You talk about your home more than almost anything else — where a thing is, what is broken, which room someone is in. These are the words you need for all of it.
1. Showing Someone Around
Ella: Leave your bag in the hallway.
Marc: Nice place. Is that the kitchen?
Ella: That one. The bedrooms are at the back.
Marc: How many are there?
Ella: Two. One's tiny.
Marc: Still, it's bigger than mine.
2. Up and Down the Stairs
Jo: Where's Dad?
Kit: Upstairs. He's on the second floor.
Jo: Is the elevator working?
Kit: No. You'll have to take the stairs.
Jo: Of course I will.
3. Where Does This Go?
Rosa: Where do the towels go?
Ben: Bottom drawer, on the left.
Rosa: And these books?
Ben: Top shelf. Careful, it's loose.
Rosa: I'll put them on the table for now.
Ben: Fine by me.
4. A Dripping Faucet
Amir: The kitchen faucet is dripping again.
Tess: Since when?
Amir: Two days. It keeps me awake.
Tess: Call a plumber.
Amir: I'll try to fix it myself first.
Tess: Good luck with that.
5. Out on the Balcony
Nadia: Shall we sit on the balcony?
Pavel: Is there room for three?
Nadia: Just about. I'll bring another chair.
Pavel: It's a lovely view.
Nadia: That's why I took the apartment.
6. Something's Not Working
Sami: The switch by the door doesn't work.
Gia: Try the other one.
Sami: Nothing. The room's dark.
Gia: It's probably the bulb.
Sami: I'll change it tomorrow.
Gia: Use the ladder, not a chair.
7. Making Space
Hana: There's no space in this closet.
Luis: Throw out the coats you never wear.
Hana: I might need them.
Luis: You've said that for three years.
Hana: All right. Two of them can go.
8. Locking Up
Ivy: Did you lock the back door?
Dan: I think so.
Ivy: Think or know?
Dan: I'll check. Where's the key?
Ivy: On the hook, where it always is.
Dan: Right. Two minutes.
Words to know
| hallway | the narrow space just inside the front door Leave your bag in the hallway. |
| stairs | the steps that take you up to the next floor You'll have to take the stairs. |
| drawer | a box that slides in and out of a piece of furniture Bottom drawer, on the left. |
| shelf | a flat board on a wall for books or dishes Top shelf. Careful, it's loose. |
| faucet | the part you turn to get water from a pipe The kitchen faucet is dripping. |
| balcony | a small outdoor floor attached to an upper room Shall we sit on the balcony? |
| switch | the small part on the wall you press to turn a light on The switch by the door doesn't work. |
| closet | a small enclosed space for keeping clothes There's no space in this closet. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: Leave your bag in the ________.
B: Nice place. Is that the kitchen?
2. A: Is the elevator working?
B: No. You'll have to take the ________.
3. A: Where do the towels go?
B: Bottom ________, on the left.
4. A: The kitchen ________ is dripping again.
B: Since when?
5. A: Shall we sit on the ________?
B: Is there room for three?
6. A: The ________ by the door doesn't work.
B: Try the other one.
Show the answers
1. hallway 2. stairs 3. drawer 4. faucet 5. balcony 6. switch
Common mistakes
Not: I live in the second floor.
Say: I live on the second floor.
Floors take on, not in.
Not: Please open the light.
Say: Please turn on the light.
Lights and machines turn on and turn off. Only doors and windows open.
Not: My house has three sleeping rooms.
Say: My house has three bedrooms.
Bedroom is one word, and it is the only word English uses.
Your turn
Stand up and walk through your own home. Say these five things aloud as you go.
- Name every room out loud as you walk into it.
- Say what is on the highest shelf in your home.
- Say which floor you live on and how you get up there.
- Name one thing in your home that is broken or does not work properly.
- Say where your keys are kept, in one full sentence.
Quick review
Choose one room and describe it out loud in four sentences: what is in it, where those things are, what you do there, and one thing you would change. Use on for shelves and floors, and in for drawers and rooms. Getting those two small words right makes the whole description sound natural.