SpeakUp

narrow street — thin street

collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon

A street that is not wide, so there is only a small amount of space for cars or people to pass.

Say it like a native

Textbook The thoroughfare was of insufficient width for two vehicles.

Native It's a really narrow street — two cars can't pass.

'Narrow street' is plain and natural; 'thoroughfare of insufficient width' is absurdly formal.

Pattern: narrow street

In use

  • We walked down a narrow street lined with old houses.daily life
  • In my hometown, there are many narrow streets in the city center, which makes driving difficult but gives the area a unique charm.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ The street was very narrowed.

✓ The street was very narrow.

'Narrow' is the adjective; 'narrowed' is a past verb (made smaller).

Common collocations

  • narrow + place — street, lane, alley, road

Don't confuse it

'Wide street' is the opposite of 'narrow street'.

Practice speaking with instant AI feedback →