
In today’s post, we will learn more English with part 2 of my Canada trip story. We’ll start by learning some vocabulary to describe the place we live or a place we visit.
Audio A
(If you haven’t read part 1 yet, click HERE!)
New English vocabulary from the story
Urban vs rural (city vs countryside)
Urban is an adjective that means connected with a town or city
“I live in Tokyo. Tokyo is very big, lots of people, buildings, and businesses. Tokyo is an urban area.”
urban Oxford Learner’s Dictionary link here
Rural is an adjective that means connected with or like the countryside
“My family is from a very rural part of Ontario. The population is small and there are not many big buildings or many businesses.”
rural Oxford Learner’s Dictionary link here

Audio B
Suburb
Have you ever heard the word suburb?
“I grew up in a suburb of Toronto.”
Suburb is a noun that means an area where people live that is outside the center of a city
below (sub) a city (urban area) – suburb
suburb Oxford Learner’s Dictionary link here
Many people work in a big city but live in a suburb. In my hometown most people drove a car, the public transportation system wasn’t as big or convenient as a large city.
Public transportation (also known as public transport, public transit, or mass transit) includes city buses, streetcars, and passenger trains, subways, and ferries.

Audio C
*Now we know the meaning of suburb, let’s look at a few more examples of words with the prefix sub.
A train that runs below the ground is called a subway.
A boat that moves underwater is called a submarine.
Advanced English vocabulary from the story
A business or company that is owned or controlled by another, larger company is a subsidiary.

More info about these companies from Wikipedia below:
Feelings that affect your behavior below the level of awareness are called subconscious.

Click HERE for the Wikipedia article on Subconscious.
I enjoyed spending time with my family and being close to nature for 3 weeks, but I like living in a more urban environment.
I was happy to come back to Tokyo. It’s very exciting and very convenient too!
Your turn!
Do you live in a rural area or an urban area?
Where would you like to live? Why?
What are the good points and bad points about each?
Write a comment below and use your English!
Learn English with a story (Canada trip Pt.3)
- 42 Advanced Phrasal Verbs (That You Need to Know) *Free PDFPhrasal verbs are very common in English conversation. Learning phrasal verbs is a great way to make your English sound more natural. Some phrasal verbs are literal, which means… Read more: 42 Advanced Phrasal Verbs (That You Need to Know) *Free PDF
- Master Adjectives with Prepositions (95 Combinations!)Adjectives with Prepositions are challenging to use correctly in your second language. This post will help you by showing 8 prepositions that are used with… Read more: Master Adjectives with Prepositions (95 Combinations!)
- He Doesn’t Have or Has? 30 Examples (Free PDF – Video)My students in Tokyo often ask me which is correct – He Doesn’t Have or Has? Learn this English grammar at my post. Get your PDF study guide too, it’s FREE!
- 50 Prefix DIS- Words and Example Sentences (Free PDF)Are you curious about how the prefix DIS- can improve your English vocabulary? In this blog post, we’ll explore how the prefix DIS- is used… Read more: 50 Prefix DIS- Words and Example Sentences (Free PDF)
- Master Past Tense verbs (Learn 50 irregular verbs + PDF and QUIZ)Using different verb tenses correctly can be difficult. Especially past tense English verbs. This post will explain the basic rules of this verb grammar and teach you… Read more: Master Past Tense verbs (Learn 50 irregular verbs + PDF and QUIZ)





