English Lesson: Collocations for Urban Life

In this lesson, you will learn collocations to talk about the area where you live. You can use them to describe your neighbourhood and what you like or dislike about living there. 

Notice how the choice of words can make a place sound attractive or unattractive. 


A DESCRIPTION OF AN URBAN AREA 

I've lived in this city all my life. I really like the area where I live because of the unique atmosphere and friendly neighbours. Also, there are plenty of green spaces for children, and actually people of all ages, to enjoy. I'd say it's one of the most pleasant residential areas of the city. Apart from having lots of parks, there are also lots of local amenities such as convenience stores, sports facilities, and so on.
My apartment is within easy reach of the city centre - just about a 15-minute walk. I find it quite refreshing when I walk along the tree-lined streets in my area, especially early in the morning. It's a pretty good place to live because it's extremely safe and also clean. 

VOCABULARY 

• friendly neighbours | friendly neighbourhood - an area of a city with people who are pleasant and helpful to each other 
• green spaces - areas covered with grass and trees and there are no buildings (e.g. community gardens, parks, and so on) 
• a residential area - a part of a town where people live 
• local amenities - places such as stores, swimming pools or other sports facilities that make it convenient and enjoyable for people to live in an area 
• sports facilities - places and things for doing sports (e.g. gym, stadium, swimming pool, tennis court, ice-skating rink, and so on) 
• within easy reach of - a short distance away from a place so that you can go there easily 
• tree-lined streets - a road in a city with a lot of trees 

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF AN URBAN AREA 

Having lived in my area for many years now, I've noticed a few things which in my opinion should be improved. First of all, I think that more recycling facilities should be installed. Currently, I cannot find any near my apartment building. Secondly, the parking facilities are poor and a lot of people leave their cars on every available pavement. Another thing is that once it becomes darker, I feel a bit unsafe walking along the dimly lit streets. 

VOCABULARY 

• recycling facilities - large containers in public places where people put used paper, bottles, etc. so that 
• an apartment building (also an apartment block) (BrE) / an apartment house (AmE)
• parking facilities - parking places where you can leave a vehicle 
• dimly lit streets - roads with little light 

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TASK:

• What do you like about living in your area? 
• What changes do you think would improve the area where you live? 

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Exercise
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There are important factors to consider before you decide where to live. Look at the key things listed below and rewrite the information using collocations from the texts. 

1. near to the city centre
2. an area with nice people 
3. parking spaces available 
4. lots of parks for walks  
5. lots of trees by the road 
6. no dark roads at night 
7. a pharmacy, a post office, lots of stores, etc. nearby 

Answers: 
1. within easy reach of the city centre; 2. friendly neighbourhood; 3. parking facilities; 4. green spaces; 5. tree-lined streets; 6. no dimly lit streets; 7. local amenities; 


Other lessons: 
City Life - Going out 
​Cities - Talk about your area 
Cities - Advantages and Disadvantages of Urban Life 
Countryside - Advantages and Disadvantages of Rural Life 

Other lessons with English collocations: 
Collocations for Rural Life 
Collocations for Success 
Collocations for Feelings 

Click below to read some of our IELTS related lessons: 
Discourse Markers for IELTS Speaking and Everyday English 
Causes and Effects of Migration from Rural Areas to Cities 
IELTS Speaking Test: Means of Transport (We give answers to five questions from Part 3 of the speaking test.) 
IELTS Speaking Test: Places That Tourists Visit and Being a Tourist (We give answers to six questions from Part 3 of the speaking test.) 


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