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Do you need a ticket? Want and need for tickets and travel

Want and need with a noun are the grammar of this A1 ESL lesson plan about a free mountain gondola in Colorado.

Grammar
Want and need + a noun in the present simple, with needs for he and she, don't or doesn't (We don't need tickets.), Do…? questions and the difference between the two verbs.
Topic
Tickets and travel in Telluride, a Colorado mountain town with a free gondola, and words such as ticket, pass, free and seat.
Activities
An info board to read, a dialogue to hear, self-checking drills, a packing chat with a friend, open-box questions and a message about a trip bag.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, mountains!

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

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: a free ride

    • Look at the photo: the gondolaPictureUnlock
    • Read the info boardReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: a day in Telluride

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

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: I need, she needs

    • Study the scheme: want and needGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: need, want, don't, doesn'tFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Fill in the table: yes, no and questionsFill in the tableTry it
    • Drag the words into the gaps: short answersDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: pack your bag!

    • Choose the right replies: pack with JackChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a message: my trip bagWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message: my tripSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

23 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

  • pass
  • free
  • seat
  • gondola
  • cabin
  • skis
  • mountain town

Grammar: want and need with a noun

Travel is full of things you need and things you only want: a ticket, a seat, a map, a coffee. On a free gondola where nobody needs a ticket, learners treat want and need as ordinary present simple verbs, with no am or is, add -s for he and she, and ask Do you want…?

I need a ticket. Do you want a map?

Say what you want and need. he, she, it: needs, wants.

I need, she needs: every person

The table runs both verbs through every person, yes and no. He, she and it add -s, even the dog (It needs a leash.), and the negative is don't or doesn't + the bare verb: He doesn't need a pass, never doesn't needs.

WhoYes ✓No ✗ (don't = do not, doesn't = does not)
II need a ticket.I don't need a ticket.
youYou want a map.You don't want a map.
heHe needs a pass.He doesn't need a pass.
sheShe wants a seat.She doesn't want a seat.
it (the dog)It needs a leash.It doesn't need a ticket.
weWe need tickets.We don't need tickets.
theyThey want skis.They don't want skis.

Do you want a map? Yes, I do.

Questions start with Do or Does, and short answers repeat it: Do you need a ticket? No, I don't. Does she want a map? Yes, she does. After what, the helper comes second: What do you need? What does he want?

QuestionShort answer
Do you need a ticket?Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Does she want a map?Yes, she does. / No, she doesn't.
Do they need skis?Yes, they do. / No, they don't.
What do you need?I need gloves and a hat.
What does he want?He wants a coffee.

Need or want?

The scheme's rule is short: need for very important, want for nice. I need a ticket for the bus. No ticket, no bus! But I want a cookie. With friends, I want a coffee is fine; in a store or café, say I'd like a coffee, please.

need or want?

need = very important for you

  • I need a ticket for the bus. No ticket, no bus!
  • Dogs need a leash.

want = nice for you

  • I want a cookie. 🍪
  • Do you want a map?

Polite: I'd like …

With friends: I want a coffee. In a store or café, say I'd like a coffee, please. It's polite.

A ticket or tickets?

One thing takes a or an: I need a ticket. She needs an umbrella. Two or more take none: We don't need tickets. They want skis. One ticket is a ticket, never just ticket, so Do you want map? is a mistake.

one thing: a / an

  • I need a ticket.
  • Do you want a map?
  • She needs an umbrella.

two or more: no a

  • We don't need tickets.
  • I need gloves.
  • They want skis.

Common mistakes

  • She need a ticket.

    She needs a ticket.

    he, she, it: needs, wants

  • He doesn't needs a pass.

    He doesn't need a pass.

    doesn't + need (no -s)

  • I am need a seat.

    I need a seat.

    no am, is, are before need or want

  • Do you want map?

    Do you want a map?

    one thing: a or an

Try the want and need exercises

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

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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
  • 1 audio clip
  • 2 pictures
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say what they need and want with a noun: I need a ticket. Do you want a map?
  • add -s for he, she and it: She needs a seat. The dog needs a leash.
  • make negatives and questions with don't, doesn't, do and does: We don't need tickets. Does she want a map? No, she doesn't.
  • tell need (very important) from want (nice), and order politely: I'd like a coffee, please.

Lesson 12 closes Getting around, the third unit of English A1.2 · Out and About, with another angle on the theme: tickets, and what a trip needs. It builds on lesson 2's doesn't with a bare verb, now in He doesn't need a pass, and on lesson 6's Does…? questions and short answers. A gondola that's free for everyone makes the negative true for once: riders really don't need a ticket.

A warm-up wheel asks about mountains, skiing and bus passes, and ten words follow, from want and hold to gondola and mountain town, with pictures and audio. Students then read the info board at the station, with its hours, a ride of about 12 minutes and the rules for skis, bikes and dogs, then listen to Priya and Liam (an AI-voiced dialogue) get ready for a cold day on the mountain. Five self-checking exercises follow the scheme, from choosing the right word to a table of yes, no and question forms and a drag-and-drop of short answers. In the speaking chapter, students help Jack pack for Telluride in a chat, then answer open-box questions about what they need and want.

