Telecommuting & Lifestyle: Comparing City vs. Country
Unit 4: Telecommuting and Lifestyle Comparisons
Vocabulary and Expressions
- Work from home on a computer – Now I telecommute.
- Should – But I was just totally stressed out in town.
- Work without regular pay from a company – Isn’t it kind of tough financially, though, trying to make it on your own?
- A place where not many people live – It sounds like the middle of nowhere.
- Very nervous and upset – Hey, you ought to come out some time and visit.
Comparisons with “as”
Use as + adjective or adverb + as to talk about things that are equal in some way.
The White House is as old as the Red one. They are both twelve years old.
Use not as + adjective or adverb + as to talk about things that are different in some way.
The White House is not as old as the Yellow one. The Yellow house is twenty years old. The White House is twelve years old.
He doesn’t drive as slowly as I do.
Tip: “Just” is often used in comparisons of equality.
The schools here are just as good as the schools in town.
Count Nouns
Use as many + count nouns + as to talk about things that are equal in some way.
There are as many problems in the country as there are in the city.
Use not as many + count noun + as to talk about things that are different in some way.
The Green house doesn’t have as many rooms as the White one.
Non-Count Nouns
Use as much + non-count noun + as to talk about things that are equal in some way.
The drive took as much time as we expected.
Use not as much + non-count nouns + as to talk about things that are different in some way.
The Brick house doesn’t need as much work as the White one.
Adjectives:
Crowded, clean, convenient, exciting, quiet, safe.
Count Nouns:
Factories, time, problems, cultural activities, hospitals, jobs, people, schools.
Non-Count Nouns:
Crime, pollution, noise, smog, stress, traffic.
Verbs and Adverbs:
Drive far, shop easily, sleep late, wake up early, work hard.
“Used to”
Use used to + base form to tell about repeated actions in the past that no longer happen or to tell about facts or conditions in the past that are no longer true.
He used to wear a suit and tie to work.
We used to have a home in the country. (We don’t have it anymore.)
Do not use used to + base form for a specific time in the past.
He bought a house three years ago. (NOT: He used to buy a house three years ago.)
Be careful! Note the spelling of “use” in a question: Didn’t you use (not used) to live in the city?
Conversation 1
A: Didn’t you use to work in the bank?
B: Yes, but I really didn’t like it. Now I work at home.
A: Do you like it better?
B: Absolutely. Take it from me– it’s a lot better to work at home than in an office.
Conversation 2
A: I heard Bill’s quitting.
B: Bill? I can’t believe it. Why in the world would he do that?
A: Well, he said he needed a change.
B: I wish him luck, but if you ask me, he’s making a big mistake.
Vocabulary
A townhouse, an apartment complex, a wood house, a brick house, a stone house, a stucco house, the roof, the back door, the deck, the stairway, the front door, the garage.
A basement: The lowest floor of a house, often underground.
A gate: The part of a wall or a fence that opens.
Brick: A building material in the shape of a rectangular block.
Downstairs: The space or room at the top of a house.
A townhouse: A house connected to other similar houses.
A garden: An area outside with plants or flowers.
A porch: A building material that burns easily.
An attic, wood, upstairs