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Review: streets for people – places and directions

This A1 ESL review lesson plan revisits places and directions from the whole unit on towns.

Grammar
The unit's grammar, mixed: Where's…? and Where are…? with near, next to or opposite, the present simple with plural subjects (People sit on long stone benches.), and imperatives with first, second, third.
Topic
Places in town and streets for people, on the car-free plazas of Times Square in New York, with new words like bench, ticket booth, screen and selfie.
Activities
A welcome sign, a phone call asking for directions, self-checking review drills with a sort and a memory game, a chat about the students' own town and a post about a street for people.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Cars or people?

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the new wordsVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and choose the wordChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: welcome to the plazas

    • Look at the photo: Times SquarePictureUnlock
    • Read the signReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: meet me in Times Square!

    • Listen to Priya and JackListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Review: what can you do now?

    • Do you remember? Choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
    • Is the sentence correct? True or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Sort the questions: Where's, Where are or Where do?Sort into columnsTry it
    • Complete the messages in the house group chatFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Find the pairs: question and answerMemory gameUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: a street for people

    • Choose the right repliesChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Choose the right word: in Times SquareChoose the optionUnlock
    • Match the words and their meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a post: a street for peopleWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record yourself: a street for peopleSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

22 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

  • bench
  • ticket booth
  • car
  • screen
  • street musician
  • busy
  • selfie

Grammar: places, the present simple and directions, reviewed

This places and directions review closes Unit 7, so its grammar is everything from lessons 25 to 27, mixed in every review exercise on one car-free street. Times Square needs all of it: where the benches and the red steps are, what people do there, and how to find a friend in the crowd.

Where's…? Where are…? Near, next to, opposite

One place takes Where's; two or more take Where are. The answer uses a preposition of place, and none of them takes of: near the bus stop, opposite the park.

  • Where are the red steps? They're near here, on your left.
  • Is the ticket booth near here? Yes, it is.
  • We meet in a café. It's opposite the park.

A or an before places and things

The sound at the start of the next word decides: an before a vowel sound, a before the rest. An adjective in front can change it, so a coffee becomes an iced coffee.

  • Here you are: an iced coffee.
  • Under the steps: a ticket booth for theater shows.

People, we and they: the present simple

Plural subjects take the verb with no -s, and questions and negatives take do: people sit, never people sits. Short answers end on do or don't.

  • People sit on long stone benches and take photos.
  • Do people drive cars here? No, they don't.
  • Where do you and your friends meet?

Directions: imperatives and first, second, third

Directions start with the verb, don't makes them negative, and benches or streets in a row take ordinal numbers: the third bench, never the three bench.

  • Walk two blocks on Broadway. Don't turn.
  • I'm on the third bench on your right.
  • How do I get to the café from the bus stop?

Try the places and directions review 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 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 2 pictures
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • ask where places are and answer with near, next to or opposite: Where are the red steps? They're near here, on your left.
  • say what people do in a place with plural subjects: People sit on long stone benches. Cars don't drive here.
  • give directions with imperatives and ordinals: Walk two blocks on Broadway. I'm on the third bench on your right.
  • choose between Where's, Where are and Where do in a question: Where do people sit?
  • write and talk about a street for people in their own town: Bring your friends, and don't drive here!

Lesson 28 closes My town, the seventh unit of English A1.1 · Hello, World, with no new grammar. It brings back places in town with Where's…?, near, next to and a or an (lesson 25), the present simple with we and they, plus opposite (lesson 26), and imperatives with ordinal numbers for directions (lesson 27).

Students learn ten words, from drive and bring to street musician and selfie, with pictures and audio, then read the sign that welcomes visitors to the plazas: more than 200,000 people a day, counted by 27 cameras, and a ticket booth under the red steps. They listen to Priya guide Jack to her bench by phone (an AI-voiced dialogue). Then comes the review chapter, five exercises on the whole unit: a quiz built on typical mistakes, sentences to judge correct or not, a sort into Where's, Where are and Where do, the roommates' group chat with eight gaps, and a memory game of question-and-answer pairs. The speaking chapter is a chat with Priya about the student's own town, then boxes of questions, one of which asks for a sign for a plaza.

Homework starts with a choose-the-word drill in Times Square and a match of plaza words with their meanings. Students then plan a street for people in their own town, in a short post first and then a recording, both reviewed by the teacher.

