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Writing Assignment: The Restaurant (Solutions)

1. Is the restaurant completely full?
No, there are some empty tables.

2. Are the people in this restaurant dressed elegantly or simply?
The people are elegantly dressed.

3. What is the woman in the foreground drinking?
The woman in the foreground is drinking coffee.

4. What kind of food is on the table in the bottom left corner?
There is a slice of bread, a couple of pats of butter, some celery, and a bowl of peas.

5. What kind of seasonings do you usually find on the dinner table?
We usually find salt and pepper on the dinner table, as well as sugar.

6. What kind of silverware is to the right of the plate?
To the right of the plate is a spoon and a knife.

7. How many forks does each guest get in this restaurant?
In this restaurant, each guest gets two forks.

8. Do you begin eating with the left or the right fork?
We begin eating with the left fork.

9. What stands in the middle of each table?
In the middle of each table stand a vase with a rose.

10. At the second table does the man or the lady order the meal?
At the second table, the man is ordering the meal.

11. What is the man by the waiter reading?
The man by the waiter is reading the menu.

12. What is on the top of the stairs?
On the top of the stairs is a potted plant.

13. Who is setting the table in the background?
A waiter is setting the table in the background.

14. What is the couple in the middle waiting for?
The couple in the middle is waiting for a table.

15. Who is wearing a corsage?
The lady at the table in the lower right-hand corner is wearing a corsage.

16. What is the lady on the first table on the right eating?
She is eating a steak.

17. Where do you see a column in this picture?
We see a column on the right-hand side in this picture.

18. Do you say “cheers” when you’re drinking coffee or when you’re drinking wine?
We say “cheers” when we’re drinking wine.

19. Do you say “enjoy your meal” before or after you have eaten?
We say “enjoy your meal” before we’ve eaten.

20. When do the guests get the check from the waiter?
The guests get the check from the waiter after they’ve eaten dinner.

Paragraph: A Meal in a Restaurant

Write a paragraph about a meal you ate in a restaurant. What did you have to eat? How did you enjoy it? What kind of restaurant was it? Was the restaurant elegant and fancy, or was it plain and simple?
yummy appetizer

On New Year’s Eve we went out to eat at Chili’s. Chili’s is a mid-level, casual dining restaurant – it isn’t a fancy restaurant where people have to get dressed up, but neither is it a fast food place. This restaurant focuses on a “Tex-Mex” (Texan-Mexican) cuisine. Many of the flavorings of their dishes come from hot peppers, giving the restaurant its name.

The first thing that we had was an appetizer called an onion “blossom.” It is an onion that is cut to resemble a flower with its petals wide open. The onion is dipped into a batter and then deep-fried. The individual “petals” of the onion flower look like French fries, and can be dipped in a sauce that comes with the appetizer.

After the appetizer, we had our main meal. I ordered a grilled chicken breast, and my husband ordered steak. Hannah ordered chicken strips, as she usually does. We both enjoyed our dinner, but the steak seemed a little on the small side. I thought about having some dessert, but after finishing the meal I was full.

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Writing Assignment: The Restaurant

Vocabulary

1. to begin
2. dressed
3. a toast, cheers
4. corsage
5. big, bigger, biggest
6. check
7. column
8. to get, receive
9. plate
10. flight of stairs
11. silverware
12. enjoy your meal
13. to cross
14. to order
15. full
16. lady
17. background
18. before
19. to set the table
20. in the front
21. corner
22. everyone
23. foreground
24. simply
25. coffee drinking
26. elegantly
27. waiter
28. to wait
29. to eat
30. light
31. what kind of
32. meal, food
33. wine drinking
34. fork
35. middle
36. for what
37. completely
38. after
39. first
40. guest, customer
41. couple, pair

