clean
When a person cleans
The first set of examples shows how "clean" is used as a verb:
simple
past
past participle
clean
cleaned
cleaned
Oscar cleans his room almost every day. (present tense) Alice cleaned her kitchen yesterday. (past tense) Did you clean your house last weekend? (past tense) They’re cleaning their apartment. (present continuous tense) We have to clean up this mess. Have the students cleaned the classroom? (present perfect tense) The room hasn’t been cleaned yet. (present perfect tense, passive voice)
The word "clean" is also used as an adjective:
The room is clean. It’s a very clean room. These dishes aren’t very clean. Are their hands clean? The opposite of "clean" is "dirty." How does she keep her kids so clean? It’s hard to keep the house clean. The air in that city isn’t clean. It’s polluted. Solar and wind energy are very clean when compared to energy produced by oil and gas. They want to live clean lives. (clean life = good behavior) The Nelsons hired a cleaning lady to clean their house once a week. (cleaning lady = housekeeper)
There are quite a few idioms and expressions that use the word "clean."
Jose went to the racetrack yesterday and cleaned up. (clean up = to make a lot of money) The arresting officer said that the suspect was clean. (clean = no weapon) That company won’t hire you if don’t have a clean record. (clean record = no criminal offenses) You can tell a few jokes but try to keep them clean. (clean = not rude or vulgar) He’s going to have to clean up his act. (clean up one’s act = start leading a better life) Regina finally came clean and admitted that she stole the money. (come clean = admit the truth) That wasn’t a clean fight. (clean = fair) Our neighbors had to clean out their life savings to pay for an expensive medical treatment. (clean out = use all of) Tom seems like a regular, clean-cut kid. (clean cut = nice, well behaved, well groomed) Try to keep your nose clean. (Try to stay away from trouble.)
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January 3, 2016
