YOU NEED 2,700 LITERS OF WATER TO MAKE ONE COTTON T-SHIRT

 Water is essential for life, but many people don’t know how much water is used to make everyday things. For example, you need 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton T-shirt. That’s enough drinking water for one person for almost three years! In this lesson, we will talk about the hidden costs of clothing, especially water usage. You will learn how to express facts, habits, comparisons, and suggestions using A2-level grammar like the present simple, present continuous, past simple, future with will and going to, modals, comparatives and superlatives, adverbs of frequency, and prepositions.

Examples:

• Making cotton T-shirts uses a lot of water.

• I am trying to buy fewer shirts.

• We used to buy many clothes without thinking.

• We will need better production methods.

• People should be more careful.

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🧠 GRAMMAR

1. Present Simple – for facts and habits.

• A cotton T-shirt needs 2,700 liters of water.

• People drink much less water than that.

2. Present Continuous – for actions now.

• Factories are producing millions of T-shirts.

• I am thinking about how much water I use.

3. Past Simple – for actions in the past.

• I bought too many shirts last year.

• We didn’t realize the water cost before.

4. Future (Will / Going to)

• I will choose sustainable clothes next time.

• We are going to learn more about fashion and water.

5. Modal Verbs

• We should save water.

• You mustn’t waste resources.

• Factories can use less water with better technology.

6. Comparatives and Superlatives

• Cotton uses more water than synthetic fabrics.

• This is the most surprising fact I’ve learned today.

7. Frequency Adverbs

• I usually wear cotton T-shirts.

• We rarely think about water in clothes.

8. Prepositions

• Water is needed for growing cotton.

• This shirt is made from natural materials.

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🧾 VOCABULARY (10 Words)

1. Cotton – a soft fabric made from a plant.

2. Liters – units to measure liquids.

3. Sustainable – good for the environment.

4. Resource – something we use, like water or energy.

5. Production – the process of making things.

6. Awareness – knowing and understanding a problem.

7. Manufacture – to make something in a factory.

8. Fabric – material used to make clothes.

9. Consume – to use something.

10. Eco-friendly – not harmful to the environment.

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💬 USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

• That’s a lot of water for one shirt!

• I didn’t know that before.

• We should buy fewer T-shirts.

• It’s important to save water.

• Let’s make better choices.

• Factories must change their methods.

• Do you really need another shirt?

• Water is more important than fashion.

• I am learning so much today.

• We can help by shopping smarter.

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✏️ SENTENCES

Positive:

• It takes 2,700 liters of water to make one T-shirt.

• I always try to choose eco-friendly clothes.

Negative:

• We shouldn’t waste so much water.

• I don’t buy as many shirts as before.

Questions:

• How much water is needed to make one T-shirt?

• Do you wear cotton clothes?

• Are you going to change your shopping habits?

• Will people learn to save water?

• Should we care about water in fashion?

Answers:

• 2,700 liters.

• Yes, I like cotton.

• Yes, I’m going to buy less.

• I think so. People are learning more.

• Yes, it’s important for our future.

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🗣️ CONVERSATION

Carlos: Did you know it takes 2,700 liters of water to make just one cotton T-shirt?

Lina: What? That’s a lot! I didn’t know that.

Carlos: Yes, it’s enough drinking water for one person for almost three years.

Lina: That’s shocking. I am going to buy fewer shirts now.

Carlos: Me too. We should think before we shop.

Lina: I will look for sustainable brands from now on.

Carlos: That’s a smart choice. Water is a limited resource.

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📖 LONG READING

The True Cost of a T-Shirt

We all love cotton T-shirts. They’re soft, light, and easy to wear. But many people don’t know that you need 2,700 liters of water to make just one cotton T-shirt. That’s more water than most people drink in two and a half years!

Why does one shirt need so much water? Cotton plants need a lot of water to grow. Then, during the production and dyeing process, more water is used. Factories also use water to clean and finish the fabric.

In the past, we didn’t think about how much water fashion uses. Now, more people are becoming aware. If we buy less, donate more, and choose eco-friendly brands, we can save water and help the planet.

I used to buy new shirts every month. But now, I am going to wear what I have and recycle more.

Questions:

1. How much water does it take to make one cotton T-shirt?

2. Why does cotton use so much water?

3. What did people think in the past?

4. What are people starting to do now?

5. What is the writer going to do?

Answers:

1. 2,700 liters.

2. Because cotton plants and fabric production need a lot of water.

3. They didn’t think about the water usage.

4. They are becoming more aware and buying less.

5. Wear what they have and recycle more.