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Space: no room to swing a cat A
Things occupying a lot of space word
typical contexts of use
extensive
Edinburgh has extensive traffic-free routes. The building contains extensive educational facilities.
spacious
a spacious garden
The city of Washington is spacious and green.
roomy
a roomy car
The house was roomy.
rambling
a large, rambling building
a rambling mansion
I like Canada because I love wide open spaces. [large areas without buildings or trees] Little white cottages were scattered across the landscape. [randomly across a wide area] The problem with this university is that the buildings are rather spread out and it takes a long time to get from one place to another. [not close to one another] Jack’s bedroom is large, with ample room for all his things. [more than enough space]
Language help Room can be used as an uncountable noun to mean space, e.g. Can you make room/space for me? There’s plenty of room/space here. The sofa takes up a lot of room/space.
B
Insufficient space or things occupying too small a space word
typical contexts of use
cramped
cramped hotel rooms
living in small, cramped apartments
poky; informal
two poky little rooms
a poky little flat
congested
tanker traffic on the congested waterway the congested streets [full of traffic, people, etc.]
compact*
a tiny, compact refrigerator
a compact, low, white villa
*compact has positive connotations, whereas the other words in the table suggest negative connotations.
C
Other words and expressions I saw her at the carnival, but I couldn’t get to her because I was hemmed in by the crowds. [surrounded by people and not able to move]
The city centre is always bustling with tourists at this time of year. [lots of people busily moving around] There isn’t enough room to swing a cat in his flat. [the flat is very small; informal] We were packed in like sardines on the bus. [too many people in a small space; informal] The government offices are an absolute labyrinth. [/ˈlæbərɪnθ/ vast and complex] The river marks the boundary of the estate. [the edge of a large space] We created more space by building an extension at the rear of our property. [back] In these conversations, speaker B paraphrases what speaker A says. Note the verbs in bold. A: There were 16 of us in a minibus that seated 10, and it was a long journey. B: Yes, we were all crammed into that tiny space for over five hours! A: There’s not much room, is there? Can I sit between you and Mark? B: Yes, you can squeeze in between us. A: You’ve invited a lot of people to your party and it’s only a small room. B: Yes, it might be a bit of a squash! A: Shall I put all those old papers into this rubbish bag? B: Yes, just stuff them all in and we’ll take it away later. (it suggests doing something quickly and without much care) 124
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
