Image by Michael Bußmann from Pixabay
Halloween is around the corner, so to help get you in the mood for ghosts and witches, let’s look at some English vocabulary for Halloween.
Things that go bump in the night.
If something goes bump in the night it makes a strange sound (a bump) that you can’t identify. So the expression things that go bump in the night means anything that might scare you in the dark, or make a strange noise that makes you jump and ask, “what was that?”
For Halloween kids wear costumes of all sorts of things that go bump in the night. Some of the classics are a ghost, a witch, a mummy, a vampire, a werewolf, a monster, a zombie, or a devil. But not all Halloween costumes are scary. Other options are: a fairy, a scarecrow, a sorcerer, a princess, a pirate, a robot, a clown, or a character from a movie.
Some phrases you can use to talk about those costumes are:
- Are you dressing up for Halloween this year?
- What are you going as?
- Your costume looks great!
- Your costume is very creative/very original.
- Your costume is scary.
Trick or Treat
Kids love to go trick-or-treating. They dress up and walk around their neighborhood, knocking on doors and saying “Trick or Treat!” If they get candy – the treat – they won’t do anything mischievous – the trick. So you should have lots of candy ready to put into the bags of the trick-or-treaters who come to your door.
- Trick-or-Treat!
- What are you supposed to be?
- I’m a werewolf/ghost/princess.
- What’s your favorite candy?
Jack-o-lanterns and Costume Parties
Halloween isn’t just for kids. Adults also like to get dressed up, too. Some adults wear their costumes to work, others march in Halloween parades to show off their creativity, and others go to costume parties. Nearly everyone buys a pumpkin and carves a face in it. You can see these jack-o-lanterns in people’s windows or in front of houses everywhere before Halloween.
- Have you bought a pumpkin yet?
- Let’s carve our pumpkin this weekend.
- Hollow the pumpkin out and put a candle in so the face glows.
- Are you wearing your costume to work?
- Are you going to any costume parties?
I’m Not Afraid of the Dark
Halloween is a great time of year to watch horror movies or maybe visit a haunted house. It’s fun to scream, as long as the nightmares aren’t too bad. Now that summer is over and the night is longer, it’s the perfect time to visit eerie places for some good Halloween fun. Walk through the woods in the dark, take a shortcut through the graveyard, walk past the abandoned house where you know there are probably no evil spirits. Or at least you hope.
- This place is spooky!
- This place gives me the creeps!
- I don’t want to take the shortcut through the woods in the dark.
- If I watch a horror movie I’ll have nightmares.
- I have goosebumps!
- I hear a strange noise!
- I hear footsteps in the attic.
- Do you believe in ghosts?
Whatever you do for Halloween, be stay safe and have fun!
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