Listening Activity: Different Types of Houses

In this English lesson, we’re going to discuss eight different types of houses. This is a listening activity, so listen closely as I describe each type of house. At the end of this listening activity, I will ask you eight questions related to what you hear. So listen up!

Let’s get started. here are two way to listen along.

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Let’s Get Started 

Houses can come in all shapes or sizes. Most modern houses have special areas or rooms for people to do the things that they need to live comfortably. A modern house has a place to cook food, a place to eat, places to sleep and a place to wash. These things are usually done in separate rooms, which are called the kitchen, the sitting room, the bedrooms, and the bathroom.

Detached house

In some countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand many families live in a “detached house” which is separate from other buildings and surrounded by its own yard, but is close enough to town to have shops, good transport and entertainment nearby. Detached simply means separate, or not connected to other houses.

Cottage

A small house is often called a cottage. Apart from it, its also called small space. In England, where this word comes from, it is used to mean a house that has one main story, with a second, lower story of bedrooms which fit under the roof upstairs. Cottages are usually found in villages or in the countryside. In many places the word cottage is used to mean a small old-fashioned house. In the United States, the word cottage is often used to mean a small holiday home.

Townhouse

A townhouse is a building that has more than one house side-by-side covered by one roof. Semi-detached houses are very common in some cities, and can be single story or several stories high.

Bungalow

In some places, the word “bungalow” is used for any house that is all on one level. The word came from India and for a long time was used for a house that is built all on one level and has a verandah where people can sit or work outdoors, but under a shady roof. A bungalow often has a hall down the middle of the house to let the breeze blow through. Bungalows are often seen in countries with hot summers, in India, South East Asia, South Africa, parts of the United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand. 

Hut

A hut is a primitive dwelling, usually made of materials such as wood, stone, grass, palm leaves, branches, fabric, or mud. People who build and live in huts use techniques that have been used for hundreds of years. 

A hut is of lower quality than a house, but higher quality than a simple shelter. Huts are transportable, meaning they can be moved from place to place more easily than you could move a traditional house. 

Farmhouse

A farmhouse may look like a cottage, a bungalow or a mansion, but in many countries a farmhouse can look quite different to a house in a town, because, as well as having a place for people to live, it also has a place for animals. Many farm houses are long and have two doors. One door leads to the rooms used by the family. The other door opens into a stable for the cows, sheep and chickens. 

Mansion

A mansion is a big grand house, usually with two stories and sometimes more. A mansion often has beautiful architecture, and shows that the person for whom it was designed and built was rich. Mansions often have beautiful gardens. Sometimes a mansion does not belong to a private family, but to a town council, to a big business company, to a church or college and is a place for a person with an important job to live and to entertain guests. A mansion often has rooms which are not found in ordinary houses, such as a drawing room, a ballroom, a library and a music room.

Well-known mansions are the White House in Washington, D.C. where the President of the United States lives and Mansion House in London where the Lord Mayor of London lives.

Palace

A palace is a house that is very grand. Many palaces are homes of royal or aristocratic people. Some old palaces been changed by people who lived there over many hundreds of years.One of the best-known palaces in the world is Buckingham Palace, a royal palace in London. The largest palace in the world is the Louvre which was built in Paris for the Kings of France. It now holds a famous art gallery.

Comprehension Questions

1. What type of house is usually only on story high, and is found in places with hot weather?
2. What type of house is usually the home of royalty?
3. What type of house shares a roof with the other homes next to it?
4. What type of house type simply means ‘disconnected’ from other houses?
5. What type of house is extremely large, with a variety of rooms, but is not as grand as a palace?
6. What type of house is a basic home that is made of mud, straw, or palm branches?
7. What type of house is set on a large area of land, often near a stable.
8. What type of house is usually located in the country, and often used as a vacation home. 

Comprehension Answers

1. Bungalow
2. Palace
3. Townhouse
4. Detached House
5. Mansion
6. Hut
7. Farmhouse
8. Cottage

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Until next time, Happy learning!

Andrea