Joy English · Level C2 · Homejoy-english.com
The flat with the crooked door
Name:Date:
Understand polite disagreement and reassurance in a viewing.
Listen to each sentence and write what you hear.
Audio and answer checking: https://joy-english.com/listening-lessons/the-flat-with-the-crooked-door
Words to know
- crooked
- Not straight.
- damp
- Slightly wet, often on a wall.
- landlord
- The person who owns a rented home.
- surveyor
- A person who inspects buildings for problems.
Answer key
- I know the door sticks, but you would hardly notice it once the whole place has been repainted.“Hardly notice” means almost not notice. “Once” here means as soon as.
- To be fair, the door is the least of my worries; what concerns me is the damp patch above the window.“The least of my worries” means the smallest of my concerns. The semicolon marks a turn to the real problem.
- That has been dealt with, I assure you, and the landlord is willing to put it in writing.“Dealt with” is a phrasal verb meaning solved. “I assure you” is a quick aside.
- Forgive my doubts, but I have heard that promise before, and the damp returned within a month.“Forgive my doubts” is a polite way to disagree. “Within a month” means before one month had passed.
- In that case, why don't I arrange for a surveyor to inspect it before you make up your mind?“Why don’t I” makes an offer, not a question about reasons. Stress falls on “surveyor”: sur-VEY-or.