Learn how to talk about and describe your living space in English. This beginner ESL lesson uses simple vocabulary and practical examples to help you describe your house or apartment clearly.

Lesson 57

My Living Space in English: Describing Your House or Apartment (Beginner ESL)

This lesson will help you practice describing your living space in English. You will learn essential vocabulary and grammar structures to talk about your house or apartment clearly and confidently, improving your English conversation skills.

Suggested alt text: “ESL lesson about describing your living space for beginners.”

MODE 1: The Foundation – Using ‘To Be’

In this mode, we focus only on the verb ‘to be’ (am, are, is, was, were, will be) to describe states and conditions. We do NOT use action verbs here.

Present State

• I am in my living room.
• My apartment is small.
• The walls are white.

Example Sentences:

• My house is on Elm Street.
• The kitchen is very clean.
• The bedrooms are upstairs.

Past State

• My old apartment was big.
• The windows were broken.
• I was happy in that house.

Example Sentences:

• The sofa was red last year.
• We were new to this building.
• His room was always messy.

Future State

• My new room will be ready next week.
• The apartment will be empty soon.
• The paint will be dry tomorrow.

Example Sentences:

• The garden will be beautiful in spring.
• Our new furniture will be here on Friday.
• You will be comfortable in this house.

MODE 2: The Flow – ‘To Be’ with Continuous Action

This mode uses ‘to be’ with a verb ending in -ing to describe actions that are happening or were happening for a period of time. It shows ongoing action.

Present Continuous (Now)

• I am living in a city apartment.
• My roommate is washing the dishes right now.
• The landlord is showing an apartment to a new tenant.

Example Sentences:

• We are decorating the living room.
• He is cleaning his room today.
• The family is eating dinner in the kitchen.

Past Continuous (Yesterday/Last Week)

• I was looking for a new house last year.
• We were painting the kitchen all morning.
• She was watching TV in the living room when I called.

Example Sentences:

• They were building a new garage.
• The children were playing in the garden.
• My neighbor was watering his plants.

Future Continuous (Tomorrow/Next Week)

• I will be moving next month.
• They will be decorating their new home all weekend.
• She will be staying at her friend’s house next week.

Example Sentences:

• We will be having a housewarming party soon.
• He will be studying in his room later.
• The contractors will be finishing the repairs by Friday.

MODE 3: The Perspective – Simple Tenses

This mode uses simple tenses to talk about regular actions, facts, or completed actions. We also learn about declarations, affirmations, negations, and interrogations.

Simple Present

For habits or facts about your living space.

• Declaration: I live in an apartment.
• Affirmation: I DO live in an apartment. (Emphasizing the truth)
• Negation: I do NOT live in a house.
• Interrogation: DO you live in a big house?

More Examples:

• She cooks in her kitchen. (Declaration)
• She DOES cook in her kitchen. (Affirmation)
• He does NOT have a balcony. (Negation)
• DOES your apartment have many windows? (Interrogation)

Simple Past

For completed actions related to your living space.

• Declaration: We moved last year.
• Affirmation: We DID move last year.
• Negation: We did NOT live here before.
• Interrogation: DID you paint your room?

More Examples:

• He cleaned his house yesterday. (Declaration)
• He DID clean his house yesterday. (Affirmation)
• They did NOT like the old furniture. (Negation)
• DID she buy new curtains? (Interrogation)

Simple Future

For actions that will happen related to your living space.

• Declaration: They will buy a new sofa.
• Affirmation: They WILL buy a new sofa.
• Negation: They will NOT stay here.
• Interrogation: WILL you redecorate your room?

More Examples:

• I will clean the bathroom. (Declaration)
• I WILL clean the bathroom. (Affirmation)
• She will NOT move next month. (Negation)
• WILL they visit our new place? (Interrogation)

MODE 4: The Completion – Perfect Tenses

This mode uses perfect tenses to describe actions completed before another point in time or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

Present Perfect

An action that started in the past and continues or has an effect now.

• I have lived here for two years.
• She has cleaned her room already.
• They have redecorated their whole house.

Example Sentences:

• We have bought a new kitchen table.
• He has not seen his apartment since last week.
• My parents have owned this house for a long time.

Past Perfect

An action completed before another past action.

• I had finished organizing my closet before my friends arrived.
• She had moved out before the new tenants came.
• They had rented that house for five years before they bought it.

Example Sentences:

• We had painted the living room before the furniture was delivered.
• He had repaired the broken window.
• The landlord had sent the keys by mail.

Future Perfect

An action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

• By next year, I will have moved to a bigger apartment.
• She will have decorated the whole house by Christmas.
• They will have finished renovating their kitchen by June.

Example Sentences:

• By 5 PM, I will have cleaned the entire house.
• We will have packed all our boxes by Sunday.
• The workers will have installed the new floor next Tuesday.

MODE 5: The Strategy – Modals and WH-Questions

This mode uses modal verbs to express ability, necessity, possibility, or advice. It also includes WH-questions to ask for specific information about your living space.

Modals

• Can: I can describe my room easily.
• Could: I could organize my closet more efficiently.
• Should: You should clean your house every week.
• Must: We must pay rent on time.
• Will: I will show you my apartment.
• Would: Would you like to see my new home?
• May: We may buy a new lamp.
• Might: It might be a good idea to tidy up.

More Examples:

• He can help you move furniture.
• You should close the door to your room.
• They must keep the living room clean.

WH-Questions

Asking for information about your living space and daily life there.

• What: What is your living space like?
• Where: Where do you live?
• When: When will you move?
• Why: Why are you moving?
• Who: Who lives with you?
• How: How do you like your new apartment?
• How many: How many rooms does your house have?
• How much: How much rent do you pay?

More Examples:

• Which floor is your apartment on?
• How often do you clean your bathroom?
• Whose car is parked in front of your house?

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Vocabulary List (Beginner Level)

• apartment – a set of rooms on one floor in a larger building
• house – a building that someone lives in, usually with a garden
• room – a part of a house or building, for example, a bedroom or kitchen
• living room – the main room in a house where people relax and watch TV
• bedroom – a room for sleeping
• kitchen – a room where food is cooked
• bathroom – a room with a toilet, sink, and shower or bathtub
• balcony – a platform on the outside of a building, often with a railing
• garden – an area of ground next to a house, used for growing flowers, vegetables, or for relaxing
• furniture – items like tables, chairs, and beds used to make a room ready for use
• rent – money you pay to live in a house or apartment that belongs to someone else
• landlord – the person who owns a house or apartment and rents it to others

Practice Dialogue (Beginner Conversation)

Let’s practice joining our free email list by using simple sentences to describe a living space.

A: Hi, Tom. What’s your living space like?

B: Hi, Lisa! I live in a small apartment. It has two rooms.

A: Oh, really? Is it comfortable?

B: Yes, it is! My living room is small, but it’s very cozy. I like it.

A: That sounds nice. Where is your apartment?

B: It’s near the park. I can walk there every day.

A: That’s great! My house is far from a park.

FAQ: Common Questions About This Topic

Q: How do I start describing my living space in English?

A: You can start by saying “I live in a house/apartment.” Then you can add details like “It is big/small” or “It has three rooms.”

Q: What are some basic words to describe rooms?

A: You can use words like “living room,” “bedroom,” “kitchen,” and “bathroom.” You can also describe their size or color, for example, “The kitchen is big” or “My bedroom walls are blue.”

Q: How can I talk about what my apartment has?

A: Use “It has…” or “There is/are…” For example, “My apartment has a balcony” or “There is a sofa in the living room.”

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