BASIC CONCEPTS - 1.

Space: expanse and confinement

SPACE
Expanse and confinement
A) Things occupying a lot of space
extensive
covering large area. Edinburgh has extensive traffic-free routes.
comprenhensive. The building contains extensive educational facilities
spacious
indoors: large, roomy. All the bedrooms are lovely and spacious.
outdoors: wide, expansive. A spacious garden; The city of Washington is
spacious and green
roomy
spacious (informal). A roomy car; The house was roomy
rambling
house: laberntica, llena de rincones y recovecos. A large, rambling building;
A rambling family mansin.
wide open spaces
large reas without buildings or tres. I like Canada because I love wide opes
spaces.
scattered
strewed around, dispersed: esparcido, dispersado. Little white cottages were
scattered across the landscape.
spread out
be separated, not close one to another, dispersed. The problema with this
university is that the buildings are rather spread out and it takes a long time
to get from one place to another.
B) Insufficient space or things occupying too small space
cramped
no space (room). Cramped hotel romos; Living in small, cramped apartments.
poky
small and cramped (informal). Two poky little roooms; A poky little flat.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

congested
full of traffic, people, etc. The congested streets; Tanker traffic on the
congested waterway.
compact
small and dense. A tiny, compact refrigerator; A compact, low, white villa.

C) Other words and expressions

hemmed in
confine, enclose, surrounded by people and not able to move. I saw her at the
carnaval, but I couldnt get to her because I was hemmed in by the crowds.
There isnt enough room to swing a cat
very small (informal). There isnt enough room to swing a cat in this flat
packed in like sardines
too many people in a small space (informal). We were packed in like sardines
on the bus.
labyrinth
vast and complex. The government offices are an absolute labyrinth.
claustrophobia
fear of confined spaces. Do you suffer claustrophobia?
agoraphobia
fear of open spaces. My brothers the opposite, he suffers from agoraphobia.
crammed into
apiado, lleno hasta reventar. There were 16 of us in a minibus that seated
10. We were all crammed into that tiny space for over five hours!
squeeze in
fit into a small space, apretujarse. Can I sit between you and Mark? Yes, you
can squeeze in between us.
incarcerated
put in prison. We all felt in that youth hostel as if wed been incarcerated for
some terrible crime.
stuff in
cram. Shall I put all those old papers into this rubbish bag? Yes, just stuff
them all in and well take it away later.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

D) Thesaurus
DESCRIBING THINGS THAT ARE MUCH MORE THAN AVERAGE IN SIZE,
DEGREE OR AMOUNT

large: more than average in size, degree or amount. More formal than big. It is
not usually used to describe people, except fat. Some of the clothes looked very
large; I grew up in a large family; There were some very large sums of money
involved; Would you like small, mdium or large? OPP. small, little.

big: large in size, degree or amount. This house is too big for us now; This shirt
isnt big enough; Theres been a big increase in prices.

great: much larger or more than average in size, amount or degree. Often suggest
quality and not just size. It does not usually describe the physical size of objects
or people. A great man (a good wise man that you admire); A great crowd had
gathered; He must have fallen from a great height; It gives me great pleasure to
welcome you here today; there was a great big pile of books on the table.

substantial: large in amount, size or importance. Rather formal. It is not used to

talk about emotions or personal qualities, such as anger, concern, courage or
efficiency. There were substantial sums of money involvel; We were able to see a
substantial improvement; He ate a substantial breakfast.

considerable: large in amount, degree or importance. Rather formal. It is not used

to talk about solid things such as meals of buildings. The project wasted a
considerable amount of time and money; Damage to the building was
considerable; Caring for elderly relatives requires considerable moral courage.

extensive: covering a large rea; great in amount. The house has extensive
grounds. The fire caused extensive damage; They have an extensive range of
wines.

hefty: of an amount of money, large or larger than usual or expected. They sold it
easily and made a hefty profit; Interest rates have gone up a hefty 12%.

sizeable: fairly large. Rather formal. The town has a sizeable Sikh population;
Income tourism accounts for a sizeable proportion of the areas total income.

bumper: unually large; producing an unusually large amount. Only before a noun.
Farmers have been celebrating bumper crops this year; Dont miss next months
bumper Christmas issue.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

handsome: of an amount of sth, specially money, large. Only before noun. They
sold the house two years later at a handsome profit; I enjoyed the job, and was
paid a handsome salary too. It has been rewarded handsomely.

DESCRIBING A PLACE WHERE THERE IS PLENTY OF SPACE TO MOVE

AROUND

spacious: especially of a room or building, large and with plenty of space for
people to move around in. Can also describes places outside. The rooms are
spacious and comfortable; The boat provides spacious accommodation for five
people. OPP. cramped.

cavernous: of a room or space, very large and often empty and/or dark; like a
cave. Usually before noun. In written English. We stepped into the vast, cavernous
space of the empty concert hall.

airy: with plenty of fresh air because there is a lot of space. The office is light and
airy.

roomy: with a lot of space inside. Rather informal. Only describes places inside a
building or vehicle. The kitchen is roomy enough for five people to sita round the
table comfortably.

