Accommodation
Do you live in a house or an apartment/flat? What do you like about your flat? Would you change anything about your home? Would you like to move to a different home in the future? Where would you like to live in the future?
Vocabulary
- Block (noun) - a large building containing many apartments or offices.
- Nearby (adverb) - not far away.
- Tenement (noun) - a large building divided into apartments, usually in a poor area of a city.
- To move in (phrasal verb) - to go to a different place and begin to live or work there.
- Renovation (noun) - the act or process of repairing and improving something, especially a building.
- To level (verb) - to make a surface flat.
- In and of itself (idiom) - by or in itself; without reference to anything else.
- Heart (noun) - the central or most important part.
- Down the road/line/track (idiom) - in the future.
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Questions and Answers
M: Do you live in a house or an apartment?
R: I live in an apartment on the second floor of my block.
M: And what do you like about your flat?
R: Well, it's actually brilliant. The street it's on is near the city centre, so everything I need is nearby in terms of transport and food. But on top of that the tenement itself is halfway down the street from one of the main roads. So it's also quiet enough that no one bothers to people there.
M: Would you change anything about your home?
R: I actually made most of the changes I wanted to make recently since I just moved in. But the last big renovations and repairs are having a lighting system installed and getting the floors levelled. It's nothing terribly drastic, though, at least in my opinion.
M: Would you like to move to a different home in the future?
R: God, I hope not. No, in the near future anyway. I just bought this place and moving in and getting the place done up was a mission in and of itself. I might move to the capital one day, but for now, this is where I want to be.
M: Where would you like to live in the future?
R: Like I said, if I'm going to move anywhere, it's probably going to be the capital city just for the convenience of being at the heart of things. But that's at least three years down the line.
R: I live in an apartment on the second floor of my block.
M: And what do you like about your flat?
R: Well, it's actually brilliant. The street it's on is near the city centre, so everything I need is nearby in terms of transport and food. But on top of that the tenement itself is halfway down the street from one of the main roads. So it's also quiet enough that no one bothers to people there.
M: Would you change anything about your home?
R: I actually made most of the changes I wanted to make recently since I just moved in. But the last big renovations and repairs are having a lighting system installed and getting the floors levelled. It's nothing terribly drastic, though, at least in my opinion.
M: Would you like to move to a different home in the future?
R: God, I hope not. No, in the near future anyway. I just bought this place and moving in and getting the place done up was a mission in and of itself. I might move to the capital one day, but for now, this is where I want to be.
M: Where would you like to live in the future?
R: Like I said, if I'm going to move anywhere, it's probably going to be the capital city just for the convenience of being at the heart of things. But that's at least three years down the line.
Discussion
M: So dear listener, the examiner's first question is do you live in a house or a flat? So a house is like a house. Like a proper house, a cottage. Okay? A flat is a flat, an apartment. And you can live in a flat, in a block of flats. What's a block of flats, Rory?
R: It's just a building with lots of apartments in it.
M: Exactly. Okay? So if you live in a house, you can say I live in a house. If you live in an apartment or a flat, well, I live in a flat. Okay? Also, we call it my home. That's why the examiner can ask you questions about like, what about your house, what about your home? Meaning your apartment. Because my apartment is my home. Right?
R: Well, if you say my then yes.
M: Or you can say it's my place. So my home, my house or my place. But I live in an apartment. Okay? And you can say I live in a flat on the second floor or on the fifth floor on the 10th floor in a block of flats. Rory, can you use present perfect continuous here? Like how long.
R: It could be. I mean, for me, it would be like I've been living in my apartment for... How long have I been living in my apartment for? Eight months, I think.
M: Yeah. I've been living in my flat for five years, seven years, and one year. It's actually brilliant. So Rory describes his apartment as brilliant. It's amazing, awesome, brilliant. And then more details.
R: About why it is brilliant.
M: It's on a busy street. Or it's on a street near the city centre. Or the street it's on. So my apartment is on the street near the city centre. I told you Rory is rich. He lives right in the city centre, dear listener.
R: I live near the city centre. Not right in the middle.
M: Yeah, but you do say like I live in the centre? I live in the centre, right?
R: I live near the centre. I don't live in the centre. It's too busy, too loud.
