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A cow made of butter? And, but and or at the state fair

An A1 ESL lesson plan on and, but and or, the conjunctions that join words and sentences, at the Iowa State Fair.

Grammar
Coordinating conjunctions and (add), but (a yes and a no, after a comma) and or (a choice), joining two words or two sentences: We can go on Friday or Saturday.
Topic
The Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, with its life-size Butter Cow and food on a stick, and words such as corn dog, prize, sculpture and line up.
Activities
A fair guide to read, a dialogue and a guide at the Butter Cow to hear, self-checking drills, a group chat, open-box plans and a message to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Welcome to the fair!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: at the fairVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: five things to do

    • Look at the photo: the Butter CowPictureUnlock
    • Read the fair guideReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: a trip to Iowa

    • Listen to Priya and SamListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to a guide at the Butter CowListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: and, but, or

    • Study the scheme: and, but, orGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right word: and, but or orChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: join the sentencesFill in the gapsTry it
    • Drag the words into the gaps: Priya's messageDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: a day at the fair

    • Choose the right replies: a trip to the fairChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: plan a day at the fairOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a message: a day out with friendsWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message: plan a day outSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • corn dog
  • food on a stick
  • Ferris wheel
  • prize
  • sculpture
  • cow
  • pig

Grammar: and, but and or for joining ideas

Planning a fair day with friends means adding things to the list, weighing likes against dislikes and picking one day of two, so it needs all three words. Learners use three coordinating conjunctions to join two words or two sentences, put a comma before but, and answer a question with or by choosing one side.

and, but, or: join words and sentences

Add one more thing with and. Show a difference with but. Give a choice with or.

And, but, or: one job each

And adds one more thing: We can see the Butter Cow and eat corn dogs. But joins a yes and a no: I like the rides, but I don't like the lines. Or gives a choice of one: We can go on Friday or Saturday.

WordUse it to…Example
and ➕add one more thingWe can see the Butter Cow and eat corn dogs.
but ↔️show a difference: a yes ✓ and a no ✗I like the rides, but I don't like the lines.
or ❓give a choice: one of twoWe can go on Friday or Saturday.

Two words or two sentences

The same three words join small pieces (corn dogs and lemonade, Friday or Saturday) and whole sentences: We can walk, or we can take the bus. In a list of three, and comes only before the last item: cows, pigs and horses.

Two words

  • corn dogs and lemonade
  • cows, pigs and horses
  • Friday or Saturday

Two sentences

  • I like pigs, and Sam likes cows.
  • The pig is big, but it doesn't win a prize.
  • We can walk, or we can take the bus.

A comma before but

When but joins two short sentences, a comma goes in front of but: I like the cow. I don't like the pig. becomes I like the cow, but I don't like the pig. The first sentence loses its period, and but starts with a small letter.

A comma before but

Put a comma (,) before but. Join two short sentences: I like the cow. I don't like the pig. → I like the cow, but I don't like the pig.

Questions with or: choose one

A question with or asks the listener to pick: Do you want a corn dog or a pork chop on a stick? The answer picks one of the two, not yes: A corn dog, please. Is it a real cow or a sculpture? It's a sculpture.

QuestionAnswer
Do you want a corn dog or a pork chop on a stick?A corn dog, please.
Can we go on Friday or Saturday?On Saturday.
Is it a real cow or a sculpture?It's a sculpture. It's butter!

Common mistakes

  • I like the rides and I don't like the lines.

    I like the rides, but I don't like the lines.

    a yes ✓ and a no ✗: but

  • Do you want tea and coffee? – Coffee, please.

    Do you want tea or coffee? – Coffee, please.

    a choice, one of two: or

  • I want two things: a corn dog or a lemonade.

    I want two things: a corn dog and a lemonade.

    two things: and

  • Friday or Saturday? – Yes, I do.

    Friday or Saturday? – Saturday!

    answer an or question with one of the two

More lessons on this grammar: Linking words lessons and exercises

Try the and, but and or exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • add one more thing with and: We can see the Butter Cow and eat corn dogs.
  • set a like against a dislike with but and a comma: I like the rides, but I don't like the lines.
  • offer a choice with or and answer with one of the two: Friday or Saturday? Saturday!
  • plan a day at a fair in a group chat: I want to see the Butter Cow and the animals. At night, please!

