BODY PARTS (Common vs.

Technical words) _1_

Task 1: Choose 2 body parts and describe their function

(what we use them for) and location (where they are in our
body) and let the class guess your words.

Task 2. Guess the missing part of the body:

1. Most people have 32 of them and use them to eat –
2. It can be straight, wavy or curly-
3. When you sit down in the dentist’s chair, the dentist asks
you to open this-
4. They’re half way down your legs and allow your legs to
bend-
5. There are five of these on each of your feet-
6. We have two of these to hear-
7. When you cry or peel onions, they go red-
8. It joins your arm to your forearm-
9. It keeps your inside in-
10. A narrow part of the body where you wear a belt –
11. At the end of your arm-
12. The lower part of the trunk which contains the stomach,
liver and other organs-
13. The hollow space under your arm where the arm joins
the trunk-

Task 3: Look at the diagram and label the parts of the

body: (‘Test your Professional English’)
Task 4. Unscramble the letters in the following words:
1. ronig-
2. mbhut-
3. lmpa-
4. enke-
5. laekn-
6. lewob-
7. ajw-
8. fdoareeh-
Task 5. Which word is the odd one out in each line? Explain why.
1. knuckles palm calf pinkie
2. nape chin temple forehead
3. bottom bust buttock bum
4. tummy jaw belly abdomen
5. sole heel thumb toe
6. lips tongue gum tooth

Task 6. Read the sentences. Write the part of the body

related to the bold verb:

1. He winked at me to show that he was only joking. EYE

2. The steak was tough and difficult to chew. __________
3. When we met, we were so happy we hugged each other.
___________
4. Don’t scratch the mosquito bite. You’ll only make it
worse. ________
5. She waved goodbye sadly to her boyfriend as the train
left the station. __________
6. Some women think a man should kneel down when he
proposes marriage. _________
7. The teacher frowned when she saw all the mistakes I had
made._______________
8. The painting was so strange I stared at it for a long time.
____________
9. She got out of bed, and yawned and stretched.
________/__________
10. If you don’t know the word for something, just point at
what you want. ___________

Task 7: Read the text paying attention to the words

denoting body parts. Do you know them all?
The human body is composed of millions of cells which work
together to maintain life. The cells unite to form tissues (the
muscle, the bone, the enamel, etc.); the tissues combine to
form organs (the heart, the brain, the liver, etc.), and different
organs are organized into systems (the circulatory system , the
skeletal system , the endocrine system, etc. ).
The human body consists of the following parts: the head, the
neck, the trunk, the upper and lower extremities. The head
which is ovoid in shape has a face in front. The eyes protected
by the eyelids and eyelashes are situated on both sides of the
nose. The forehead lies above the eyes and the cheeks lie
below them. The mouth is bounded by upper and lower lips.
The lowest part of the face is called the chin. The head is
joined to the trunk by the neck.
The trunk is the largest part of the body. It consists of two
main cavities: the thorax and the abdomen. They are separated
by a dome-shaped muscle known as the diaphragm. The
thorax lies above the diaphragm and the abdomen lies below
it.
The upper extremities are composed of three segments: the
arm, the forearm, and the hand with four fingers and one
thumb. The lower extremities are also divided into three parts:
the thigh, the leg and the foot with toes. The joints of the
upper limbs are : the shoulder joint, the cubitus and the wrist.
The joints of the lower limbs are: the hip joint, the knee and
the ankle.
The axilla is a hollow under the upper part of the arm and
below the shoulder joint. The inguinal region is the hollow at
the junction of the inner part of each thigh with the trunk.
Adapted from ‘English for Medical Students and Doctors’ by
E. Donesch-Jeżo
Task 8. Find in the text the equivalents of these words.
What is the difference between the words in each pair?
1. Limbs-
2. Chest-
3. Stomach-
4. Armpit-
5. Elbow-
6. Groin-

Task 9. Find missing anatomical/technical or common

equivalents for these words:
Anatomical/technical term Common term
carpus
elbow
patella
navel, belly button
mandible
gums
coxa
mamma
groin
maxilla
vertebral column
pinky
articulation

Task 10. Who said the following sentences, a doctor (or a different medical professional) or a
patient? What body parts do the phrases in bold refer to?

1. The X-ray film confirmed a mandibular fracture.

2. I’m sorry nurse, my son doesn’t know when to shut his cakehole.
3. Acute thoracic pain may signify serious cardiac condition.
4. The examination of the patient’s oral cavity revealed several missing teeth.
5. I’ve fallen from a horse and I’m worried I might’ve broken my collarbone.
6. He reported chronic abdominal pains.
7. This dull pain in the lower part of my backbone keeps me awake at night.
8. My tummy hurts a little.
9. We need to perform a surgical procedure to remove gingival overgrowth.
10. She complains of pain behind her breastbone

Task 11. Read the text in task 7 and answer the following
questions:
1. What are the main parts of the human body?
2. What are the main parts of the face?
3. What are the segments of upper and lower limbs?
4. What is the largest part of the body? What are its main
cavities?
5. What is the mouth bounded by?
6. What is the shape of the diaphragm?

Task 12. Complete the following sentences :

1. The cells of the body combine to form :
a)
b)
c)
2. The human body consists of the following parts:
a)
b)
c)
d)
3. The trunk contains two main cavities:
a)
b)
4. The upper limb consists of three segments:
a)
b)
c)
5. The lower limb is composed of:
a)
 b)
c)
6. The upper limb contains three joints:
a)
b)
c)
7. The lower limb includes the following joints:
a)
b)
c)

Task 13. Do you know the meaning of those idioms where

body parts are used? Match the idioms from the table with
their descriptions below. Do you know any Polish idioms
with parts of the body?

Be down in the mouth Be long in the tooth Keep your hair on!

Tongue-tied On everyone’s lips Have a roving eye

A pain in the neck Pull someone’s leg Slip of the tongue

Tight-fisted Have a sweet tooth The apple of someone’s eye

Keep someone’s mouth shut Live from hand to mouth Be six feet under

1. Being talked about by everyone-

2. Be depressed and very unhappy-
3. Not to tell a secret-
4. Too shy or nervous to speak-
5. Enjoy eating sweets-
6. A mistake in something you say-
7. A very annoying person –
8. Very mean, not generous-
9. Tease someone-
10. Spend money quickly and live from day to day without
savings-
11. Keep calm, don’t overreact –
12. Be old-
13. Having tendency to cheat on and be unfaithful to their
partner –
14. A cherished or favored person –
15. Be dead (slang)-