CELPIP Courses | Structured Prep Programs

Welcome to the Essential Collocations module for Real Estate & Housing.

Housing is a cornerstone of Canadian life. You might have to write an email complaining to your landlord (Writing Task 1), compare two different apartments to rent (Speaking Task 5), or listen to a news report about the housing market (Listening Part 4).

To secure a CLB 9+, you must use the established real estate collocations that professionals use.

🤝 1. Verb + Noun Collocations

Do not translate verbs directly from your native language. Memorize these specific verb-noun pairs.

1. To Sign a Lease

Meaning: To officially sign the contract to rent an apartment or house.
The Trap: Do not say "sign the house paper" or "make a rent deal."
Example (Speaking Task 2): "After searching for months, we were finally able to sign a lease on a beautiful downtown apartment."

2. To Pay the Mortgage

Meaning: To make your monthly payment to the bank for the loan on your house.
The Trap: Do not say "pay the house bank" or "give the house money."
Example (Speaking Task 1): "If you lose your job, you will struggle to pay the massive mortgage on that property."

3. To Evict a Tenant

Meaning: For a landlord to legally force a renter to leave the property.
The Trap: Do not say "kick out the renter" or "force the person to leave."
Example (Listening Part 4): "Because the renter destroyed the property, the landlord had no choice but to officially evict the tenant."

4. To Appraise Property

Meaning: For an expert to officially determine how much a house is worth.
The Trap: Do not say "guess the house price" or "check the house value."
Example (Speaking Task 5): "Before we agree to buy Option A, we must hire a professional to accurately appraise the property."

🎨 2. Adjective + Noun Collocations

When describing apartments and housing, use these established adjective-noun pairs to sound incredibly fluent.

1. Commercial Property vs. Residential Property

Meaning: Buildings used for business (Commercial) vs. buildings used for living (Residential).
Example (Writing Task 2): "The city should not allow developers to build commercial property in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood."

2. Affordable Housing

Meaning: Homes or apartments that are reasonably priced for average citizens.
Example (Speaking Task 7): "The government's primary focus must be to build more affordable housing for young families."

3. Security Deposit

Meaning: Money paid to a landlord before moving in, to cover potential damages.
Example (Writing Task 1): "I am writing to formally demand the immediate return of my full security deposit."

4. Furnished Apartment

Meaning: A rental unit that already has furniture in it.
Example (Speaking Task 5): "While Option B is slightly more expensive, it is a fully furnished apartment, saving us the cost of buying a bed and sofa."

🚀 3. Adverb + Adjective Collocations (The CLB 9+ Flex)

The fastest way to boost your vocabulary score is to combine an 'ly' adverb with an advanced adjective. Banish the word "very" from your vocabulary.

1. Fully Furnished

Instead of: "Has all the furniture."
Example: "The luxury condo came fully furnished with high-end appliances."

2. Conveniently Located

Instead of: "In a good spot."
Example: "Option A is highly desirable because it is conveniently located right next to the subway station."

3. Highly Lucrative

Instead of: "Makes a lot of money."
Example: "Buying property in that neighborhood turned out to be a highly lucrative investment."

4. Incredibly Spacious

Instead of: "Very big."
Example: "The master bedroom is incredibly spacious and features a massive walk-in closet."

🎯 Module Specific Application

[!IMPORTANT]
Speaking Task 5 (Comparing Apartments):
When comparing two places to live, you must sound like a real estate agent pointing out the pros and cons to a client.

Low Score: "Option A is a very big apartment and it is in a good place, but it is expensive."
CLB 9+: "Option A is a highly lucrative investment because it is incredibly spacious and conveniently located near the transit hub, justifying the massive mortgage."

In the next chapter, we go to the mall: Essential Collocations for Retail & Consumerism.

Collocations for Real Estate & Housing