Clothes in English: trousers, a shirt and a pair of shoes

Clothes words are some of the first words you need. Most are easy. A few have a trap: trousers are always plural, and some words change between British and American English.

The everyday clothes words

• a shirt
• a T-shirt
• a jumpera warm top
• a dress
• a coat
• a hat
• shoes
• trousers

A colour goes before the clothes word: a red dress, not a dress red.

For one thing, use a: a shirt, a coat. Shoes and socks come in twos, so we often use the plural: I need new shoes.

Trousers, jeans and shorts: always plural

Some clothes words have two legs or two parts. They are always plural, even for one thing.

Use plural words with them: are, these, they. I like these jeans. They're nice.

There is no a: say trousers or some trousers, not a trousers. Glasses are not clothes, but they follow the same rule: you wear them, and they have two parts.

A pair of: shoes, socks and trousers

To count these words, use a pair of. A pair is two things that go together.

A pair of is one thing, so the verb is singular. Look at the verb:

• My trousers are black. (trousers: are)
• This pair of trousers is black. (a pair: is)

In a shop, you can say I'd like a pair of jeans, please.

Wear and put on

These two verbs are different.

Wear is a state: the coat is on you. Put on is one quick action, at one moment.

The small word can go before or after the clothes word. With it or them, it goes after:

• Put on your coat. or Put your coat on. (both right)
• Put it on. (never put on it)

I'm wearing: what you have on now

For now, at this moment, use am, is or are and wearing.

• What are you wearing? (What clothes are on you now?)
• I'm wearing a black jumper and jeans.

The every-day form needs an s with he and she: Tom wears, Ana wears.

In a clothes shop: What size?

Clothes sizes are often small (S), medium (M) and large (L). Shoes and some clothes use numbers.

Try on means put on in the shop to see if it is right. For plural words, say these: Do you have these jeans in a size 32?

British and American clothes words

This course uses British English. Both sets of words are right; they are used in different places.

Pants is the big one. In the UK, pants are underwear, so I like your pants in London is a very strange thing to say. Vest changes too: in the UK, a vest is a top with no arms that you wear under a shirt.

Common mistakes

What to do next

1. Say what you are wearing now: I'm wearing...
2. Count your shoes in pairs: I've got three pairs of shoes.
3. Do the drills below.