Cinema and Theater

Common Expressions

• go to the cinema

• the cinema can hold (500) people

• the theater was packed / full

• the cinema was half-full / almost empty

• a seat at the cinema / theater

Expressions with film

• see a film at the cinema

• (a film) is showing at the cinema

Expressions with theater

• see a play at the theater

• (the play) ran at the theater for years

Exercises

Common Expressions

1. The new James Bond film is now showing at cinemas around the country. - d

2. We saw a play by Shakespeare at the National Theater last week. - a

3. We're going to the cinema to see the film, Hours. Do you want to come? - e

4. There were plenty of seats in the cinema. It was only half full. - b

5. The biggest theater in town can hold about 850 people. - c

6. I managed to get us the best seats in the theater. -g

7. The play the Mousetrap ran for years and years at the Old Vic theater. - f

Notes

1. Note the expressions:

   What's on at the cinema/ theater tonight?

2. A cinema is a place with several small cinemas in one building:

   There's a new multiplex cinema in our town with 20 screens.

3. Note these different kinds of theaters:

   1. All the students were in the lecture theater, but no lecturer arrived.

   2. The patient was taken to the for an emergency operation.