M: I have everything I need nearby. So nearby? Like near my house, near my flat. On top of that, kind of like what's more.
R: Yeah.
M: So you can say like, I have everything they need, on top of that, the transport system is good. And what's this... The tenement.
R: The tenement is just another name for the block, or the apartment block. A tenement is a British thing, whereas a block is general or more American English. Although Americans might use a block to refer to the local area, it's usually like the square of apartments where they live as well.
M: Like tenement is a large building divided into apartments, usually in a poor area of a city, Rory. Do you live in a poor area?
R: You think?
R: It's just a building with lots of apartments in it.
M: Exactly. Okay? So if you live in a house, you can say I live in a house. If you live in an apartment or a flat, well, I live in a flat. Okay? Also, we call it my home. That's why the examiner can ask you questions about like, what about your house, what about your home? Meaning your apartment. Because my apartment is my home. Right?
R: Well, if you say my then yes.
M: Or you can say it's my place. So my home, my house or my place. But I live in an apartment. Okay? And you can say I live in a flat on the second floor or on the fifth floor on the 10th floor in a block of flats. Rory, can you use present perfect continuous here? Like how long.
R: It could be. I mean, for me, it would be like I've been living in my apartment for... How long have I been living in my apartment for? Eight months, I think.
M: Yeah. I've been living in my flat for five years, seven years, and one year. It's actually brilliant. So Rory describes his apartment as brilliant. It's amazing, awesome, brilliant. And then more details.
R: About why it is brilliant.
M: It's on a busy street. Or it's on a street near the city centre. Or the street it's on. So my apartment is on the street near the city centre. I told you Rory is rich. He lives right in the city centre, dear listener.
R: I live near the city centre. Not right in the middle.
M: Yeah, but you do say like I live in the centre? I live in the centre, right?
R: I live near the centre. I don't live in the centre. It's too busy, too loud.
M: I have everything I need nearby. So nearby? Like near my house, near my flat. On top of that, kind of like what's more.
R: Yeah.
M: So you can say like, I have everything they need, on top of that, the transport system is good. And what's this... The tenement.
R: The tenement is just another name for the block, or the apartment block. A tenement is a British thing, whereas a block is general or more American English. Although Americans might use a block to refer to the local area, it's usually like the square of apartments where they live as well.
M: Like tenement is a large building divided into apartments, usually in a poor area of a city, Rory. Do you live in a poor area?
R: You think?
M: No, it's like, according to the Cambridge online dictionary, a tenement is a large building, usually in a poor area of a city.
R: Don't know about that. You can have an apartment block anywhere.
M: Yeah. So you can say like, on top of that, my building or the building where I live. Right? Or the block of flats is close to the main road, for example.
R: Yeah. Or it's close to a shopping centre. It's gotta be close to something surely.
M: It's quiet. So it's not noisy. And no one bothers the people there. So the neighbours are okay, so nobody bothers you. So people don't bother each other. You know? So when you go outside, people just don't come up to you saying like, oh, hello, like do you have any money? Okay, so buy my stuff. So people don't bother you. A typical question is about a change you'd like to have in your house. And dear listener, even if you don't want to change anything, it's a good idea to say something here. Okay? Rory said that I've actually made most of the changes. So we make changes. I've made all the changes.
R: You don't do changes, you make changes.
M: So I've made all the changes I wanted recently. I've just moved in. Okay? So Rory has just started living in this apartment. You can say I moved in a long time ago and now I want to change pretty much everything. And then the synonym. The last big renovation should be this and that. So we can say renovation.
R: But renovation is just like a change or an improvement. But we can renovate a house or we can repair it. And so repairing is like repairing something damaged or broken. So in my case, because the building is so old, the floors are somewhat uneven in places, so I need them levelled, which just means made equal.
M: And what's the difference between renovations and repairs?
R: There's not really a big difference, to be honest. People use them interchangeably. I would say renovations are about making changes to the house to make it better. Whereas repairs are just about fixing something that is broken.
M: You can say that I want to get my flat renovated. So you pay other people, they do it for you. Or I want to get my kitchen repaired, for example. Or I want to have a new lighting system installed. I want to install a new lighting system. So we install things. And I want to get the floors levelled. So the floor is the same level.
