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A04 – Housing and Home

Vlastnosti
predmetAnglický jazyk
typmaturitná téma
okruhanglický jazyk
číslo4
stavvypracované
Zadanie

Talk about where you live, describe your house or flat and your room, compare housing in towns and in the countryside, and describe your ideal home.

1. Osnova témy​

  • The difference between a house and a home.
  • Your present dwelling — a flat or a house, how big it is, which rooms it has.
  • A description of your own room and its furniture.
  • Living in a town compared with living in the countryside.
  • Living in a house compared with living in a block of flats.
  • Housing in Slovakia compared with Great Britain and the USA.
  • Your dream house.
  • Problems connected with housing — renting, mortgages, neighbours, homelessness.

2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba​

  • types of dwelling: block of flats, housing estate (sídlisko), detached house (samostatne stojaci dom), semi-detached house (dvojdom), terraced house (radový dom), bungalow, cottage (chalupa), caravan, mansion (vila)
  • location: situated in a residential area, right in the centre, on the outskirts of town (na okraji), in the suburbs (na predmestí), within walking distance of…
  • rooms: entrance, hall (chodba), living room, dining room, bedroom, study (pracovňa), kitchen, bathroom, toilet, pantry (komora), cellar (pivnica), basement (suterén), attic / loft (podkrovie), staircase (schodisko)
  • exterior: garden, front yard, backyard, patio, greenhouse (skleník), fence (plot), hedge (živý plot), garage, gate, driveway
  • interior: ground floor (prízemie), first floor, central heating, floor heating, double glazed windows (dvojité sklá), skylight (strešné okno)
  • furniture: sofa / settee / couch (pohovka), armchair (kreslo), wall unit (obývacia stena), bookcase, coffee table, fireplace (krb), cupboard (kredenc), sink (drez), single/double bed, bunk beds (poschodová posteľ), built-in wardrobe (vstavaná skriňa), chest of drawers (komoda), bedside table (nočný stolík), chandelier (luster)
  • surfaces: carpet, rug (koberček), tiles (dlaždice), wooden floor, blinds (žalúzie), curtains (závesy), wallpaper (tapeta)
  • household appliances: cooker, oven (rúra), microwave oven, fridge, freezer (mraznička), toaster, dishwasher (umývačka), washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner (vysávač), kettle (kanvica), air conditioner
  • describing a place: tiny, spacious (priestranný), light, dark, draughty (prievanový), cosy (útulný), old-fashioned, well-equipped
  • town — advantages: job opportunities, cultural events, shopping centres, public transport, sports facilities
  • town — disadvantages: crowded, polluted, noisy, hectic, a high rate of crime, cost of living, traffic jams
  • country — advantages: peaceful, quiet, close to nature, growing crops, keeping animals
  • country — disadvantages: lack of privacy, few cultural events, poor transport connections
  • problems: to rent a flat (prenajať si), tenant (nájomník), to take a mortgage (hypotéka), nosy neighbours (zvedaví susedia), homelessness, shelter (útulok)

3. Užitočné frázy a väzby​

  • A house is just a building, but a home is much more than that.
  • I live in a block of flats on the outskirts of Bratislava.
  • Our flat is on the fourth floor and it is a three-bedroom flat.
  • The room I like best is definitely my own room.
  • It is not very big, but it is light and cosy.
  • Both living in a town and living in the countryside have their advantages and disadvantages.
  • One advantage of living in a village is that people have more privacy.
  • On the other hand, you often have to commute to work or school.
  • If I could choose, I would rather live in…
  • My dream house would be situated…
  • What I would like most of all is…

4. Modelová odpoveď​

There is an important difference between a house and a home. A house is only a building — four walls and a roof. A home is much more: it is the cooking, eating, talking and living that happen inside, and above all it is the place where people feel safe.

At the moment I live in Bratislava in a block of flats. Our flat is on the fourth floor and it has three rooms, plus a kitchen, a bathroom, a separate toilet and a hall. In the hall there is a coat hanger, a mirror and a shoe rack. The kitchen is quite modern — we have a cooker with an oven, a microwave, a fridge with a freezer, a dishwasher and, of course, a kettle. The living room is the biggest room; there is a large sofa, two armchairs, a coffee table, a wall unit with a television and a bookcase full of books. On the floor there is a carpet and on the walls a few pictures.

