Houses and homes

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

BASIC WORDS

1. accommodation

2. buildings: a block of flats (BrE)/an apartment house (AmE), a detached house, a semi-detached house (BrE)/duplex (AmE), a terraced house (BrE)/a row house (AmE), a cottage, a bungalow, a ranch house, a bedsitter, a villa, a time-share, a condominium, stately home, a high rise, a hall of residence (dormitory/hostel), studio flat, bedroomed flat, double-fronted house

3. building materials: brick, concrete, stone, log, wood

4. places in a house: a bedroom, a living-room, a dining-room, a lounge, a bathroom, a kitchen, a hall, a lounge, a shed, a loft, a pantry/a larder, a terrace/a patio, a study, nursery, utility room, a store room, a lift/elevator

5. basic elements of a house construction: the floor, the ceiling, a wall, a door (a front/back door), a window, a balcony, a hallway, a landing, banisters, stairs, shutter, windowsill, chimney, tiled roof, TV aerial (BrE)/TV antenna (AmE), drainpipe, security light, skirting board (BrE)/baseboard (AmE), floorboards, pillar, gutter, an attic, a cellar, a basement, a porch

6. pieces of furniture: a wall furniture, a wardrobe, a cupboard, a bookcase, a sofa, an armchair, a coffee-table, a standard lamp, a carpet, a TV set, a vase (decorative vase), a picture, a desk/writing table, a book-shelf, a sideboard, a bedside cabinet, a dressing table, a dressing stool, a mirror, a bedspread, love seat, dresser, sofa bed, bollard (AmE), night table, chest of drawers, built-in furniture, double (single) bed (bedding), TV/VCR stand, draperies/curtains, fireplace, indoor plants/house plants, ironing board, real fire, open fire

7. household appliances (labor-saving appliances): a refrigerator, a freezer, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a gas/electric cooker, a dryer, a stereo, vacuum cleaner, music center, hi-fi equipment, a coffee-maker, a toaster, a water heater, a kettle, gadget for doing smth., VCR (video cassette recorder), DVD player, CD player

8. bathroom: a towel rail, a soap dish, a shower curtain, a mixer tap for hot and cold water, a bathtub

9. kitchen: cutlery drawer, dining table/dinner table, cupboard, breadbin (BrE)/ breadbox (AmE), fire extinguisher, washing-up liquid (BrE)/dishwashing liquid (AmE), scouring pad, draining board, sink, tap (BrE)/faucet (AmE), oven, cooker (BrE)/stove (AmE), (electric) ring (BrE)/burner (AmE), oven glove, funnel, scales (BrE)/scale (AmE), measuring jug, fish slice (BrE)/spatula (AmE), cake tin (BrE)/muffin tin (AmE), corksrew, bin (BrE)/wastebasket (AmE) tea towel (BrE)/dishcloth (AmE), tin opener (BrE)/can opener (AmE), cutlery (BrE)/silverware (AmE), napkin, breadboard, worktop (BrE)/counter (AmE), measuring spoons, baking tray (BrE)/cooking sheet (AmE), cloth, china

10. outside a house: a front garden, a lawn, a flower-bed, a vegetable garden (BrE)/a yard (AmE), an orchard, housing/industrial/estate/residential area, suburb, outskirts, garage, a drive (BrE)/a driveway (AmE), a gatepost, a gate, a pavement (BrE)/a sidewalk (AmE), a kerb (BrE)/a curb (AmE), a lamp-post, a streetlight, a drain, a fence (BrE)/a picket fence (AmE), in front of the house, at the front of the house

11. adjectives describing houses: spacious, overcrowded, comfortable, convenient, modern, well-equipped, poorly designed, cosy

12. to be covered with smth.

13. house keeping (expenses, chores)

14. house keeper

15. house-holder

16. to pay a high/low/reasonable rent

17. work about the house: housework (to do the -), to remodel, to scrub, to weep, to vacuum, to arrange the furniture/to furnish/to refurnish, to give smb. a hand, to do the dishes/laundry, to do the house/the flat/the cleaning, to make/to do the bed, to redecorate, to renovate

18. house maid

19. house painter