Levi Strauss: Their Pockets Tore Again and Again… Then Two Men Made Blue Jeans
Workers' pockets tore again and again. A tailor had an idea: small metal rivets on the pockets. Levi Strauss helped him get a patent, and today people all over the world wear jeans. Learn five A1 words and how to use in, on, under, next to with the true story of Levi Strauss.
Coming 23 December 2026, 3:00 pm New York time
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
Workers' tore again and again.
A had an idea.
This is the story of Levi Strauss.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A digs in the ground for metal or coal.
Many came to California.
. is material for .
He sold to small shops.
. things do not tear easily.
A woman wanted for her husband.
. A is a small bag in .
His tore again and again.
. are blue .
Today, people all over the world wear .
Now, one pattern: in, on, under, next to.
There were small metal on the .
Ready? Let's begin.
Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829.
He lived in New York.
In 1853, he went to San Francisco.
Many came to California.
He sold to small shops.
Jacob Davis, a , bought Levi's .
A woman wanted for her husband.
His tore again and again.
Jacob had an idea.
There were small metal on the .
The were !
In 1873, Levi and Jacob got a patent.
People called them "waist overalls".
Later, they called them .
Today, people all over the world wear .
Let's review. Many came to California.
He sold to small shops.
A woman wanted for her husband.
His tore again and again.
Today, people all over the world wear .
And remember: there were small metal on the .
Levi and Jacob's story teaches us: together, small ideas grow big.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
miner noun
a person who digs in the ground for metal or coal
“Many miners came to California.”
cloth noun
material for clothes
“He sold cloth to small shops.”
strong adjective
does not tear or break easily
“A woman wanted strong trousers for her husband.”
pocket noun
a small bag in clothes
“His pockets tore again and again.”
jeans noun
trousers of blue cloth
“Today, people all over the world wear jeans.”
rivet noun
a small metal pin that holds two things together
“There were small metal rivets on the pockets.”
tailor noun
a person who makes clothes
“Jacob Davis was a tailor.”
trousers noun
clothes for your legs
“She wanted strong trousers.”
Grammar in the story
in · on · under · next to
We use it for: to say where things are
- There were small metal rivets on the pockets.
- He went to San Francisco, in California.
From the story
- There were small metal rivets on the pockets.
- My phone is in my pocket.
- The cat is under the table.
- The shop is next to the bank.
Find it in the story 5 times
Your turn
There were small metal rivets the pockets.
My keys are my pocket.
The shop is next the bank.
Step 4
Story Challenge
7 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Do you wear jeans? What do you keep in your pockets?
After you watch: Write three sentences about your room with in, on, under or next to. For example: My bag is on the chair. My shoes are under the bed. The lamp is next to the window.
Think about it: Jacob had the idea, and Levi helped him. Why is it good to work with other people?
