English speaking lesson · Home & Living
Reporting a repair
Something has stopped working in your flat, and you're calling your landlord about it. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A call to your landlord · you talk to the landlord
Free plan: 10 messages a day. No card needed.
What you have to do
Report what's broken, describe it, say how urgent it is, and get a repair booked. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Hi there — is everything alright at the flat?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the landlord.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Say what's broken
Say what has stopped working.
“Hi! The heater is broken.”
- 02
Describe the problem
Describe the problem in a bit more detail.
“It stopped working yesterday, and the flat is very cold.”
- 03
Say how urgent it is
Say how urgent it is for you.
“Could someone come soon, please?”
- 04
Check the details
Check the details are right.
“Yes, that's right.”
- 05
Arrange the visit
Say when would suit you, and say thanks.
“Today would be great. Thanks for your help!”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the landlord.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- broken
- damaged and not working
- “The heater is broken.”
- heater
- a machine that warms a room
- “The heater is broken.”
- water
- the clear liquid from the tap
- “There's water on the floor.”
- working
- operating as it should
- “It stopped working yesterday.”
- cold
- having a low temperature
- “The flat is very cold.”
- soon
- in a short time
- “Could someone come soon?”
- today
- this day
- “Today would be great.”
- right
- correct
- “Yes, that's right.”
- please
- a polite word when you ask
- “Please come soon.”
- thanks
- a short way to say thank you
- “Thanks for your help.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- heating
- the system that warms a home
- “The heating isn't coming on.”
- leaking
- letting liquid escape
- “The tap is leaking a bit.”
- boiler
- the unit that heats water for a home
- “I think it's the boiler.”
- noticed
- became aware of something
- “I noticed it yesterday.”
- urgent
- needing attention quickly
- “It's fairly urgent, honestly.”
- manage
- to cope with a situation
- “I can manage for a day or two.”
- correct
- right, with no mistakes
- “Yes, that's correct.”
- arrange
- to plan and set up something
- “Could you arrange a visit?”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I appreciate you sorting it.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- faulty
- not working properly
- “The thermostat seems faulty.”
- thermostat
- the control that sets the temperature
- “The thermostat seems faulty.”
- intermittent
- happening on and off, not constantly
- “The fault is intermittent.”
- pressure
- the force of water in a system
- “The pressure has dropped.”
- priority
- something treated as most important
- “Is this a priority repair?”
- contractor
- a person hired to do specific work
- “Would a contractor come out?”
- inconvenience
- trouble or difficulty caused
- “It's a fair inconvenience, honestly.”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
- confirm
- to say something is definitely settled
- “Could you confirm the date?”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- playing
- not working reliably (informal) — 'playing up'
- “The boiler's been playing up.”
- dodgy
- unreliable or suspicious (informal)
- “The wiring looks a bit dodgy.”
- packed
- stopped working (informal) — 'packed in'
- “It's finally packed in.”
- seeping
- leaking slowly
- “There's water seeping under the sink.”
- pressing
- needing attention soon
- “It's fairly pressing, honestly.”
- chase
- to follow up on something (informal)
- “I'll chase it up next week.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged, thank you.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, we're sorted.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers, appreciated.”
- sharpish
- quickly, without delay (informal)
- “If someone could come sharpish.”
More Home & Living lessons
- Renting an apartment
- Calling a plumber
- Getting internet installed
- Moving day
- Furniture delivery
- Meeting a neighbour
- Talking to the building manager
- Setting up utilities
- Home insurance