DESCRIBING STH WHICH IS EXTREMELY LARGE

huge: extremely large in size or amount; great in degree. Is used sightly more to
talk about the physical size of sth. A huge crowd had gathered in the squeare; He
gazed up at her with huge brown eyes; The company ran up huge debts; The party
was a huge sucess; A huge chunk/pile/boulder/slab/mound/expanse. OPP. tiny.

massive: extremely large or serious. The explosin made a massive hole in the
ground; The Chancellor is to announce a massive increase in spending; He
suffered a massive heart attack; Theyve got a massive great house (Informal).

vast: extremely large in area, amount, numbers or size. To the south lay a vast
area of wilderness; His business empire was vast; In the vast majority of cases
this should not be a problem; The vastness of space (in written English).

enormous: huge. Is used slightly more to talk about the degree of sth such a
feeling, importance or a possibility. Theyve bought an enormous house in the
contry; The council has spent an enormous amount of money on this project;
enormous fun/pleasure/importance/significance/flexibility/scope.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

giant: extremely large; much larger or more important than similar things usually
are. Only before noun. The market is controlled by giant corporations which
function as monopolies; Giant clams may grow to be a metre long.

tremendous: extremely great, especially in a way that makes you feel impressed,
admiring or sympathetic. The noise of boms, guns and engines was tremendous;
A tremendous amount of work has gone into the project; He has been under
tremendous pressure recently.

gigantic: extremely large, especially in physical size. Rather informal. At the top
of the steps stood eight gigantic marble columns; The problem can asume gigantic
proportions if left untreated.

immense: extremely great in degree. Is used especially to describe feelings or

qualities, especially positive ones. Immense satisfaction/relief/pleasure/ respect;
Immense

prestige/popularity/charm/importance/significance/value;

To

my

immense relief, he didnt notice my mistake; The benefits are immense; We were
overwhelmed by the sheer immensity of the task.

monumental: extremely great or serious. Only before noun. Rather formal. This
book is a work of monumental significance; She had made one monumental error
of judgement. Is used especially to describe actions that are very stupid and have
serious consequences. An act of monumental folly; monumental incompetence; a
monumental error/disaster/cock-up.

colosal: extremely large. Outside stands a colosal statute of Queen Victoria; They
have spent a colosal amount of money on construction.

DESCRIBING THINGS THAT MEASURE A LOT FROM ONE SIDE TO OTHER

OR MEASUREMENT OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES OR
SURFACES

wide: measuring a lot from one side to the other; used to ask about or state the
distance between opposite sides of sth. Her face broke into a wide grin; He wore
a jacket with wide lapels; How wide is that stream?; The road was just wide
enough for two vehicles to pass. OPP. narrow.

thick: measuring a lot or more than normal betwwen opposite surfaces; used to
ask about or state the distance between opposite surfaces. It is used to talk about
solid things such as books, walls, doors, slices or pieces of food and layers of a

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

substance or material. He cut two thick slices of bread; Thats a very thick book;
Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

broad: wide. Is less frequent than wide and is used more in written English than
in spoken English. It is often used to suggest that sth is wide in a attractive way.
Is often used rather than wide to talk parts of the body. We drove down a broad
avenue lined with trees; Hes got broad shulders.

MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO ENDS OF SIDES OF STH

lenth: the distance or measurement along sth from one end to the other. This roo
mis twice the length of the kitchen; The river is 300 miles in length; He ran the
entire length of the beach. Adj. long. long hair; the table is six feet long. OPP.
short.

height: the measurement of how tall a person or thing is. He is medium height and
slim build; You can adjust the height of the chair.

depth: the distance of measurement from the top of surface to the bottom of sth.
It can also be the distance from the front to the back of sth. Water was found at a
depth of 30 metres; They dug down to a depth of two metres; The depth of the
shelves is 30 centimetres. Adj. deep. A deep hole; The water is only a few inches
deep. OPP. shallow.

width: the distance or measurement across sth from one side to the other. The
terrace runs the full width of the house; The carpet is available in different widths.

diameter: the length of a straight line going from one side of a circle or any other
round object to the other side, passing through the centre. The radius of a circle is
half its diameter; The dome is 42.3 metres in diameter.

thickness: the distance through sth between its closest opposite surfaces or sides.
Use Wood of a least 12 mm thickness; Roll the pastry to a thickness of about 5
mm; The bouard is available in four thicknesses.

TO MAKE LOTS OF SMALL PIECES OF STH COVER AN AREA

scatter: to throw or drop things in differend directions so that they cover an area
of ground. Scatter the grass seed over the lawn; They scattered his ashes at sea.

spread: to arrange objects so that they cover a large are and can be seen easily.
Papers had been spread out on the desk.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

strew: to cover sb/sth with a lot of small things with a lot of force. The gunman
sprayed the building with bullets; Pieces of glass sprayed all over the room.

shower: to drop a lot of small things onto sb. The bride and groom were showered
with rice as they left the church; The rood collapsed, showering us with dust and
debris.

rain: to make sth fall on sb/sth in large quantities. The volcano erupted, raining
hot ash over a wide area.

sprinkle: to throw small pieces of sth or drops of a liquid on sth. She sprinkled
sugar over the strawberries.

