Small texts for beginners Witch Hazel says: "Our friend

Sunflower has hit again! She has just sent us an exciting activity we can
us with our youngest students. Isn't she an amazingly hyperactive hypernice hyper-friendly English language teacher?

by Jocely de Deus Pinheiro

Instructions for using the following small texts:

LEVEL OF STUDENTS: beginners (Semestre 1)
HABILITIES USED: reading, speaking, listening
necessary materias: phtocopy of the texts below

1. Photocopy the texts and give each student a different

one.

2. Divide students in groups of 3s, maximum 4s.

1. Part 1: Instruct students to read their small text
for their group members while the others should
take note of the following:

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Country:
4. Nationality:
5. Marital status:
6. Occupation:
7. Likes:
8. Doesnt like:

9. Curiosities:
1. After all members have read their small texts,
they can correct their friends "listening
comprehension". This is a good activity to
motivate students to communicate directly with
each other without having the teacher as a
mediator.

2. Part-2: Following this first activity, students should

describe the person on their sheets of paper using the
information given. They must use the 3rd person single
of the Present Simple.
2.2.1. If teacher has time, and depending on the amount of students in
class, ask them to describe their "person/animal" to the plenary. Another
option is to assign a small composition to be done at home!!!
2.2.2. Teacher can ask follow-up questions so that she can check
whether students understood their friends description...

This is John Smith. Hes

Colombian but he lives in
Brazil. He is a prisoner.
Mr Smith is 33 years old.
He doesnt work or study.
Mr Smith cannot read or
write but he can play the
guitar very well. He plays
the guitar every day at
6:30 pm after dinner. The
other prisoners all like his
music. Mr Smith likes
POP ROCK but he
doesnt like SAMBA. Mr
Smith likes Brazilian food
and drinksHe loves
brown chocolate but he
doesnt like white
chocolate. His room
number in the prison is
333 on the 3rd floor.
People call Mr Smith
"The Music Man". Mr
Smith is a happy
prisoner. He wakes up at
5:15am and has
breakfast; he eats very
much!!! He has black
coffee and bread in the
morning but he doesnt
eat fruit or drink milk. He

smokes very much!!!

PART II: Describe

the person using
the information
given.
Name: Mark Spencer
Age: 43
Country:Italy
Phone number: 00
334 379 561
Marital status:
single
Occupation: Civil
Servant
Languages: Italian,
French, English
Learn English: Job,
Travel, Translate
Sports:Football
Favourite food:
Pizza, bread
Car: Mercedez Benz
Music: Classical
music, Romantic
Abilities: Play the
piano, juggle, cook
Part I: Read the
following text

This is Juan Uribe. Hes

from Madrid in Spain but
he lives in Argentina. He
is an actor. Mr Uribe is 23
years old. He works for
TV ARGENTINA. He also
studies; he studies
Journalism at the Federal
University of Argentina.
Mr Uribe cannot sing or
dance but he can play
the violin very well. He
loves classical music and
he listens to it every day
from 5:10 am to 8:45am
every morning. After this
he has fruit juice for
breakfast and goes to
university. Mr Uribe is a
very good student. He
speaks Spanish,

Portuguese, and English.

Mr Uribe lives in a flat.
His flat number is 133, on
the 1st floor. Mr Uribe
loves Spanish food but
he doesnt like Argentine
food. He loves milk
caramels but he doesnt
like chocolate. He doesnt
smoke.
PART II: Describe
the person using
the information
given.
Name: John Kidman
Age: 53
Country: Australia
Phone number: 00
337 393 541
Marital status:
divorced
Occupation: Lawyer
Languages: French,
English
Learn English: Job,
Travel, Translate
Sports: Football
Favourite food:
Sandwiches, COKE
Car: Rolls Royce
Music: Romantic and
Opera
Abilities: Dance,sing
PART I: Read the
following text
This is YOYO. Hes from
Mexico but he lives in the
U.S.A. He is an actor in a
circus. YOYO is 33 years
old. He works for THE
WORLD CIRCUS. He
doesnt study but he
works very much. YOYO
can sing, juggle, and
dance but he cannot play
any instruments. He
loves the circus and he
works every day from
4:40pm to 22:00pm every
evening. Before this he
has fruit juice and bread
for dinner and prepares
his show. YOYO is a very
good actor. He speaks

Spanish, Portuguese,
and English. YOYO lives
in the circus. He lives in a
circus van with other
actors. His van number is
33 and he sleeps on the
1st bed. YOYO loves
Mexican food but he
doesnt like American fast
food. He loves sweets
and chocolate. He
doesnt smoke.
PART II: Describe
the person using
the information
given.
Name: Luana Snake
Age: 17
Country: India
Phone number: 00
334 379 561
Marital status:
single
Occupation: actress
Languages: Hindi,
French, English
Learn English: Job,
Travel
Sports: Volley
Favourite food:
Fruit, bread
Car: (no car a
bicycle)
Music: Classical
music, New Age
Abilities: Sing, dance,
juggle, cook
PART I: Read the
following text

This is Boney. Boney is

an African elephant. It is
an actor in the circus. It
works for THE WORLD
CIRCUS. Boney works
very much. Boney can
ride a bike, juggle, and
dance but it cannot play
any instruments. It loves
the circus and it works
every day from 4:40pm to
22:00pm every evening.
Before the shows it has
fruit, bread, and water for

dinner. Boney is a very

good actor. Boney lives in
the circus. He lives in a
circus cage with other
elephants. Its cage
number is 33 and it
sleeps on the 1st part of
the cage. Boney loves
apples but it doesnt like
bananas. It loves sweets
and chocolate.

PART II: Describe

the person using
the information
given.
Name: Maria Bloom
Age: 23
Country: England
Phone number: 00
334 379 561
Marital status:
married
Occupation: student
Languages: French,
English
Learn English:
Studies, Travel
Sports: Volley,
Gymnastics
Favourite food:
Fruit, bread
Car: (no car- a
motorcycle)
Music: Rock and Roll
Abilities: Play the
violin, dance
Notes for the teacher:
Did your students
enjoy Sunflower's
activity? I'm sure they
did! And don't be
surprised if she'll send
us something even
more exciting very very
soooon...

back to
homepage! Sunflower

English Exercises > quantifiers exercises >

Some/Any/A/An

SOME AND ANY

A AND AN

a/an + singular nouns

"There's a cat in the chair"
"There's an apple in the table"

some/any +
so
(with positiv
"There are

an
(questions a
"There aren't a
"Are there any c

A Complete using some/any/a/an:

1. There's
2. There are

airport next to the city.

beautiful gardens, but there aren't

3. There are

postcards on this table for you

4. Are there
5. There isn't

parents in that party?

shopping centre in this little tow

6. Is there
7. There are

office near here?

good books that you should rea

8. Is there
9. Are there

orange in the fridge?

chocolates in the kitchen?

10. There aren't

11. There's

cookies left, sorry!

house next to the river. Some friends liv

12. Are there

armchairs in your house?

B Decide if these sentences are correct or incorr

Write C (correct) or I (incorrect).
1. There are any pictures on the wall.

2. There is a cat near the wall.

3. Are there some books in the shelves?
4. There aren't any dog in the garden.
5. There are some mistakes in your essay.
6. Is there some boy in the living room?
7. There are some apples in the kitchen.

Barbara: Is there any milk left?

Katherine: Yes, there is some in the bottle on the table.
Barbara: Would you like some milk?
Katherine: No, thank you. I don't think I'll drink any tonight. Could I have some water, please?
Barbara: Sure. There is some in the fridge.

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