A2 Key:Places in Town
There is/are · prepositions of place · asking for and giving directions.
A2 Key parts in this lesson
Why this lesson now? Revisits Reading 3 from M03; introduces Listening 4 (interview) and conditionals.
Your level · You are here
Get ready · 01
5 minGet talking
Name three places in your town: a shop, a place to eat, a place to relax.
Imagine a tourist asks you: 'Is there a bank near here?' What do you say?
Look at a simple map. Where is the station compared to the park?
Grammar for the Exam · 02
8–10 minThere is / there are + prepositions of place
There's a… / There are some… Questions: Is there…? / Are there any…? Prepositions: next to, opposite, between, near, in front of, behind.
- 1We use there is/are to say what exists in a place.
- 2There's a supermarket on Green Street.
- 3There are two banks in the town centre.
- 4Questions use Is there…? / Are there any…? and negatives use isn't/aren't.
- 5Prepositions of place tell us exactly where something is: next to, opposite, between, near, in front of, behind, on the corner of.
There's a pharmacy next to the supermarket.
Is there a bank near here? — Yes, there is, opposite the library.
There aren't any cafés on this street.
The bus stop is between the school and the park.
Question 1.____ a bank near the station.
Question 2.____ there any shops on this street?
Question 3.The chemist's is ____ the supermarket and the bank.
Question 4.There ____ two cinemas in this town.
Question 5.The library is ____ the park — you can see it from there.
Question 6.There isn't ____ post office near here.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Say what's in your town
2.Ask about a place
3.Give a location
Quick check 1.Which is correct?
Exam Vocabulary · 03
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
at the place where two streets meet
Name something on a street corner near you.
polite phrase to ask about a place
Ask a partner this question about a café.
What to do
Match each place/phrase with its meaning.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
What to do
Sort each place into the correct category.
Activation · Personalise · Recycle
Use today's places-in-town vocabulary in full sentences.
Ask your partner
- Is there a chemist's near your home?
- How often do you go to the post office?
- What can you find in your town centre?
"Near my home, there's a... opposite/next to..."opposite/next to
Rank these places from most useful to least useful for you personally.
- 1post office
- 2chemist's
- 3town centre
- 4park
Then compare with a partner — justify your top choice.
Write 30 words describing where three places are in your town.
What to do
- 1.A2 Key Reading Part 3 — Five people are looking for a place to go in town.
- 2.Read the descriptions of eight places (A–H) and decide which place is right for each person.
Tap a person, then tap the text that best matches their needs.
The 5 people
The 8 texts
Pronunciation for Speaking · 04
3–4 minLinking 'there is/are' in fast speech
There's and there are link smoothly: /ðeəz/ and /ðeərɑː/ — don't pause between the words.
- • There's a bank on the corner.
- • There are two cafés near the station.
- • Is there a park nearby?
- • There isn't a cinema in this town.
Reading Skills · 05
8–10 minA guide to our town centre
Read along — listen to the text
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Welcome to Elmswood! Our town centre is small but there's everything you need. There's a big supermarket on the High Street, next to the post office. If you need medicine, there's a chemist's opposite the bus stop.
For a coffee or lunch, try the café on the corner of Mill Street and Park Road — it's near the library, so it's a great place to read. The park is behind the library, and there's a lovely lake in the middle of it.
There isn't a train station in Elmswood, but there's a bus stop near the town hall, with buses every twenty minutes to the city.
Question 1.Where is the supermarket?
Question 2.Where is the café?
Question 3.How often do buses come?
Listening Skills · 06
8–10 minA visitor asks for directions in town
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Tourist:Excuse me, is there a chemist's near here?
Local:Yes, there is. Go straight on and it's opposite the bus stop.
Tourist:Thanks! And is there a café near here too?
Local:Yes, there's a nice one on the corner of Mill Street, next to the library.
Tourist:Great. Is the park far from here?
Local:No, it's not far — it's just behind the library, about five minutes on foot.
Tourist:Perfect, thank you very much!
Question 1.Where is the chemist's?
Question 2.Where is the café?
Question 3.How far is the park?
Question 4.Where is the park exactly?
Exam Strategy · 07
5 minA2 Key Listening Part 1 — short dialogues with picture choices
Listen for prepositions of place (opposite, next to, behind) — they usually give you the answer.
Task
Listen to a short dialogue and choose the picture that matches what you hear.
Example
You hear: It's opposite the bank, not next to it. → choose the picture showing the place opposite the bank.
Writing Task · 08
5 minPut it in writing
Q1.'____ a bank near here?' Type ONE word.
Q2.'There ___ two shops on this street.' Type ONE word.
Q3.'The park is ___ the library.' Type ONE word (preposition).
A2 Key Writing Part 6 — Write a short message to a friend explaining where to meet you in town, 25 words or more.
Your writing draft
0 words SavedShow model answer & examiner comment
Hi! Let's meet at the café on the corner of Mill Street. It's next to the library, opposite the bus stop. There's a park behind it too, if the weather is nice. See you at three!
Examiner comment
| 5 | All content points covered; consistent style; range of structures; minor errors only. |
| 3 | Content mostly covered; mostly suitable style; some range; errors don't stop the reader understanding. |
| 1 | Limited content; intrusive errors; very basic structures; under-length. |
Speaking Task · 09
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
In pairs, take turns asking for and giving directions to three places in town (bank, café, park). Use prepositions of place and 'there is/are'.
What to do
Choose the best answer for each line in this everyday conversation about places in town.
- AExcuse me, is there a bank near here?
- B_______________
- AIs the park far from here?
- B_______________
What to do
- 1.A2 Key Speaking Part 2 — Each candidate has a photograph of people in a town or public place.
- 2.Describe your photograph for about 1 minute.
Candidate A — your photograph
Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)
- • Where are these people?
- • What can you see near them?
- • What are they doing?
- • Do you often visit places like this?
Candidate B — your photograph
Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)
- • Where are these people?
- • What's near them?
- • Do you meet friends in places like this?
Useful phrases
- • In this photo I can see…
- • There's a… next to…
- • It looks like…
Show model 1-minute description
In this photo I can see two people in a café. There's a window next to their table and a cup of coffee in front of them. It looks like a nice, quiet place to meet a friend.
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Use if the places-in-town practice finishes early. ~16 min total
Homework · 10
Take-homeTake it home
Self-study — everything you need is included below. All four skills are covered so you keep the spiral going between lessons; pick the order that suits you.
Draw a simple map of your town with 5 places. Write 5 sentences using 'there is/are' and prepositions of place.
Your response
0 words SavedRecord yourself giving directions from your home to your favourite café or shop.
Your response
0 words SavedComplete a gap-fill about places in town using there is/are and prepositions.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Sentences
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Recap · 11
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- 'There is/are' says what exists in a place: There's a bank. There are two parks.
- Questions: Is there…? / Are there any…? Negatives: isn't / aren't.
- Prepositions of place: next to, opposite, between, near, in front of, behind.
- A2 Key Reading Part 3 = match 5 people to 8 short texts; 3 texts are extra.
- A2 Key Listening Part 1 = short dialogues; listen for prepositions of place.
Need more practice?
Optional · your lesson progress stays the sameFuture plans and conditions
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Habits vs right now
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Telling a story in the past
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