come home– colloquial ad infinitum
cash cow– colloquial cash cow
sacred cow– iron. sacred cow, ultimate truth
Holy cow!– colloquial Wow!, Wow!
to have a cow- Amer. decomposition be surprised, angry, upset
cow college– colloquial provincial college or university
straight from the horse's mouth– first hand
to back the wrong horse- choose the wrong means to achieve the goal
to beat a dead horse- discuss an already resolved issue
to hold one's horses- behave more carefully
a horse of a different color- a completely different matter
on one's high horse- arrogantly
to eat like a horse– eat like a horse (i.e. a lot)
horse godmother– dial. fat girl
horse sense– simple, practical, blunt common sense
to work like a horse- work like a horse
to make a pig"s ear of smth. / out of smth.- do sth. very bad
to buy a pig in a poke- buy a pig in a poke
in less than a pig's whisper- instantly, in no time
a pig in the middle– colloquial between two fires
on the pig's back, on the pig's ear- on horseback
Pigs to you!- Australian But screw you!
please the pigs- joking. if you're lucky
pig's breakfast- burda (something unappetizing)
Pig Market– British rude joking entrance hall of the Faculty of Theology at Oxford
to cast / make sheep's eyes at smb.- to throw at smb. loving glances
to separate the sheep from the goats- bibliography to separate the lambs from the goats (the righteous from the sinners)
black sheep (of a family)- black sheep
duck sitting– a convenient target
duck-out– desertion
like a duck in a thunderstorm- with a confused look
like a duck to water- like a fish in water
like water off a duck's back- like water off a duck's back
duck's weather, fine day for ducks– rainy weather
to get one"s ducks in a row– colloquial put your thoughts in order
dead duck– colloquial dead number
ducks and drakes– “duck and drake” (children’s game: flat pebbles are thrown so that they jump on the surface of the water)
ostrich policy– “ostrich policy” (based on self-deception)
to have the digestion of an ostrich– have a tinned stomach
as black as a crow– black as a raven (blacker than the night)
as the crow flies– colloquial in a straight line
white crow– white crow (about someone who stands out from the crowd, who is different from others)
to eat boiled crow– colloquial be forced to smth. do
swallow dive- jump into the water with a swallow
swallow– colloquial spy
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13 Insects in English idioms
flea in one's ear- sharp remark, scolding
spider hole- military slang "spider nest" (camouflaged sniper position)
to strain at a gnat- obsess over little things
like flies to honey- like flies to honey
to drop / die like flies– die like flies, get sick or die in large numbers
to crush / break a fly upon the wheel- shoot sparrows from a cannon
to drink with flies– drink without company, alone
to be a fly on the wall- eavesdrop, spy, spy (observe without being noticed)
fly in the ointment- a fly in the ointment
to give a fly- make an attempt, try
blind as a beetle, beetle blind– blind (like a mole)
14 Fish and sea animals in English idioms
neither fish nor fowl- neither fish nor meat, neither this nor that
to drink like a fish– drink “without drying out” (drink like a cobbler)
to have other fish to fry- have other things to do
to make fish of one and flesh of another– treat people unevenly, biasedly
fish story– “hunting story”, exaggeration, fables
to feed the fishes- drown; seasick
a whale at / on smth.- master in smb. matter, expert, expert
very like a whale– iron. Well, of course!, so I believed you!
as slippery as an eel– slippery like an eel
A pretty kettle of fish!– colloquial Funny story! Nice job!
15 Animals in proverbs in English
Let sleeping dogs lie.
Don't wake a sleeping dog.
Every dog has his day.
Every dog has its day. (Every dog has his day.)
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Lock the barn door after the horse is stolen.
After a horse is stolen, the barn is not locked. (After a fight they don’t wave their fists.)
As well be hung for a sheep as (for) a lamb.
Seven troubles - one answer.
A goose never voted for an early Christmas.
The goose will never vote for Christmas to come.
Chickens come home to roost.
Chickens become roosters. (What goes around comes around.)
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.
Chickens are counted in the fall.
If it looks like a duck, waddles and quacks, then it"s probably a duck.
If the bird looks like a duck, waddles and quacks, then it is most likely a duck.