In the homework, students put sentences in order and match ticket and mountain words with their meanings, both checked automatically. Then they write a friend about what they need for a trip, and what they don't, and record a voice message on the same trip, both for the teacher.

Grammar:
want and need + noun · he, she, it: needs, wants · don't need, doesn't need · Do you want…? Does she need…? · a + one thing
Topic:
Telluride · the gondola · Colorado · getting around · tickets · mountain towns

Teaching tips

  • Pack a real bag in class: hold up a hat, a map or a ticket, and students say I need a hat or I don't need a map for a day in the mountains.
  • Sort needs and wants on the board in two columns, very important and nice: a ticket, a coffee, gloves, a cookie, a seat. Students argue for each one with need or want.
  • Drill the -s with the dog: the info board says Your dog needs a leash, so ask Does the dog need a ticket? and the class answers No, it doesn't.
  • Role-play a café order twice: first with I want a coffee, then, after the tip on being polite, with I'd like a coffee, please, so students hear the difference.

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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 12 · you're hereDo 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 31A 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's the difference between need and want?
Need is for things that are very important to you, and want is for things that are nice to have: I need a ticket for the bus. I want a cookie. Ask what happens without it: No ticket, no bus! The grammar is the same for both: She needs a seat. He doesn't want a map. The A1 lesson Do you need a ticket? on edio.ai sets the two side by side on a free gondola.
How do you use want and need in English?
Put want or need before a noun and use them like any present simple verb: I need a ticket. They want skis. He, she and it add -s (She needs a seat.), negatives take don't or doesn't (We don't need tickets.), and questions start with Do or Does: Do you want a map? What do you need?
Is it "she need" or "she needs"?
It's she needs, with -s for he, she and it: She needs a ticket. He wants a coffee. The dog needs a leash. In negatives and questions the -s moves to does, and the verb goes back to its base form: Does she need a map?, never Does she needs a map? The chat in Do you need a ticket?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, sets Then he need a warm coat too! as a trap.
Is it "I need" or "I am need"?
Say I need, with no am in front: need and want are verbs on their own, so they don't take am, is or are. I need a seat. She wants a map. Short answers use do and does too: Do you need a coat? No, I don't, not No, I'm not, and Do we need tickets? No, we don't, not No, we aren't.
Is it "I need ticket" or "I need a ticket"?
It's I need a ticket, with a for one thing: Do you want a map? She needs an umbrella. Two or more things take no a: We don't need tickets. I need gloves. So Do you want map? is a mistake, and so is I need skis and ski pass, where the pass needs its own a.
Should you say "I want" or "I'd like" in a café?
In a café or store, I'd like…, please is the polite choice: I'd like a coffee, please. I want a coffee is fine with friends, but with a server, use I'd like. I'd is short for I would, and the noun still needs a: I'd like a map, please. An open box in the A1 lesson Do you need a ticket? on edio.ai has students order a drink this way.
What's the difference between a ticket and a pass?
A ticket is a small paper you show for a ride, while a pass covers many rides or days: I need a ticket for the bus. He doesn't need a ticket. He has a bus pass. For skiing, people buy a ski pass: I need skis and a ski pass. When a ride is free, you pay no money and need neither: You don't need a ticket or a pass.
How do I teach want vs need to beginners?
Sort real things into two piles first, very important and nice to have: a ticket and a warm coat for a cold trip, a cookie or a souvenir just for fun. Then add the forms one at a time: I need, she needs, she doesn't need, Does she need…? In Do you need a ticket?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, the scheme puts need = very important beside want = nice before five drills on the forms.
What's a good game for practicing want and need?
Try an open-the-box game of need and want questions: each box holds a question, such as What do you need for a day at the beach? or What do you want for your birthday? Changing the place changes the answers, and the mountains call for gloves and a warm hat. This lesson's spin wheel has a warm-up question too: What do you need on a cold winter day?
How do you practice want and need one-to-one?
Plan a pretend trip together: the student says what they need and want, and the teacher asks about someone else to bring in the -s: Does your sister need a coat? The chat works without a partner: the student helps a friend pack for Telluride, choosing replies like No, we don't. The gondola is free! over No, we doesn't.
What's good homework for practicing want and need?
A packing message for a real trip makes good homework, because it needs both verbs, yes and no: I need a warm coat, gloves and a hat. I don't need a ticket for the gondola. For Do you need a ticket? on edio.ai, students write that message to a friend and record a voice message about their trip, once two self-marking tasks on word order and meanings are done.
Are there interactive exercises for want and need?
Yes: fill-in tables and chats that mark every answer. On this page, four parts of Do you need a ticket?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, open with no sign-up: the gondola's info board, Priya and Liam's dialogue, a table that turns sentences like He needs a pass into negatives and questions, and a chat about packing for Telluride. The other drills, like the drag-and-drop of short answers, are locked.
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