My own room is not very big, but I like it because it is light and cosy. There is a bed, a desk with my computer, a chair, a wardrobe and some shelves for my books. The walls are painted light blue and there are posters above the desk. It is the place where I study, listen to music and relax.

Living in a town and living in the countryside are quite different. In a town you have job opportunities, shops, cinemas, theatres, swimming pools and good public transport. The disadvantages are that towns are crowded, noisy, polluted and there is more crime. In the countryside it is peaceful and quiet, people have gardens and know each other, but there are almost no cultural facilities and the bus connections are poor, so you often have to commute.

There is also a difference between a house and a flat. A house means more space and more privacy, usually a garden and a garage, and you can keep bigger pets. But it is more expensive and you have to look after the garden and clean many more rooms. A flat is cheaper and easier to keep clean, but you have less space and less privacy, and if a pipe bursts you can easily damage your neighbour's flat below.

Housing also differs from country to country. In Slovakia people live either in family houses, mostly in villages, or in blocks of flats in towns, and young people usually stay with their parents until they get married, because buying a flat is very expensive. In Britain most people live in terraced, semi-detached or detached houses with a small garden, blocks of flats are far less common, and young people leave home much earlier. In the USA the standard of living is generally high and people move house very often, sometimes to another state, because of work.

As for my dream house, I would like a spacious house near the sea, with a big garden, a swimming pool and a large living room with a fireplace. It would have modern furniture, plenty of plants and huge windows, so that there would always be a lot of light.

5. Otázky na diskusiu​

  1. What is the difference between a house and a home?
  2. Describe the place where you live at the moment.
  3. Which room in your home do you like best, and why?
  4. Would you rather live in a town or in the countryside? Give reasons.
  5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a block of flats?
  6. How does housing in Slovakia differ from housing in Britain?
  7. Why do young people in Slovakia leave home later than young people in Britain?
  8. What would your dream house look like?
  9. What are the main causes of homelessness?
  10. What could the state and ordinary people do to help homeless people?

6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď​

  • House vs. home: a building vs. the place where you feel safe.
  • Moje bývanie: type of dwelling → which floor → how many rooms → go room by room with the furniture.
  • Moja izba: size, light, furniture, colours, what you do there.
  • Mesto vs. vidiek: jobs, culture, transport vs. peace, nature, privacy — always give both sides.
  • Dom vs. byt: space, privacy, garden, pets vs. price, cleaning, noise, damage to neighbours.
  • SR / GB / USA: blocks of flats and living with parents · terraced and semi-detached houses, leaving home early · high standard of living and moving often.
  • Vysnívaný dom: location, size, garden, one special feature (pool, fireplace).
  • Bezdomovci: losing a job, divorce, addiction, leaving a children's home; shelters, charities, Nota Bene.
Čo povedať na skúške

Pozor na poschodia — britské first floor je naše prvé poschodie, teda nie prízemie; prízemie je ground floor. V americkej angličtine je first floor naopak prízemie. Keď povieš, na ktorom poschodí bývaš, drž sa britského systému, ten sa na školách učí.

Súvisiace poznámky​

Kontrolné otázky​

What is the difference between a house and a home?

A house is just a building. A home is the place where you feel safe and happy with your family.

Describe the place where you live at the moment.

I live in a three-room flat in a block of flats in Bratislava. We have a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a small balcony.

Which room in your home do you like best, and why?

My room, because it is my private space. I have my computer there and I can study, play games or relax.

Would you rather live in a town or in the countryside? Give reasons.

Now I prefer the town because of school, transport and entertainment. Later, with a family, I would like a house near the town with a garden.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a block of flats?

Flats are cheaper and closer to services. But they are small, you can hear the neighbours and there is no garden.

How does housing in Slovakia differ from housing in Britain?

In Slovakia many people live in blocks of flats, while in Britain most live in terraced, semi-detached or detached houses. British people also move more often.

Why do young people in Slovakia leave home later than young people in Britain?

Flats are expensive compared to salaries, many students study near home and it is a tradition to stay with parents until you start your own family.

What would your dream house look like?

A modern detached house with a big garden near a forest, with large windows, solar panels, a garage and a quiet room for working.

What are the main causes of homelessness?

Losing a job, debts, divorce, addiction, mental illness or leaving prison or a children's home without support.

What could the state and ordinary people do to help homeless people?

The state can provide shelters, social housing and help with finding a job. People can volunteer, donate or buy street magazines.

🔗 Spätné odkazy (5)