Vocabulary notes

AGE

young

middle-aged

old

elderly

in his/her teens/ 20’s/30’s/forties//fifties etc

in his/her early/mid-/late teens/twenties/thirties/40’s/50’s etc

under/over/about/nearly 20/ thirty/forty etc

in his /her prime

past his/her prime

in the prime of youth/life

to be of age/to come of age/to be under age

to be the same age (as)

to look one’s age

to look more/less (older/younger) than one’s age

VOCABULARY NOTES

middle-aged adj between the ages of forty and sixty, e.g. He is only 24, but he behaves as if he is already middle-aged.

elderly adj (of a person) old; elderly is a polite way of saying old. e.g. My father is rather elderly now and can’t walk very fast.

in his /her teens between the ages of 13 and 19, e.g. She is in her teens. Mary is in her early teens.(=about 13-14 years old) I am in my mid-teens.(=about 15 years old) He is in his late teens.(=about 16-19 years old)

in his/her/their twenties aged from 20 to 29, e.g. She has three sons, all in their twenties.

under 20/30/50 etc younger than stated, e.g. Children of nine or under must be accompanied by an adult. He is just under 40.

over 20/30/50 etc older than stated, e.g. children of seven and over (=older)/ He is over 90.

in your prime at the time in your life when you are strongest and most active, e.g.She is 40 now and still in her prime. She is still good-looking, but she is past her prime.

to be/ come of age to reach the particular age, usually 18 or 21, at which one becomes responsible in law for one’s own actions, e.g. Has your son come of age yet? (= Is he of age yet?)

to be under age to be too young to legally drink,drive a car, vote etc,e.g. You can’t drive a car yet - you’re still under age.