A House A Home Summary

The poet has tried to define and differentiate between a house and a home. He says that a house is made of
bricks, stone and hardwood. It also has fine paints, chimney, window glass, doors, corridors, roof and tile
floors. A home is another name for  loving family members who take care of each other and work selflessly
for one another.Brothers-sisters, fathers and mothers together make a home. It is their unselfish acts of
kindness and sharing towards one another that makes a house a home.

n this stanza, the poet is explaining the ingredients or material used to make a house.The poet says that bricks,stone
and wood are used to make a house. It also has window glass and corridors or open space in front and back of the
house for gardening. Tiles of the floor,fine paints,roof,elevations of the roof and many doors that give it a perfect
look of a house. Thus, a house is a completely non-living thing.

Unselfish: without any selfish interest, selfless

Kindly: lovingly, considerate

Here, the poet has explained the nature of a home and what makes a house- a home.It is the family
members- brothers-sisters, mothers- fathers who together make a home. Their acts without any selfish
interest, their concern for each other, their wish to work for each others’ happiness and well- being.Their
wish to show love and care towards each other is what makes a house - a home.

A House A Home Poem Questions and Answers

1. Do you agree with what the poet says?

Talk to your partner and complete these sentences.

(i) A house is made of ——————————.

(ii) It has ——————————————— .

(iii) A home is made by ————————— .

(iv) It has —————————————–– .

Answers:

(i) brick,woods and stones

(ii) window glass,a yard,roof,chimney,floor and doors with fine paints.

(iii) caring and loving members,brothers- sisters, fathers and mothers

(iv) loving and caring people.

 
A House , A Home

Lorainne M Halli

What is a house ?
It's brick and stone 
and wood that's hard .
Some window glass
and perhaps a yard .
It's eaves and chimneys 
and tile floors 
and stucco and roof 
and lots of doors .

What is a home ?
It's loving and family 
and doing for others .
It's brothers and sisters 
and fathers and mothers .
It's unselfish acts 
and kindly sharing 
and knowing your loved ones 
you're always caring . 

About the author : Lorraine M. Halli

Lorraine Martha Halli is an American poet born on December 8 , 1921 in Saint Peter, Minnesota , USA .
Her writing style is simple yet thought provoking . In this poem she aims to make a clear distinction between
a house and a home .
REPORT THIS AD

New words
Summary of the poem

The poem A House , A Home is written by Lorraine M. Halli . In the poem the poet differentiates between a
house and a home . According to the poet , a house is just a physical structure made up of various non-living
things like bricks , stones , wood and glass . It has lots of doors , floor , chimneys etc . It is only a building .
A home is a place where a family dwells . It consists of living members like fathers , mothers , sisters and
brothers . In a home there is a lot of love and mutual understanding among all the family members who
love , share and care for each other .

Themes of the poem

Family : Family is the central theme of the poem . It is the most important building block of a society . A
family consists of fathers , mothers , brothers and sisters . Each member of a family is very significant for
the whole family . It is a place where we love, share and care for each other . Living in a family enables one
to develop values and ethics .

Love : Love is the component that holds a family together . In a family there is unconditional love for each
other . There is a deep and strong bond between all the members of the family . In a family one shares and
cares for each other .

House : House is just a building . It is made up of brick , stone , glass , wood etc . It consists of a lot of
doors , floor , rooms , chimneys etc. It is just a physical structure .

Home : It is a place where a family dwells . It is a place where we love , care and share for one another . In a
home there is unconditional love .

Activity section

Answer : Some of the words associated with home are love , sharing , caring , values , parents , children etc. Words
associated with house are bricks , floors , doors , chimney , gate etc . These are just suggested answers .
Causatives Exercise 1: Have / Get Something Done Change these examples into the structure ‘have + object + past
participle’ or ‘get + object + past participle’.

For example: I cleaned my kitchen (have) → I had my kitchen cleaned.

