Sign up for freeSign up

Cowboy boots, still made by hand: still, not anymore and no longer

Still, not anymore and no longer say what continues and what stopped in this A2 ESL lesson plan about cowboy boots, which some Texas bootmakers still make by hand.

Grammar
Still for what continues (They still make boots by hand.), not … anymore for what stopped (Cowboys don't drive cattle anymore.), Do you still…? and no longer.
Topic
Cowboy boots in El Paso, Texas, then and now, from long cattle drives to handmade boots, with words such as heel, sole, shaft and stirrup.
Activities
A workshop notice to read, a bootmaker's talk and a viewer's question to hear, self-checking drills, a still or not anymore? chat and open boxes about then and now.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Welcome to the Sun City!

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

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: boots then and now

    • Look at the photo: a boot workshopPictureUnlock
    • Read the notice in the workshopReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: a foot on paper!

    • Listen to Nora and GrantListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to the Viewer's QuestionListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: They still make boots!

    • Study the scheme: still and not … anymoreGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: still or not … anymoreFill in the gapsTry it
    • Fill in the table: still and not … anymoreFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer: which sentence is right?QuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: still or not anymore?

    • Choose the right replies: still or not anymore?ChatTry it
    • Open a box and answer: still or not anymore?Open the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps with the words from the lessonFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Sort the words into the correct columnsSort into columnsUnlock
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: then and nowFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: Nora's postChoose the optionUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: our answer to KateDrag and dropUnlock

30 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

  • heel
  • sole
  • shaft
  • stirrup
  • cattle
  • fancy
  • footwear

Grammar: still, not anymore and no longer

Still says something continues and hasn't stopped; not … anymore says it stopped. In a Texas boot workshop, where some old ways go on and others are gone, learners put still in the right place in the sentence, end negatives with anymore, ask Do you still…? and meet no longer, the more formal choice.

They still make boots by hand. Cowboys don't drive cattle anymore.

still = it continues, it hasn't stopped. not … anymore = it stopped.

Still: it continues

Still means something was true before and is true now: They still make boots by hand. Still goes before the main verb but after am, is and are: He still makes boots. She is still busy.

still: it continues

Whostill + verbam / is / are + still
II still make boots.I am still here.
youYou still make boots.You are still here.
heHe still makes boots.He is still here.
sheShe still makes boots.She is still busy.
itIt still works.It is still new.
weWe still make boots.We are still here.
theyThey still make boots.They are still here.

Where does still go?

still goes before the main verb: They still make boots. It goes after am, is, are, was and were: She is still here. With not, still goes before don't, doesn't or isn't: I still don't have boots. (= I didn't have boots before, and I don't have them now.)

Not … anymore: it stopped

For something that stopped, use a negative with anymore at the end: I don't ride horses anymore. It isn't new anymore. In a statement, anymore needs a negative, so People ride horses to work anymore is wrong. In American English, anymore is one word.

Whodon't / doesn't + verb + anymoream not / isn't / aren't + anymore
II don't ride horses anymore.I'm not tired anymore.
youYou don't ride horses anymore.You aren't tired anymore.
heHe doesn't ride horses anymore.He isn't tired anymore.
sheShe doesn't ride horses anymore.She isn't tired anymore.
itIt doesn't work anymore.It isn't new anymore.
weWe don't ride horses anymore.We aren't tired anymore.
theyThey don't ride horses anymore.They aren't tired anymore.

Do you still…? Questions and short answers

Questions put still after the subject: Do you still ride horses? Is she still in El Paso? A yes keeps still, and a no takes anymore: Yes, I still do. No, not anymore.

Questions and short answers

QuestionYesNo
Do you still ride horses?Yes, I still do.No, not anymore.
Does he still make boots by hand?Yes, he still does.No, he doesn't make them by hand anymore.
Is she still in El Paso?Yes, she is.No, she isn't there anymore.

In El Paso

  • Grant still makes boots by hand.
  • Cowboys don't drive cattle on long trails anymore.
  • Ranch workers still buy plain boots.
  • Not all cowboy boots are tall anymore.
  • Do people still make boots by hand? – Yes, they still do!
  • Biscuit is still running with the boot!

Still don't, anymore and no longer

With a negative, still comes before don't: I still don't have boots means I didn't have them before and don't now. No longer means the same as not … anymore, with no not, before the main verb: People no longer ride horses to work sounds more formal.

anymore and no longer

anymore goes at the end of a sentence with not: We don't live there anymore. In American English, it is one word. You can also say no longer, with no not, before the main verb: People no longer ride horses to work. It means the same, but it sounds more formal.

Common mistakes

  • They make still boots.

    They still make boots.

    still before the main verb

  • She still busy.

    She is still busy.

    don't forget is; still goes after it

  • People ride horses to work anymore.

    People don't ride horses to work anymore.

    anymore only with not

  • I don't have still boots.

    I still don't have boots.

    still before don't

Try the still and anymore exercises

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

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 17 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 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:

  • say what continues with still before the main verb: They still make boots by hand. Ranch workers still buy plain boots.
  • put still after am, is and are, and before don't: She is still busy. I still don't have boots.
  • say what stopped with not … anymore or no longer: People don't ride horses to work anymore. People no longer ride horses to work.
  • ask and answer with still: Do you still live in your hometown? Yes, I still do. No, not anymore.

