Preparation
1. Read the task and the model text. Which paragraph in the text (1, 2 or 3) tells you about …
a the size of the rooms in the apartment?
b what they sometimes do in the evening?
c where the apartment is?
d the other buildings near the apartment?
e how many rooms there are in the apartment?
A website for students has invited its readers to send in a description of their home. Write a description of your home for the website. In addition to the description, include information about your home’s location and about going out in the area.
1 I live in a fairly small apartment with my parents and my younger brother. The apartment is in a large block just outside the town. There are two other blocks, a supermarket and a cinema in the same street. There aren’t any other shops in the area, although it’s very easy to get a bus into town.
2 The apartment only has two bedrooms, so I have to share a room with my brother. There are two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room. The kitchen is not very large, but there’s a table. I usually do my homework in the kitchen because it’s quieter than the living room.
3 We often go to the cinema in the evening, because it’s very near our home. It’s also pretty cheap. We don’t eat in restaurants very often, but we sometimes have a special meal when it’s somebody’s birthday. There aren’t any restaurants nearby, so we have to get a bus into town.
Answer
a 2 b 3 c 1 d 1 e 2
2. Rewrite each pair of sentences as a single sentence. Include the conjunction in the brackets.
1 The house is modern. It’s very comfortable. (although)
Although the house is modern, it’s very comfortable.
2 We were tired. We went to bed early. (because)
………………………………………………
3 We stayed at home. It was a cold evening. (so)
………………………………………………
4 The cinema is expensive. Tickets for children are cheaper. (although)
………………………………………………
5 The café closed. It was not very popular. (because)
………………………………………………
Answer
2 We went to bed early because we were tired. / Because we were tired, we went to bed early.
3 It was a cold evening, so we stayed at home.
4 The cinema is expensive although tickets for children are cheaper.
5 The café closed because it was not very popular.
Writing Guide
Writing Strategy
We often use modifiers like very or fairly before adjectives when we are writing a description. Modifiers make the description sound more natural.
The apartment is very / fairly modern.
3. Read the Writing Strategy. Then complete the sentences using a modifier and an adjective from the list below. More than one answer is possible.
Modifiers: extremely fairly not very pretty really very
Adjectives: busy expensive large modern noisy popular
1 There’s an ……………………… ……………………… French restaurant in the next street.
2 Our house is in a ……………………… ……………………… part of town with lots of shops.
3 There’s a café opposite our house and it’s ……………………… ……………………… with teenagers.
4 All three bedrooms are ……………………… ………………………
5 The streets are ……………………… ……………………… during the day, but quiet at night.
6 There’s a TV and a hi-fi in the living room, but they aren’t ……………………… ………………………
Answer
(Possible answers)
1 extremely expensive 2 fairly busy 3 really popular
4 pretty large 5 very noisy 6 very modern
4. Add the sentences (1-6) in exercise 3 to the paragraph plan below. Write the numbers in the boxes. Then add two ideas of your own for each paragraph.
Paragraph 1: location of the house
Sentences ◻ and ◻ from exercise 3.
My ideas: ………………………………………………………
Paragraph 2: inside the house
Sentences ◻ and ◻ from exercise 3.
My ideas: ………………………………………………………
Paragraph 3: going out near the house
Sentences ◻ and ◻ from exercise 3.
My ideas: ………………………………………………………
Answer
Paragraph 1 Sentences 2 and 5
Paragraph 2 Sentences 4 and 6
Paragraph 3 Sentences 1 and 2
5. Write a description following your plan from exercise 4. Invent more details if necessary.
Extra exercises
Strategy
When you write a description, the sentences should not be too short or too long. Each one should have two or three pieces of information. Remember you can join two ideas with conjunctions such as and, but, so or because.
1. Read the Strategy. Then use a conjunction to rewrite the two sentences as one.
1 It isn’t in the city centre. It’s quiet and peaceful
………………………………………..
2 I’m not lonely. My friends often visit me.
………………………………………..
3 It’s a large flat. It’s on the tenth floor.
………………………………………..
4 It’s got a lot of windows. The rooms are very bright.
………………………………………..
Answer
(Possible answers)
1 It isn’t in the city centre, but it’s quiet and peaceful.
2 I’m not lonely because my friends often visit me.
3 It’s a large flat, but it’s on the tenth floor.
4 It’s got a lot of windows, so the rooms are very bright.
2. Write a description of your ideal home. Include information about:
– the location.
– the rooms.
– your room.