English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 11: At home

Word List
  • attic
  • basement
  • bungalow
  • cellar
  • chopping board
  • coat hanger
  • conversion
  • corkscrew
  • cottage
  • detached
  • drive
  • dustpan and brush
  • flat
  • grater
  • hall
  • hallway
  • ironing board
  • landing
  • loft
  • main bedroom
  • master bedroom
  • patio
  • peeler
  • phone charger
  • porch
  • remote control
  • self-contained
  • semi-detached
  • shed
  • socket
  • studio
  • studio flat
  • table mat
  • terrace
  • terraced
  • toilet roll
  • utility room
  • villa
Exercises

11.1 ‣ Where in a typical house would you look for the following things?

  1. garden tools
  2. a toilet roll _____
  3. table mats _____
  4. a hanger _____
  5. the remote _____
  6. an ironing board _____
  7. a power point _____
  8. a porch _____
  9. a grater _____
  10. old empty boxes _____

11.2 ‣ Label the places in the house.

  1. _____
  2. _____
  3. _____
  4. _____
  5. _____

11.3 ‣ Fill the gaps with a suitable word.

  1. Years ago I had a darkroom in the where I developed films. It was perfect because there were no windows down there.
  2. I'll prepare the potatoes and then you can do the cooking. Where's the _____?
  3. Put a _____ under the tea pot in case you mark that table. It's an antique.
  4. Let's open this bottle. Do you know where the _____ is?
  5. We keep our skis up in the _____. They're out of the way up there.
  6. You'll find the garden chairs in the _____ at the bottom of the garden. Bring them up and we'll have a drink on the _____ and watch the sunset.
  7. The light switch for the stairs is on the _____ just by your bedroom door.
  8. Grandma's moved to a _____ now she can't manage the stairs any more at her age.
  9. Leave your car in the _____, just in front of the garage. It'll be safe there.

11.4 ‣ Answer these questions about everyday objects.

  1. How can you make very small pieces of cheese to sprinkle on a dish? .
  2. What might you fetch if someone dropped a saucer and it broke into small pieces on the floor? _____.
  3. What do you need if your phone battery is flat? _____.
  4. How can you switch off the TV without leaving your chair? _____.
  5. How can you cut vegetables without marking the kitchen work surface? _____.
  6. What might you offer a visitor if they want to take off their jacket? _____.

11.5 ‣

Over to you

Answer these questions about yourself.

  1. Is your house detached? What sort is it if not?
    _____
  2. Would you like to live in a studio flat? Why (not)?
    _____
  3. Which of these household jobs do you most enjoy and which do you least enjoy - doing the washing-up / the washing / the ironing / the gardening / the hoovering / the dusting / the cooking?
    _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Types of houses/places people live in


  1. detached house
    not joined to any other house

  2. terraced house
    joined to several houses to form a row

  3. bungalow
    a house with only one storey (no upstairs)

  4. semi-detached house
    semi-(infml): joined to one other house

self-contained flat: does not share facilities with any other terraced house: joined to several houses to form a row

cottage: a small house in the country or in a village bungalow: a house with only one storey (no upstairs)

studio flat: a small apartment for one or two people, usually with one large room for sleeping and living in, a bathroom and sometimes a separate kitchen

villa: a large house with big gardens or a rented house in a holiday resort / tourist area

B ‣ Places in the home

You probably already know the names of most rooms and locations in a typical home.

Here are some less common ones and what they are for.

master/main bedroom: the largest, most important bedroom

utility room: usually just for washing machine, freezer, etc.

shed: small building separated from the house usually for storing garden tools

attic/loft: space in the roof of a house used for storing things; it can also be converted into an extra living space with stairs leading up to it (attic/loft conversion)

cellar: room below ground level, no windows, used for storing things

basement: room below ground level, with windows, for living/working

studio: a room in which a painter or photographer works

landing: flat area at the top of a staircase

hall/hallway: open area as you come into a house

porch: covered area before an entrance door

terrace or patio: paved area between house and garden for sitting and eating, etc.

drive: a short road leading from the street to the house or garage; you can drive/park on it

C ‣ Every day objects in the home


  1. remote (control)

  2. corkscrew

  3. phone charger

  4. peeler

  5. toilet roll

  6. chopping board

  7. (coat) hanger

  8. ironing board /ˈaɪənɪŋbɔːd/

  9. socket

  10. dustpan and brush

  11. grater

  12. table mat

Common mistakes

You do housework, do the ironing, do the hoovering, do the washing-up. (NOT make housework)

Favorite Books
English Vocabulary in Use Elementary

The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for elementary level (A2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 60 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.

Read more
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced

The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for advanced level (C1 to C2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with over 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.

Read more
Table of Contents