The crow thinks its own bird fairest.
Every raven thinks that his breed is better than others. (Each sandpiper praises its swamp.)
All"s fish that comes to his net.
Without fish and cancer, fish.
16 Games, songs, stories in English on the topic: Animals (flash)
Animals as symbols of the Republican and Democratic parties in the USA
Democratic Party\ Democratic Party
Party symbol: donkey\ donkey. The “donkey” symbolism was adopted by the party after the appearance of cartoons published at the end of the 19th century in the newspaper Harper's Weekly. 
The party itself was founded in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson. It was created as a “party of all the people” and opposed the party of the then American elite - the Federalist Party. In 1798, the party became known as the Democratic-Republican Party, and in 1800, Jefferson won the presidential election. In the 20s of the 19th century, the party somewhat shortened its name and became Democratic.
According to Gallup polls, what Americans like most about the Democratic Party is that it “represents the interests of ordinary people”; the greatest irritation is that the Democrats are “ineffective” and “too liberal.”
Republican Party\ Republican Party
Party symbol: elephant\ elephant. As with the Democratic symbol, the elephant became a symbol of the Republican Party thanks to cartoonist Thomas Nast. Republican Party marches and demonstrations in the United States during election campaigns sometimes included live elephants rented from the zoo. In the United States, the abbreviation GOP is used to designate the party (first used in 1875). The abbreviation is most often deciphered as “Grand Old Party”. However, the abbreviation had a slightly different meaning: “Gallant Old Party”. 
Initially, the Republican Party united anti-slavery activists and small farmers. At the end of the 19th century, its backbone consisted of large businessmen and farmers. The party advocates strengthening traditional moral values, limiting government spending, lowering taxes, and strengthening the military power of the United States.
According to Gallup, Americans like the Republican Party's "party platform" and "conservatism" and are irritated by its poor "leadership skills" and "serving the interests of big business."
Exercises and games on the topic: Animals (in English)
Poems about animals in English
The Lion and the Unicorn
Were fighting for the crown;
The Lion beat the Unicorn
All about the town.
Some gave them white bread
And some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake
And drummed them out of town!
Ladybug! Ladybug!
Fly away home.
Your house is on fire.
And your children are all gone.
All except one,
And that's Ann,
For she ahs crept under
The frying pan.
One for the mouse,
One for the crow,
One to rot,
One to grow.
Butterfly, butterfly,
When do you come?
I know not, I ask not,
Nor ever had a home.
Butterfly, butterfly,
Where do you go?
Where the sun shines,
And where the buds grow.
If wishes were horses then beggars would ride,
If turnips were swords I"d have one by my side.
If "ifs" and hands were pots and pans
There would be no need for tinkers hands!
Bald eagle / bald eagle in US symbols
Bald Eagle / bald eagle– one of the national symbols of the United States, it is depicted on the “Great Seal” (confirming the authenticity of documents issued by the US government) and the presidential standard. His image is also on the back of the dollar bill. 
The bald eagle is covered with a shield decorated with the pattern of the stars and stripes, in one paw he holds an olive branch (symbolizing peace) with 13 berries and 13 leaves (symbolizing the 13 colonies that formed the USA), in the other - 13 arrows (symbolizing war ). Berries, leaves and arrows were borrowed from the symbolism of the Iroquois tribal union. There are 13 stars above the eagle. His head is turned towards the olive branch, which should indicate the US desire for peace (until 1945, the eagle looked the other way). Above the eagle’s head there is a ribbon with the Latin inscription (also of 13 letters) E pluribus unum - “One of many.” The meaning of this phrase is unclear.
The phrase is similar to the Latin translation of Heraclitus's saying: "Of all things one, one of all things." However, the exact saying can be found much later. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the British magazine "Gentleman's magazine" was popular among the elite of Great Britain and the United States. At the beginning of the 18th century, subscriptions to this magazine were extremely expensive, so gentlemen could borrow from the library or buy a yearly selection of issues of the magazine. Since 1731, the package of them was marked with the phrase “E pluribus unum.” Perhaps the designers of the first American dollars borrowed someone else’s slogan to give the new money respectability.
Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, admitted that he regretted choosing the bald eagle as a symbol of the United States, giving preference to another bird - the turkey / turkey:
"For my part, I would not want the bald eagle to be chosen as the symbol of our country. This bird is immoral. It does not earn an honest living. You might have seen it perched on a dead tree near the river, where it is too lazy to even fish, instead, watching the hawk hunt; when this industrious bird finally grabs the fish and carries it to the nest for its mate and chicks, the bald eagle chases it and takes the prey for itself, with all its dishonesty, it is always not in the best position, like people, living by fraud and robbery, he is usually pitiful and often looks lousy. In addition, he is cowardly: the royal tyrant (flycatcher), a bird no larger than a sparrow, boldly attacks him and drives him away from his territory. Therefore, he cannot in any way be a symbol of the brave and honest American. a country that drove all the royal birds out of its borders... In truth, the turkey is a much more respectable bird in comparison, and a real native of America at that... Despite the fact that he looks a little pompous and stupid, he is a brave bird , and will not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who allows himself to invade her country yard in his red plumage."
About the expression lame duck / lame duck
"Lame Duck" / lame duck an expression that has many meanings. In the narrow sense of the word, a “lame duck” is an ineffective, weak leader. In a broad sense, “lame ducks” are politicians who lost elections (options: refused to participate or did not have the right to participate) and occupy their post because the new government did not have time to take office. Therefore, decisions made by “lame ducks” who are no longer accountable to voters for their actions are often risky and irresponsible.
The lame duck “flew” into the world political lexicon from the speech of British hunting enthusiasts: a lame bird moves slowly on land, swims poorly, is not able to take off quickly and is therefore unable to hide from a predator. In addition, she makes a very pathetic impression. At first this expression was picked up by businessmen. In the 18th century, regulars on the London Exchange called "lame ducks" securities traders who could not or were unable to fulfill their obligations to sellers/buyers. Until 1773, the functions of the exchange were performed by London's Exchange Alley. For the first time, there was a division of stock speculators into “bulls” / bull(playing for appreciation) and "bears" / bear(short sellers). The third type of speculative fauna became “lame ducks”. The ruined stock exchange players, walking away along Exchange alley, vividly reminded their colleagues of unfortunate birds. A little later, ordinary bankrupts began to be called this.
In the 1830s, lame ducks "flew" into politics - this is what they began to call politicians who chronically failed to fulfill their promises, lost popularity and turned into political bankrupts. Until 1934, the US Congress held numerous meetings called "lame duck" sessions. According to American tradition, congressional elections are held on the first Monday of November. Some legislators inevitably lose elections and lose their right to sit in Congress. Before 1934, the new US President and the new Congress began work only on March 4 of the following year, that is, the “lame ducks” had the opportunity to decide the fate of the country for four whole months. This came to an end in 1933 with the passage of the Twentieth Amendment to the US Constitution (still known as the Lame Duck Amendment). Lame duck amendment, which shortened the tenure of “lame ducks” in power.
However, the “lame duck” meetings did not become history. According to estimates by the US Congressional Research Service, between 1940 and 2002 there were 14 such meetings of the House of Representatives (the lower house of the US Parliament). The US Senate, the upper house, held such sessions 22 times between 1933 and 2004. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the “lame ducks” discussed issues of particular importance - the budget, wars, particularly serious international agreements, etc. In 1954, senators tried to discuss their colleague Joseph McCarthy, who unleashed the “witch hunt”, in 1974 - discussed the Watergate scandal, and in 1998 - the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. In some cases, the lame ducks were very productive, sometimes not.
The title of "lame duck" is awarded not only to congressmen, but also to other categories of elected statesmen, for example, mayors and governors. The famous American journalist William Safire noted in his book “The New Political Dictionary” that in US political slang there are not only “lame” ducks, but also other types of ducks. There is a "sitting duck" / duck sitting- this means that the politician is in a dangerous situation and is very vulnerable. "Quacking Duck" / queer duck- a funny, unconventional, eccentric, sometimes ridiculous figure. "Dead Duck" / dead duck- a person who, for various reasons, has lost any serious political future. There is also the word "duck" / ducky– usually applied to a promising politician in superlatives, but sometimes has an ironic connotation. In addition, "duck" terminology has become part of some well-known political aphorisms USA: for example, “if he walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then most likely he is a duck” (this expression was addressed to the famous trade unionist Walter Ruether /1907–1970/, who during the “witch hunt” "accused of belonging to the Communist Party).