Lesson 31 is the third lesson of Weekend stories and plans, the last unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It builds on I like… and I don't like… from lesson 17 of English A1.1 · Hello, World, which but now joins into one sentence, and on can for plans from A1.1 lesson 31: We can go on Friday or Saturday. A fair day has rides, food and animals to fit in, so every plan adds, compares and chooses.

Students spin a wheel of questions about fairs, rides and long lines, then learn ten words, from win and line up to Ferris wheel and sculpture, with pictures and audio. They read a guide to five things to do at the Iowa State Fair, from the Butter Cow, about 600 pounds of butter, to food on a stick, then hear Priya and Sam (an AI-voiced dialogue) plan their trip, and a guide at the cow. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four exercises, checked as students answer, including a gap-fill that joins two sentences into one. For speaking, students plan the day with Priya and Sam in a group chat, then open boxes to plan a fair day with a partner.

Homework starts with two self-checking tasks: putting sentences with and, but and or in order and matching fair words with their meanings. Students then write friends a message that plans a day out and record the plan as a voice message, both for the teacher.

Grammar:
and, but, or · joining words and sentences · a comma before but · questions with or
Topic:
Iowa State Fair · Des Moines · the Butter Cow · fairs · food on a stick · plans with friends

Teaching tips

  • Draw the scheme's three symbols on the board: a plus for and, a two-way arrow for but and a question mark for or. Read out sentence pairs, and students point to the right one.
  • Show the cover before the fair guide and ask Is it a real cow or a sculpture? It's a question with or, and the guide has the answer.
  • Run the open boxes as a real plan: groups of three plan a day out in your town, one student writes it up as a group-chat message, and every line needs and, but or or.
  • Drill or-questions in pairs: one student asks Pizza or tacos? or Friday or Saturday?, and the partner must answer with one of the two. An answer with yes loses the point.

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The whole course: English A1.2 · Out and About

32 lessons that pick up where English A1.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present simple with he and she to was and were. Eight units cover shopping, the weather, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Shopping

    clothes and colors, he and she in the present simple, sizes and prices, paying in a store

    1. Lesson 1What does she wear on Aloha Friday?Present simple with he, she and it
    2. Lesson 2A basket on wheels?Present simple negatives with don't and doesn't
    3. Lesson 3What size are these boots?What questions and a pair of
    4. Lesson 4Can I try it on? The Santa Fe Indian MarketRequests and permission with Can I and Can you

  2. Unit 2 Weather and seasons

    the weather, seasons and months, the present continuous, how often it rains or snows

    1. Lesson 5Is the Windy City windy?Weather adjectives with It's
    2. Lesson 6Does it rain in the desert?Yes/no questions with does
    3. Lesson 7Baseball at midnight?The present continuous for now
    4. Lesson 8Is it always windy on Mount Washington?Adverbs of frequency and their place

  3. Unit 3 Getting around

    transport, timetables, where places are, tickets with want and need

    1. Lesson 9How do you get to work?By + transport, take the bus and on foot
    2. Lesson 10What time does the ferry leave?Wh- questions with does
    3. Lesson 11Where's the streetcar stop?Between, behind, in front of and across from
    4. Lesson 12Do you need a ticket?Want and need with a noun

  4. Unit 4 Celebrations

    dates and holidays, in and on, party invitations, object pronouns

    1. Lesson 13Why is it called Juneteenth?Ordinal numbers for saying dates
    2. Lesson 14Never on a Sunday? The Rose ParadeIn, on and at for dates and times
    3. Lesson 15Come to our Lunar New Year party!Some and any with plural nouns
    4. Lesson 16Thank you, teacher!Object pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them

  5. Unit 5 Healthy me

    the body, how often, at the pharmacy, steps with first and then

    1. Lesson 17Does your back hurt?Hurt and hurts with parts of the body
    2. Lesson 18How often do you walk?How often questions and expressions of frequency
    3. Lesson 19What's the matter?Have and has for health problems
    4. Lesson 20Clean hands in five stepsSequence words with imperatives

  6. Unit 6 Animals and nature

    there is and there are, what animals are doing, parks, a, an and the

    1. Lesson 21Which frog sings its name?There is and there are for what's in a place
    2. Lesson 22What's the bear doing now?Present continuous questions and negatives
    3. Lesson 23Are there any horses on the beach?Questions with is there and are there any
    4. Lesson 24Where do the baby turtles go?A, an and the for first and second mention

  7. Unit 7 Jobs people do

    jobs and workplaces, the present simple and continuous, job interviews, possessive pronouns

