Describing a property and the neighbourhoods

Décrire un bien immobilier et les environs

I. General features of properties

1) Types of properties

house maison
flat / apartment appartement
block of flats immeuble d’habitation
high-rise tour, gratte-ciel
tower block tour d’habitation
condominium (US/CAN) immeuble dont les appartements sont détenus en copropriété
social housing logement social (en général)
social flat / apartment logement social (en particulier)
mansion villa
host house, master house maison de maître

2) Types of houses

terraced house maison mitoyenne (des deux côtés)

semi-detached house maison mitoyenne (d’un seul côté)
detached house maison individuelle (non mitoyenne)
ground floor house, bungalow maison de plein pied
ground floor flat / apartment appartement au rez-de-chaussée
two-storey house maison sur deux niveaux
storey niveau
floor étages

A four-storey building means it has a ground floor + 3 upper floors.

3) Materials

stone pierre
concrete béton
glass verre
steel acier
wood bois
wooden en bois, fait en bois
carrelage tile

4) Measuring areas

square meters mètres carré

surface surface
area zone

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 tower block block of flats terraced house
high rise condominium
apartment building

semi-detached house detached house mansion / villa / master house

a studio a one-bedroom flat/apartment a two-bedroom flat / apartment

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Ad 1 :
The property is ideally located, close to public transport and right next to the shops in a lively neighbourhood.
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The tower block is recent, it was built in 2015. You can park your car in the basement car park, so you don't need to worry
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about finding a parking place in the street. There are 40 flats and the flat for sale now is on the ninth (9th) floor, which offers a panoramic view
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of the town. The flat is bright, there is a lift and a live-in caretake so the communal areas are in good condition. The block is safe,
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there's a videophone. The apartment comes with all mod cons. No renovation is needed. You only need to unpack your cardboxes and settle.
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Ad 2 :
This property is a semi-detached brick house. It is located in a residential area, at a 10-minute walk to shops and 15-minute walk
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to the railway station. The area is peaceful and quite and ideal for families. There are two gardens – a front and a back yard, which is perfect for
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children and will allow you to eat out in the summer. There are two bedrooms downstairs so the layout is perfect for your family.
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It has great potential as you can renovate and customise it to your taste.
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 II. Describing interiors

a study

the bathroom

a bedroom

the dining room

a walk-in wardrobe

the living room

grenier, comble

sous-sol

balcon

grande chambre, chambre parentale

garage

niveau

buanderie

escalier

Cellar cave

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 mène à
pratique

ground floor entrance hall

corridor

fireplace, chimney closet

fully-equipped kitchen walk-in wardrobe

tile high ceiling

open-plan kitchen sliding doors

visite: viewing
double-vitrage : double glazing one-bedroom flat/apartment
fenêtre doublement vitrées : double-glazed widows entrée = entrance
meuble de rangement : cabinet hall d'entrée = entrance hall 5
produits de toilette : toiletries
 This is the picture of charming balcony looking
This is a fully equipped interior of a home. onto a peaceful suburban street. It offers a
We can see an open-plan kitchen. panoramic and clear view of the street.
The kitchen is equipped with nice and new wooden It is situated on the last storey of a 5-floor block of
furnitures as well as electrical appliances. flats. It is an 8-square meter balcony.
There are also a dining table and chairs. This large and spacious balcony is equipped
In the living room, there is a large beautiful of the living with modern chairs and some plants.
room white corner sofa. It can be accessed through the sliding doors
There is clean brand new wooden floor. of the living room.
The large glass doors (glazed doors) look onto This south-facing balcony lets the sunshine in /
the garden and let the sunlight in the whole interior. brightens the living room.
This balcony enables to sunbathe during
sunny days.

This is the picture of large and spacious entrance This picture shows a spacious master room
hall giving access to a staircase in front of us. with a high ceiling.
This must be into a luxurious 19th-century building There is a double bed in the middle of the room,
given the design. two bedside tables and a recessed wardrobe.
The soil is tiled and the ceiling is high. The floor is wooden (There is a wooden floor),
Moreover, there are mouldings on the ceiling. a floormat (carpet) under the bed and the
On the right, there is a beautiful glazed door and on backwall is painted in dark grey.
the left, we can find another ground floor access This room is bright,
hall. The upper frames of both sides are rounded. the amount of shining daylight is clearly visible

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Three-storey house.
Wide entrance hall with a large closet.
Living room with a fireplace. Sliding doors looking onto
a big garden.
Fully equipped open-plan kitchen, tiled floor.
Four bedrooms and a master bedroom with a walk-in closet
and a balcony.
Double-glazed windows in all rooms (or: All windows are double-glazed).
Attic which can be converted into a bedroom.
Basement and garage.

