babysit

Everyday

1. To babysit is to look after a baby or a child for a while when their parents are out. tree →
2. To babysit can also be used jokingly for watching over something, like a pet or a house. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life teenagers, grandparents or friends babysit young children, usually in the evening. In safety lessons: a babysitter needs emergency numbers, and children should listen to the babysitter. In stories babysitting is often a funny adventure.

Examples

• My big cousin will babysit us tonight. tree →
• Grandma babysits my little brother on Tuesdays. tree →
• She babysat for the neighbours last weekend. tree →
• Can you babysit my hamster while I'm away? tree →
• You must be old enough and trusted to babysit. tree →
• When Mum babysits, she reads us a story. tree →

Note

Irregular past: babysat (not «babysitted»). -ing form doubles the t: babysitting. The person is a babysitter. One word: babysit (sometimes «baby-sit»).