General English A1 : When I was a child

  • October 2, 2023
  • The Speaking Cats
  • 0

Join us on General English A1 : When I was a child! ! It's FREE 🙂

Please type your name
Please type your Email
Introduction

Use the verbs from the box to complete the  phrases under the pictures.
Some verbs are used more than once.
do - make - mow - look - take - walk



                                                                                                                                                                   


                                                                                                                           

Match the adjectives with their opposites .

1- hard-working

2- strict

3- well-behaved

Use the adjectives to complete the sentences below.

hard-working -  badly-behaved - strict - lazy - well-behaved - easy-going

1 My sister’s children are very badly-behaved . They never say ‘Please’ or ‘Thank you,’ and they shout and fight all the time.
2 She’s a very    student. She never does her homework.
3 His parents are very    . He can’t play computer games and he has to do four hours of homework every night.
4 My boss is very    . We can have two-hour lunch breaks and we never have to work late.

Discuss the questions below.

1 Were your parents strict or easy-going?
2 What is more important for children to do, homework or housework?

Listening

Listen to Jenny and Martin talk about how strict their parents were. Who says the things below, Jenny or Martin? Write J(Jenny) or M(Martin) next to each sentence.




1 I think parents are always stricter with girls.   
2 I had to do housework.   
3 I had to take out the rubbish every week.  
4 I had to do the laundry and the washing-up.  
5 I had to mow the lawn every month.   
6 I didn’t have to make packed lunches.   

Answer the questions.

1 Did Jenny do housework when she was young?

2 Did she have a choice?

Language Focus

1 We use had to when we talk about situations in the past when there was no choice (when it was necessary to do something).

had to + base form of the verb
The elevator broke, so we had to use the stairs.
I had to do homework. (Because my parents were strict.)

We use didn’t have to when we talk about situations in the past when it was OK not to do something (when it was not necessary to do something).

didn’t have to + base form of the verb
I didn’t have to make packed lunches.
It was a holiday yesterday, so she didn’t have to go to the office.

3 Questions and short answers

did + have to + base form of the verb
What time did you have to get up yesterday?
Why did you have to use the elevator?
Did you have to walk to school?
Yes, I did.
No, I didn’t.

Use had to or didn’t have to and a verb from the box to complete each sentence below. Use each verb only once.

borrow - call - cook - get - pay - work

1 I     because I had a coupon.
2 I was very ill yesterday. I      the doctor.
3 I got a takeaway last night, so I      .
4 She      late on Friday because they were really busy in the office.
5 There was a problem with the trains, and I      the bus.
6 I had no money, so I      some from a friend.


Sounding Natural

Sounding Natural

Listen. What happens to the underlined letter in each sentence when we speak naturally?





Time to speak

Time to speak
Make a note of five things you had to do when you were young.

1- go to school on Saturday
2- practise the piano every day
3-  _____________
4- _____________
5- _____________

Compare the things you had to do when you were young. Ask questions to get more information.
Example   A: I had to practise piano every day.
                     B: Did you like it?
                     A: No, I didn’t! How about you?
                     B: I didn’t have to practise piano, but I had to...

X