A Room in my House – B1/B2 Listening
Do you have a favourite room in your home?
In this B1/B2 listening lesson, Emily is talking about a room in her house that she enjoys spending time in. Emily talks quite slowly, so her English is easier to understand.
After you finish the exercises, try reading the transcript at the bottom to check what you heard is correct.
Listen and understand
Answer the questions about Emily’s room. Check the answers when you have finished the questions.
Why does Emily feel her living room is special?
What does Emily suggest is most important in a living room?
How does Emily mainly use her living room?
What kind of decorations does Emily have on her walls?
Why does Emily like having plants in her living room?
What does Emily typically use her coffee table for?
What does Emily say about spending time in her living room with friends?
What makes the living room feel like home to Emily?
Train your ear
Listen and complete ONLY the missing words.
It’s big
I tend to prefer neutral colours
And also pictures hanging up
One or two little paintings
There’s a small bookshelf with books plants
Dictation and transcript
Listen to the speaker again, and write what you hear. Then check your answers. Pause, replay or restart if you want to.
Words and phrases
Here are some words and phrases from the text that you might find useful when talking about your home or describing rooms.
Words
a living room (n) – the main room in a home where people relax or watch TV
cozy (adj) – warm and comfortable
neutral colours (n) – soft, light colours like cream or beige
a bookshelf (n) – a piece of furniture for holding books
a plant (n) – a green living thing that grows in a pot or garden
a difference (n) – a change or improvement
a sofa (n) – a large seat for two or more people
squishy (adj) – soft and comfortable to sit on
a cushion (n) – a soft pillow used for comfort or decoration
a blanket (n) – a warm cover used when sitting or sleeping
a coffee table (n) – a small table in front of a sofa
a candle (n) – a stick of wax that gives light when it burns
fairy lights (n) – small decorative lights, often on a string
comfortable (adj) – giving a feeling of rest and ease
welcoming (adj) – friendly and pleasant; making people feel at home
flashy (adj) – showy; too bright or expensive-looking
expensive (adj) – costing a lot of money
Phrases
my favorite room – the room I like best
has got to be – definitely is; for sure
to be honest – I’m telling the truth
spend most of my time (somewhere) – be in a place very often
on the whole – in general; mostly
hang (something) up – put something on a wall
make a difference – cause a positive change
brighten (something) up – make something look lighter or happier
the best part of (something) – the thing you like most
loads of (something) – a lot of something
turn on (the lights) – make the lights start working
instead of (something) – in place of something
feel at home – feel relaxed and comfortable
spend time with (someone) – be with another person to enjoy yourself
come over – visit someone at their home
hang out – spend time relaxing or chatting
chat about (something) – talk informally about a topic
on my own – alone; without other people
meant to be (something) – supposed to be or designed for something
a nice place to be – somewhere that feels good and comfortable
Grammar from the transcript
Here are a few key English grammar examples from the transcript:
Adjective patterns
Adjectives like nice are often followed by infinitives, e.g. “It’s nice to see you!”
- It’s nice to turn on my fairy lights..
Find out more about adjective patterns here.
Relative clause with “where”
Emily uses a relative clause starting with “where” to give more information about a place:
- …a place where you can really feel at home.
Preference verb (like) + -ing verb
Preference verbs like “like”, “enjoy” and “love” are usually followed by -ing verbs. This is a kind of verb pattern.
- I like spending time with friends and family.
- I love relaxing on my sofa.
for + -ing pattern
We use patterns like “for + -ing” to explain what something is used for.
- It’s great for relaxing on my own.
- It’s great for spending time with friends and family.
More free A2, B1 and B2 English listening exercises and lessons here!