Lesson 20 closes Style through time, unit 5 of English A2.2 · Curious Minds. It builds on lessons 17 and 18, where used to and didn't use to described a past that changed, and keeps made by hand from lesson 19. Boots still made the old way, in a state where cowboys don't drive cattle on long trails anymore, give both forms a real contrast.

Students spin a wheel of questions about boots, shoes and horses, then learn ten words, from polish and trace to stirrup and footwear, with pictures and audio. They read a notice in an El Paso boot workshop on where the cowboy boot came from and how it became the Texas state footwear, then hear Nora with Grant, a bootmaker who traces her foot, and a viewer ask whether boots are still made by hand, both AI-voiced. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four self-checking exercises, among them a table of still and not … anymore. In the speaking chapter, students play still or not anymore? with Maya in a chat, then open boxes about their own then and now.

Nine self-checking tasks make up the homework: a word match, an anagram, gaps and a column sort for the vocabulary, a choice of forms, then-and-now sentences to finish, word order, a post with choices and a reply to the viewer with words to drag in.

Grammar:
still · not … anymore · no longer · word order with still · Do you still…?
Topic:
cowboy boots · El Paso, Texas · bootmakers · cattle drives · Texas state footwear · Curious Minds

Teaching tips

  • Draw a then-and-now line on the board: childhood habits on the left, today on the right. Each student says one sentence with I still… and one with I don't … anymore.
  • Point to the parts on a real boot or shoe before the reading: the heel, the sole and, on a boot, the shaft. The notice then explains why a rider needs a high heel.
  • Play the bootmaker's talk twice: first for what Grant still does, then for what isn't true anymore. Students call out still or not anymore after each answer.
  • Turn the open boxes into interviews: pairs ask Do you still have your first phone? and more Do you still…? questions, then tell the class one thing their partner still does and one they don't do anymore.

Liked it?

Teach the whole lesson in edio

30 exercises in 6 chapters, ready to teach. edio is an online platform for language schools and teachers: ready-made interactive lessons, live classes, homework and student progress in one place.

  1. Start a free trial

    7 days, no credit card.

  2. Open the lesson

    Find it in the library of 621 ready lessons. Teach it as it is, or copy any chapter into your own lessons.

  3. Teach it live or as homework

    Students work in their own accounts, in sync with you during the lesson, and the practice exercises check themselves.

Teach it free for 7 days

The whole course: English A2.2 · Curious Minds

32 lessons that pick up where English A2.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present perfect to used to, have to and relative clauses. Eight units cover nature, tech at home, heroes, healthy habits, fashion, school, animals and traditions. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Wonders of nature

    the present perfect with ever and never, been to, superlatives with I've ever, articles with place names

    1. Lesson 1Have you ever seen the sky dance?The present perfect for experiences
    2. Lesson 2Have you been to the Grand Canyon?Present perfect vs past simple
    3. Lesson 3The longest cave in the worldSuperlatives with the present perfect
    4. Lesson 4The first national parkArticles with place names

  2. Unit 2 Clever tech at home

    the present perfect with just, already and yet, phrasal verbs, subject and object questions

    1. Lesson 5The chocolate bar that meltedThe present perfect with just
    2. Lesson 6Has my lunch arrived yet?Already and yet with the present perfect
    3. Lesson 7Turn it on, turn it offPhrasal verbs with it and them
    4. Lesson 8The girl who tests waterSubject and object questions

  3. Unit 3 Everyday heroes

    the past continuous, when and while, adjective order, story linkers

    1. Lesson 9When the pager beepsThe past continuous with was and were
    2. Lesson 10The man who planted apple treesPast continuous and past simple with when and while
    3. Lesson 11What's in the lost and found?The order of adjectives
    4. Lesson 12The dogs who saved NomeStory linkers

  4. Unit 4 Healthy and happy habits

    will for predictions, the zero and first conditionals, so do I and neither do I

    1. Lesson 13Why does school start later in California?Will and won't for predictions, decisions and offers
    2. Lesson 14Brain freeze!The zero conditional for facts
    3. Lesson 15Doctor's orders: go to the park!The first conditional with if and will
    4. Lesson 16Walking in the mall at 7 a.m.Agreeing with So do I and Neither do I

  5. Unit 5 Style through time

    used to, didn't use to, made of and made from, still and not anymore

    1. Lesson 17Why did everyone use to wear a hat?Used to for past habits and states
    2. Lesson 18Jeans used to be work clothesUsed to in negatives and questions
    3. Lesson 19Quilts made from old clothesMade of, made from and made by
    4. Lesson 20 · you're hereCowboy boots, still made by handStill, not anymore and no longer

  6. Unit 6 School in America

    have to, must and mustn't, be allowed to, had to

    1. Lesson 21Do you have to wear a uniform?Have to and don't have to for rules
    2. Lesson 22Stop for the yellow bus!Must, mustn't and don't have to
    3. Lesson 23A class trip to the SmithsonianBe allowed to and can for permission
    4. Lesson 24One room, one teacher, every gradeHad to and didn't have to for past duties

