public building — government building
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
A building that is owned and used by the government or the community, such as a library, school, or city hall, and is open for everyone to use.
Say it like a native
Textbook It is a structure owned by and accessible to the general public.
Native It's a public building.
Spelling out the definition is clunky; 'public building' is the term.
Pattern: public building (noun)
In use
- The new library is the largest public building in our town.society
- In my city, there are many public buildings, such as museums and community centers, which provide important services for everyone.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Smoking is banned in publics buildings.
✓ Smoking is banned in public buildings.
'Public' doesn't take an '-s'; pluralise the noun — 'public buildings'.
Common collocations
a public building— a public building, public buildings, government building, open to the public
Don't confuse it
A private building is owned by a person or company and is not open to everyone.