    1. Lesson 25Who makes the sounds in movies?Present simple vs present continuous
    2. Lesson 26Nurses on horses?At, in and on with workplaces
    3. Lesson 27Can you be a lifeguard?Verbs with prepositions
    4. Lesson 28Whose hat is this?Possessive pronouns from mine to theirs

  8. Unit 8 Weekend stories and plans

    was and were, how long and how tall, and, but and or, camping food

    1. Lesson 29Why do we have two days off?Was and were, the past of be
    2. Lesson 30How long is a blue whale?How + adjective questions about size
    3. Lesson 31 · you're hereA cow made of butter?And, but and or for joining ideas
    4. Lesson 32What do you need for s'mores?Containers and quantities with of

Questions about this lesson

What are conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that join words, phrases or sentences, such as and, but, or, so and because. Beginners start with three: and adds (corn dogs and lemonade), but shows a difference (I love pigs, but I don't like cows.), and or gives a choice (Friday or Saturday?). The A1 lesson A cow made of butter? on edio.ai teaches these three at a state fair.
What are coordinating conjunctions?
Coordinating conjunctions join two parts of equal weight: two words, two phrases or two full sentences. English has seven, often remembered as FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so. The everyday three are and, but and or. When one joins two sentences, a comma usually goes before it: The pig is big, but it doesn't win a prize.
When do you use and, but and or?
Use and to add, but to contrast, or to choose. And joins two ideas that go together: We can see the animals and eat corn dogs. But joins a yes and a no: I don't like hot days, but I love the fair! Or offers two options when only one is wanted: Do you want tea or coffee?
How do you answer a question with or?
Answer it by choosing one of the two options, not with yes or no. Friday or Saturday? Saturday! Is it a real cow or a sculpture? It's a sculpture. Do you want a corn dog or a pork chop on a stick? A corn dog, please. The group chat in A cow made of butter?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, sets Yes, please! as a trap after In the afternoon or at night?
Do you put a comma before but?
Yes, when but joins two full sentences: I like the rides, but I don't like the lines. I can go on Friday, but I can't go on Saturday. Between two single words, there's usually no comma: small but cozy. Before and and or, a comma is optional when they join two short sentences: We can walk, or we can take the bus.
What's the difference between "and" and "or" in a question?
Or asks someone to pick one; and asks about both together. Do you want tea or coffee? expects Coffee, please. Do you want tea and coffee? asks whether they want the two drinks, so the answer is yes or no. For two things you really want, use and: I want a corn dog and a lemonade.
What's the difference between "and" and "but"?
And joins ideas that go the same way; but joins ideas that pull against each other. I like pigs, and Sam likes cows puts two likes together. I like the rides, but I don't like the lines sets a like against a dislike, so and sounds wrong there. The A1 lesson A cow made of butter? on edio.ai drills the choice in a gap-fill that joins two sentences.
What words do you need at a fair?
At a fair you need words for rides, food, animals and prizes: ride, Ferris wheel, corn dog (a sausage in fried bread on a stick), food on a stick, lemonade, cow, pig, barn, prize and win. Add line up, to stand one behind another and wait, and sculpture, art from stone, wood or even butter.
How do I teach and, but and or to beginners?
Give each word one picture and one job: a plus for and, a two-way arrow for but, a question mark for or. Then join pairs of short sentences students already know: I like corn dogs. I like lemonade. becomes I like corn dogs and lemonade. In A cow made of butter? on edio.ai, a fair guide and a trip-planning dialogue come before the scheme and four drills.
What's a good game for practicing conjunctions?
A sentence-joining race is a good conjunctions game: teams get a pair of short sentences (I can go on Friday. I can't go on Saturday.), and the first team to join them with the right word scores. For speaking, open-the-box prompts work well; this lesson's boxes include Say what you like and don't like at a fair: I like …, but I don't like …
What's good homework for practicing and, but and or?
A message that plans a day out with friends uses all three: or for the day, and for things to do, but for likes and dislikes. Let's go to the beach on Saturday or Sunday. We can swim and eat ice cream. In the edio.ai lesson A cow made of butter?, the message and a voice message go to the teacher, after two self-checking tasks.
Are there interactive exercises for and, but and or?
Yes: gap-fills and group chats that check themselves give instant feedback on and, but and or. With no account, this page plays four parts of the A1 lesson A cow made of butter? on edio.ai: the guide to the Iowa State Fair, Priya and Sam's dialogue about their trip, a gap-fill that joins two sentences with the right word, and a group chat that plans the day. The other exercises are locked.
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