Blog Archives

Writing Assignment: The Classroom (Solution)

1. Who is standing at the desk in the front of the room?
The teacher is standing at the desk in the front of the room.

2. How many students are in the picture?
There are four students in the picture.

3. Are most of the students sitting or standing?
Most of the students are sitting at their desks.

4. Who is writing on the blackboard?
A girl is writing on the blackboard.

5. Is the girl writing in English?
Yes, the girl is writing in English.

6. Which subject are they learning in this classroom?
They are learning English in this classroom.

7. With what is the girl writing on the chalkboard?
The girl is writing with a piece of chalk on the blackboard.

8. How many blackboards are in the picture?
There are two blackboards in the picture.

9. Where is the clock? What time is it?
The clock is on the wall between the two blackboards. It is about 1:30.

10. Is the teacher standing in the front or the back of the classroom?
The teacher is standing in the front of the classroom.

11. What is the teacher holding in his right hand?
The teacher is holding a pen (or a pencil) in his right hand.

12. What is under the desk on the right hand side?
A wastepaper basket is under the desk on the right hand side.

13. Where is the ink?
The ink is in a bottle on the teacher’s desk.

14. Are the two books on the teacher’s desk opened or closed?
The two books on the teacher’s desk are closed.

15. In which hand is the teacher holding the box?
The teacher is holding the box in his left hand.

16. With what are the students writing on the school desk?
The students are writing with a pen (pencil) on the school desk.

17. Is the girl sitting to the right or the left of the two male students?
The girl is sitting to the right of the two male students.

18. Who is wearing glasses?
The teacher is wearing glasses.

19. What is the girl reading out loud?
The girl is reading a book out loud.

20. Do you like to translate from your mother tongue into English?
Yes, I enjoy translating from my mother tongue into English!

Paragraph: My English Class

Write a paragraph about your English class.

In our English class there are many people. Some are businessmen. Some have their own dry cleaning or nail shop. Some are retired and just want to improve their English. All of them had some English when they were in school, but they realize that they have to study more to be able to talk to their customers.

We practice English in various ways. Sometimes we read a book that is not too difficult, like a children’s book, and then translate it. Sometimes we read aloud to practice our pronunciation. Sometimes we write a letter or a short paragraph, like this exercise. Another good activity is to play a puzzle or a game, to get us thinking in English instead of our mother tongue. Sometimes we watch a TV program or a movie for listening practice. All these different activities help us to understand and use English better.

At the end of the semester, we have a little class party. In the summertime we can go somewhere and have a picnic. Otherwise, we just go out to a restaurant, or have a pizza party in the classroom. It all depends on what the class wants to do. No matter what, we learn English together and have fun doing it!

Google

Writing Assignment: The Classroom

classroom

Vocabulary

1. pair of glasses
2. in the back
3. in the front
4. desk
5. book
6. textbook
7. box
8. classroom
9. student
10. late
11. English class
12. teacher
13. blackboard
14. white board
15. ink
16. to learn, study
17. to translate
18. in English
19. into English
20. most (of them)
21. subject (of study)
22. open
23. closed
24. clock
25. gladly, like to
26. to write
27. to write on
28. to write to
29. to read out loud
30. to hold

Use the above vocabulary to help you in answering the following questions. Try to write in complete sentences, as much as you can.

1. Who is standing at the desk in the front of the room?

2. How many students are in the picture?

3. Are most of the students sitting or standing?

4. Who is writing on the blackboard?

5. Is the girl writing in English?

6. Which subject are they learning in this classroom?

7. With what is the girl writing on the chalkboard?

8. How many blackboards are in the picture?

9. Where is the clock? What time is it?

10. Is the teacher standing in the front or the back of the classroom?

11. What is the teacher holding in his right hand?

12. What is under the desk on the right hand side?

13. Where is the ink?

14. Are the two books on the teacher’s desk opened or closed?

15. In which hand is the teacher holding the box?

16. With what are the students writing on the school desk?

17. Is the girl sitting to the right or the left of the two male students?

18. Who is wearing glasses?

19. What is the girl reading out loud?

20. Do you like to translate from your mother tongue into English?

Paragraph: My English Class

Write a paragraph about your English class.

