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Moving house - conversation prompts

Most people have moved house at least once, and things almost never go completely smoothly. Therefore it’s a great conversation topic for ESL and EFL classes of all levels and ages.

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A high pile of moving boxes stacked on top of each other, sealed with white tape with two cat carriers in front
A high pile of moving boxes stacked on top of each other, sealed with white tape with two cat carriers in front
By Kymberly Fergusson
2 min read
Moving house - conversation prompts

If you are anything like me, you will have moved house many times. In fact, I’m moving house right now – it’s my 20th move!

I’m the expert in the family when it comes to moving. I can pack and unpack everything quickly and safely, and can easily pull apart and put together flat-packed furniture. But I’m not so good at the carrying, especially when stairs are involved!

Talking about moving houses

In the past

  • Why did you move?
  • How many times have you moved?
  • Where did you get your moving supplies from? (boxes, tape, bubble wrap, etc.)
  • Were you well prepared, or did you leave things to the last-minute?
  • How long did it take you to pack or unpack?
  • Did you use a moving company, or did you move everything yourself?
  • Did you declutter before you moved?
  • How many trips did you need to move everything?
  • Did you paint your new or old place? What colour and why?
  • What was the most difficult thing about your last move?
  • Was anything broken? If so, what happened?
  • Did you have help from family or friends?
  • Did you need to move or build a new kitchen?
  • If you bought any new appliances or furniture, what influenced your decisions?
  • How did you plan your new space – where to put your furniture, which rooms to use for which purpose, and so on?
  • What was the heaviest thing that you moved?
  • Did anyone hurt themselves? How?

Other tenses

  • Do you like moving house? Why / why not?
  • What aspect do you most like or dislike about moving?
  • How often do you move?
  • Would you ever consider moving overseas?
  • When do you think you will move (next time)?

Conditionals

  • Would you move or commute if you got a job in another city.
  • If you could move back to any place you have lived in, which one would you choose?
  • If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you love to live?
  • What tips can you give to someone who is moving house?
  • What could go wrong on moving day?
  • How many weeks or months before ending a rental contract must you give notice?
  • Do you have to fill in a condition report when you get your new rental property?
  • What should a person do on the day they receive the keys to their new place?
  • What do you have to do before handing back the keys to your old place?
ESL teaching, Conversation prompts
ESL teaching conversation prompts language learning
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