Describing Houses and Rooms

1) We use prepositions of location to describe the positions of things:

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In is used for a country, a region, a city, a room, or an enclosed area

In Thailand, in Bangkok, in the bedroom, in the car, in the corner, in the fridge, in a
classroom

At is used for a particular place:

At the university, at school, at the cinema, at the supermarket, at a restaurant

On is used when something is positioned on a surface:

On the floor, on the ceiling, on the table, on a shelf, on a desk etc

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Below is a more complete list of prepositions.

Prepositions of place and direction

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/prepositions_place.htm

Preposition Use Examples

above higher than something. The picture hangs above my bed.
You mustn't go across this road here.
across from one side to the other side
There isn't a bridge across the river.
The cat ran after the dog.
after one follows the other
After you.
against directed towards something The bird flew against the window.
in a line; from one point to
along They're walking along the beach.
another
among in a group I like being among people.
around in a circular way We're sitting around the campfire.
behind at the back of Our house is behind the supermarket.
below lower than something Death Valley is 86 metres below sea level.
beside next to Our house is beside the supermarket.
something/somebody is on each
between Our house is between the supermarket and the school.
side
by near He lives in the house by the river.
close to near Our house is close to the supermarket.
down from high to low He came down the hill.
from the place where it starts Do you come from Tokyo?
the part that is in the direction it
in front of Our house is in front of the supermarket.
faces
inside opposite of outside You shouldn't stay inside the castle.
into entering something You shouldn't go into the castle.
near close to Our house is near the supermarket.
next to beside Our house is next to the supermarket.
off away from something The cat jumped off the roof.
onto moving to a place The cat jumped onto the roof.
opposite on the other side Our house is opposite the supermarket.
out of leaving something The cat jumped out of the window.
outside opposite of inside Can you wait outside?
over above something/somebody The cat jumped over the wall.
past going near something/somebody Go past the post office.
round in a circle We're sitting round the campfire.
going from one point to the other
through You shouldn't walk through the forest.
point
to towards something/somebody I like going to Australia. I've never been to Africa.
towards in the direction of something We ran towards the castle.
under below something The cat is under the table.
up from low to high He went up the hill.
2) We also use There is and There are to describe the existence of things in places and
rooms. Refer to Class 10 for more details. http://www.dpu.ac.th/dpuic/page.php?id=288
3) The Rooms in a House

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4) Furniture and Fittings in a House

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Common mistakes

1) Using the wrong preposition

Translation of prepositions from Thai, or other languages, leads to errors.

2) Direct translation of descriptions

If you translate directly from Thai, the following errors may occur:

In my house have four room

In my house = is not a subject. (My house is a subject)

The Thai verb me () is not changed with regard to singular or plural subjects, but it is in
English.

There are no plural nouns in Thai.

The correct translation of this sentence is:

There are four rooms in my house

4) Asking questions about a house

How many rooms are there in your house?

There are eight rooms in my house.

How many floors are there in your house?

There are two floors in my house.

How many bedrooms are there in your house?

There are two bedrooms in my house.

How many bathrooms are there in your house?

There are three bathrooms in my house.

What different types of room does your house have?

There is a kitchen, a dining room, a lounge, two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a storage
room in my house.

Is there a prayer room in your house?

Yes, there is. / No, there isnt.

Does your house have a garden?

Yes it does. There is a garden in front of the house and a yard behind the house.

Do you have a garage?

No. I dont have a garage.

Here is an example of a description of a room:

 My bedroom is decorated in pink, red and purple. In the centre of my bedroom there

is a large bed. Next to the bed is a bedside table with a vase of flowers on it. There is a large

wardrobe to the left of my bed with a computer table, cupboards and shelves built into it.

There is a coat stand next to the wardrobe. There are three round red mats on the floor in

front of my bed. There are also three small cupboards on the wall above my bed. I keep my

favourite things in there.

Here is a description of a building:

 I live in a big house. There are three floors in my house. On the ground floor there

is a staircase and a play room. The play room is empty at the moment because I am re-

decorating it. On the first floor there is a sitting room and a kitchen. In the sitting room there

is a big sofa and a small chest of drawers. There is a big double bed in the bedroom and a

bedside table with a lamp on it. In the kitchen there is a big fridge, and oven and a

microwave. On the top floor there is a bedroom, a bathroom and a washing room. In the

bathroom there is a bath and shower, a basin and a toilet. In the washing room there is a

washing machine and a tumble drier.