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GENERAL ENGLISH · PRACTICAL ENGLISH · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

DESCRIBING
NEIGHBOURS

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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you know your neighbours?

2. Do you think you are a good neighbour? Why, why not?
3. What makes a good or bad neighbour?

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DESCRIBING NEIGHBOURS

2 Talking point
Look at the image. Using the verbs from the box describe what the people are doing.

work / have / talk / chat / water / clean / hang / sit / play

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3 Focus on vocabulary: neighbours

Part A: Read the descriptions and match them to an adjective below.

chatty funny honest

inconsiderate kind nosy
polite rude tidy

1. I stop and talk to all my neighbours and tell them my news and stories.

2. I like to make my neighbours laugh.

3. I keep the front of my house clean and neat.

4. I want to know what my neighbours are doing so I watch them from my window.

5. I don’t bother saying hello to my neighbours even when they talk to me.

6. My neighbours know they can trust me. I always take care of their house when they are away.

7. I care for my neighbours and help them when they need it.

8. I am always respectful of my neighbours.

9. I don’t care if my music is too loud, I like to listen to it in the evenings after a night out.

Part B: In pairs, put the adjectives in the columns below.

Qualities you want in a neighbour Qualities you don’t want in a neighbour

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4 Listening comprehension: describing your neighbour

Part A: Listen to three people talking about their neighbours. Tick the topics they all talk about.

1. How long they have known their neighbours.

2. What their neighbours look like.

3. What their neighbours’ houses or apartments look like.

4. What their neighbours are like.

5. How they feel about their neighbours

Part B: Listen again and match the people (Harriet, Billy, Jacob) to the questions. There may be more
than one person for each question.

1. Who has a good relationship with their neighbours?

2. Who has inconsiderate neighbours?

3. Who shares many interests with their neighbour?

4. Who doesn’t speak to their neighbours?

5 Language point: phrases

Part A: Match (1-9) to (a-i) to complete the phrases from the neighbour descriptions. Listen again and
check your answers. From the context, discuss the meaning of each phrase with your partner.

1. next-door a. neighbour

2. build b. along

3. have c. out

4. get d. person

5. fall e. it off

6. hit f. care of

7. take g. a lot in common

8. private h. an argument

9. have i. a relationship

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Part B: Match each definition below with a phrase Part A.

1. like someone immediately

2. someone who doesn’t share details of their life or their thoughts

3. have a good relationship with someone

4. a disagreement

5. look after someone or something

6. shared interests and ideas

7. developing a connection with someone over time

8. stop being friends with someone

9. the person living in the next house or flat

Part C: In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you get along with your neighbours?

2. Do you think it is important to build a good relationship with your neighbours?
3. Have you ever had an argument or fallen out with a neighbour? Why?
4. Do you think it is important to have a lot in common with your neighbours?
5. Do you take care of your neighbours’ plants or pets when they go away?
6. Have you ever hit it off with a neighbour? What was the connection?

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6 Talking point: describing your neighbour

Fill in the table with notes about your neighbour. Then describe it to a partner and make notes about
what they say about their neighbour.

You Your partner

Who they are.

How long have you known

them.

What they are like.

How you feel about them.

Any additional information.

7 Optional extension: game

Listen to your teacher’s instructions.

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Transcripts

4. Listening comprehension: describing your neighbour

Narrator: Harriet

Harriet: I know two of my neighbours. Ben lives in the flat above me, and Mr Jake lives below. Ben
has been my neighbour for about three years, and Mr Jake has been my neighbour for
about a year. Ben and I hit it off straight away as we have lots in common. We both have a
love for cooking. We always share recipes and talk about food. He is also very funny and
makes me laugh. I get along with Mr Jake. He is kind and polite, but I don’t see him very
often. He is a private person and I respect that.

Narrator: Billy

Billy: My next-door neighbour is called Bonny. I have known her for over ten years. She
moved in just after me. Bonny is wonderful. I am lucky to have her as a neighbour.
She is honest and trustworthy, and she always helps when I need her to take care of my
cat. The neighbours who live opposite me are not interested in getting to know me. I
introduced myself when they moved in, but they were quite rude, so I haven’t tried to
build a relationship.

