house and home

HOUSE AND HOME Do you live in a house or a flat? Are you renting? What’s it like? It’s in a really nice part of the town. We live in a small village out in the country. Have you thought of moving? Have you got a garden? We’re in the ground floor. It’s a converted warehouse. I wish I lived in a cottage in the country. Have you got mice? We’ve got gas central heating. Have you got double glazing? We prefer the suburbs. Do you own it? How much a month? We live on the top floor.

1) Different kinds of homes.

Match the descriptions of places 1 – 8 to the pictures A – H. 12345678-

I live in a tiny little studio flat in the city centre.

I live on the tenth floor of a big block of flats.

I live in a nice cottage out in the country.

My partner and I live in a converted flat in an old warehouse down by the docks.

He lives in a huge detached house out in the suburbs.

They’re living in a run-down little place in a slum area.

They live in a little bungalow.

We live in a ground-floor flat in a four-storey building.

A

D

PROF. ANDREA FERNANDEZ

B

E

C

F

HOUSE AND HOME G

H

2) CITIES AND AREAS Here are ten sentences describing areas. Think of which are positive and which are negative.

1- It’s dead.

2- It’s really noisy.

3- It’s very lively.

4- It’s quite rough.

5- It’s very green.

6- It’s a very safe area.

7- It’s quite a posh area.

8- It’s quite dirty.

9- It’s very convenient for the shops.

10- It’s nice and quiet.

3) Now match the descriptions 1-10 to the follow-up comments a-j.

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

There are lots of parks and trees, which is nice.

There’s a really good supermarket round the corner.

There’s a big main road running through it.

There’s not much traffic round there.

There’s absolutely nothing to do.

There’s a lot of crime and prostitution round there.

There’s a lot of rubbish, litter and dog dirt everywhere.

There’s hardly any crime.

There are a lot of bars and clubs. It’s got a great nightlife.

There are lots of big, expensive houses round there.

PROF. ANDREA FERNANDEZ

HOUSE AND HOME VOCABULARY “HOUSE” Listening to the list. http://www.saberingles.com.ar/lists/house.html Illustrated list. http://www.saberingles.com.ar/lists/ihouse.html

LEAVING HOME SPEAKING A 1- What’s the normal age to leave home in your country? Is it the same for men and women?

2- What do you think is the best age to leave home?

3- What are the advantages and disadvantages of leaving at home with you parents?

LISTENING INN CD 1 TRACK 24 Read this article about two brothers who are still living at home. Then discuss these questions.

1- Why are Dave and Steve still living at home?

2- What do they like about it? Are there any disadvantage?

SPEAKING B 1- Is this kind of situation common in your country?

2- Do you know anybody who’s still living at home even though they are in their late twenties or early thirties? Why? 3- Do house prices vary much in your country? Where’s the most expensive place to live?

Where’s the cheapest?

4- What are the areas like?

5- How much would you have to pay to live there?

PROF. ANDREA FERNANDEZ

HOUSE AND HOME HOUSEHOLD CHORES VOCABULARY

In the kitchen

Other rooms

Outside



sweep the floor



answer the phone/door



check the mail(box)



vacuum the floor



get the phone/door



hang out the clothes



mop the floor



open the door/window



sweep the porch



scrub the floor



close/shut the door



cut the grass



set the table



wash the windows



mow the lawn



clear the table



pick up the toys



water the flowers



wipe off the table



clean up your room



turn on the sprinklers



put the food away



clean up this mess



trim the hedges



wash the dishes



make the bed



weed the garden



rinse the dishes



move the furniture



fix the roof



dry/wipe the dishes



dust the shelves



shovel the snow



clean the sink



clean the tub



scrape the windshield



take out the garbage/trash



do the laundry



wax the car

Always doing / never does.

When we complain about things people do, we often use:

 Always + present continuous  Never + present simple I hate it. They’re always gossiping.

He’s so lazy. He never does the washing-up.

PROF. ANDREA FERNANDEZ

HOUSE AND HOME

Make sentences using always or never and the correct tense.

1- He / do / anything round the house.

2- She / leave/ her things lying around everywhere.

3- He / use / the phone.

4- He / leaves / the lights on.

5- She / tidy up / after herself.

6- She / leave / her hairs in the bath after she’s had a shower.

7- They / let / me watch what I want to watch on TV. 8- He / take / things from my bedroom without asking.

9- He / interrupt /me when I’m talking.

Listen and practise saying the complaints 1-9. (TRACK 25 INN CD 1)

SPEAKING 1- Do the people / relatives you live with do any of the things above?

2- Do they have any other annoying habits or are there things they never do?

LISTENIG (INN TRACK 26 CD 1) You are going to hear a conversation between an au pair and her new employers. She has just arrived at the house of the people she is going to work for, Paul and Angela. Paul has just brought her from the airport. Listen and answer these questions.

1- How’s the au pair feeling?

2- Does she meet the children?

3- When does she start work?

4- Who wears the trousers – Angela or Paul? How do you know?

PROF. ANDREA FERNANDEZ