PEOPLE OR THINGS MOVING APART IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

disperse: to move apart and go away in different directions; to make sb/sth do

this. It can be used to talk about groups of people, clouds or substance in the air.
Rather formal, written. The fog began to disperse; Police dispersed the protesters
with tear gas.

break up: of a meeting, to finish, with people going away in different directions;
to make people leave a meeting or stop fighting, especially by using force. The
meeting broke up at eleven oclock; Police broke up the demonstration; A woman
was hurt as she tried to break up a fight.

separate: to stop being a group or one whole thing and move apart in different
directions; to make people move apart. We separated into several different search
parties; Two men separated from the others and walked towards me.

scatter: of a group of people, animals or things, to move apart very quickly in

different directions; to make people or animals do this. At the first gunshot, the
crowd scattered; He banged his fist on the table and the chess pieces scattered
over the flood; The explosin scattered a flock of birds roosting in the trees.

part: of two things or thow parts of sth, to move apart. She parted the curtains a
little and looked out; The elevator doors parted and out stepped the President.

DESCRIBING A PLACE THAT ONLY HAS LIMITED SPACE

cramped: of a room or space, without enough space for the people in it. You
describe a place as cramped when you think it is uncomfortable because it is too
small. Its difficult working in such cramped conditions; He lived for six months
in a cold, cramped attic room. OPP. spacious.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

compact: of a roo mor place, using only a small amount of space. You describe a
place as compact when you think this is a good thing, because the available space
has been used as effectively as possible. The kitchen was compact but well
equipped; Edinburgh is a compact city.

tight: with things or people packed closely together, leaving little space between
them. Usually before a noun. There was a tight group of people around the
speaker; With six of us in the car it was a tight squeeze.

confined: of a space or area, small and enclosed by walls or sides. Usually before
noun. It is cruel to keep animals in confined spaced.

DESCRIBING STH THAT CONTAINS A LOT OF STH

full: containing or holding as much or as many of sth as possible, having no empty

space; having or containing a large number or amount of a thing, feeling or
quality. There were cardboad boxes stuffed full of clothes; The sky was full of
brightly coloured Fireworks; She was full of admiration for the care she had
received.

full up: is used to describe sth that has no empty space in it, but not sth that has a
large amount of sth. Sorry, the hotel is full up tonight. It can also be used when sb
has had enough to eat. The kids still werent full, so I gave them an ice cream
each; You shouldnt swim on a full stomach; No more for me, thanks Im full up.

packed: of a room or building, very full of people, containing a lot of a particular

thing. A theatre, cinema, etc. where every seat is occupied because the show is so
popular is packed. The restaurant was packed; The show played to packed houses
(=large audiences); The train was absolutely jam-packed (Informal).

crammed: completely full of people or things. Always followed by with sb/sth

of full of sb/sth. The room was crammed full of people; All the shelves were
crammed with books; The article was crammed full of ideas. A place or thing that
is crammed contains even more than one that is packed, so that it is often
uncomfortable (if full of people) or untidy (if full of things).

overcrowded: of a place, with too many people or things in it. Drugs and violence
are fire in our filthy, overcrowded prisons; Too many por people are living in
overcrowded conditions.

BASIC CONCEPTS - 1. Space: expanse and confinement

congested: so full of traffic that vehicles cannot move easily. Traffic engineers
believe that the new road could free up congested city streets; Many of Europes
airports are heavily congested.

stuffed: having eaten so much that you cannot eat anything else. Informal. Not
before a noun. I couldnt eat another thing, Im absolutely stuffed.

TO KEEP SB IN A PLACE AN PREVENT THEM FROM LEAVING

jail: to put sb in a prison for committing a crime. Usually passive, especially

journalism. He was jailed for life for murder.

detain: to keep sb in a official place, such as a police station, prison or hospital

and prevent them from leaving. One man has been detained for questioning.

hold: to keep sb and not allow them to leave. Police are holding two men in
connection with last Thursdays bank raid; He was held prisoner for two years.

imprison: to put sb in a prison for committing a crime; to keep sb in a place from

which they cannot escape. Rather formal, often passive. They were imprisoned for
posseion of drugs; Some yound mothers feel imprisoned in their own homes
(figurative); He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

lock sb up/away: Informal, to put sb in prison or a mental hospital, often because

they are dangerous. After what he did, they should lock him up and throw away
the key.

intern: to put sb in prison during a war or for political reasons, although they have
not been charged with a crime. Often passive. They were interned by the
government for the duration of the war; The internment of suspected terrorists;
An internment camp.

send sb to prison: to cause sb to be put in prison for committing a crime,

especially when this is done by a court. The judge sent her to prison for seven
years.

incarcerate: to imprison sb, especially when this is felt to be wrong in some way,
because it is unfair or because conditions are too harsh. Formal, usually passive.
Thousands were incarcerated in labour camps.