Houses &
Speaking
Part 1
1 Apartments
Key Vocabulary
reside/currently living
located/situated in
inner city/central location
suburbs/outskirts
rent<>own
born and raised there/resided/lived there since I was
two-bedroom multi-storied house/single-storey house
two-bedroom apartment complex/high-rise apartment
back garden/yard
balcony/veranda
nicely/simply decorated
nice/simple décor
ostentatious<>modest
homely (comfortable)/cozy
spacious<>cramped
all the mod cons (modern appliances)
redecorated/renovated
run down/in disrepair
cold and draughty (cold air from outside)
vicinity/nearby
Vocabulary Builder
A. Match the words to a synonym, antonym, or idiom.
1. single storey house reside
2. ostentatious spacious
3. roomy bought
4. inner-city run-down
5. staying washing machine
6. homely veranda
7. own simple
8. balcony suburbs
9. redecorated cozy
10. mod cons high-rise apartment
All in One Kite Boy IELTS Speaking 33
B. Circle the odd word/s out.
1. live born and raised reside
2. bought rent own
3. apartment multi-storied house single-storey
4. inner city suburbs commercial center
5. noisy limited space good security
6. all the mod cons unique design cold and draughty
7. cramped good facilities power-cuts
8. cut off from neighbours panoramic views close-knit community
9. back garden balcony yard
10. simple luxurious ostentatious
C. Fill in the gaps with the correct word from the key vocabulary above, circle the
correct word in bold, and then answer the questions, using the structure provided
but with information that is true for you.
1. Where do you live?
I’m currently ____________ with my parents in/on a two____________
____________, which is located in/on the ____________ of/at London.
(short answer + explanation)
2. How long have you lived there?
I’ve been there 21 years as I was ____________ there, and also since my
father works in the ____________.
(short answer + reason + explanation)
3. What do you like about your home?
While it’s not a/the flashy or ____________ place, it’s nice and
____________ . Also, the interior is not too/to cramped - it’s actually quite
____________, with three ____________, each having their own en-suite.
(contrast two answers + reason + explanation)
4. What do you like most about your home?
What I really love is the ____________, which overlooks the
____________, which has a/the small vegetable garden.
(“What I particularly/especially/really/most enjoy” + reasons + examples)
5. If you could change anything about your home, what would it be?
Given the kitchen and bathroom are looking a bit run____________, showing
their age, it’d be nice if they could be ____________.
(reason + short answer)
All in One Kite Boy IELTS Speaking 34
Additional Vocabulary
• isolated rural community Apartments: Positives & Negatives
• detached house - noisy – hear neighbours
• town-house - limited space/cramped
• condominium - cut off from neighbours – less social
• cottage - can’t make any structural changes
• single-story house + well-constructed
• old fashioned/tradition house + modern
• unique design/architectural style + all the mod cons (modern appliances)
+ good security
• garden/yard/vegetable garden
+ spacious/enormous
• sitting/living room
+ central
• en suite + good facilities (swimming pool/tennis
• garage courts)
• furnished-unfurnished + panoramic views
+ not cold and draughty like some old houses
+ not susceptible to power-cuts like houses
All in One Kite Boy IELTS Speaking 35