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Lesson 25
Module 07 · Words in Context
A2

A2 Key:Home & Where You Live

Rooms, furniture and describing a home · there is / there are + a lot of / some / any

60 min A2 Key — Home and where you live (all four skills)

A2 Key parts in this lesson

Reading 5Listening 1Speaking 1Writing 1Vocabulary

Why this lesson now? Revisits Speaking 1 + Writing 1 from M01; introduces Reading 5 and Listening 1.

Your level · You are here

  1. A0/A1Beginner
  2. A1/A2Elementary
  3. A2/B1Pre-Intermediate
  4. B1/B1+Intermediate
  5. B2Upper-Intermediate
  6. C1Advanced
  7. C2Proficiency

Get ready · 01

5 min

Get talking

discussion
My favourite room

Tell your partner: which room in your home do you like best, and why?

activity
Draw and describe

Draw a quick plan of your kitchen or living room. Show it to a partner and describe it.

reflection
Flat or house?

Would you rather live in a flat in the city or a house in the countryside? Why?

Grammar for the Exam · 02

8–10 min

there is / there are + a lot of / some / any

Grammar Bank: there is / there are + a lot of / some / anyJumps straight to this rule — full explanation, examples & practice
Quick rule

There's + singular/uncountable. There are + plural. Some (positive), any (negative/question), a lot of (both).

How it works
  1. 1We use there is (there's) with singular and uncountable nouns, and there are with plural nouns, to say what exists in a place: There's a sofa in the living room.
  2. 2There are two bedrooms.
  3. 3We use some in positive sentences (There are some plants), any in negatives and questions (There isn't any furniture yet.
  4. 4Is there any milk?), and a lot of when there is a large amount, in positive sentences and questions.
Examples

  • There's a big window in my bedroom.

  • There are three chairs in the kitchen.

  • There isn't any hot water this morning.

  • Is there a garden? — Yes, there's a small one.

  • There are a lot of shops near my flat.

Question 1.____ a sofa in the living room.

Question 2.____ two bathrooms in the flat.

Question 3.There isn't ____ furniture in the room yet.

Question 4.There are ____ nice cafés near my house.

Question 5.____ there a garden behind the house?

Question 6.There are ____ books on the shelf.

Answer all items, then check.
Conversation Builder
Say it naturally

Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.

1.Describe your kitchen

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

2.Ask about a garden

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

3.Say what's missing

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

Quick check 1.Which sentence is correct?

Answer all items, then check.

Exam Vocabulary · 03

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

Open Vocabulary BankTap any word below to jump straight to its entry
1

living room

the room where you relax and watch TV

Use it

Say one piece of furniture in your living room.

2

wardrobe

a tall cupboard for clothes

Use it

Say what colour your wardrobe is.

3

shelf / shelves

a flat surface fixed to a wall for books or objects

Use it

Say what's on your shelves.

4

landlord / tenant

the owner of a rented home / the person who rents it

Use it

Are you a tenant or do you own your home?

5

move house

go and live in a different home

Use it

When did you last move house?

6

cosy

warm and comfortable

Use it

Describe a cosy room you know.

Matching

What to do

Match each home word/phrase with its meaning.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check.
Categorise

What to do

Sort each word under the correct room of the house.

Answer all items, then check.
Use it now

Activation · Personalise · Recycle

Use today's home vocabulary in full sentences.

Ask your partner
Task 1

Ask your partner

  • What's in your living room?
  • Is your wardrobe big or small?
  • Which room in your home is the cosiest?
Useliving roomwardrobecosy
Complete it
Task 2

"The last time I moved house / a family member moved house was..."move house

Your opinion
Task 3

Do you think it's better to rent or own your home? Give a reason.

Give your answer + one reason.

Uselandlordtenant
Quick write
Task 4

Write 30 words describing your favourite room at home.

Usethere's acosyshelf

Pronunciation for Speaking · 04

3–4 min

there's vs. theirs

Say it like this

There's /ðeəz/ = there is. Say it quickly and weakly in a sentence.

  • • There's a mirror on the wall.
  • • There's a big window here.
  • • There are two lamps in the corner.
  • • Is there a balcony?

Reading Skills · 05

8–10 min

My new flat

Read along — listen to the text

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Hi Marta,

I moved into my new flat last week and I love it! It's small, but it's really cosy. There's one bedroom, a bathroom, and an open kitchen and living room together. There's a big window, so the flat is always bright.

There isn't a garden, but there's a small balcony with two chairs. There are a lot of cafés and shops near the flat, which is great because I don't have a car.

The only problem is there isn't any storage space! There aren't many cupboards, so I need to buy some shelves.

Come and visit soon!
Eva

Question 1.How many bedrooms does Eva's flat have?

Question 2.What does the flat NOT have?

Question 3.What does Eva want to buy?

Answer all items, then check.
PET Reading Part 1

What to do

  1. 1.A2 Key Reading Part 1 — Read the notice.
  2. 2.Choose the correct answer, A, B or C.
Notice in the hallway of a block of flats

To all residents

TO ALL RESIDENTS There is no hot water between 9am and 11am today. We are sorry for the problem.

1.What does the notice tell residents?

Text message from a flatmate
Jess13:45
Hi! There's a lot of post for you on the kitchen table. Also, we're out of milk — can you get some on your way home?

2.What does the flatmate ask you to do?

Advert in a shop window

Room to rent

ROOM TO RENT Big bedroom, quiet street. There's a shared kitchen and bathroom. No pets, please.

3.What is NOT allowed in this room?

Answer all items, then check.

Listening Skills · 06

8–10 min

A woman describes her new flat to a friend

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Ana:So, tell me about the new flat! What's it like?