1. I washed my car. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

2. I cut my hair. (get) ___________________________________________________________________________

3. I typed the documents. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________
4. I fixed my washing machine. (get)
___________________________________________________________________________

5. I cut my grass. (have) ___________________________________________________________________________

6. I painted my bedroom. (get)
___________________________________________________________________________

7. I repaired my fridge. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

8. I tidied my garden. (get)

___________________________________________________________________________

9. I edited the article. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

10. I cleaned the carpets. (get)

___________________________________________________________________________© www.perfect-english-
grammar.com May be freely copied for personal or classroom use.

Causatives Exercise 1 Page 2 11. I printed the photo. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

12. I checked my teeth. (get)

___________________________________________________________________________

13. I cleaned the windows. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

14. I made the necklace. (get)

___________________________________________________________________________

15. I delivered the furniture. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

16. I repaired the roof. (get)

___________________________________________________________________________

17. I wrote the report. (have)

___________________________________________________________________________

18. I dyed my hair. (get) ___________________________________________________________________________

19. I sent the money. (have)
___________________________________________________________________________

20. I built the shed. (get) ___________________________________________________________________________

© www.perfect-english-grammar.com May be freely copied for personal or classroom use. Answers to Causatives
Exercise 1 1. I had my car washed. 2. I got my hair cut. 3. I had the documents typed. 4. I had my washing machine
fixed. 5. I had my grass cut. 6. I got my bedroom painted. 7. I had my fridge repaired. 8. I got my garden tidied. 9. I
had the article edited. 10. I got the carpets cleaned. 11. I had the photo printed. 12. I got my teeth checked. 13. I had
the windows cleaned. 14. I got the necklace made. 15. I had the furniture delivered. 16. I got the roof repaired. 17. I
had the report written. 18. I got my hair dyed. 19. I had the money sent. 20. I got the shed built
Eating vegetables ------------------------ lots of health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits
as part of an overall --------------------- diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic --------------------- .
A meal with vegetables --------------------the possibilities of stroke, heart diseases and many other -----------
complications . Vegetables are the source of nutrients which are vital for health and the maintenance of
your body . Having vegetables daily can --------------------- the immunity of your body . The best
vegetables are the --------------------------- one such as spinach, cabbage and parsley .

Eating vegetables ------------------------ lots of health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits
as part of an overall --------------------- diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic --------------------- .
A meal with vegetables --------------------the possibilities of stroke, heart diseases and many other -----------
complications . Vegetables are the source of nutrients which are vital for health and the maintenance of
your body . Having vegetables daily can --------------------- the immunity of your body . The best
vegetables are the --------------------------- one such as spinach, cabbage and parsley .

Eating vegetables ------------------------ lots of health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits
as part of an overall --------------------- diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic --------------------- .
A meal with vegetables --------------------the possibilities of stroke, heart diseases and many other -----------
complications . Vegetables are the source of nutrients which are vital for health and the maintenance of
your body . Having vegetables daily can --------------------- the immunity of your body . The best
vegetables are the --------------------------- one such as spinach, cabbage and parsley .

Eating vegetables ------------------------ lots of health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits
as part of an overall --------------------- diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic --------------------- .
A meal with vegetables --------------------the possibilities of stroke, heart diseases and many other -----------
complications . Vegetables are the source of nutrients which are vital for health and the maintenance of
your body . Having vegetables daily can --------------------- the immunity of your body . The best
vegetables are the --------------------------- one such as spinach, cabbage and parsley .

Eating vegetables ------------------------ lots of health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits
as part of an overall --------------------- diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic --------------------- .
A meal with vegetables --------------------the possibilities of stroke, heart diseases and many other -----------
complications . Vegetables are the source of nutrients which are vital for health and the maintenance of
your body . Having vegetables daily can --------------------- the immunity of your body . The best
vegetables are the --------------------------- one such as spinach, cabbage and parsley .

Eating vegetables ------------------------ lots of health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits
as part of an overall --------------------- diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic --------------------- .
A meal with vegetables --------------------the possibilities of stroke, heart diseases and many other -----------
 complications . Vegetables are the source of nutrients which are vital for health and the maintenance of
your body . Having vegetables daily can --------------------- the immunity of your body . The best
vegetables are the --------------------------- one such as spinach, cabbage and parsley .