Google

Writing Assignment: The Restaurant (Solutions)

1. Is the restaurant completely full?
No, there are some empty tables.

2. Are the people in this restaurant dressed elegantly or simply?
The people are elegantly dressed.

3. What is the woman in the foreground drinking?
The woman in the foreground is drinking coffee.

4. What kind of food is on the table in the bottom left corner?
There is a slice of bread, a couple of pats of butter, some celery, and a bowl of peas.

5. What kind of seasonings do you usually find on the dinner table?
We usually find salt and pepper on the dinner table, as well as sugar.

6. What kind of silverware is to the right of the plate?
To the right of the plate is a spoon and a knife.

7. How many forks does each guest get in this restaurant?
In this restaurant, each guest gets two forks.

8. Do you begin eating with the left or the right fork?
We begin eating with the left fork.

9. What stands in the middle of each table?
In the middle of each table stand a vase with a rose.

10. At the second table does the man or the lady order the meal?
At the second table, the man is ordering the meal.

11. What is the man by the waiter reading?
The man by the waiter is reading the menu.

12. What is on the top of the stairs?
On the top of the stairs is a potted plant.

13. Who is setting the table in the background?
A waiter is setting the table in the background.

14. What is the couple in the middle waiting for?
The couple in the middle is waiting for a table.

15. Who is wearing a corsage?
The lady at the table in the lower right-hand corner is wearing a corsage.

16. What is the lady on the first table on the right eating?
She is eating a steak.

17. Where do you see a column in this picture?
We see a column on the right-hand side in this picture.

18. Do you say “cheers” when you’re drinking coffee or when you’re drinking wine?
We say “cheers” when we’re drinking wine.

19. Do you say “enjoy your meal” before or after you have eaten?
We say “enjoy your meal” before we’ve eaten.

20. When do the guests get the check from the waiter?
The guests get the check from the waiter after they’ve eaten dinner.

Paragraph: A Meal in a Restaurant

Write a paragraph about a meal you ate in a restaurant. What did you have to eat? How did you enjoy it? What kind of restaurant was it? Was the restaurant elegant and fancy, or was it plain and simple?
yummy appetizer

On New Year’s Eve we went out to eat at Chili’s. Chili’s is a mid-level, casual dining restaurant – it isn’t a fancy restaurant where people have to get dressed up, but neither is it a fast food place. This restaurant focuses on a “Tex-Mex” (Texan-Mexican) cuisine. Many of the flavorings of their dishes come from hot peppers, giving the restaurant its name.

The first thing that we had was an appetizer called an onion “blossom.” It is an onion that is cut to resemble a flower with its petals wide open. The onion is dipped into a batter and then deep-fried. The individual “petals” of the onion flower look like French fries, and can be dipped in a sauce that comes with the appetizer.

After the appetizer, we had our main meal. I ordered a grilled chicken breast, and my husband ordered steak. Hannah ordered chicken strips, as she usually does. We both enjoyed our dinner, but the steak seemed a little on the small side. I thought about having some dessert, but after finishing the meal I was full.

Google

Writing Assignment: The Restaurant

Vocabulary

1. to begin
2. dressed
3. a toast, cheers
4. corsage
5. big, bigger, biggest
6. check
7. column
8. to get, receive
9. plate
10. flight of stairs
11. silverware
12. enjoy your meal
13. to cross
14. to order
15. full
16. lady
17. background
18. before
19. to set the table
20. in the front
21. corner
22. everyone
23. foreground
24. simply
25. coffee drinking
26. elegantly
27. waiter
28. to wait
29. to eat
30. light
31. what kind of
32. meal, food
33. wine drinking
34. fork
35. middle
36. for what
37. completely
38. after
39. first
40. guest, customer
41. couple, pair

