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Lesson planA245 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Please Water the Plants: instructions for a house-sitter
Students practise imperatives and prepositions of place to give instructions around the home, then write a note for a house-sitter.
Imperatives · Prepositions place time · Home
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Use imperatives accurately
- Use common prepositions of place and time accurately
- Learn and use 13 words and phrases in 2 sets: In the house and garden, Jobs and people
- Read for detail: A note for Jack
- Writing task: A note for a neighbour
Stages · 45 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about home and share ideas with the class.
- 5 minVocabulary: Ex. 1
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 15 minControlled practice: Ex. 2–4
- 5 minReading: Ex. 5
- 10 minWriting: Ex. 6
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 2 PDFs)Grammar notes
Instructions (imperatives)
- Use the verb to tell someone what to do: Water the plants. Close the windows.
- Negative: Don't + verb: Don't open the back door.
- Add please to be polite: Please feed the cat. Don't forget to + verb: Don't forget to turn off the oven.
Prepositions of place
- in the fridge, on the table, under the stone, behind the house
- next to the door, opposite the supermarket, between the bank and the post office
Prepositions of time
- at + a time: at 7 o'clock, at night
- on + a day: on Tuesday, on Monday morning
- in + part of the day: in the morning, in the evening
- from Monday to Friday · before you go out · after dinner
Study tips
- Write five instructions for your home: Don't forget to turn off the lights.
- Learn the time words in groups: at 7, on Monday, in the morning.
Glossary
- In the house and garden6 items
- Jobs and people7 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Around the house
Choose the correct word or phrase.
- a
The milk and the butter are in the ___.
- b
Put the pizza in the ___ for 15 minutes.
- c
It's dark in here. Can you ___ the light, please?
- d
Please ___ the TV before you go to bed.
- e
The children are playing football in the ___ behind the house.
- f
Look out of the ___ — it's snowing!
2
Instructions
Choose the correct word or words.
- a
___ the plants every two days, please.
- b
___ open the back door. The cat can get out.
- c
Please ___ the windows at night.
- d
Don't ___ to take out the rubbish on Tuesday.
- e
___ the lights on in the living room in the evening.
- f
Please ___ the TV off before you go to bed.
- g
___ worry about the cat. She's fine on her own.
3
Where and when?
Choose the correct word.
- a
The key is ___ the big stone next to the front door. Lift the stone and you can see it.
- b
The cat's bowl is ___ the floor in the kitchen.
- c
The bins are ___ the house. Go out of the back door and you can see them.
- d
The supermarket is ___ my house, on the other side of the road.
- e
The bank is on one side of my house and the post office is on the other side. My house is ___ the bank and the post office.
- f
Please take out the rubbish ___ Tuesday morning.
- g
Feed the cat ___ 7 o'clock.
- h
Water the garden ___ the evening, when it isn't hot.
- i
We're away ___ Monday to Friday.
- j
Close all the windows ___ you go out.
4
Find the mistake
One sentence has a mistake. Choose the correct sentence.
- a
Choose the correct sentence.
- b
Choose the correct sentence.
- c
Choose the correct sentence.
- d
Choose the correct sentence.
- e
Choose the correct sentence.
- f
Choose the correct sentence.
- g
Choose the correct sentence.
- h
Choose the correct sentence.
- i
Choose the correct sentence.
- j
Choose the correct sentence.
- k
Choose the correct sentence.
5
Read: A note for Jack
Read the text. Then choose the correct answer.
Hi Jack, Thank you for looking after the house. We're away from Saturday to Thursday. Here are some instructions. The key: It's under the big stone next to the front door. Please put it back there when you leave. The cat: Feed Bella twice a day, at 8 in the morning and at 6 in the evening. Her food is in the cupboard next to the fridge. Don't give her milk — it makes her ill. The plants: Water the plants in the living room on Monday and Wednesday. Don't water the garden. It's going to rain this week. The rubbish: Please take out the rubbish on Tuesday night. The bins are behind the house. There's some pizza in the fridge for you. Put it in the oven for 15 minutes, and don't forget to turn off the oven after dinner! If there's a problem, call our neighbour, Mrs Green. She lives opposite us, at number 12. Thanks again! Sara
- a
Where is the key?
- b
When does Jack feed the cat in the evening?
- c
Why doesn't Jack need to water the garden?
- d
When does Jack take out the rubbish?
- e
Where does Mrs Green live?
6
Write: A note for a neighbour
Write instructions.
You are going on holiday. A neighbour or friend is looking after your home. Write a note with instructions. (6–8 sentences) Use instructions (Please…, Don't…, Don't forget to…) and words for place and time (in, on, under, next to, at, before…). Word box: key · fridge · oven · turn on · turn off · take out the rubbish · garden · window · plant · neighbour Example: The key is under the plant next to the door. Please water the garden in the evening. Don't forget to take out the rubbish on Friday morning.
Suggested minimum: 40 words
0 words · aim for at least 40
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 13 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 2 sets.
In the house and garden
- key
- a small metal thing. You use it to open or lock a door.
- fridge
- a machine that keeps food and drinks cold
- oven
- you cook or bake food inside it
- window
- glass in a wall. It lets in light.
- garden
- land next to a house, with grass, flowers or trees
- plant
- a living thing that grows in the ground, like a flower
Jobs and people
- turn on
- to start a machine or a light
- turn off
- to stop a machine or a light
- take out the rubbish
- to carry the rubbish out of the house
- neighbour
- a person who lives near you
- water the plants
- to give the plants water
- feed
- to give food to a person or an animal
- forget
- to not remember
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