Grammar:
review · Where's the…? It's near / next to the… · a / an · present simple: we, they · near, opposite · imperatives and directions · first, second, third
Topic:
my town · Times Square · pedestrian plazas · review

Teaching tips

  • Treat the correct-or-not sentences as detective work: before checking, pairs mark the one mistake in each false sentence, such as people sits or the three bench, and rewrite it.
  • Before the listening, ask students to guess how Priya will guide Jack to her bench, then check against the dialogue: two blocks on Broadway, the third bench on the right.
  • Watch the Where's, Where are or Where do sort: the column with the most mistakes tells you which lesson to revisit before the next unit.
  • Turn the plaza sign into a class poster: following the open-box prompt, each student adds one imperative, such as Sit on the steps! or Don't drive here!

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The whole course: English A1.1 · Hello, World

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5Why is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23Is it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28 · you're hereReview: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31Saturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

Questions about this lesson

What do you say when asking for directions?
The key questions are How do I get to…? and Where's…?, usually after Excuse me. Use Where are…? for two or more places (Where are the red steps?) and Is it near here? to check the distance. Answers mix places and imperatives: They're near here, on your left. Walk two blocks on Broadway. Don't turn. Review: streets for people, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, mixes all four questions in Times Square.
What grammar do you need to talk about places and directions?
You need where-questions, the present simple and imperatives, each with its own job. Questions with Where's or Where are find a place, and the answer uses a preposition of place: Where's the café? It's opposite the park. The present simple says what people do there: People sit on benches. Imperatives give the way, with ordinals for counting: Take the second street on the right.
How do you tell someone where you are in English?
To say where you are, use I'm plus a preposition and a landmark: I'm near a street musician. Choose things the other person can see, count them with first, second, third, and give the side from their point of view: the third bench on your right. In the phone call of the A1 lesson Review: streets for people on edio.ai, a friend finds a bench in a Times Square crowd this way.
What's the difference between "Where's", "Where are" and "Where do"?
Where's asks about one thing, Where are about more, and Where do asks where people do something: Where's the ticket booth? Where are the red steps? Where do people sit? Look at what follows: a singular noun takes Where's, a plural noun Where are, and a subject with a verb takes Where do. The A1 lesson Review: streets for people on edio.ai has students sort twelve such questions into the three groups.
Is it "people sit" or "people sits"?
It's people sit, because people is plural: People sit on long stone benches. People take photos. In the present simple, the -s ending is only for one person or thing: he sits, the man sits. Words like people, children and men are plural with no -s of their own, so they take sit, walk and drive, just like they. Questions and negatives use do: Do people drive here? No, they don't.
What words do you need to describe a city plaza?
To describe a plaza, you need words for what you see and what people do: benches, a crowd, screens, a street musician, and walk, sit or take a selfie. A plaza is an open place for people in a city; busy means full of people and cars. The sign in the A1 lesson Review: streets for people on edio.ai tells how a 2009 test made part of Broadway car-free.
How do I review places in town and directions with ESL beginners?
Bring all the points together in one new setting, so students have to choose each form themselves: Where's or Where are, sit or sits, third or three. This review moves the unit to Times Square: a sign and a phone call first, then five exercises that each mix the unit's lessons, from a quiz of typical mistakes to a memory game.
What's a good game for reviewing places and directions?
A good one is a memory game that pairs each question with its answer. In this review, students match Where are the red steps? with They're near here, on your left, or How do I get to your bench? with Walk two blocks on Broadway. Don't turn! Each answer fits only one question, so students must read the grammar, not just the words.
How do you practice places and directions one-to-one?
Ask about the student's own town, then ask the way: Where do you meet your friends? How do I get there from the bus stop? The chat in this lesson needs no partner: a friend in Times Square asks the same kind of questions, and the student answers like We meet in a café. It's opposite the park. Then take turns with the open boxes, each giving directions to a favorite café.
What's good homework for reviewing places and directions?
Good homework is a plan for a car-free street in your town: where it is, what people do there, how to get there, and a sign. It's opposite the library. People sit on benches. From the bus stop, take the first street on the left. Don't drive here! In the A1 lesson Review: streets for people on edio.ai, students write it as a post, then record it for the teacher.
Are there interactive exercises for reviewing places and directions?
Yes: sorting exercises and chats that mark each answer suit a review. Without an account, you can try four parts of Review: streets for people, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, here: the welcome sign for the plazas, a phone call with the way to a bench, a sort of questions into Where's, Where are and Where do, and a chat about the student's town. The rest is locked.
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