1. Is the restaurant completely full?

2. Are the people in this restaurant dressed elegantly or simply?

3. What is the woman in the foreground drinking?

4. What kind of food is on the table in the bottom left corner?

5. What kind of seasonings do you usually find on the dinner table?

6. What kind of silverware is to the right of the plate?

7. How many forks does each guest get in this restaurant?

8. Do you begin eating with the left or the right fork?

9. What stands in the middle of each table?

10. At the second table does the man or the lady order the meal?

11. What is the man by the waiter reading?

12. What is on the top of the stairs?

13. Who is setting the table in the background?

14. What are the couple in the middle waiting for?

15. Who is wearing a corsage?

16. What is the lady on the first table on the right eating?

17. Where do you see a column in this picture?

18. Do you say “cheers” when you’re drinking coffee or when you’re drinking wine?

19. Do you say “enjoy your meal” before or after you have eaten?

20. When do the guests get the check from the waiter?

Paragraph: A Meal in a Restaurant

Write a paragraph about a meal you ate in a restaurant. What did you have to eat? How did you enjoy it? What kind of restaurant was it? Was the restaurant elegant and fancy, or was it plain and simple?

Google

Writing Assignment: Going skating (Solution)

going skating

 

1. Where is this family skating?

They are skating outside.

2. How many people are skating in the picture?

There are three people skating in the picture.

3. Is anyone skating backwards?

No one is skating backwards. They are all skating forwards.

4. Is anyone doing a figure eight?

No, no one is doing a figure eight.

5. Is anyone making a crossover turn?

No, no one is making a crossover turn.

6. Can the baby skate?

No, the baby is too young to skate.

7. What is the baby doing instead of skating?

Instead of skating, the baby is riding in a push sled.

8. What is the father doing?

The father is pushing the baby in the baby sled while he is skating. He is also holding the hand of the big sister.

9. What type of skates does the father have?

The father has either hockey skates or figure skates.

10. What is the mother doing?

The mother is holding the hand of the big sister while she is skating.

11. What type of skates does the mother have?

It looks like the mother has hockey skates. Women’s figure skates are usually white.

12. What type of skates does the big sister have?

The big sister has beginner skates, or double-bladed skates.

13. Can the big sister skate by herself, or does she need help?

No, she cannot skate by herself. She needs help in learning how to skate.

14. Is it cold in the picture?

Yes, it is cold. The water is frozen.

15. Is anyone wearing a scarf?

Yes. The mother is wearing a head scarf to keep warm. The baby is also wearing a scarf.

16. Who is wearing a hat?

The two girls are wearing hats.

17. Who is not wearing a hat?

The father is not wearing a hat. He does not have anything on his head to keep warm. The mother is not wearing a hat, but she still has something on her head to keep warm.

18. What do the people have on their hands to keep their hands from getting cold?

The people are wearing mittens and gloves to keep their hands warm.

19. Is the family skating on an ice rink, a river, a lake, or a pond?

The family is not skating on an ice rink. They are outdoors, skating on a river or a lake.

20. How much snow is there on the ice?

There is no snow on the ice.

21. What must be done if there is snow on the ice and someone wants to go skating?

If there is snow on the ice and someone wants to go skating, the ice must be cleared and the snow shoveled off.

22. How thick should the ice be for it to be safe for skating?

The ice should be at least 8 – 10 cm thick for it to be safe for skating.

23. What happens if the ice is too thin to skate on?

If the ice is too thin to skate on, it is dangerous. The ice could break, and the skater could fall in and drown.

24. Why are there cracks in the ice?

There are cracks in the ice because ice expands as it freezes.

25. Is it safe to go skating if there are cracks in the ice?

If the cracks are from the ice expanding as it gets colder, it is usually okay to skate on. If the cracks come from someone breaking the ice to open it up for water, it is probably not safe to go skating there.

Paragraph: Going Ice Skating

Have you ever been ice skating? What was it like? Was it outdoors, or at a rink? Did you fall down a lot when you first learned to ice skate? If you have never been ice skating, write about what you think would be fun about ice skating (or what would not be fun, if you don’t like it).

When I was younger, I grew up near a river. In the summertime, we went swimming, fishing, and boating on the river. But in the wintertime, the river would freeze over, and then we could go ice skating. My father would always check the ice first to make sure it was thick enough and safe for skating. If there was snow on the ice, we had to shovel it off before we could go skating there. We could make as big as rink as we wanted, but a bigger rink also meant that there was a lot more snow shoveling to do before we could skate there.

