watering the plants

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   the act of giving water to plants, especially as a regular household or garden job

   Grammar: The whole phrase works like a noun or a verb form; you can say 'Watering the plants is my job' or 'I am watering the plants.'

   Patterns

   • watering the plants
   • do the watering
   • water the plants

   Watering the plants is the first thing I do every morning.

   She was watering the plants when the phone rang.

   In summer, watering the plants takes almost an hour.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   the action of giving water to plants in a particular place or situation

   Grammar: Here the phrase describes a single instance or ongoing activity, often after a preposition: 'after watering the plants.'

   Patterns

   • after watering the plants
   • before watering the plants

   After watering the plants, he put the can back in the shed.

   You should check the soil before watering the plants again.

Common combinations

watering the plants regularly

Watering the plants regularly keeps them healthy.

forget to water the plants

Don't forget to water the plants while I'm away.

finish watering the plants

I finished watering the plants before it started to rain.

watering can

She filled the watering can and started on the plants.

Synonyms and how they differ

irrigating

More technical and usually about farmland or large areas, not a few houseplants.

hosing

Suggests using a hose, often with more force and covering a wider area.

Word family

water verb

To pour water on plants or soil.

watering can noun

A container with a handle and spout used for watering plants.

watered adjective

Having been given water, as in 'well-watered plants'.

Commonly confused: watering the plants or watering the flowers?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “watering the plants”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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