A2 · Elementary · Home · 154 words · ~2 min read

🏢 A Flat Viewing with an Estate Agent

Language focus: Comparatives · there is / there are

Before you read

Choosing a flat means comparing, and this story is full of comparatives. Watch how short and long adjectives behave differently, and notice how there is and there are do the describing work you first met at A1.

James is looking for a new flat, so he meets an estate agent for a viewing. The flat is on the second floor of a quiet building.

“Come in and look round,” says the agent. “There are two bedrooms and a bright living room. The kitchen is bigger than in most flats nearby.”

“The previous owners did up the bathroom last year,” she explains. “The rent is reasonable, and the area is safer than the city centre.”

James loves the large windows and the modern kitchen. “I’d like to move in next month,” he says, and the agent prepares the contract.

James has seen five flats this month, and this one is by far the best. The rent is slightly higher than the last one, but the rooms are much lighter.

The building is quieter than his current street, and the station is closer too. He is going to sign the contract on Friday.

Key vocabulary (8 words)

flatnoun: A set of rooms for living in, on one floor of a building.
estate agentnoun: A person whose job is to sell or rent property.
viewingnoun: A visit to look at a property before renting or buying.
rentnoun: Money you pay regularly to live in a property.
depositnoun: Money paid in advance and returned later.
tenantnoun: A person who pays rent to live in a property.
reasonableadjective: Fair and not too expensive.
spaciousadjective: Having a lot of space; roomy.

Phrasal verbs in this story

look round — To look round means to walk through a place to inspect it.
do up — To do up means to repair or improve something.
move in — To move in means to start living in a new home.

The grammar in this story

Comparatives: -er for short, more for long

“The kitchen is bigger than in most flats.” “the area is safer than the city centre.” One-syllable adjectives add -er, and than introduces what you are comparing with. Longer adjectives take more: more spacious than, more expensive than. Never both: more bigger is wrong.

Spelling changes before -er

Big → bigger doubles the consonant. Safe → safer drops nothing but adds only -r. Quiet → quieter is regular. And -y becomes -ier: easy → easier, noisy → noisier. These four patterns cover almost every comparative you will need.

much, slightly and by far to grade the difference

“the rooms are much lighter”, “the rent is slightly higher”, “this one is by far the best”. English grades comparisons with a small set of intensifiers. Very is the one that does not work here — very bigger is wrong, and you need much bigger instead.

look round, do up, move in

Look round = view a property (British English; American prefers look around). Do up = renovate. Move in = start living somewhere. All three appear in almost every conversation about housing in the UK.

Phrases you can reuse today

Can I look round the flat?: The standard request for a viewing.
It is much bigger than my last one.: Much, not very, before a comparative.
They did up the kitchen last year.: Do up = renovate. Separable: they did it up.
I’d like to move in next month.: Move in = begin living there.

Comprehension quiz

What is James looking for?
- A new flat
- A new car
- A new job
Show answer
A new flat
Which floor is the flat on?
- Ground floor
- Second floor
- Tenth floor
Show answer
Second floor
How many bedrooms are there?
- One
- Two
- Four
Show answer
Two
The previous owners ___ the bathroom.
- did up
- pulled down
- rented out
Show answer
did up
When does James want to move in?
- Today
- Next month
- Next year
Show answer
Next month
“Look round” means to…
- inspect the place
- buy quickly
- leave at once
Show answer
inspect the place

Now use it yourself

Reading builds recognition; writing your own sentences is what turns it into something you can actually say. Three short tasks:

Compare your home now with a previous one, using four comparatives.
Describe a flat with three there is / there are sentences.
What is the most important thing when you choose where to live?