Accidents Vocabulary: Drop, Spill, Trip Over (A2 Vocabulary)

You drop a thing when it goes out of your hand. You spill a drink when it comes out of the cup or glass. A plate or a window can break into pieces.

Drop, spill, break

• Try it: Ira: Why is your shirt wet? Amina: I ___ some tea on it. Choose what Amina says. (dropped / spilled / knocked over) Answer: spilled — The tea came out of the cup and onto her shirt, so she spilled it.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
drop		Don't drop your phone.
spill		I spilled my milk.
break		Oh no! Did the window break?

Fall, trip over, bump into

You fall when you go down to the ground. You trip over a thing when your foot hits it. You bump into a person or a thing when you walk into it.

• Try it: Ira: Whose shoes are these on the stairs? Man: Mine. Sorry! Did you ___ them? Choose what the man says. (bump into / trip over / spill) Answer: trip over — Shoes on the stairs are under your feet, so you can trip over them.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
fall		Be careful on the ice. Don't fall.
trip over		I tripped over a bag.
bump into		He bumped into the door.

What happened?

Ask What happened? when you see a problem. An accident is bad, and nobody wanted it. Suddenly means very fast, when nobody is ready.

• Try it: Ira: Did you see the cat in the street? Amina: Yes! ___, it was right in front of me. Choose what Amina says. (Slowly / Carefully / Suddenly) Answer: Suddenly — Amina did not see the cat before it was there, so it came suddenly.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
happen		What happened? Are you okay?
accident		I had an accident on my bike.
suddenly		Suddenly, the door opened.

Knock over, hurt

You knock over a standing thing, and it goes down on its side. You hurt a part of your body when it has pain after an accident. The past of hurt is hurt.

• Try it: Ira: Why is the plant in the hall on the floor? Amina: Some boys ___ the plant in their game. Choose what Amina says. (knocked over / spilled / hurt) Answer: knocked over — The plant was standing, and now it is down on the floor, so they knocked it over.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
knock over		The dog knocked over the trash can.
hurt		I hurt my arm.