When learning English, it is important to pay attention not only to learning various grammatical rules, but also to replenishing your vocabulary with a wide variety of words.
You can do this in several ways:
- Learn words taken separately or taken out of context (in initial stages Many people follow this path of learning, although it is the least practical).
- Learn words by blocks or topics.
Of course, the second option is the most effective, and that is what we will consider in this article. Lexical topics can be very diverse: family, home, nature, society, school and much more. But next we will look at one very interesting topic, namely the names of animals in English, their correct pronunciation and spelling.
Be patient and start learning the names of animals.
Pet names in English
All pets can be named in English domestic animals or pets.
Their difference is as follows:
- domestic animals– these are animals that can bring material benefits to people (farm animals);
- pets are animals that people keep for spiritual benefit, that is, pets.
| Pets(pets) | ||
| Animal name | Transcription | Translation |
| Dog | / "dane" | Dog |
| Puppy | [ˈpʌpi] / "pappy" | Puppy |
| Cat | / "cat" | Cat |
| Kitten | [ˈkɪtn] / "kittn" | Kitty |
| Guinea Pig | [ˈgɪni pɪg] / "zhinie pig" | Guinea pig |
| Hamster | [ˈhæmstə] / "hamste" | Hamster |
| Mouse | / "mouse" | Mouse |
| Turtle | [ˈtɜːtl] / "totl" | Turtle |
| Domestic animals (pets) | ||
| Cow | / "kau" | Cow |
| Horse | / "horse" | Horse |
| Pig | / "pig" | Pig |
| Sheep | [ʃiːp] / "thorn" | Sheep |
| Piglet | [ˈpɪglət] / "pyglet" | Piglet |
| Donkey | [ˈdɒŋki] / "donki" | Donkey |
| Ram | / "ram" | Ram |
| Rabbit | [‘ræbɪt] / "rabbit" | Rabbit |
Examples:
- Mum, I see a little kitten!- Mom, I see a little kitten!
- This beautiful cat belongs to my friend. Its name is Mitty.– This beautiful cat belongs to my friend. Her nickname is Mitty.
- I have never had a pet but all my life I want to have a hamster. – I have never had a pet, but all my life I wanted to have a hamster.
- Tom is riding the horse now. He has dreamed about this since his childhood.– Tom is riding a horse now. He dreamed about this since childhood.
- My grandmother has some pigs and sheep in the village. They look very cute.– My grandmother has several pigs and sheep in the village. They look very cute.
- Children, I have a question, do you know that the turtles live to hundred years?– Children, I have a question, did you know that turtles can live up to a hundred years?
- When I was a child I had many different pets. For examples, cats, dogs, Guinea pigs and hamsters. I loved them all very much.– As a child, I had a lot of pets, for example, cats, dogs, guinea pigs and hamsters. I loved them all very much.
Remember the gender of animals in English is neuter, so use it accordingly.
Wild animals in English
Wild animals in English are called wild animals. Sometimes some species of animals can be classified as both domestic and wild.
wild animals(wild animals):
| Animal name | Transcription | Animal in Russian |
| Bear | / "bea" | Bear |
| Hare | / "hea" | Hare |
| Moose | / "mus" | Elk |
| Deer | / "dea" | Deer |
| Squirrel | [ˈskwɪrəl] / "squirrel" | Squirrel |
| Crocodile | [ˈkrɒkədaɪl] / "crocodile" | Crocodile |
| Wolf | / "wolf" | Wolf |
| Fox | / "fox" | Fox |
| Elephant | [ˈɛlɪfənt] / "elephant" | Elephant |
| Monkey | [ˈmʌŋki] / "monkey" | Monkey |
| Lion | [ˈlaɪən] / "layon" | Lion |
| Tiger | [ˈtaɪgə] / "taige" | Tiger |
| Kangaroo | [ˌkæŋgəˈruː] / "kangaroo" | Kangaroo |
| Hedgehog | [ˈhɛʤhɒg] / "hechzog" | Hedgehog |
| Giraffe | [ʤɪˈrɑːf] / "giraffe" | Giraffe |
| Raccoon | / "rekun" | Raccoon |
Examples:
Exotic animals
Among wild animals, one more group can be distinguished - exotic animals, which are translated into English as exotic animals. Just like with the previous case of some animals from this list can be classified as other groups.
