Expressing Movement - Prepositions (A2 Vocabulary)

A2 VOCABULARY · MOVEMENT

Biscuit's Big Morning

PICTURE

(you add this)

"At 8.00, Biscuit saw an open gate. At 8.01, Biscuit ran away."

Movement prepositions; across / through; away / back

Reading

Speaking

LEAD-IN

Blind directions

Books closed. Describe your route from the front door of your building to your chair - every turn, every stair.

Your partner counts your "movement words" (up, down, through, past...). Swap. Who used more?

BEFORE YOU READ

The map

You will read the true confession of Biscuit the dog. The map shows: a house with steps, a street with a crossing, a church, an old stone bridge, a tunnel, a butcher's shop, and a lake with a small wooden bridge.

PREDICT

Look at the map first. Where does a free dog go first?

READ

"Biscuit's big morning"

A dog's confession

At 8.00, Biscuit the dog saw an open gate. At 8.01, Biscuit ran away. He ran down the steps, along the street, and across the road at the crossing - a polite dog. He went past the church and under the old bridge, said good morning to a duck, and continued through the tunnel. And then: the best smell in the world. Sausages. Biscuit walked into the butcher's shop like a customer. Ten seconds later he ran out of the shop, very fast, with one sausage and one angry butcher behind him. He raced towards the lake, over the little wooden bridge, and round the lake - twice, because the butcher was slow. Finally, at 8.29, Biscuit came back: up the steps, and sat by the front door like a very good dog. At 8.30, Maya opened the door. "Biscuit! Were you in the garden all this time?" Biscuit said nothing. Dogs never do.

UNDERSTANDING

Number Biscuit's route in order (1-8).

• the tunnel

• under the old bridge

• the butcher's shop

• across the road

• past the church

• round the lake

• over the wooden bridge

• down the steps

FIND THE WORDS

Look at the story again.

1. Find twelve preposition phrases of movement (down the steps, ...). Underline them.

2. Two little adverbs show leaving and returning: ran _______ and came _______.

3. Biscuit went under one bridge and over another. What is the difference?

HOW IT WORKS

Movement prepositions

down / up (the steps) · along (the street) · across (the road) · past (the church) · under / over (the bridge) · through (the tunnel) · into / out of (the shop) · towards (the lake) · round / around (the lake)

across or through?

across = one side to the other of something flat with sides (a road, a river, a square).

through = one side to the other but INSIDE something (a tunnel, a forest, a crowd).

away = to another place (he ran away). back = to where you were before (he came back).

PRACTICE

A - Choose the preposition

1. We walked across / through the forest for two hours.

2. She swam across / through the river.

3. Go past / towards the bank and the cafe is on your left.

4. The cat jumped out of / into the box - and then out of / into my suitcase.

5. Run along the beach towards / past the lighthouse.

PRACTICE

B - Complete Biscuit's evening walk

along · past · over · through · up

He walked ______ the street, ______ the supermarket (closed, sadly), ______ the little bridge, ______ the park gates and finally ______ the steps to bed.

FREER

The treasure route

Using the same map: hide "treasure" somewhere (mark it secretly).

WRITE FIVE STEPS

Directions from Biscuit's front door to the treasure in exactly five steps, each with a DIFFERENT preposition. Read them aloud; your partner traces the route and marks an X.

PICTURE

(you add this)

Compare maps. Swap. Fastest correct X wins.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

Understanding - route order. down the steps 1 · across the road 2 · past the church 3 · under the old bridge 4 · the tunnel 5 · the butcher's shop 6 · over the wooden bridge 7 · round the lake 8.

Find the words. 2 away, back 3 under = below it, over = on top of / above it.

A. 1 through 2 across 3 past 4 out of, into 5 towards

B. along · past · over · through · up