Lily asks
Describe your favourite room in your home.
How to build your answer
Describe: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Say who or whatOne line to introduce it.
- 2Two detailsWhat they're like, or what it looks like.
- 3Why it mattersWhat it means to you.
- 4A small momentOne example that brings it to life.
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
My favourite room is the kitchen in my flat. It's small, but it's bright, and the window looks out over the gardens. I spend a lot of time there. I cook, I eat, and I chat with my flatmate Mia about our day. There's a little radio on the shelf, and I always have it on when I'm cooking. In the morning the sun comes in, and I drink my coffee by the window. It's my happy place.
Phrases to borrow
spend a lot of time (somewhere)
/ˈspend ə ˈlɒt əv ˈtaɪm (ˈsʌmweə)/
be in a place or doing something for many hours
I spend a lot of time in the garden in summer.
have something on
/hæv ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɒn/
to keep the radio, TV or music playing
I always have the radio on in the car.
my happy place
/maɪ ˈhæpi ˈpleɪs/
a place where you always feel calm and happy
The beach near my parents' house is my happy place.
Natural
Lily's voice note
It's our kitchen. It's quite small, so it's a bit of a squeeze with two people, but it's really bright. The window looks out over the gardens behind the flat. My flatmate Mia and I sit around the little table and chat about our day. There's an old radio on the shelf, and it's always on. First thing in the morning, I drink my coffee by the window in the sun.
Phrases to borrow
be a bit of a squeeze
/biː ə ˈbɪt əv ə ˈskwiːz/
a small space where people or things only just fit
Five of us in the car was a bit of a squeeze.
sit around
/sɪt əˈraʊnd/
sit and relax, not doing much
We sat around chatting all afternoon.
first thing in the morning
/ˈfɜːst ˈθɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈmɔːnɪŋ/
very early in the day, before you do anything else
I check the weather first thing in the morning.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Definitely our kitchen. It's tiny, but it's full of light, and the window looks out over a patchwork of back gardens. That's where I feel most relaxed. I cook there, eat there, and Mia and I chat for ages at the little table. The old radio on the shelf is always muttering away in the background. In the morning, the sun pours in, and I sip my coffee by the window. I wouldn't change a thing.
Phrases to borrow
feel most relaxed
/ˈfiːl ˈməʊst rɪˈlækst/
feel calmer than anywhere else
I feel most relaxed by the sea.
in the background
/ɪn ðə ˈbækɡraʊnd/
there, but not the main thing you are paying attention to
I like having music on in the background when I work.
pour in
/ˈpɔː ɪn/
come in a lot, quickly and strongly (light, rain, people)
When you open the curtains, the sunlight pours in.
I wouldn't change a thing
everything is perfect as it is
Our holiday was perfect, I wouldn't change a thing.
Your turn: answer Lily
Describe your favourite room in your home.
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Home & neighbourhood
be a bit of a squeeze
a small space where people or things only just fit
“Five of us in the car was a bit of a squeeze.”
heytardy