Exotic animals (exotic animals):
| Name | Its transcription | Translation of animal name |
| Ostrich | [‘ɒstrɪtʃ] / “ostric” | Ostrich |
| Penguin | [‘pɛŋɡwɪn] / “penguin” | Penguin |
| Snake | / "snake" | Snake |
| Tamandua | / "temendue" | Ant-eater |
| Chinchilla | / "chinchile" | Chinchilla |
| Lizard | / "lized" | Lizard |
| Chameleon | / "kemilien" | Chameleon |
| Piranha | / "pirane" | Piranha |
| Salamander | [‘saləmandə] / “salemende” | Salamander |
Examples:
- Many people are afraid of snakes but I love them. They seem very majestic.– Many people are afraid of snakes, but I love them. They seem very majestic.
- Penguins are the cutest animals which I have ever seen.– Penguins are the cutest animals I have ever seen.
- I have seen ostriches in the special farm in Australia. They look huge and funny at the same time.– I saw ostriches on a special farm in Australia. They are very big and funny at the same time.
- Chameleons have many secrets. These are very mysterious animals.– The chameleon has many secrets. These are very mysterious animals.
Birds in English
These animals in English can be called the word birds. In this broad group, they can be divided into smaller ones, for example, waterfowl, flightless, domestic, and so on.
Birds(birds):
| Animal | Transcription | Translation |
| Cock | Chicken | |
| Chicken | [‘tʃɪkən] / “chicken” | Chick |
| Goose | / "gus" | Goose |
| Duck | [‘dʌk] / “dak” | Duck |
| Turkey | [‘tɜ:rkɪ] / “torki” | Turkey |
| Parrot | [ˈpærət] / "perrot" | Parrot |
| Raven | [‘reɪvən] / "raven" | Crow |
| Woodpecker | [‘wudˌpekə] / “woodpike” | Woodpecker |
| Owl | / "ovl" | Owl |
| Crow | / "craw" | Crow |
| Dave | / "dav" | Pigeon |
| Eagle | [‘iːgl] / “igl” | Eagle |
| Canary | [kəʹne(ə)rız] / "keneri" | Canary |
Examples:
- My elder sister has some beautiful parrots. – My older sister has several beautiful and colorful parrots.
- My grandparents have some cocks and turkeys in the house in the village.– My grandparents keep a lot of chickens and turkeys in their house in the village.
- I hope the owl would bring me a letter from Hogwarts.“I hope that someday an owl will bring me a letter from their school of magic and wizardry.”
- Recently I have been in the forest with my parents and seen many different birds such as woodpeckers.– Recently, my parents and I were in the forest and saw a lot of different birds, such as woodpeckers.
Insects in English
Insects are a very large group of animals, so it is simply impossible to list them all, but it is worth knowing the most famous species. In English these animals are called insects.
Insects:
| Name | Pronunciation of the name | Translation |
| Fly | / "fly" | Fly |
| Butterfly | [‘bʌtəflai] / "butterfly" | |
| Bee | / "bi" | Bee |
| Bumblebee | |ˈbʌmblbiː| / "bumblebee" | bumblebee |
| Ladybug | [‘leɪdɪ‚bʌg] / “ladybug” | Ladybug |
| Grasshopper | [‘grɑ:s,hɔpə] / “greshope” | Grasshopper |
| Dragonfly | [‘drægənflai] / “dragonfly” | dragonfly |
| Mosquito | / "mosquito" | Mosquito |
| Moth | / "mos" | Mole |
| Cricket | [‘krikit] / “cries out” | Cricket |
| Centipede | [‘sentə‚pi:d] / “sentheid” | Centipede |
| Ant | |ænt| / "ent" | Ant |
Examples:
Groups of animals in English
Animals can be divided not only by their species, that is, birds, animals, fish, and so on. Sometimes we come across expressions such as a flock of sheep, a colony of ants or a litter of puppies. In this table you will learn how to name some groups of animals correctly in English.
