Holidays — Holiday Verbs & Adjectives (A2 Vocabulary)

A2 VOCABULARY · HOLIDAYS

Holidays

PICTURE

(you add this)

"Having a fantastic time!" / "Awful. All of it."

Holiday verbs & adjectives; go + activity; rent / hire

Reading

Speaking

LEAD-IN

THIS or THAT?

Answer quickly, then compare with a partner. For each pair, choose one:

• Beach or city?

• Hotel or camping?

• Plane or train?

• Photos of everything or no phone at all?

Find one answer where you disagree - defend yours in 2-3 sentences.

BEFORE YOU READ

Two postcards

You're going to read two postcards from two very different holidays. Read the first line of each and predict: which words go in postcard A, and which in B?

A: Having a fantastic time!

B: Rule number one: never go camping in April.

PREDICT

1. sunny · dirty · fantastic · awful · friendly · cold

2. Now read and check.

READ

Postcard A - from Zoe

Silver Bay, Tuesday

Having a fantastic time! We rented a little apartment two minutes from the beach. The weather is warm and sunny every day, so we go swimming every morning before breakfast. Yesterday we went sightseeing in the old town and took about two hundred photos, and today we hired bikes and cycled round the bay. The people here are so friendly and helpful. We eat out every night and go for a walk after dinner. I am spending too much money on souvenirs - but who cares? I do not want to come home. - Zoe

READ

Postcard B - from Leo

Pinewood Campsite, Saturday

Rule number one: never go camping in April. We went away for the weekend to "relax". We travelled by bus - five hours. The campsite is dirty and crowded, and the weather is cold, windy and foggy, so sunbathing on the beach is... not happening. This morning we went for a walk; it rained. The man at reception is unfriendly and unhelpful, and the hotel next to the campsite looks warm, comfortable and, honestly, beautiful. We watch its lights at night. Good news: we go home tomorrow. Awful. All of it. - Leo

UNDERSTANDING

Who is it - Zoe (Z), Leo (L), or both (B)?

1. This person is on holiday by the sea. ____

2. This person is having a terrible time. ____

3. This person went somewhere by bicycle. ____

4. This person went for a walk. ____

5. This person doesn't like the staff. ____

6. This person is spending a lot of money. ____

QUICK TALK

Whose holiday?

Discuss in pairs.

1. Whose holiday is more like your normal holiday - Zoe's or Leo's?

2. What's the best / worst holiday you've ever had?

PICTURE

(you add this)

FIND THE WORDS

Look at the postcards again.

1. Find five phrases with go (+ -ing or a noun). ____________________

2. Find four positive and four negative adjectives. ____________________

3. Which verb goes with: an apartment? bikes? photos? money? ______________

HOW IT WORKS

Holiday language

go + activity

go swimming / sightseeing / camping / skiing / cycling / for a walk / out at night / abroad / away for the weekend / on holiday / by bus (car, plane, train).

HOLIDAY VERB PHRASES

stay in a hotel · take photos · buy souvenirs · sunbathe · have a good time · spend money · book a flight online · rent an apartment (long time) but hire a bike or skis (short time).

ADJECTIVES

positive: comfortable, luxurious, friendly, helpful, beautiful, lovely, warm, sunny

negative: basic, dirty, uncomfortable, unfriendly, unhelpful, noisy, crowded, windy, foggy, cloudy

general: great / wonderful / fantastic - awful / horrible / terrible

PRACTICE

A & B

A - Complete with: book · hire · rent · take · sunbathe · spend

1. In summer we ______ an apartment near the sea for two weeks.

2. It is cheaper to ______ your flight online three months early.

3. You can ______ skis at the hotel - don't bring yours.

4. I never ______ on the beach; I burn in ten minutes.

5. Did you ______ many photos?

6. How much did you ______ on souvenirs?

B - Write the opposite adjective:

comfortable → ____ · friendly → ____ · quiet → ____ · empty → ____ · sunny → ____

FREER

The perfect / awful weekend

In pairs, secretly plan EITHER the perfect weekend away OR the worst weekend imaginable.

DECIDE

where · how you travel · where you stay · three activities · the weather

PICTURE

(you add this)

Present it to another pair with a straight face. They decide: is this heaven, or a trap?

HOMEWORK Write Leo's next postcard - one week later, from somewhere better (40-60 words).

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

Understanding. 1 B 2 L 3 Z 4 B 5 L 6 Z

Find the words. 1 e.g. go swimming, went sightseeing, go for a walk, go camping, went away for the weekend, go home 2 e.g. fantastic, warm, sunny, friendly, helpful / dirty, crowded, cold, windy, foggy 3 rented, hired, took, spending

A. 1 rent 2 book 3 hire 4 sunbathe 5 take 6 spend

B. uncomfortable · unfriendly · noisy · crowded · cloudy or foggy