I.

TỪ VỰNG IELTS CHỦ ĐỀ FLATS/ HOME/ ACCOMMODATION 

Houses  
 A detached house   
 A townhouse – a duplex – a semi-detached (usually two houses together)  
 A terraced house (one house connected to many others in the same row/street)  
 A bungalow (a house with only one level) 
 A squat (empty building where people start living without the owner’s permission)
 A hovel (very small, dirty house or flat in a bad or run-down condition)
 Rented accommodation (can be either furnished or unfurnished)
 Council or social housing  is rented accommodation provided by the state for
people who cannot afford to buy their own homes
 A Council Estate (U.K.) is a large group of such housing
Flats   
 Flat / apartment (a living area within a bigger building)  
 e.g. a two-bedroom flat  
 Note: flat and apartment are really the same, you can use either.   
 A block of flats (a building that contains many flats)  
 An apartment block (a building that contains many apartments)  
 A condominium (a building that contains many apartments) 
 A penthouse (a luxury flat at the top of a building)
 A high-rise building  
High-rise flats/tower block flats are flats in a tall, modern building with a lot of floors.
A granny flat (informal) is a set of rooms for an elderly person, connected to a relative’s
house.  

Often for students   

 Rented house  
 Student accommodation 
 Student digs 
 A studio / A bedsit (a self-contained unit; everything in one room) 

Collocations   
Remember to use collocations to add ‘color’ to your language. 
A run-of-the-mill house  = an ordinary house  
A cosy / noisy / cramped flat   
Cozy = small and comfortable  
Cramped = too small and uncomfortable   
A three-story building  
I live on the third floor  
a spacious /comfy flat   
Spacious = plenty / lots of room   
Comfy = comfortable 
 Apartment (n): căn hộ, chung cư
 Flat (n): căn hộ
 An apartment block/block of flats (noun phrase): dãy nhà, khối căn hộ liền kề
 Terraced house (n): ngôi nhà trong dãy nhà cùng kiểu
 Studio (n): căn hộ có diện tích nhỏ, không có sự phân chia rõ ràng giữa các phòng
 Dormitory (n): kí túc xá
 Duplex (n): căn hộ 2 tầng
 Penthouse (n): cao ốc thông tầng, thường nằm ở vị trí cao nhất của 1 tòa nhà.
 High-rise apartments (noun phrase): căn hộ (cao cấp) nhiều tầng
 Flat-roof house = Bungalow (n): nhà trệt
 Mobile home (n): nhà di động
 Thatched cottage: nhà tranh, nhà gỗ theo phong cách châu âu, thường xuất hiện ở vùng
quê
 Mansion (n): dinh thự, biệt thự
 Igloo (n): nhà bằng đá
 Courtyard house (n): nhà có sân
 Spacious (adj): rộng rãi
 Harmonious (adj): ấm cúng, yên bình
 Homey (adj): thoải mái như ở nhà 
 Multi-purpose (adj): đa chức năng
 Breathtaking (adj): đẹp đến nín thở, tuyệt đẹp
 Necessity (n): tiện nghi
 Residential area (n): khu dân cư
 Urban area (n): vùng thành thị
 Close-knit community: cộng đồng dân cư có mối quan hệ khăng khít
 Home comforts (noun phrase): sự tiện nghi trong nhà
 Amenity (n): sự tiện nghi
 Mod cons (n): sự tiện nghi hiện đại
 Privacy (n): sự riêng tư 
 Bedsit (n): phòng vừa để ngủ vừa để học, tiếp khách
 Back garden (noun phrase): vườn ở phía sau nhà
 Campus (n): khu ký túc xá đại học
 Dream home: ngôi nhà trong mơ
 Add an extension: xây hoặc lắp thêm (nội thất, phòng ốc) cần thiết vào
 Facade (n): mặt tiền
 Equip (v): trang bị
 Modify (v): sửa đổi, thay đổi
 Refurbish (v): tân trang nhà cửa
 Do up (an old house) (v): nâng cấp nhà
 Afford to do sth (v): có đủ tiền để trang trải/ mua cái gì
 Classify (v): sắp xếp vào hệ thống
 Settle (v): sinh sống, an cư
  Admire something (v): chiêm ngưỡng
 Let someone’s hair down = Chill out (v): thư giãn, thả lỏng
 Disturb (v): quấy rầy
 House-warming party (noun phrase): tiệc tân gia
 for the better part of something (time) (prepositional phrase): phần lớn (thời gian)
ENG: for most of something (time)
 side street (noun phrase): ngõ (dẫn ra các con phố chính)
ENG: a less important street leading off a road in a town
 amenity (noun): tiện nghi
ENG: a feature or service that makes a place pleasant, comfortable or easy to live in
 in the proximity of something (prepositional phrase): ở gần
ENG: near something in distance or time
 detached house (noun phrase): nhà đơn lập, nhà riêng lẻ
ENG: a house that is not joined to another house on either side
 on the outskirts of something (prepositional phrase): ở ngoại ô, ở ngoài rìa
ENG: in the parts of a town or city that are furthest from the centre
 grow attached to something (verb phrase): gắn bó, yêu mến
ENG: become liking somebody/something very much
 roomy ~ spacious (adj): rộng rãi, thoáng
ENG: having a lot of space inside
 style something (verb): thiết kế
ENG: to design, make or shape something in a particular way
 minimalist (adj): tối giản
ENG: (of art, music or design) using very simple ideas or a very small number of simple
elements
 touch (noun): điểm nhấn
ENG: a small detail that is added to something in order to improve it or make it complete
 comfortably furnish something (verb phrase): sắp xếp nội thất
ENG: to put furniture in a house, room, etc. comfortably