  7. Unit 7 Amazing animals

    relative clauses with which, that, who and where, look and sound + adjective, adjectives with prepositions

    1. Lesson 25The bird that copies car alarmsRelative clauses with which and that
    2. Lesson 26Alligators and crocodiles togetherWho, which, that and where in relative clauses
    3. Lesson 27Sailors thought it was a mermaidLook, sound and feel as linking verbs
    4. Lesson 28Beagles at the airportAdjectives with prepositions

  8. Unit 8 Traditions we love

    invitations, will vs going to, so and such, one and ones

    1. Lesson 29Come to our cookout!Making, accepting and refusing invitations
    2. Lesson 30Is spring going to come early?Will vs going to for the future
    3. Lesson 31From turnips to pumpkinsSo and such for emphasis
    4. Lesson 32Giant balloons over ManhattanOne and ones in place of a noun

Questions about this lesson

What does no longer mean?
No longer means the same as not … anymore: something was true before and isn't true now. It goes before the main verb, with no not: People no longer ride horses to work. After be, it follows the verb: The shop is no longer open. It sounds more formal than not … anymore, which is more usual in speech: People don't ride horses to work anymore.
How do you use not anymore?
Use a negative with anymore at the end for something that stopped: We don't live there anymore. Cowboys don't drive cattle on long trails anymore. With be, it's isn't or aren't: It isn't new anymore. As a short answer, No, not anymore is enough: Do you still have your first pair of shoes? No, not anymore. The A2 lesson Cowboy boots, still made by hand on edio.ai sets it against still.
What's the difference between still, yet and already?
Still says something continues, already says something has happened, often sooner than expected, and yet asks or says whether something expected has happened. I still live in Ohio. The bus has already left. Have you eaten yet? I haven't finished yet. Still goes before the main verb, yet usually comes at the end, and already and yet often go with the present perfect.
Where does still go in a sentence?
In most sentences, still comes just before the main verb: They still make boots by hand. He still makes boots. With am, is, are, was or were, it comes after: She is still here. With a negative, it goes before don't, doesn't or isn't: I still don't have boots. So They make still boots is wrong. A mistakes box in Cowboy boots, still made by hand, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, corrects it.
Is it "any more" or "anymore"?
In American English, the time word is one word, anymore: We don't live there anymore. Two words, any more, mean more of something: I don't want any more fries. British English often writes any more for both. Either way, the time word needs a negative or a question: Do you ride horses anymore?
Can you use anymore in a positive sentence?
In standard English, no: anymore goes with a negative or a question. People ride horses to work anymore is wrong; say People don't ride horses to work anymore. Some Americans do say Anymore, everyone has a phone, but it's regional and best avoided in class. The chat in the edio.ai lesson Cowboy boots, still made by hand sets this trap twice.
What are the parts of a shoe called?
Two main parts are the sole and the heel: the sole is the flat bottom part, and the heel is the raised back part under it. A boot adds a shaft, the tall top part around the leg. On a cowboy boot, the high heel keeps a rider's foot from slipping through the stirrup, and the smooth, flat sole helps the foot go in and out.
What does footwear mean?
Footwear means shoes, boots and sandals: everything you wear on your feet. It's a general word with no plural, so say Sneakers are my favorite footwear, not footwears. Texas made the cowboy boot its official state footwear on June 15, 2007; the first version of the law said state shoe, but lawmakers changed it to state footwear.
How do I teach still and not anymore to A2 students?
Contrast one person's then and now: As a kid, I played soccer and watched cartoons. I still play soccer, but I don't watch cartoons anymore. Then students do the same about themselves. Teach the place of still early, since They make still boots is a common slip. The edio.ai lesson Cowboy boots, still made by hand goes from a workshop notice and a bootmaker's talk to the scheme, gap-fills and a table.
What's a good game for practicing still and not anymore?
A then-and-now guessing game works well: one student names something from their childhood, such as I had a red bike, and the others guess You still have it! or You don't have it anymore! before hearing the answer. The chat in this lesson plays a similar game, still or not anymore?, and its open boxes ask what students still do and what they don't do anymore.
What's good homework for practicing still and anymore?
Good homework is then-and-now sentences to finish: My aunt worked at a bank, but now she works at a school. She ___ at a bank anymore. Word order drills and a short post with choices help too. In Cowboy boots, still made by hand on edio.ai, nine homework tasks check themselves, from a word match to a reply to a viewer with words to drag in.
Are there interactive exercises for still and anymore?
Yes: gap-fills and chats that check every answer help students place still and anymore correctly. Without an account, this page plays four parts of the A2 lesson Cowboy boots, still made by hand on edio.ai: the notice in an El Paso boot workshop, Nora's talk with Grant, a bootmaker, a gap-fill of still or not … anymore, and Maya's chat game, still or not anymore? The rest of the lesson is locked.
Unlock full lesson

Teach this lesson with your students

Book a demoStart free trial

No credit card required