| Group name | Pronunciation | Translation |
| Pack | / "pack" | Pack |
| Colony | [ˈkɒləni] / "colonie" | Colony |
| School | / "cheekbone" | Jamb |
| Litter | [ˈlɪtə] / "lite" | Brood |
| Pride | / "pride" | Pride |
| Nest | / "nest" | Nest |
| Swarm | / "svom" | Roy |
| Flock | / "flock" | Pack |
Examples:
- To see a pride of lions or tigers is a big luck and fascinating sight. It's my secret dream!– Seeing a pride of lions or tigers is a great success and an amazing sight. This is my secret dream!
- My friend will have a litter of puppies soon.– My friend will soon have a litter of puppies.
- The nest of snakes has been destroyed by the storm.– The snake’s nest was destroyed by a hurricane.
- The big school of little fish swam near the people swimming in the lake.– A huge school of small fish swam past the people swimming in the lake.
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What do animals say in English?
When learning animals in English, it is important not only to learn their names, but also to practice pronouncing the sounds that specific animals make.
| Sound | Transcription | Meaning |
| Growl | / "grau" | growl |
| Meow | / "miu" | Mew |
| Bark | / "tank" | Bark |
| Bleat | / "blit" | Bleat |
| Scream | / "scream" | Scream |
| Moo | / "muu" | Moo |
| His | / "hiss" | hiss |
| Quack | / "kvek" | Croak |
| Purr | / "prr" | Purr |
| Cluck | / "clack" | cluck |
It is better to study the sounds that animals make in a playful way; it is especially convenient to learn them together with children.
Example sentences:
- A big cow says moo.- The big cow says moo.
- Beautiful cats say meow or purr.– Beautiful cats say meow or mrr.
- Hens on the farm say cluck-cluck.- The chickens on the farm say clack-clack.
- Ducks swimming in the lake say quack-quack.- Ducks swimming in the pond say croak-quack.
Description of the animal in English
Sometimes you need not only to know the name of an animal in English, but also to be able to describe it in this language, mentioning the distinctive external qualities of the selected animal.
Such a task can be given to children at school, or you yourself suddenly decide to try creating descriptions of animals. In any case, it is most convenient to create a description in an essay using the example below.
| Story about a pet in English | Translation of the description of the animal into Russian |
| Hello. I want to tell you about my pets which I love very much. I have two kittens and a pretty old dog.
One of my kittens is red with hanging ears and another is black and white with short paws. They both are very active and funny and they love to eat my favorite headphones. They are little yet so they like to run, jump, scratch and bite. My dog is very huge and has a long hair. It differs from my little kittens. It is quite old so just likes to watch them. My dog is very kind and calm but at the same time he is very, very loyal. I love all my pets very much because they are the best friends of mine. |
Hello. I want to tell you about my pets, which I love madly. I have two kittens and a fairly adult dog. One of my kittens is red with floppy ears, and the other is black and white with short legs. They are both very active and funny and love to chew on my favorite headphones. They are still small, so they prefer to run, jump, scratch and bite. My dog is very big and has long hair. He is different from small kittens. He is already a bit old, so he just likes to watch them. My dog is very kind and calm, but at the same time he is incredibly loyal. I love my pets very much because they are my best friends. |
Conclusion
Learning the names of animals in English is a very exciting and interesting process; it becomes even more exciting when studying this topic with young children. This will be a very unusual and fun experience for them, especially if you add interesting cards or coloring pages to the names. You can also use various online games and riddles, download cartoons, poems and songs.
Of course, it is impossible to learn the names of absolutely all animals in English, just as it is impossible to do this in Russian. But learning about the most famous and frequently encountered animals will be very useful for developing your horizons and vocabulary. Also, the topic of animals is one of the mandatory topics for adults and children who are starting to learn this language.
Take the time to study animals in English and then you will be able to show off your vocabulary to your friends or comrades.
