V. Complete these sentences with a suitable noun or verb.

1. I opened the ………, walked up the ……… and rang the ……….

2. We had to climb six flights of stairs to get to her flat because the ……… wasn’t working.

3. I’ve got a great view from my ……….

4. It costs a lot of money to heat a house when you live in a cold climate. Central ……… is usually quite expensive.

5. I’ve got a darkroom in the ……… where I develop films. It’s perfect because there are no windows down there.

6. We keep our skis up in the ………. They’re out of the way up there.

7. You’ll find the garden-chairs in the ……… at the bottom of the garden. Bring them up and we’ll have a drink on the ……… and watch the sunset.

8. The light-switch for the stairs is on the ……… just by your bedroom door.

9. Leave your car in the drive, just in front of the ………. It’ll be safe there.

10. There is a ……… around the front garden.

 

VI. a) Look at these types of houses. Which would you find in a suburban, urban or rural area?

• cottage • bungalow • flat

• council house • villa • semi-detached house

• terraced house • mansion • farmhouse

• houseboat • detached house • skyscraper

• penthouse • bedsit

Cottages are usually found in rural areas.

b) What kind of home do you live in? Where is it located?

VII. a) Tick ( ü ) the areas which your house has, then describe it to your partner.

cellar	□	landing	□
balcony	□	front garden	□
yard	□	patio	□
back garden	□	swimming pool	□
garage	□	loft	□
attic	□	terrace	□
shed	□	porch	□
drive	□	roof garden	□

b) Which rooms/areas would you like your house to have? Use the useful language to discuss in pairs.

A: My house has.... It would be nice if we had a shed - then I would be able to keep my bike there instead of leaving it outside. How about you?

B: My house has..., but I would love it if it had...etc

Useful language: Expressing wishes It would be nice/great/wonderful if... I would love it if... I’ve always wanted a(n)... My dream is to have a... I wish we had... Having a(n)... would make things so much nicer/ easier/more convenient...

VIII. Think of as many adjectives as you can to make collocations to complete the spidergrams. Which of these features are there in your house? Tell your partner.

 

front

front

marble

spiral

picture

French

well-kept

front

thatched

slate

sliding

garage

You enter the house through a large wooden front door.

IX. Write down four more positive things and four more negative things you could say about a house/flat or the rooms in a house/flat.

 

Positive		Negative
The rooms are very light. …………………………… …………………………… …………………………… ……………………………		The rooms are very dark. ……………………………… ……………………………… ……………………………… ………………………………

X. Now think about your answers again. Which positive features are the most important for you? Which negative features do you hate the most?

the difference between comfortable and

convenient?

Comfortable is formed from the noun comfort, which means "physical well-being, a state free from pain or irritation". Thus a comfortable chair is one in which the body feels at ease, comfortable shoes are ones which do not cause the feet any pain or irritation. Comfortable is most often used of chairs, beds, clothes, houses and flats (meaning comfor­tably furnished) and means of transport. However, it may be used in a wider sense, to mean.

(1) having or providing comfort:

E.g. He has a very comfortable life.

They have a comfortable income.

(2) simple and undemanding;

E.g. His life had settled into a comfortable routine.

(3) It is also used of sick people, meaning "free from excessive pain", "as well as can be expected".

E.g. The patient was said to be comfortable after the operation.

 

Convenient means "avoiding trouble or difficulty", or "serving to make a task, easier". Thus a convenient time for a meeting is one which fits in well with one’s other activi­ties, a convenient place is one which is easily reached, and so on. Various tools and household appliances (for example, washing machines, electric mixers, potato-peelers) can be called convenient.

Convenient can be compared with comfortable in the fol­lowing examples:

 

1. a comfortable seat - one in which the body feels at ease 2. a comfortable train - one with soft seats, etc.   3. a comfortable dress - one which does not restrict one’s movements

a convenient seat - one which is, for example, easy to reach (in a bus, theatre, etc.) a convenient train - one which runs at a suitable time a convenient dress - one which can be worn on various occasions, or is easy to wash, etc.

XI. Fill in the blanks with comfortable or convenient. In cases where both are possible, explain the difference in meaning.

1. Will ten o’clock be a... time for you? 2. There isn’t much food value in packet soups but they’re very.... 3. I think you will be more... in the armchair. 4. I want to put on some more... shoes to go shopping. These are hurting me. 5. The Red Arrow is the most... overnight train to Moscow. 6. The bed in the hotel was very.... 7. Foil is very... for storing food and for cooking, too, for example, roasting chicken. 8. The medical report said that the patient was.... 9. I like this skirt because it’s so.... 10. Their flat is more... than mine. 11. In the evening he liked to relax in a... chair and read or watch television. 12. It’s very... to book tickets by telephone. 13. Is your timetable … this term? 14. (Hostess to guest) Please make yourself …. 15. – Instant coffee doesn’t taste like real. – No, but it’s very …. 16. –This settee can be pulled out to make a bed. – How.."! 17. A successful barrister has a very... life. 18. The hours (of work) are not... for women with children but the management refuses to change them.