bench

Everyday

1. A bench is a long seat for several people, often in a park, a garden or a school hall. tree →
2. A bench is also a long strong table for working on, like a workbench. tree →
3. In sport, the bench is where players sit when they are not playing. tree →
4. The bench can mean the judges in a court. tree →

In the lessons

In school maths: a group size — people sitting on each bench; benches counted; benches needed = people ÷ seats, rounded up. In PE: balancing on a bench. In everyday life: a park bench, a bench at the bus stop, a garden bench. Phrases: «on the bench», «park bench», «workbench», «sit on the bench».

Examples

• Each bench seats 4 children. tree →
• 30 pupils need how many benches? tree →
• There are 6 benches in the park. tree →
• 3 children sit on each bench. tree →
• Grandpa sat on the bench and fed the pigeons. tree →
• We walked along the bench in PE. tree →
• He was on the bench for the first half of the game. tree →
• Dad keeps his tools on the workbench. tree →
• Then he sat down on the bench and again began sharpening his knife. tree →

Note

Plural «benches» (add -es). Maths: total = benches × people on each; with a leftover you may need one more bench (round up). Trap: dividing and dropping the remainder.

Meaning