Lesson 8: Talking about Places

Warm-up: Describing People

Talk about height, hair, eyes and clothing:

• How tall is he/she?• What’s his/her hair like?• What colour are his/her

eyes?• What’s he/she

wearing?

Warm-up: Describing People

Talk about height, hair, eyes and clothing:

• How tall is he/she?• What’s his/her hair

like?• What colour are

his/her eyes?• What’s he/she

wearing?

Warm-up: Describing Objects

Talk about size, shape, colour and material:

• How big is it?• What shape is it?• What colour is it?• What’s it made of?

* Who was your best friend in middle school?

(simple past: My best friend was _____ .)

* What sports did you enjoy playing when you were in middle school?

(past progressive: I enjoyed playing _____ when I was in middle school.)

Review: Past Tense

Identify each of the following as simple past, past progressive or past perfect, and take turns asking and answering the question.

* Where did you spend the last Spring Festival holiday?(simple past: I spent the last Spring Festival holiday in/at _____ .)

* What activities did you enjoy doing during the last summer holiday? (past progressive: I enjoyed verb + ing _____ .)

* Where had you lived before you came to university?(past perfect: I had lived in _____ .)

Jazz Chant: “Banker’s Wife’s Blues”

Where does John live?He lives near the bank.

Where does he work?He works at the bank.

When does he work?He works all dayand he works all night,at the bank, at the bank,at the great, big bank.

Where does he study?He studies at the bank.

Where does he sleep? He sleeps at the bank.Why does he spend all day, all night, all day, all night, at the bank, at the bank? Because he loves his bank more than his wife, and he loves his money more than his life.

Talking about Places

Kelly Jones, a Canadian student, is talking with her Chinese friend, Lisa Li, about the city of Beijing.

Kelly: I’m thinking of going to Beijing. Have you ever been there?

Lisa: Yeah, I’ve been there a few times.

Kelly: Really? What did you think of it?

Lisa: Well, the downtown is very clean and attractive, but very crowded.

Kelly: What’s the food like?

Lisa: The food is delicious! You can find restaurants that serve all kinds of Chinese and international food.

Kelly: How about the weather?

Lisa: It’s cold and dry in the winter, but hot and humid in the summer. I think October is the best time there. It’s usually mild and sunny.

Kelly: Hmm. Maybe I should go there for the National Day holiday. What’s there to see?

Lisa: There are lots of historical sites like the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall. There are also some beautiful parks. If you want to buy some good souvenirs, go to the Friendship Store or the department stores on Wangfujing Street, too.

QUESTION

Have you ever been to (Beijing)?

POSITIVE ANSWERS

Yes, I have.

Yes, I went there once.

Yes, I’ve been there a few times.

Yes, I was there (last year).

NEGATIVE ANSWERS

No, I haven’t.

No, never.

No, I’ve never been there.

* Food

* Downtown/Countryside

* Weather

* Transportation

Adjectives for Places

* Houses/Buildings

* Roads

* Restaurants/Hotels

* People

(countable nouns: houses, roads, restaurants/hotels, people)• What are/were the _____ like in your hometown?• How are/were the _____ in your hometown?

They’re/were _____________.

(non-countable nouns: food, downtown, weather, transportation)• What’s/What was the _____ like in your hometown?• How’s/How was the _____ in your hometown?

It’s/It was _________________.

Kinds of places to see:Museums, parks/gardens, art galleries, stores/shops, shopping centres/malls, restaurants, temples/churches, historical sites, colleges/universities, theatres/cinemas, swimming pool, lake/beach/island

QUESTIONS ANSWERS

What can you see there? There are lots of/many _____.

What’s there to see? There are some _________.

There are a number of _____.

There are a few _____.

There’s a/an _____.

Homework

1. Review asking and answering questions about places.

2. Write a description of your hometown (200 words). Be sure to include the eight topics (food, downtown/countryside, weather, transportation, houses/buildings, roads, restaurants/hotels, and people) and the names of places you can visit in your description.

3. Practice reading your description (minimum 1 minute long) as you will be reading it to your classmates next class!