 Where are you living now?

Well, actually, at the moment, I’m living with my younger sister in a pretty small apartment.
We couldn’t afford a more spacious living for both of us, because.. you know, it’s really
expensive here. However, luckily, we could manage to equip our room with a fairly adequate
number of necessities.

For the better part of the last 4 years, I’ve been living in a mini flat in a small side street in
the heart of the city. All amenities are available in the proximity of my home, like
supermarkets, restaurants, fashion stores, cinemas, or hospitals. I can easily grab anything I
need in just a few minutes.
I live in a detached house on the outskirts of Hanoi. I’ve been living there since I was born
and I’ve grown so attached to this place.

Well, the flat is not really roomy, but it’s just right for us. It is styled in a minimalist way. All
the walls are painted plain white. All the rooms have big windows with bright curtains adding a
decorative touch to them. The interior design is simple, yet convenient.

I live in a two-storey house with an amazing rooftop as its main feature. My home has three
bedrooms; one spacious living room and a beautiful kitchen. All the rooms are comfortably
furnished.

 What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in?

I live in a terraced house that has a living room, a kitchen, three bed rooms, two bathrooms and
a lovely back garden. It’s not really a spacious house, but it’s just right for me and my family.

 Who do you live with?

I live with my family. There are 5 of us and we all have our own room, which is way more
comfortable as the older we grow, the more privacy we need for ourselves. I think our house
is big enough for us yet still a warm and cosy place that I call home.

 How long have you lived there?

I’ve lived there since I was a child, until I graduated from high school and moved to the city to
enrol at university, where I lived in a student dormitory during the semester.

 What do you usually do in your house/flat/room?

Well, definitely I’ll spend some me-time there. I study, I chill out by reading, drawing and
dancing all by myself. Sometimes I also invite one or two friends to spend time with. We’ll
watch some movies together and tell each other endless stories.

 What’s the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived
in the past?

Living in a dorm with other roommates is totally different from living in my own house. My
current residential area is quite small and it’s very noisy because there are a lot of people there
and I don’t have my own space. Conversely, when I was living at home, I had my own spacious
room and it made me feel comfortable.