When I first learned to ice skate, I had double-bladed skates. They were strapped on over my snow boots. The double blades made it easier for me to become accustomed to skating on the ice. After I got better at skating, I could skate on single blades. Then I wore an old pair of hockey skates that had belonged to one of my brothers. The hockey skates had a blade attached to the bottom of the shoe, so I had to take off my boots, put on the skates, and then lace them up tightly to wear them. Since it is difficult to lace skates when wearing mittens or gloves, I had to take off my mittens when I laced up the skates. It was very cold, and by the time I finished putting on my skates, my fingers were numb. I couldn’t wait to put the mittens back on.

As I got better at skating, I learned how to skate backwards and skate around corners using a crossover turn. I never had any lessons, so I don’t know how to do anything fancy like a figure eight or spins. But at least I can skate without falling down, and I can skate fast enough to have some fun. I enjoy skating, and look forward each winter to being able to go out and get some exercise and fresh air.

Google

Writing Assignment: Going skating

going skating

Vocabulary

(ice) skates
Hockey skates
Figure skates
Speed skates
Double-bladed skates
Blade
Shoe
(shoe) lace
Cold
Jacket
Glide
Push
Crack
Thick
Thin
Lap
Rink
River
Lake
Pond
Shovel
Crossover turn
Backwards
Push sled / baby sled
Hat
Coat
Jacket
Scarf
Mittens
Gloves
Boots
Hood
Figure eight

1. Where is this family skating?
2. How many people are skating in the picture?
3. Is anyone skating backwards?
4. Is anyone doing a figure eight?
5. Is anyone making a crossover turn?
6. Can the baby skate?
7. What is the baby doing instead of skating?
8. What is the father doing?
9. What type of skates does the father have?
10. What is the mother doing?
11. What type of skates does the mother have?
12. What type of skates does the big sister have?
13. Can the big sister skate by herself, or does she need help?
14. Is it cold in the picture?
15. Is anyone wearing a scarf?
16. Who is wearing a hat?
17. Who is not wearing a hat?
18. What do the people have on their hands to keep their hands from getting cold?
19. Is the family skating on an ice rink, a river, a lake, or a pond?
20. How much snow is there on the ice?
21. What must be done if there is snow on the ice and someone wants to go skating?
22. How thick should the ice be for it to be safe for skating?
23. What happens if the ice is too thin to skate on?
24. Why are there cracks in the ice?
25. Is it safe to go skating if there are cracks in the ice?

Paragraph: Going Ice Skating

Have you ever been ice skating? What was it like? Was it outdoors, or at a rink? Did you fall down a lot when you first learned to ice skate? If you have never been ice skating, write about what you think would be fun about ice skating (or what would not be fun, if you don’t like it).

Google

Writing Assignment: At the Post Office (Solution)

1. In what place are these two people?at the post office
They are in the post office.

2. Where is the man standing?
He is standing behind the counter (behind the window).

3. What is he doing?
He is handing the woman a small packet.

4. Where is the woman standing?
The woman is standing at the counter (at the window).

5. What is the woman doing?
She is taking the packet from the man.

6. Why might the woman have gone to the post office?
She may have gone to the post office to buy some stamps.

7. What kinds of things may be bought at the post office?
At the post office, a person can buy stamps, envelopes, boxes, padded envelopes, tape, and other mailing supplies.

8. What can people do at the post office besides buy stamps and other mailing supplies?
People can pick up their mail from the post office. They can mail a letter or parcel. They can have letters and packages weighed. They can get official government forms, like passport applications and tax forms.

9. Are there other people also at the post office?
We don’t see any other people at this post office.

10. What do you do if there are other people waiting in line?
If there are other people waiting in line, you have to wait for your turn.

11. What can the man behind the window do if he has to do something in back?
If he has some task to do in the back of the post office, he can put a sign at his window.

12. What would the sign say?
The sign would say “Next Window Please” or “Will Be Back Soon.”

13. On what days is the post office open?
The post office is open from Mondays through Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.

14. When does the post office open?
The post office usually opens at 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m.

