The Granny Flatshare — Present Simple & Frequency (A2)

A2 · PRE-INTERMEDIATE | GRAMMAR

The Granny

Flatshare

“My flatmates are 60 years younger than me!”

Present simple · adverbs & expressions of frequency

Reading

Speaking

STAGE 1 · WARM-UP

Who do you live with?

Ask and answer with a partner.

1

Who do you live with?

IMAGE

Do you like living with other people, or do you prefer living alone?

(add your own)

2

3

What is one good thing and one bad thing about sharing a home?

STAGE 2 · BEFORE YOU READ

A huge age gap, but why?

You are going to read about Elsa.

78

She is 78, and she lives with three university students (ages 21, 20 and 23).

PREDICT

IMAGE

Why do you think an old person and young students want to live together?

(add your own)

Think of TWO reasons.

Now read quickly. Are your ideas in the article?

STAGE 3 · READING

Read once — were your reasons there?

“My flatmates are 60 years younger than me!”

Most students share a flat with other students. But in one house in Utrecht, three university students share their home with a very different flatmate: Elsa, a 78-year-old grandmother.

Elsa's husband died six years ago, and her children live far away. “I love my house, but a big house is very quiet when you are alone,” she says. “Now the house is never quiet!”

The students don't pay rent. Instead, they help Elsa. Tom, 21, does the shopping every Saturday. Nadia, 20, cooks dinner three times a week. And Marco, 23, works in the garden. “Elsa doesn't need a lot of help,” says Nadia. “She's very independent. But we eat together most evenings, and we talk a lot.”

Elsa gets up early every day and usually makes coffee for everybody. She doesn't understand the students' music, and they don't watch her favourite TV programmes. But they never argue about important things. “Young people today are the same as young people fifty years ago,” Elsa says. “They sometimes leave dirty plates in the kitchen, but they're kind, and they're good company. I'm never lonely now.”

And the students? “My grandmother lives in another country,” says Tom. “So now I have a Dutch grandmother too. Everybody wins.”

STAGE 4 · COMPREHENSION

Read again and answer

1 Why does Elsa want to live with students?

VOCABULARY

Find the two highlighted words:

2 The students don't pay rent. What do they do instead?

sad because you have no friends or company

3 How do we know Elsa and the students spend time together?

→ ____________

without other people (not good or bad)

4 What problems do they have? Are these problems serious?

→ ____________

STAGE 5 · TALK ABOUT IT

What do you think?

Discuss with a partner.

Do you think this is a good idea? Why / why not?

IMAGE

Would you like to live with someone from a different generation?

(add your own)

STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — NOTICE

Complete the chart from the article

I / you / we / they

he / she / it

+

We eat together most evenings.

She usually ________ coffee for everybody.

–

They ________ pay rent.

She ________ need a lot of help.

?

Why ______ you want to live with students?

Why ______ Elsa want to live with students?

Fill each gap with words from the article.

STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — CHECK

Tick (✓) the correct sentence

A

They argue never about important things.

B

They never argue about important things.

A

She is always very independent.

B

She always is very independent.

A

Tom does the shopping every Saturday.

B

Tom does every Saturday the shopping.

Adverbs of frequency go in a special place — where?

STAGE 7 · THE RULES

Present simple

FORM

SPELLING: he / she / it

+ They live here. She lives here.

help → helps

add -s

– They don't pay rent. She doesn't pay.

study → studies

y → -ies

? Do you like it? Does she like it?

watch → watches

add -es

go / do → goes / does

add -es

Short answers:

Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

have → has

irregular

Yes, she does. / No, she doesn't.

watches: add -es after ch, s, sh, x

Use it for routines, habits & things that are generally true.

After doesn't, no -s: She doesn't cook. ( not cooks )

STAGE 7 · THE RULES

Adverbs & expressions of frequency

100%

0%

always

usually

often

sometimes

hardly ever

never

Before the main verb: She usually makes coffee.

After be: The house is never quiet.

never = positive verb: They never argue. ( not don't never )

Expressions (every day, twice a week) go at the END:

Tom does the shopping every Saturday.

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Make sentences & questions

Write in the present simple. Example: she / usually make coffee → She usually makes coffee.

1 ? Marco / like gardening

6 ? What time / Nadia / cook dinner

2 + my flatmate / study medicine

7 + they / eat together most evenings

3 – we / watch TV together very often

8 – I / see my grandparents very much

4 + Elsa / get up early every day

9 ? how often / you / clean the kitchen

5 – the students / pay rent

10 – Tom / go home at the weekend

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Put the words in order

Example: coffee makes usually she the morning in → She usually makes coffee in the morning.

1 dinner cooks Nadia week three a times

6 usually we in eat kitchen the

2 never they things argue about important

7 week garden the in Marco works a once

3 is quiet the never house

8 always for Elsa is everybody kind

4 shopping Saturday does Tom the every

9 often doesn't Tom his call grandmother

5 music ever hardly listens Elsa to pop

10 visit month my I a parents twice

STAGE 9 · SPEAKING

A flatmate for Elsa

Elsa has a free room! Two people want it. Interview your partner and choose the best new flatmate for Elsa.

STUDENT A

STUDENT B

Ben Okafor, 22

Priya Sharma, 24

Music student

Nursing student

PHOTO

friendly · funny · a bit messy

PHOTO

quiet · tidy · hard-working

Gets up late; practises the trumpet every evening.

Gets up at 6.00; goes running every morning.

Likes: cooking, old films.

Likes: baking, board games.

Doesn't like: cleaning, getting up early.

Doesn't like: loud music, parties at home.

STAGE 9 · SPEAKING

Interview, then decide

ASK ABOUT THE OTHER CANDIDATE

DECIDE TOGETHER

1 How old is she / he?

Who is the better flatmate for Elsa?

2 What does she / he do?

3 What's she / he like?

Remember what Elsa likes — look at the article again if you need to.

4 What time does she / he get up?

Tell the class your choice and give TWO reasons.

5 What does she / he do every day?

6 What does she / he like doing?

BEFORE YOU GO

7 What doesn't she / he like doing?

How often do YOU cook, clean and tidy? Tell your partner — use three frequency adverbs.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE

Answer key

4 Comprehension

1 Her husband died, her children live far away, the house is too quiet — she doesn't want to be lonely.

2 They help her: Tom shops, Nadia cooks 3×/week, Marco does the garden.

3 They eat together most evenings and talk a lot; Elsa makes coffee for everybody.

4 Different music/TV tastes, dirty plates — not serious; they never argue about important things.

Vocabulary: 1 lonely 2 alone

6a makes / don't / doesn't / do / does

6b 1 B · 2 A · 3 A

8a Make sentences

1 Does Marco like gardening? 2 My flatmate studies medicine. 3 We don't watch TV together very often. 4 Elsa gets up early every day. 5 The students don't pay rent. 6 What time does Nadia cook dinner? 7 They eat together most evenings. 8 I don't see my grandparents very much. 9 How often do you clean the kitchen? 10 Tom doesn't go home at the weekend.

8b Word order

1 Nadia cooks dinner three times a week. 2 They never argue about important things. 3 The house is never quiet. 4 Tom does the shopping every Saturday. 5 Elsa hardly ever listens to pop music. 6 We usually eat in the kitchen. 7 Marco works in the garden once a week. 8 Elsa is always kind to everybody. 9 Tom doesn't often call his grandmother. 10 I visit my parents twice a month.