R: But the key thing will not be getting the floors levelled. So I don't think most people will be talking about this, but you get something done. Is it passive voice?
M: Well, it's a structure. It's a special structure, Rory. To get something done. And here, not by you, right? So I want to get my floor levelled, I want to get my flat repaired. If your changes are not big, you can say, well, these changes are not drastic. Drastic changes? Like dramatic changes, big changes. Like I don't want any drastic changes. Or for example, I do want drastic changes, I want to change everything or I want to get my flat changed. Renovated. Not in the near future. I am not planning to move in the near future.
R: I personally am not planning to move in the near future. But you could say, yeah, I'm planning to move in the near future.
M: And another example of our get things done phrase is get this place done up. So if you do up your flat, you redecorate it. You make it beautiful. You make it comfortable. So Rory got his place done up. So you can say I've just got my flat done up. You can say that I might move to a new city. I might move to the capital. I might move to the countryside. So kind of like might. Maybe I'll move in the future. One day I might live in the house. One day I might move to a cave or a house three.
R: Don't know about that. You can have an apartment block anywhere.
M: Yeah. So you can say like, on top of that, my building or the building where I live. Right? Or the block of flats is close to the main road, for example.
R: Yeah. Or it's close to a shopping centre. It's gotta be close to something surely.
M: It's quiet. So it's not noisy. And no one bothers the people there. So the neighbours are okay, so nobody bothers you. So people don't bother each other. You know? So when you go outside, people just don't come up to you saying like, oh, hello, like do you have any money? Okay, so buy my stuff. So people don't bother you. A typical question is about a change you'd like to have in your house. And dear listener, even if you don't want to change anything, it's a good idea to say something here. Okay? Rory said that I've actually made most of the changes. So we make changes. I've made all the changes.
R: You don't do changes, you make changes.
M: So I've made all the changes I wanted recently. I've just moved in. Okay? So Rory has just started living in this apartment. You can say I moved in a long time ago and now I want to change pretty much everything. And then the synonym. The last big renovation should be this and that. So we can say renovation.
R: But renovation is just like a change or an improvement. But we can renovate a house or we can repair it. And so repairing is like repairing something damaged or broken. So in my case, because the building is so old, the floors are somewhat uneven in places, so I need them levelled, which just means made equal.
M: And what's the difference between renovations and repairs?
R: There's not really a big difference, to be honest. People use them interchangeably. I would say renovations are about making changes to the house to make it better. Whereas repairs are just about fixing something that is broken.
M: You can say that I want to get my flat renovated. So you pay other people, they do it for you. Or I want to get my kitchen repaired, for example. Or I want to have a new lighting system installed. I want to install a new lighting system. So we install things. And I want to get the floors levelled. So the floor is the same level.
R: But the key thing will not be getting the floors levelled. So I don't think most people will be talking about this, but you get something done. Is it passive voice?
M: Well, it's a structure. It's a special structure, Rory. To get something done. And here, not by you, right? So I want to get my floor levelled, I want to get my flat repaired. If your changes are not big, you can say, well, these changes are not drastic. Drastic changes? Like dramatic changes, big changes. Like I don't want any drastic changes. Or for example, I do want drastic changes, I want to change everything or I want to get my flat changed. Renovated. Not in the near future. I am not planning to move in the near future.
R: I personally am not planning to move in the near future. But you could say, yeah, I'm planning to move in the near future.
M: And another example of our get things done phrase is get this place done up. So if you do up your flat, you redecorate it. You make it beautiful. You make it comfortable. So Rory got his place done up. So you can say I've just got my flat done up. You can say that I might move to a new city. I might move to the capital. I might move to the countryside. So kind of like might. Maybe I'll move in the future. One day I might live in the house. One day I might move to a cave or a house three.
R: A cave?
M: Yeah. Some people live in caves. Or I might live on a boat. You know?
R: Who lives in a cave?
M: In Amsterdam. I'm gonna move to Amsterdam and live on a boat. A boat house. There you go, dear listener.
R: A houseboat.
M: A houseboat, a boat house.
R: Or a canal boat.
M: I don't know. Like in London, for example. They have these boats and they live in them.
R: Yeah, they have canal boats.
M: Canal boats.
R: Well, you can convert a canal boat to be a house.
