New Keys (a, an, the)

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

New Keys

a café, the café, coffee

A2 · 60 minutes

One box

Task You're moving to a new city tomorrow. Your other things come next month. Answer the questions.

You can take one small box. Which four things go in it?

1

Compare with a partner. Are any of your things the same? Say why you chose one of them.

2

Before you read

Task Dara moved to a new city seven days ago. This is the view from his window. In pairs, answer the questions.

What can he see from the window?

1

What is difficult in your first week in a new city? Say two things.

2

Dara's blog: week one

Task Read Dara's blog. Find three good things and two problems.

Seven days ago, I moved to a new city for a new job. Here's my first week.

My flat

My flat is on the fourth floor of an old building. There's no lift, and I hate stairs! The kitchen is tiny, but the windows are big. The flat is nice, but I need furniture. I only have a bed and a chair.

My street

There's a small café on my street. The café opens at seven, and the owner knows my name now. I don't usually like coffee, but the coffee here is amazing.

My neighbour

My neighbour, Ana, is a nurse. On my first day, she brought me a plant and a map of the city. The map is old, but it's very useful.

Saturday

I love markets. I go to one in every city I visit. Here, there's a great market near the station. I bought bread, cheese and an umbrella there. It rained all afternoon!

Monday

I'm an architect, and my new job starts on Monday. The office is next to the station too, so I can walk there. Wish me luck!

Talk about it

Task In pairs. Answer the questions, then tell the class.

What are Dara's good things and problems? Are your ideas from before the reading there?

1

2

What did Ana bring Dara on his first day?

3

What did Dara buy at the market? Which thing did he need that afternoon? Why?

4

You have a new neighbour. What do you give them on their first day?

Which one?

Task Read the sentences from the blog. Then match each bold part to a label. You can use a label more than once.

A

There's a small café on my street.

The café opens at seven.

B

The kitchen is tiny.

C

I don't usually like coffee,

but the coffee here is amazing.

all of it, in general

we know which one

new: the first time

Look again

Task Look again at the blog. Which is correct? Then choose the rules.

1

My neighbour, Ana, is __________.

2

My flat is on the fourth floor of __________.

nurse

a nurse

an old building

a old building

3

__________. I go to one in every city I visit.

4

The flat is nice, but I need __________.

I love markets

I love the markets

a furniture

furniture

Before one thing (one café, one flat), you need…

A. nothing

B. a / an, the or my / your…

C. a / an, the or my / your…, but only sometimes

For things in general (markets, coffee), you use…

A. no article

B. the

Grammar reference

1. Is it one thing?

2. Is it plural or uncountable?

3. a or an?

It never stands alone: it needs a / an, the (or my, your, Ana's…).

New, or what kind / a job: a / an. There's a small café on my street. · It's an old building. · Ana is a nurse.

We know which one: the. The café opens at seven. · The kitchen is tiny.

In general: no article. I love markets. · I don't usually like coffee.

These ones, we know which: the. The windows are big. · The coffee here is amazing.

The first time: some or nothing, never a. I need furniture.

Listen to the next sound, not the letter. an old building, an umbrella, an hour · a café, a university

Countable

a flat, a café, a market

Uncountable

coffee, bread, furniture

Names have no article: Ana, Lisbon, Portugal, King Street. Learn these as phrases: at home, at work, go to work, go home, by bus. a coffee = a cup of coffee.

CAREFUL

Ana's tips

Task Ana writes some tips for Dara. Five sentences have a mistake: a missing, extra or wrong a, an or the. Find and fix them.

1

There's supermarket at the end of our street.

2

The supermarket closes at ten in the evening.

3

Owner of the bakery on the corner is very friendly.

4

There's live music at the café on our street on Fridays.

5

My brother is taxi driver. He can take you to the airport.

6

I don't usually like the dogs, but the dog on the second floor is lovely.

7

There's an university near the station.

Week two

Task Read Dara's second post. Write a, an, the or – (no article).

a

an

the

–

Week two: a party on the roof

My first week at work was great. 1__________ view from my desk is amazing! On Friday, Ana had 2__________ party for her birthday. 3__________ party was on the roof of our building. I don't usually like 4__________ parties, but this one was fun, and 5__________ food was great. I met 6__________ really nice man there. He has 7__________ old black dog. 8__________ dog sat on my feet all evening. It's 9__________ very friendly dog! The man is 10__________ artist, and he makes 11__________ furniture from old wood. Now I want a dog too.

Your place

Task Choose your street or one room in your home. Write four or five sentences about it. Use these starters.

1

There's … next to / near …

2

… is big / small / old / new.

3

There are … on / in …

Things in general, not only in your place: I love … / I don't usually like …

4

Draw it

Task Work with a partner. Describe your place. Your partner draws it.

A: Describe your street or room. B: Listen, draw it and ask questions (don't draw sentence 4).

1

2

Swap.

Look at your partner's drawing of your place. What's right? What's different from your street or room?

3

Homework

Task A Ana writes to Dara after the party. Choose the right word. – = no article.

Hi Dara! Thanks for coming to my party. My sister came from (the / –) Rome for it. She's (a / –) doctor, and she loved (– / the) food. She took (the / a) photo of you with the dog. (The / A) photo is really funny! Do you like (the / –) old films? I watch them all the time. There's (a / the) cinema near the station, and it shows (a / an) old film every Sunday. It's (a / the) small cinema, but it's lovely. Do you want to come this Sunday?

Task B You are Dara. Write a reply to Ana (4–5 sentences). Answer her question about Sunday, tell her about one new thing for your flat, and ask her one question about the cinema. Use a or an, the and no article at least once each.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

TALK ABOUT IT

1 Good things (any three) the big windows; the café and its amazing coffee; the owner knows his name; Ana is kind (a plant and a map); the great market; he can walk to work

1 Problems (any two) no lift and he hates stairs; the tiny kitchen; no furniture (only a bed and a chair); the rain

2 a plant and a map of the city

3 bread, cheese and an umbrella; the umbrella, because it rained all afternoon

ANA'S TIPS

Mistakes 1 There's a supermarket; 3 The owner of the bakery; 5 My brother is a taxi driver; 6 I don't usually like dogs; 7 There's a university

Already right 2, 4

WEEK TWO

1 The · 2 a · 3 The · 4 – · 5 the · 6 a · 7 an · 8 The · 9 a · 10 an · 11 –

WHICH ONE?

a small café new: the first time

The café we know which one

The kitchen we know which one

coffee all of it, in general

the coffee here we know which one

HOMEWORK (A)

• – Rome; a doctor; the food; a photo; The photo; – old films; a cinema; an old film; a small cinema

LOOK AGAIN

Which is correct? 1 a nurse; 2 an old building; 3 I love markets; 4 furniture

Before one thing B: a / an, the or my / your…

Things in general A: no article

HOMEWORK (B)

• Students' own answers. Example: Hi Ana! Yes, I'd love to come on Sunday. I bought a sofa yesterday, and the sofa is really big! I love old films too. Is the cinema expensive?