Ben:It's great, actually. There are two bedrooms and a nice big kitchen.

Ana:Is there a garden?

Ben:No, there isn't, but there's a small balcony with space for a table.

Ana:Are there a lot of shops nearby?

Ben:Yes, there are — there's a supermarket right on the corner, which is really convenient.

Ana:That sounds perfect. Is there any parking?

Ben:There isn't any parking for cars, but there's a place for bikes. I don't drive, so that's fine for me.

Question 1.How many bedrooms does Ben's flat have?

Question 2.What does the flat have instead of a garden?

Question 3.What is right on the corner?

Answer all items, then check.
PET Listening Part 3

What to do

  1. 1.A2 Key Listening Part 2 — Listen and complete the notes.
  2. 2.Write ONE word or a number in each gap.

Part 3 audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Ben's new flat

Notes
  • Number of bedrooms:
  • Outside space:
  • Shop nearby:
  • Parking for cars:
  • Parking for:
Answer all items, then check.

Exam Strategy · 07

5 min

A2 Key Reading Part 1 — short notices

Strategy

Read the notice slowly first, then match its MEANING to one option, not just matching words.

Task

Look at the short notice, notice or message and choose the option (A, B or C) that says the same thing in different words.

Example

Notice: No hot water between 9 and 11am. → Correct meaning: There is no hot water for two hours, not there is no water at all.

Writing Task · 08

5 min

Put it in writing

Sentence transformation
Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.'____ a sofa in the living room.' Type ONE word.

Q2.'____ there any parking?' Type ONE word.

Q3.'There isn't ___ hot water.' Type ONE word.

Answer all items, then check.
Writing Part 2Write an article
≈100 words

A2 Key Writing Part 6 — write a short message. See the full task below.

Your writing draft

0 words Saved
Show model answer & examiner comment

See WRITING_PART1 for a full worked example.

EX

Examiner comment

Reward range, organisation and style. Penalise lists, off-topic or under-length answers.
Mark scheme extract
5All content points covered; consistent style; range of structures; minor errors only.
3Content mostly covered; mostly suitable style; some range; errors don't stop the reader understanding.
1Limited content; intrusive errors; very basic structures; under-length.
PET Writing Part 1 · Email

What to do

  1. 1.A2 Key Writing Part 6 — Read the notes.
  2. 2.Write a short message to a friend about your new home (25 words or more).
Note from a friendSubject: Your new place!

Hi! I heard you moved house. Tell me about it!

✎ Say what kind of home it is (flat/house).
✎ Say how many rooms there are.
✎ Invite your friend to visit.

Your reply must cover:

  1. type of home
  2. number of rooms
  3. an invitation to visit
Show model answer

Hi! Yes, I moved last week — I've got a small flat with two bedrooms and a lovely bright kitchen. There's a little balcony too. Come and visit soon, I'd love to show you around!

Speaking Task · 09

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Open Expressions BankConversation phrases and functional language from across the course

In pairs. Describe your home to your partner: rooms, furniture and what there is / isn't. Ask each other at least three questions using 'Is there…?' or 'Are there…?'

Useful phrases

PET Speaking Part 2 · Photo description

What to do

  1. 1.A2 Key Speaking Part 2 — Each candidate has a photograph.
  2. 2.Describe your photograph for about 1 minute.
Candidate A Photograph 1
A woman cooking pasta and vegetables at the stove in a bright, modern kitchen.

Candidate A — a home kitchen

Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)
  • • What can you see in the kitchen?
  • • What is the woman doing?
  • • What's in your kitchen at home?
  • • Do you enjoy cooking?
Candidate B Photograph 2
Three friends sitting around a wooden dining table at home, sharing a meal and laughing.

Candidate B — friends at home

Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)
  • • Where are these people?
  • • What can you see on the table?
  • • Is there a dining room in your home?
  • • Do you often have guests at home?

Useful phrases

  • • In the photo I can see…
  • • There's a … / There are a lot of…
  • • It looks like…
  • • In my home there's…
Show model 1-minute description

In the photo I can see a kitchen. There's a woman cooking at the stove and there are a lot of fresh vegetables on the table. The kitchen looks bright and modern. In my home there's a small kitchen with a window, and I usually cook there in the evening.

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Use if the home and where-you-live practice finishes early. ~16 min total

Homework · 10

Take-home

Take 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.

WritingProductive

Write 8–10 sentences describing your home using 'there is / there are' and at least 3 quantifiers (some/any/a lot of).

Your response

0 words Saved
VocabularyLanguage

Draw a plan of your home and label each room and 5 pieces of furniture in English.

Your response

0 words Saved
GrammarLanguage

Grammar gap-fill — complete each sentence with 'there is', 'there are', 'some' or 'any'.

Your response

0 words Saved

Materials included

Sentences

1) ___ a mirror in my bedroom. 2) ___ two sofas in the living room. 3) There isn't ___ garden. 4) Are ___ shops near your flat? 5) There are ___ nice restaurants in my street. 6) ___ a balcony in your flat?

Attempt the task first, then check your answers.

Recap · 11

2–3 min

What you've learned

  • there is + singular/uncountable; there are + plural.
  • some = positive sentences; any = negatives and questions; a lot of = large amounts.
  • Question form: Is there…? / Are there…?
  • A2 Key Reading Part 1 = match the MEANING of a short notice, not the exact words.
  • A2 Key Listening Part 2 = note completion; predict the word type before you listen.
Extra Practice

Need more practice?

Optional · your lesson progress stays the same

Course topics in new sentences

Practise this exam skill

Word partners

Practise this exam skill

Answering questions about yourself

Practise this exam skill

All Extra Practice
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