M: But in Amsterdam. What do they have in Amsterdam?
R: I have no idea. Ask a Dutch person.
M: Well, they are like cute boats and then just live there.
R: I'm sure it's a bit more complicated than that. But it's better than living in a cave for sure.
M: Okay. Dear listener, maybe you want to live in a cave. I don't know. Like a hobbit. Yeah, but hobbit, kind of like, they had little houses.
R: Yeah.
M: A hobbit house. When you speak about the future, you can say I'm going to move. Or I'm not going to move. We say it like I'm gonna move, I don't think I'm gonna move. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna move. I'm gonna move to a house. I'm gonna move to a bigger house. Okay? Or I'm gonna stay in a flat. And you can say that I might move to the capital city to be at the heart of things. So if you are at the heart of things, what happens?
R: You're in the middle of them.
M: Yeah. If you live in London, for example, you are at the heart of things. But I'm not going to do it anytime soon. This is at least three years down the line. So if something is down the line, what is it?
R: It's in the future. Well, when we're talking about the future, it's in the future. Down the line could be referring to a railway truck. But here we're talking about the future.
M: And it's an idiom. You can say down the road, down the line or down the track. In the future. For example, cars will be automated. So will not have a driver. So will be controlled by artificial intelligence. So cars will be driverless a long way down the line. So sometime in the future. Hey! Dear listener, now you have some beautiful structures to describe your flat, house, or apartment. Your cave, your boat house. Where else can people live?
R: In a tent, a caravan.
M: In a tent. Oh, or caravan. Wow. Oh, what about this house on wheels? Like it's a truck and it's a house. What do you call it?
R: A caravan or a mobile home if you're American.
M: Ooh, a mobile home. Dear listener, would you like to live in there? Just like drive your truck... And then you have a house. Wow. Yes. Thank you very much for listening! And we'll get back to you in our next episode! Okay? Bye!
R: Bye!
M: Yeah. Some people live in caves. Or I might live on a boat. You know?
R: Who lives in a cave?
M: In Amsterdam. I'm gonna move to Amsterdam and live on a boat. A boat house. There you go, dear listener.
R: A houseboat.
M: A houseboat, a boat house.
R: Or a canal boat.
M: I don't know. Like in London, for example. They have these boats and they live in them.
R: Yeah, they have canal boats.
M: Canal boats.
R: Well, you can convert a canal boat to be a house.
M: But in Amsterdam. What do they have in Amsterdam?
R: I have no idea. Ask a Dutch person.
M: Well, they are like cute boats and then just live there.
R: I'm sure it's a bit more complicated than that. But it's better than living in a cave for sure.
M: Okay. Dear listener, maybe you want to live in a cave. I don't know. Like a hobbit. Yeah, but hobbit, kind of like, they had little houses.
R: Yeah.
M: A hobbit house. When you speak about the future, you can say I'm going to move. Or I'm not going to move. We say it like I'm gonna move, I don't think I'm gonna move. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna move. I'm gonna move to a house. I'm gonna move to a bigger house. Okay? Or I'm gonna stay in a flat. And you can say that I might move to the capital city to be at the heart of things. So if you are at the heart of things, what happens?
R: You're in the middle of them.
M: Yeah. If you live in London, for example, you are at the heart of things. But I'm not going to do it anytime soon. This is at least three years down the line. So if something is down the line, what is it?
R: It's in the future. Well, when we're talking about the future, it's in the future. Down the line could be referring to a railway truck. But here we're talking about the future.
M: And it's an idiom. You can say down the road, down the line or down the track. In the future. For example, cars will be automated. So will not have a driver. So will be controlled by artificial intelligence. So cars will be driverless a long way down the line. So sometime in the future. Hey! Dear listener, now you have some beautiful structures to describe your flat, house, or apartment. Your cave, your boat house. Where else can people live?
R: In a tent, a caravan.
M: In a tent. Oh, or caravan. Wow. Oh, what about this house on wheels? Like it's a truck and it's a house. What do you call it?
R: A caravan or a mobile home if you're American.
M: Ooh, a mobile home. Dear listener, would you like to live in there? Just like drive your truck... And then you have a house. Wow. Yes. Thank you very much for listening! And we'll get back to you in our next episode! Okay? Bye!
R: Bye!
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