1. Is the restaurant completely full?

2. Are the people in this restaurant dressed elegantly or simply?

3. What is the woman in the foreground drinking?

4. What kind of food is on the table in the bottom left corner?

5. What kind of seasonings do you usually find on the dinner table?

6. What kind of silverware is to the right of the plate?

7. How many forks does each guest get in this restaurant?

8. Do you begin eating with the left or the right fork?

9. What stands in the middle of each table?

10. At the second table does the man or the lady order the meal?

11. What is the man by the waiter reading?

12. What is on the top of the stairs?

13. Who is setting the table in the background?

14. What are the couple in the middle waiting for?

15. Who is wearing a corsage?

16. What is the lady on the first table on the right eating?

17. Where do you see a column in this picture?

18. Do you say “cheers” when you’re drinking coffee or when you’re drinking wine?

19. Do you say “enjoy your meal” before or after you have eaten?

20. When do the guests get the check from the waiter?

Paragraph: A Meal in a Restaurant

Write a paragraph about a meal you ate in a restaurant. What did you have to eat? How did you enjoy it? What kind of restaurant was it? Was the restaurant elegant and fancy, or was it plain and simple?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 6 – Simple Present, Negative (Solution)

Exercises: Write negative sentences from the following words. Be sure to put the verb “do” in the right form (do // does).

Example: have / horses / wings ==> Horses don’t have wings.

1. Steve doesn’t play the piano any more.

2. The bird doesn’t sing at night.

3. The children don’t like broccoli.

4. I don’t watch TV on weekdays.

5. We don’t mow our grass in the fall.

6. The Nelson sisters don’t drive after dark.

7. He doesn’t study enough.

8. Cats don’t eat vegetables.

9. The phone doesn’t work.

10. The car doesn’t start.

11. Mother doesn’t cook on Sundays.

12. Father doesn’t get up early on weekends.

13. Jim doesn’t drink coffee.

14. He doesn’t like tea, either.

15. We don’t sell magazines at our store.

16. Turtles don’t walk fast.

17. You don’t eat very much.

18. Mary doesn’t sing in the choir.

19. They don’t have any more tickets.

20. They don’t like bad weather.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 6 – Simple Present, Negative

To make the negative of a simple present sentence, use the appropriate form of the verb DO together with NOT, followed by the dictionary form of the main verb of the sentence.

Examples:

I/you/we/they + do not (don’t) + V

Examples:

  • I eat ==> I do not (don’t) eat
  • You drive ==> You do not (don’t) drive
  • We walk ==> We do not (don’t) drive
  • They talk ==> They do not (don’t) talk

he/she/it + does not (doesn’t) + V

Examples:

  • He sings ==> He does not (doesn’t) sing
  • She runs ==> She does not (doesn’t) run
  • It rains ==> It does not (doesn’t) rain

Note that for third person singular, there is NO “s” after the end of the main verb. Instead, the “s” goes on DO: do ==> does.

Examples:

  • John doesn’t like pizza.
  • They don’t eat out at all. (“eat out” = eat at a restaurant)
  • I don’t do my homework when I feel sick.
  • You don’t have your key with you, do you?
  • He doesn’t have a chance of winning the election.

Exercises: Write negative sentences from the following words. Be sure to put the verb “do” in the right form (do // does).

Example:
have / horses / wings ==> Horses don’t have wings.

1. any / more / piano / play / Steve / the

2. at / bird / night / sing / the

3. broccoli / children / like / the

4. I / on / TV / watch / weekdays

5. fall / grass / in / mow / our / the /we

6. after / dark / drive / Nelson / sisters / the

7. enough / he / study

8. cats / eat / vegetables

9. phone / the / work

10. car / start / the

11. cook / Mother / on / Sundays

12. early / Father / get / on / up / weekends

13. coffee / drink / Jim

14. either / he / like / tea

15. at / magazines / our / sell / store / we

16. fast / turtles / walk

17. eat / much / very / you

18. choir / in / Mary / sing / the

19. any / have / more / they / tickets

20. bad / like / they / weather

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Grammar Basics: Unit 5 – Simple Present (Solution)

Exercises: Write sentences from the following words. Be sure to put the verb in the right form (sing, sings, etc.)

