Renting a flat (articles)

1. Discuss different things you need to have in a place you rent. Think about
the situations below.
• on holiday
• when you move to a new city to study
• on a business trip

2. Listen to a landlord talking about a flat [https://youtu.be/Nig4FsEZqNA] and

answer the questions.
a) How many bedrooms are there? two
b) How many balconies are there? one
utilities:
c) Is it far from the city centre? You need to drive for ten
services such as gas,
minutes to the city centre. electricity and water
d) Do you need to pay for gas and electricity? No, utilities
are included in the price.
e) Who is the flat good for in your opinion?
f) Would you like to rent it? Why/Why not?

3. Read the transcript of the recording from ex. 2. Look at the words and
phrases in bold and match them with the rules below. Find one more
example in the text for each rule.
I can tell you more about our flat. There is a nice big kitchen for people who like
cooking. There are many things in the kitchen: a cooker, a kettle, a microwave,
a dining table with chairs. By the way, the chairs are super comfortable so you
can even work at the table. There is a big master bedroom and a smaller
bedroom for kids. In the master bedroom we have a king-size bed and a small
dresser. In the smaller bedroom, we have a single bed and a sofa. There's also
a balcony with a wonderful view. It’s about a ten-minute drive to the city centre
which means the place is quiet but also convenient. There is a bus that takes you
wherever you need. Also, the price includes utilities.

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 Renting a flat (articles)

a) it’s singular and not specific and/or it’s mentioned for the first time a cooker, a
big master bedroom
Other examples: a nice big kitchen, a kettle, a microwave, a dining table, a
king-size bed, a smaller bedroom, a small dresser, a single bed, a sofa, a
balcony, a wonderful view, a bus
b) it’s plural and not specific and/or mentioned for the first time utilities
Other examples: chairs, kids
c) something we mention for the second time (plural or singular) the kitchen, the
smaller bedroom
Other examples: the chairs, the table, the master bedroom
d) a specific thing or one of its kind the city centre, the place
Other example: the price

4. Match the situations (a–b) to the sentences (1–2).

a) My computer broke. 1 1) I need to buy a laptop.
b) I dropped a computer in a tech 2) I need to buy the laptop.
shop and it broke. 2

a) I have a problem with the

electricity in my flat. Who should 1) a landlord
I call? 2 2) the landlord
b) What do we call a person who
rents out their flat? 1

a) I usually prefer living alone. 1 1) I don’t get on with flatmates.

b) I want to find a new flat. 2 2) I don’t get on with the
flatmates.

5. Listen to another landlord talking about a flat

[https://youtu.be/q20WNEiVqVY] and say what’s missing.
Articles are missing.

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 Renting a flat (articles)

6. Look at the transcript of the recording from ex. 5 and complete it with
articles where necessary.
Our flat is small but cosy. You have everything you need: a tiny equipped kitchen,
a well-organized workplace next to a window and a comfortable bed. There is also
a wardrobe and a bathroom with a shower and a washing machine. We have four
neighbours. And I have to say, the neighbours are nice and friendly. Our place is
in the city centre so you can’t find a better location. There are cool cafés and
shops nearby. There’s also a big park and a lake in the neighbourhood. You can
actually swim in the lake. As the flat is small, you can't have flatmates.

7. Complete the sentences with your ideas. Use articles.

a) I live in…
b) My flat/house is in…
c) In my neighbourhood, there is/there are…
d) In my flat/house, I have…
e) I need to buy… for my flat/house.
f) I would like to replace…

8. Discuss the questions.

• Is it difficult to rent a flat where you live?
• What are some rules you have to follow?
• Are flats for rent usually furnished? What
furniture would you like to have in a rented
flat?
• Can you easily rent a flat if you have a pet?
What about children?
• Where would you prefer to rent a flat: in the city centre or a residential area?
• Have you ever rented a flat on Airbnb? How was your experience?

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 Renting a flat (articles)

9. Look at the pictures from an ad and think of as many questions to ask the
landlord as possible.

10. Do a role play. Use some of your questions from ex. 9 and some more.
Role play 1

Person A
You are a landlord who
needs to rent out their flat as
soon as possible.
Person B
You are looking for a flat.
You work from home and
have a pet. You are very
difficult to please.

Role play 2

Person A
You are a parent of two kids
who is looking for a flat.
There are a lot of things you
need to have in a new flat.
Person B
You are a landlord who
needs to rent out their flat as
soon as possible.

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 Renting a flat (articles)

[This worksheet includes an additional task that you can use as homework or
revision. It’s only available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. Print it, cut it up
and hand it out to your students.]

Correct the mistakes by adding, removing or replacing articles. Then, say

whether the sentences are true for you.
a) I would like to live in the a big house.
b) I think living in the city centre is much more interesting.
c) A The flat/house that I live in is quite old.
d) In my city, it’s hard to find a good flat to rent if you have the kids or the pets.
e) I think the a dishwasher is the most useful thing in a kitchen.
f) It’s important to have the good neighbours.
g) I sometimes don’t lock a the front door. A The neighbourhood I live in is safe.
h) I prefer to live in the a small town rather than the a big city.

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 Renting a flat (articles)

Correct the mistakes by adding, removing or replacing articles. Then, say

whether the sentences are true for you.
a) I would like to live in the big house.
b) I think living in city centre is much more interesting.
c) A flat/house that I live in is quite old.
d) In my city, it’s hard to find a good flat to rent if you have the kids or the pets.
e) I think the dishwasher is the most useful thing in a kitchen.
f) It’s important to have the good neighbours.
g) I sometimes don’t lock a front door. A neighbourhood I live in is safe.
h) I prefer to live in the small town rather than the big city.

Correct the mistakes by adding, removing or replacing articles. Then, say

whether the sentences are true for you.
a) I would like to live in the big house.
b) I think living in city centre is much more interesting.
c) A flat/house that I live in is quite old.
d) In my city, it’s hard to find a good flat to rent if you have the kids or the pets.
e) I think the dishwasher is the most useful thing in a kitchen.
f) It’s important to have the good neighbours.
g) I sometimes don’t lock a front door. A neighbourhood I live in is safe.
h) I prefer to live in the small town rather than the big city.

Correct the mistakes by adding, removing or replacing articles. Then, say

whether the sentences are true for you.
a) I would like to live in the big house.
b) I think living in city centre is much more interesting.
c) A flat/house that I live in is quite old.
d) In my city, it’s hard to find a good flat to rent if you have the kids or the pets.
e) I think the dishwasher is the most useful thing in a kitchen.
f) It’s important to have the good neighbours.
g) I sometimes don’t lock a front door. A neighbourhood I live in is safe.
h) I prefer to live in the small town rather than the big city.

Copyrights by ESL Brains