Convenience meaning in English
Learn how to use Convenience correctly with Gymglish.
Test and improve your English. Start your free trial today.
TEST YOUR ENGLISH
Free trial and no commitment to buy
4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot
More than 8 million learners worldwide
Definition
convenient: practical, appropriate for your needs, suitable, easy
When would it be convenient for you to discuss this matter?
How convenient to come home late when it's your turn to do the dishes!
a convenience: an ease, a luxury, something that meets your needs
One of the main conveniences of living here is that I can walk to work.
a convenience store a small local shop which has "convenient" (i.e. long!) opening hours
at your convenience: when possible, when you can
Take your time and look over the reports at your convenience.
at your earliest convenience: as soon as you can
If you could call me back at your earliest convenience so we can discuss my proposal, I would really appreciate it.
Pronunciation examples
UK: Call me back at your earliest convenience.
US: One of the main conveniences of living here is that I can walk to work.
Examples
- "Convenient city centre locations in both London and Paris."
- "If you deem my application worth considering, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with you or Mr. Delavigne personally at your earliest convenience."
- "To set up a meeting for this at your convenience, I propose to call your office by the end of this week."
- "To this end, I have a plan, and I would like to present my placement strategy to you at my earliest possible convenience!"
- "I would greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to send me a response at your earliest convenience."
- "I think the service, products and convenience of my stores speak for themselves."
- "So... I would like to invite you to stop by my office at your earliest convenience to discuss this matter further, as well as to provide you with some more information regarding our policy on terminating employees (I mean that in the non-Arnold Schwarzenneger way)."
- "In closing, I would just request that you pay us a visit at your earliest convenience."
Exercise 1
Match the facts with the appropriate modes of transport discussed in the article!
This way of travelling takes a long time but doesn't cost much:
This is the most expensive and least "green" way of travelling:
Finally, the author writes that this is the most practical and comfortable way of going from London to Paris:
This way of travelling takes a long time but doesn't cost much:
This is the most expensive and least "green" way of travelling:
Finally, the author writes that this is the most practical and comfortable way of going from London to Paris:
Match the facts with the appropriate modes of transport discussed in the article!
This way of travelling takes a long time but doesn't cost much: Coach 1
This is the most expensive and least "green" way of travelling: Plane 2
Finally, the author writes that this is the most practical and comfortable way of going from London to Paris: Train 3
This way of travelling takes a long time but doesn't cost much: Coach 1
This is the most expensive and least "green" way of travelling: Plane 2
Finally, the author writes that this is the most practical and comfortable way of going from London to Paris: Train 3
1 Coach: This is the best choice here. Sigourney Weevil writes that travelling by coach was "cheap as chips" and "only cost £12". However, she notes that the "journey took almost 12 hours", which is a long time to travel between Paris and London.
1 Plane: This isn't the right answer. Sigourney tells us that the cost of travelling by plane is "exorbitant", which means that it is "extremely expensive", so it is not true to say that it "doesn't cost much".
1 Train: This isn't the right answer. Train travel is described as "quite expensive", so Sigourney isn't telling us that it "doesn't cost much".
2 Plane: "Plane" is the right match for this definition. Sigourney tells us that the cost of travelling by plane is "exorbitant", which means that it is "extremely expensive". She also writes that she experienced "crushing environmental guilt" when she travelled by plane, because it is "not green": it is bad for the environment.
2 Train: "Train" isn't the best choice here. Sigourney does not mention that train travel is bad for the environment. In fact, it is one of the greener ways of travelling!
2 Coach: "Coach" isn't the best choice here. Sigourney Weevil writes that travelling by coach was "cheap as chips" and "only cost £12": it was therefore the cheapest option, not the most expensive.
3 Train: This is the right answer. The journalist describes train travel as "convenient", which means "practical" or "useful". She also tells us about the nice food and useful electricity outlets on trains. Sigourney also describes the train seats as "nice" and "big", meaning that they are comfortable.
3 Plane: This isn't the best choice here. Sigourney writes that there is "no legroom" on planes, and that there were "hours of waiting and shuttle buses" at the airports in Paris and London, which is not very "practical"!
3 Coach: This isn't the best choice here. Sigourney describes the comfort level on coaches as "non-existent", meaning that there is zero comfort: they are certainly not "the most comfortable" way of travelling!
Exercise 2
What could Edward say if he wanted verify that an empty seat was "free" or available to sit in?
(select all answers that apply)
(select all answers that apply)
What could Edward say if he wanted verify that an empty seat was "free" or available to sit in?
(select all answers that apply)
(select all answers that apply)
This is an incorrect choice. If something is "convenient", it is suited to your purposes or needs. A "convenient seat" might be a seat that is next to the buffet, for example. We do not use the term "convenient" to describe a seat as being free or available.
This is a correct choice. Used with an "excuse me" at the beginning, this is a very nice way to check if a seat is available or not!
This is a correct choice. The king of "is this seat free?" phrases! It can be used in cinemas, trains, planes - anywhere with seats! Great!
This is an incorrect choice. This isn't really appropriate to use with strangers! It assumes that you already have permission to sit in the seat and just want authorization to be comfortable! This phrase is better used in a different context with guests or visitors. Example: Please make yourself comfortable (=relax and behave as if you were at your place).
Still unsure of the best way to use 'Convenience'? Improve your English thanks to our online English lessons. We offer a free test as well as a free level assessment!
What our users say:
Test your English with Gymglish today and get a free level assessment
Absolutely free - no strings attached.