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III. Describing the building parts

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Complete the dialogue below with the words from page 8

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IV. Describing the neighbourhoods and districts

one-bedroom flat/apartment
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Complete the dialogue below with the words from page 10

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Translate the following words into English

neighbourhood
rural area / countryside
urban area / city
Une rue a street
The city The countryside

Polluted Safe Isolated

busy, dynamic, lively

convenient Stressful Relaxing Lost

animation, entertainement Noisy Calm, quiet, peaceful

To be in the middle of Crowded Calm, quiet, peaceful

everything

Overcrowded Quality of life

Peace of mind

Next to / Close to amenities

Accessible on foot
Saisissez du/ at a walking
texte ici distance
Easily accessible / easily reached / Convenient location

away from / far from

very far (away) from

not far from / not far away from

close to / near by / next to

There is a school nearby

It is at a six-minute walk
Opposite / Across the school

At the corner of the street

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Translate the sentences below to English :

Saisissez du texte ici

1. Il habite la rue Roosevelt : …………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Elle habite au N°25, au 3ème étage : ………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Le restaurant grec est à gauche du supermarché : ………………………………………………………………
4. La place de stationnement est derrière l’immeuble :……………………………………………………………….
5. La banque est entre le cinéma et l’hôtel :…………………………………………………………………………….
6. La librairie est à côté de la bibliothèque : ……………………………………………………………………………
7. L’arrêt du bus est près du bureau de poste : ………………………………………………………………………
8. L’arrêt du bus est devant la station de métro : ………………………………………………………………………
9. Le restaurant est en face de l’immeuble : …………………………………………………………………………….
10. Le musée est à l’angle de la rue : ……………………………………………………………………………………..

towards = vers

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V. Grammar / Comparatives and superlatives
• the least / the most (superlative) – LONG ADJECTIVES
o That is the least expensive solution for you = C’est la solution la moins chère pour vous.
o This mansion is the most expensive of the street = Cette maison est la plus chère de la rue.

• the least / the most (superlative) – SHORT ADJECTIVES

o That is the smallest room of the house = C’est la pièce la plus petite de la maison.
o This is the biggest mansion of the street = C’est la villa la plus grande de la rue.

• less than / more than (comparative) – LONG ADJECTIVES

o The bedroom is less comfortable than the living room = La chambre est moins confortable que le salon.
o The bedroom is more comfortable than the living room = La chambre est plus confortable que le salon.

• adj+ier than – SHORT ADJECTIVES (maximum 2 syllables)

o This house is prettier (pretty) than that mansion = Cette maison est plus jolie que la villa là-bas.
o This flat is cheaper (cheap) than yours. = Cet appartement est moins que le vôtre.

• as …. as (equal)
o The bedroom is as large as the living room = La chambre est aussi grande que le salon.

Exceptions – good / bad / far

adjective comparative superlative
good better than the best
bad worse than the worst
far further than the furthest / farthest

Accroissement parallèle – exemples :

• The sooner someone views the flat, the faster you will have offers. = Plus vite vous ferez visiter
l’appartement, plus vite vous aurez des offres.
• The sooner, the better = Le plus tôt sera le mieux.
• The more expensive the flat is, the less attractive. = Plus l’appartement est cher, moins il est attractif.
• The more specific you are, the better it is. = Plus vous êtes précis, mieux c’est.

A. Mettez les adjectifs à la forme demandée.

B. Traduisez les phrases ci-dessous :

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Translate the following sentences into English :

1. Ils habitent au quatrième étage d’un immeuble de douze étages :

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2. C’est une maison mitoyenne en briques sur deux niveaux :

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3. Elle habite dans une tour au 23ème étage. Heureusement qu’il y a plusieurs ascenseurs.
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4. Il rêve d’acquérir une maison individuelle de 5 pièces.

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5. Cette magnifique et impressionnante maison de maitre a été transformée en 10

appartements, soit 3 studios et 7 deux-pièces.
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VI. Oral examination

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