Forum newsfeeds |  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
10-Mar-2007, 01:37
| | | Backyard /house description Hi,
I have difficulty translating what I want to describe using the dictionary. I found the word backyard, not sure what it means exactly.
I am not sure how to descibe the following What I am trying to describe is an area at the back of my house, after the kitchen door. There is a bench outside, tomato plants and flowers and also a couple of chairs and a table around a small 'fountain', not sure if I should call it fountain because it is not that big....The area is about 7 m x 8m then there is a gate (also not sure if I should call it a gate) then a place to park 2 cars outside the house.
Based on my description, is the following correct : She opened the gate, got in the house and she stayed on the bench in the backyard because nobody was there to open the kitchen door for her. There is a nice table and chairs next to the foutain but she just sat on that bench for an hour, when I came home the gate was open, I couldn't see her so I was scared'
Sorry about the long post
Thanks a lot | 
10-Mar-2007, 03:54
| | Member | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Country: Canada
Posts: 342
Current Location: Canada First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 1
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Backyard /house description I know that in Canada and the States, "backyard" is the most common term, but I believe in the U.K., the area is referred to as the "garden" ("garden" is a much more specific term in Canada/the U.S.). Therefore, backyard is fine, but...she did not "got in the house" because it was locked, so you should not include that bit!
Good luck! | 
10-Mar-2007, 16:16
| | Member | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Country: Yorkshire
Posts: 260
Current Location: Singapore First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 0
Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
| | Re: Backyard /house description A 'garden' is usually full of plants (except Japanese gardens) and always a place for pleasure, while a yard is paved/concreted/ gravelled and intended more for utility, though it may be different in other countries.
As your description mentions plants, tables, and a fountain I would probably use garden as it sounds like a place to sit and relax. | 
10-Mar-2007, 17:07
|  | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Country: Malta
Posts: 1,027
Current Location: Italy First Language: Maltese Member Type: Other Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
| | Re: Backyard /house description Is it a sort of patio? And I imagine the gate is a wooden gate.
Last edited by queenbu; 10-Mar-2007 at 22:54.
| 
11-Mar-2007, 02:41
| | Member | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Country: Yorkshire
Posts: 260
Current Location: Singapore First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 0
Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
| | Re: Backyard /house description Quote:
Originally Posted by queenbu Is it a sort of patio? And I imagine the gate is a wooden gate. | Words like this can be country specific (Singapore estate agents advertise 3 storey bungalows!), but as an English person a lpatio is a relatively small, raised, paved area attached to the house, and surrounded by garden.
I have read of Italian families having huge family dinners on the patio, so maybe the concept is different there. | 
11-Mar-2007, 12:03
|  | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Country: Malta
Posts: 1,027
Current Location: Italy First Language: Maltese Member Type: Other Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
| | Re: Backyard /house description Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Whitehead Words like this can be country specific (Singapore estate agents advertise 3 storey bungalows!), but as an English person a lpatio is a relatively small, raised, paved area attached to the house, and surrounded by garden.
I have read of Italian families having huge family dinners on the patio, so maybe the concept is different there. | Hello Andrew- I like that one about the three storey bungalow.
Re 'patio'
1. It was just a suggestion. After all, we don't know where our Erica comes from.
2. I have never heard it used in Italy. In fact the equivalent in Italy would be 'terrazza'. It is used in Malta though and it is of Spanish origin, it seems. | 
11-Mar-2007, 12:28
| | Member | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Country: Yorkshire
Posts: 260
Current Location: Singapore First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher Thanks: 0
Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
| | Re: Backyard /house description Quote:
Originally Posted by queenbu Hello Andrew- I like that one about the three storey bungalow.
Re 'patio'
1. It was just a suggestion. After all, we don't know where our Erica comes from.
2. I have never heard it used in Italy. In fact the equivalent in Italy would be 'terrazza'. It is used in Malta though and it is of Spanish origin, it seems. | I can't speak Italian (yet!), so my encounters with Italian patios have been references in English, by English people - cookery programmes, films, travel books etc. - so maybe they refer to a 'terrazza' as a patio for want of a better word.
When I said 'country specific' I was thinking of the concept, I didn't mean to suggest that every language calls them call them patios... | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 17:47. |  |