Narrator: Jacob

Jacob: I have terrible neighbours. When they first moved in last year, they were friendly, and we
got along well but then they started having loud parties late at night. If it was just one
party, it would be ok, but they have them every weekend. I went to talk to them about it,
but we had a big argument and fell out. We haven’t spoken since. I don’t know any of my
other neighbours.

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DESCRIBING NEIGHBOURS

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This stage allows the students to personalise the topic. In pairs, they answer the questions. During feedback,
highlight and add any useful language to the board.

2. Talking point

5 mins.
This stage is to introduce the topic. First, show the students the image and elicit the word neighbours. Clarify the
meaning and practise pronunciation. Then ask the students what they can see in window number one. Try and
elicit the structure he/she + is/ they are + verbing (present continuous). At this level, the students are likely to
have used this structure. Now ask them in pairs, to talk about the other neighbours. They should use a verb from
the box. Check the meaning of the verbs before starting.
Answers:
1) She is working on her computer.
2) She is talking on the phone.
3) He is sitting with his cat.
4) They are chatting.
5) They are chatting.
6) She is watering the plants.
7) She is cleaning the windows.
8) She is hanging her clothes.
9) He is playing the guitar.
10) They are having a party.

3. Focus on vocabulary: neighbours

Part A:
5 mins.
This stage is for students to learn a set of adjectives to describe neighbours. First, they read the different comments
and match the people with an adjective from the box. Check the meaning of each adjective using synonyms and
antonyms and examples. Then highlight and practise pronunciation.

1. chatty 2. funny 3. tidy

4. nosy 5. rude 6. honest
7. kind 8. polite 9. inconsiderate
Part B:
5 mins.
Now students categorise the adjectives. Students might have different ideas about what characteristics they want
and don’t want in a neighbour.

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DESCRIBING NEIGHBOURS

4. Listening comprehension: describing your neighbour

Part A:
5 mins.
This stage is for students to hear the language in context. They listen to three people talking about their neighbours.
First, they listen to the content and tick the topics they all talk about.

1. ✓ How long they have known their neighbours.

4. ✓ What their neighbours are like.
5. ✓ How they feel about their neighbours
Part B:
5 mins.
Now students listen to the recording again and match people to the questions. Differentiate between looks like
(appearance) and is/are like (characteristic).

1. Harriet and Billy (only one of his neighbours) 2. Jacob

3. Harriet 4. Jacob and Billy (the neighbours who live opposite)

5. Language point: phrases

Part A:
5 mins.
This stage is to introduce phrases to talk about neighbours. First, the students match the words and phrases.
Ask them to check their ideas with their partners. They then listen again to check their answers. They then
discuss the meaning of each phrase from the context. Check the answers and their meaning. Model and practise
pronunciation

1. → a. 2. → i. 3. → h. 4. → b. 5. → c. 6. → e. 7. → f. 8. → d. 9. → g.
Part B:
5 mins.
This stage is for the students to practise the phrases. First, they match up the definitions to the phrases. Check
the answers before asking students, in pairs, to discuss the questions.

1. hit it off 2. private person 3. get along

4. have an argument 5. take care of 6. have a lot in common
7. build a relationship 8. fall out 9. next-door neighbour
Part C:
5 mins.
Students discuss the questions using the phrases in order to acknowledge them better.

6. Talking point: describing your neighbour

5 mins.
This stage is for students to practise and personalise the language in a communicative task. First, ask them to
think about their own neighbours and make notes. Give them a time limit. Monitor and help with any unknown
words. Then, put the students into different pairs and ask them to describe their neighbours. While listening they
should make notes about their partner’s description. During task feedback, you can ask the students to report
back one piece of information they learned about the partner’s neighbour(s).

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DESCRIBING NEIGHBOURS

* Monitor from afar during the speaking task and jot down any good examples of language or errors and provide
some post-task language feedback.
* If the students don’t have any neighbours or they know nothing about them, they can use previous neighbours
or use their imagination to create a neighbour.

7. Optional extension: game

10 mins.
This is a quick class game to review the lexis from the lesson. Put all the words and phrases on the board randomly.
Ask the students to stand up and put them into two groups. Ask each group to stand in a line facing the board.
One person from each group turns their back to the board. You read out a definition or synonym. They then have
to turn around and hit the correct word or phrase. The fastest person gets a point for the group. Then, the next
students in line come forward. Continue this until all students have played the game. The other students cannot
touch the board or shout the answers. The group with the most points wins the game.

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