1. It always rains at night.

2. He works at a restaurant.

3. Tom studies after school.

4. We go on vacation every summer.

5. She practices the piano three hours every day.

6. They cut their grass on Saturdays.

7. Dad takes a shower every morning.

8. The schoolkids have their yearly picnic at the end of May.

9. John likes skiing.

10. He hates bowling.

11. They live in Hawaii.

12. Sam never listens to music when he reads a book.
(Or, Sam never reads a book when he listens to music.)

13. The moon rises later each day.

14. The piano needs tuning.

15. Apples taste good.

16. Mother bakes cookies for Christmas.

17. Cats have soft fur.

18. Babies sleep all the time.

19. This vacuum cleaner has good suction.

20. I usually read a book before I go to bed.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 5 – Simple Present

The Simple Present Tense is used for things that are generally true, or for things that happen sometimes/all the time.

The Simple Present is formed like this:

I/you/we/they + V

Examples:

  • I eat
  • You drive
  • We walk
  • They talk

he/she/it + V +(e)s

Examples:

  • He sings
  • She runs
  • It rains

Verbs that end in –s/–sh/–ch/–o need –es instead of –s:

Examples:

  • watch ==> watches
  • wash ==> washes
  • miss ==> misses
  • do ==> does

Verbs that end in –y need –ies instead of –s:

Examples:

  • cry ==> cries
  • study ==> studies

Verbs used with adverbs of frequency are in the simple present:

Examples:

  • He never cries.
  • I usually exercise in the morning.
  • She always eats toast for breakfast.

Exercises: Write sentences from the following words. Be sure to put the verb in the right form (sing, sings, etc.)

1. always / at / it / night / rain

2. a / at / he / restaurant / work

3. after / school / study / Tom

4. every / go / on / summer / vacation / we

5. day / every / hours / piano / practice / she / the / three

6. cut / grass / on / Saturdays / their / they

7. a / Dad / every / morning / shower / take

8. at / end / have / May / of / picnic / schoolkids / the / the / their / yearly

9. John / like / skiing

10. bowling / hate / he

11. Hawaii / in / live / they

12. a / book / he / listen / music / never / read / Sam / to / when

13. day / each / later / moon / rise / the

14. need / piano / the / tuning

15. apples / good / taste

16. bake / Christmas / cookies / for / Mother

17. cats / fur / have / soft

18. all / babies / sleep / the / time

19. cleaner / good / have / suction / this / vacuum

20. a / bed / before / book / go / I / I / read / to / usually

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 1 (Solution)

crossword puzzle solution

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Writing Assignment: Going skating (Solution)

going skating

 

1. Where is this family skating?

They are skating outside.

2. How many people are skating in the picture?

There are three people skating in the picture.

3. Is anyone skating backwards?

No one is skating backwards. They are all skating forwards.

4. Is anyone doing a figure eight?

No, no one is doing a figure eight.

5. Is anyone making a crossover turn?

No, no one is making a crossover turn.

6. Can the baby skate?

No, the baby is too young to skate.

7. What is the baby doing instead of skating?

Instead of skating, the baby is riding in a push sled.

8. What is the father doing?

The father is pushing the baby in the baby sled while he is skating. He is also holding the hand of the big sister.

9. What type of skates does the father have?

The father has either hockey skates or figure skates.

10. What is the mother doing?

The mother is holding the hand of the big sister while she is skating.

11. What type of skates does the mother have?

It looks like the mother has hockey skates. Women’s figure skates are usually white.

12. What type of skates does the big sister have?

The big sister has beginner skates, or double-bladed skates.

13. Can the big sister skate by herself, or does she need help?

No, she cannot skate by herself. She needs help in learning how to skate.

14. Is it cold in the picture?

Yes, it is cold. The water is frozen.

15. Is anyone wearing a scarf?

Yes. The mother is wearing a head scarf to keep warm. The baby is also wearing a scarf.

16. Who is wearing a hat?

The two girls are wearing hats.

17. Who is not wearing a hat?

The father is not wearing a hat. He does not have anything on his head to keep warm. The mother is not wearing a hat, but she still has something on her head to keep warm.

18. What do the people have on their hands to keep their hands from getting cold?

The people are wearing mittens and gloves to keep their hands warm.

19. Is the family skating on an ice rink, a river, a lake, or a pond?

The family is not skating on an ice rink. They are outdoors, skating on a river or a lake.

20. How much snow is there on the ice?

There is no snow on the ice.

