Proud as a peacock: bird that broke into Brisbane home reunited with owners
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EN: Use 'named + [Name]' after a noun to tell someone's or something's name. It is a short way of saying 'who is named' or 'which is called'.
I have a cat named Oliver.
EN: In English, addresses and geographic locations follow a small-to-large order: city first, followed by country (e.g., 'Brisbane, Australia'). This is opposite to Chinese, which goes from country to city.
EN: Use 'go out for + noun' to talk about leaving home to enjoy an activity or meal, such as coffee, lunch, or dinner. In the past tense, 'go' changes to 'went'.
Yesterday, we went out for dinner.
EN: In Australia, 'going out for coffee' is a very popular social activity and an essential part of daily lifestyle, often meaning meeting up at a local café rather than just grabbing a quick drink.
EN: Use 'and' to connect two actions that happened one after another in the past (came back, then found). Both verbs use the simple past tense.
She opened the box and saw a cute puppy.
EN: In Australia, it is not uncommon for wildlife or exotic birds to enter homes through open doors or windows, especially in suburban areas near parks or bushland.
EN: Use 'was/were + verb-ing' (Past Continuous) to show that an action was in progress at a specific time in the past.
The cat was sleeping on the sofa.
EN: Peacocks are known to be fascinated or confused by mirrors because they often mistake their own reflection for another bird or potential rival.
EN: Use the pattern 'take [someone/something] to [a place]' to talk about moving or bringing a person, animal, or thing to a destination. 'Took' is the simple past tense of 'take'.
She took the lost dog to the vet.
EN: In Australia, it is common to call professional 'wildlife workers' or animal rescue volunteers when wild or escaped animals wander into residential houses or urban backyards.
EN: Use 'did not' (or 'didn't') plus the base form of the verb to make negative past simple sentences.
She did not go to school yesterday.
EN: In suburban Australia, houses often have large, fenced backyards with gardens and trees. It is common for local wildlife or wandering pets to roam between different yards.
EN: Use 'Hundreds of + plural noun' to express a large, approximate number of people or things.
Hundreds of tourists visited the museum yesterday.
EN: In many Australian communities, local social media groups (such as neighborhood Facebook groups) are frequently used to help find lost pets or report unusual wildlife sightings.
EN: Use the simple past tense of irregular verbs to talk about completed actions in the past. 'Caught' is the past form of 'catch'.
My brother caught a big fish yesterday.
EN: Use the plural verb 'are' when the subject is plural (here, 'owners' refers to two people).
My friends are Tom and Sarah.
EN: Use 'that' + verb to give more information about a noun (a relative clause). Here, 'that drink blood' explains what kind of insects ticks are.
Mosquitoes are insects that bite people.
EN: Ticks are common parasites in Australia, especially in bushland and coastal areas like Brisbane. Australian paralysis ticks can make pets and wildlife very sick, requiring fast veterinary care.
EN: Use 'so' to connect a cause and a result. The cause comes first, followed by ', so' and then the result.
It was raining, so we stayed home.
EN: In everyday English, people often say 'vet' (short for veterinarian) instead of 'animal doctor'. However, 'animal doctor' is also easily understood and commonly used in simple English.
EN: The verb 'give' can take two objects: an indirect object (the receiver, here 'him') followed by a direct object (the thing given, here 'medicine for dogs'). Also, notice that 'worked' here means 'was effective' or 'had a good result'.
The teacher gave the students some books.
EN: In veterinary medicine, when specific treatments for exotic pets or unusual animals like peacocks are unavailable, vets sometimes use approved medications for dogs or cats off-label under professional supervision.
EN: We use 'be home' to mean being at one's house or living place. 'With' is used to show who someone is together with.
Tom is home with his dog.
EN: In strict biological terms, a male is a 'peacock', a female is a 'peahen', and both are 'peafowl'. However, in everyday English, people often use 'peacock' or 'female peacock' to refer to either sex.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
to leave one's home, especially for social activities or entertainment
to return to a place
to try to find someone or something
to be very effective or successful