 Do you plan to live there for a long time?

To be honest, I intend to buy an apartment in an urban area after I graduate from university. I
can decorate and design my ideal home with whatever facilities I want.

 What part of your home do you like the most?

I prefer my bedroom most due to its convenience and privacy. Because of my stressful work I

want to be in a quiet place and concentrate on my work. In my own room, I’m
never disturbed by anyone else. Moreover, in my own space I can do whatever I want without
bothering others.

 Which room does your family spend most of the time in?

It’s definitely the kitchen. Not only lunch or dinner time but all our family reunions take place
in the kitchen where all the family members get together to eat tasty meals, and chat to each
other – it’s a really harmonious atmosphere.

 Are the transport facilities to your home very good?

To be honest, the transport services at my house are very modern. There is a bus stand and a
railway station which provide services very frequently.

 Are there many amenities near your home?

My house is located in a residential complex, so everything is within reach. There is a gym, a

park, as well as a wide variety of shops, which are more than enough to cater for all residents in
my area.

 Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?

Each type has some things to offer me but I would have to go for a house. Because I value my
privacy and need my own space. Owning an independent house, I can plan and design a house
layout to suit myself. Moreover, I can modify a house according to the size of the family.

 Can you describe the place where you live?/ Please describe the room you live in.

My current room is actually more like a bedsit. It is a multi – purpose room, I use it to sleep
and study as well. It is painted in pink, that’s my favourite colour with a bed, a cupboard and
desk. It’s not really spacious but it’s just right for me.

 What have you done to your room to make it look nice?

I like the white and black colour, so the room’s walls have painted a combination of both
things. I love art and craft, so I made many things from old material which is hung on the walls,
and the most important thing is that I keep my room spic and span.

 Should we live in a flat or a house?

It heavily depends on people’s preference and affordability since each type of property has its
own perks. If one enjoys the modern amenities that an apartment complex can provide such as
gyms, swimming pools and convenience stores and, of course, he has money, an apartment
would be a great choice. In contrast, houses are usually suitable for those who prefer privacy
and a quiet lifestyle.

It’s safe to say that I have given my dream house a considerable amount of thought. But first I
must say that I’m currently residing in a small apartment in District 3, Saigon, a
thriving metropolis in southern Vietnam. 
However, I dream of moving to the breathtakingly beautiful mountainous area of Dalat,
located in the central highland of Vietnam. My special house would have a variety of features.
Firstly, it would be a two-storey detached house built from glass and timber with an outdoor
terrace so that my family can sunbathe every day. I would also want to have an infinity
swimming pool and an immaculately kept garden because I’m very passionate about flora
and fauna. There is no greater feeling than being able to enjoy the idyllic scene that Dalat has
to offer while relaxing in the water. Last but not least, it would be wonderful if my house had
a spacious living room with a fireplace as well as an open-plan modern kitchen and a cozy
dining room where I can invite all my friends over for dinner sometimes. 
The reason why I want to have this splendid house is because I really appreciate the cold
weather that Dalat has to offer and would love to immerse myself in the local culture there. The
house would be big enough for all of the family to enjoy at once. Moreover, I would love
nothing more than to be at one with nature and I think that house would really allow me to do
that in a safe and comfortable environment. Dalat is also not too far from Ho Chi Minh City, so
it might be convenient for travelling back and forth between the two locations if I need to.
 It’s safe to say: chắc chắn
 metropolis: thủ phủ
 breathtakingly beautiful: đẹp hút hồn
 detached house: nhà biệt lập
 timber: gỗ
 immaculately kept garden: khu vườn được chăm sóc cẩn thận
 flora and fauna: thực vật và động vật
 idyllic scene: phong cảnh yên bình
 spacious: rộng rãi
 open-plan: không ngăn vách
 splendid: tuyệt vời
 immerse: hoà mình
 be at one with nature: hoà hợp với thiên nhiên