15. When does the post office close?
The post office usually closes at 5 p.m. On Saturdays, it usually closes at 12 noon, or 12:30 p.m.

16. On what holidays does the post office close?
In the US, the post office is closed on federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday (President’s Day), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

17. What is the name of the person who delivers the mail?
The person who delivers the mail is called a mailman, a postman, a mail lady, or a mail carrier. Other people who work for the post office can be called postal workers. The head of the local post office is called a postmaster.

18. What happens to the mail of a person who has moved to a new house or apartment?
If a person has moved, his mail will be forwarded if he has filled out a “change of address” form. If he has not filled out a change of address form, it will be marked “undeliverable” and returned to sender.

19. What happens to the mail of a person who is on vacation?
If a person goes on vacation, he can request that his mail be held until he returns from vacation. He can then go to the post office and pick it up. To have his mail held, he must fill out an “authorization to hold mail” form.

20. How is international mail usually sent?
International mail is usually sent via airmail.

21. What kind of hobby do some people have with stamps?
Some people collect stamps for a hobby.

Paragraph: At the Post Office

Write a brief paragraph about the last time you had to go to the post office for something. What did you do there? Were there other people there too? What are some other reasons why you usually go to the post office?

Just before Christmas, I had to go to the post office to buy some stamps. I had to mail my Christmas cards, and I wanted to get the special Christmas stamps available at the post office. The Christmas stamps came out in October, and came in two sets. One design had Madonna and Child (the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus). The other set had four different designs: a reindeer, a snowman, a gingerbread man, and a nutcracker. Each set comes in a booklet containing 20 stamps. The stamps have self-sticking adhesive on the back, so they do not need to be licked.

There were a few people already waiting in line at the post office. Some people had Christmas cards and Christmas packages that they wanted to mail. The packages had to be weighed before the proper postage could be put on the package. People mailing packages had to tell the postal worker if there was anything breakable, perishable, or hazardous. They also had to fill out a form if they wanted to have the package insured.

Some people came to the post office to pick up their mail from their post office box. Some people came to the post office to buy some boxes or other mailing supplies for their Christmas packages. Some people were planning on going somewhere for Christmas vacation, so they filled out a form to have their mail held until they came back.

In the lobby of the post office, there is also a bulletin board with some “wanted posters” on it. If there are dangerous fugitives that are wanted by the FBI, the local post office will have their pictures put up on a wanted poster. The people on the wanted poster do not look like they are very nice people. I hope that I never seen them walking down the street somewhere.

Google

Writing Assignment: At the Post Office

at the post office

 

Vocabulary

Post office
Teller
Clerk
Window
Counter
Stamp
Envelope
Post card
Postmark
Bulletin board
Form
Waiting line
Postmaster
Mail box
Post office box
Address
Return address
Parcel
Mailing supplies
Package
Packing
Tape
Label
Padded envelope
Wanted poster
Ahead (in line)
Take a number
Next window
Mailman
Mail lady
Postman
Postal worker
Mail carrier
(vacation) hold on mail
Forward the mail
Return to sender
Postage paid
Postage due
Special delivery
Book of stamps
Sheet of stamps
Air mail
Stamp collecting

  1. In what place are these two people?
  2. Where is the man standing?
  3. What is he doing?
  4. Where is the woman standing?
  5. What is the woman doing?
  6. Why might the woman have gone to the post office?
  7. What kinds of things may be bought at the post office?
  8. What can people do at the post office besides buy stamps and other mailing supplies?
  9. Are there other people also at the post office?
  10. What do you do if there are other people waiting in line?
  11. What can the man behind the window do if he has to do something in back?
  12. What would the sign say?
  13. On what days is the post office open?
  14. When does the post office open?
  15. When does the post office close?
  16. On what holidays does the post office close?
  17. What is the name of the person who delivers the mail?
  18. What happens to the mail of a person who has moved to a new house or apartment?
  19. What happens to the mail of a person who is on vacation?
  20. How is international mail usually sent?
  21. What kind of hobby do some people have with stamps?

Paragraph: At the Post Office

Write a brief paragraph about the last time you had to go to the post office for something. What did you do there? Were there other people there too? What are some other reasons why you usually go to the post office?

Google