21. What must be done if there is snow on the ice and someone wants to go skating?

If there is snow on the ice and someone wants to go skating, the ice must be cleared and the snow shoveled off.

22. How thick should the ice be for it to be safe for skating?

The ice should be at least 8 – 10 cm thick for it to be safe for skating.

23. What happens if the ice is too thin to skate on?

If the ice is too thin to skate on, it is dangerous. The ice could break, and the skater could fall in and drown.

24. Why are there cracks in the ice?

There are cracks in the ice because ice expands as it freezes.

25. Is it safe to go skating if there are cracks in the ice?

If the cracks are from the ice expanding as it gets colder, it is usually okay to skate on. If the cracks come from someone breaking the ice to open it up for water, it is probably not safe to go skating there.

Paragraph: Going Ice Skating

Have you ever been ice skating? What was it like? Was it outdoors, or at a rink? Did you fall down a lot when you first learned to ice skate? If you have never been ice skating, write about what you think would be fun about ice skating (or what would not be fun, if you don’t like it).

When I was younger, I grew up near a river. In the summertime, we went swimming, fishing, and boating on the river. But in the wintertime, the river would freeze over, and then we could go ice skating. My father would always check the ice first to make sure it was thick enough and safe for skating. If there was snow on the ice, we had to shovel it off before we could go skating there. We could make as big as rink as we wanted, but a bigger rink also meant that there was a lot more snow shoveling to do before we could skate there.

When I first learned to ice skate, I had double-bladed skates. They were strapped on over my snow boots. The double blades made it easier for me to become accustomed to skating on the ice. After I got better at skating, I could skate on single blades. Then I wore an old pair of hockey skates that had belonged to one of my brothers. The hockey skates had a blade attached to the bottom of the shoe, so I had to take off my boots, put on the skates, and then lace them up tightly to wear them. Since it is difficult to lace skates when wearing mittens or gloves, I had to take off my mittens when I laced up the skates. It was very cold, and by the time I finished putting on my skates, my fingers were numb. I couldn’t wait to put the mittens back on.

As I got better at skating, I learned how to skate backwards and skate around corners using a crossover turn. I never had any lessons, so I don’t know how to do anything fancy like a figure eight or spins. But at least I can skate without falling down, and I can skate fast enough to have some fun. I enjoy skating, and look forward each winter to being able to go out and get some exercise and fresh air.

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Writing Assignment: Going skating

going skating

Vocabulary

(ice) skates
Hockey skates
Figure skates
Speed skates
Double-bladed skates
Blade
Shoe
(shoe) lace
Cold
Jacket
Glide
Push
Crack
Thick
Thin
Lap
Rink
River
Lake
Pond
Shovel
Crossover turn
Backwards
Push sled / baby sled
Hat
Coat
Jacket
Scarf
Mittens
Gloves
Boots
Hood
Figure eight

1. Where is this family skating?
2. How many people are skating in the picture?
3. Is anyone skating backwards?
4. Is anyone doing a figure eight?
5. Is anyone making a crossover turn?
6. Can the baby skate?
7. What is the baby doing instead of skating?
8. What is the father doing?
9. What type of skates does the father have?
10. What is the mother doing?
11. What type of skates does the mother have?
12. What type of skates does the big sister have?
13. Can the big sister skate by herself, or does she need help?
14. Is it cold in the picture?
15. Is anyone wearing a scarf?
16. Who is wearing a hat?
17. Who is not wearing a hat?
18. What do the people have on their hands to keep their hands from getting cold?
19. Is the family skating on an ice rink, a river, a lake, or a pond?
20. How much snow is there on the ice?
21. What must be done if there is snow on the ice and someone wants to go skating?
22. How thick should the ice be for it to be safe for skating?
23. What happens if the ice is too thin to skate on?
24. Why are there cracks in the ice?
25. Is it safe to go skating if there are cracks in the ice?

Paragraph: Going Ice Skating

Have you ever been ice skating? What was it like? Was it outdoors, or at a rink? Did you fall down a lot when you first learned to ice skate? If you have never been ice skating, write about what you think would be fun about ice skating (or what would not be fun, if you don’t like it).

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Grammar Basics: Unit 4 – Present Continuous Questions (Solutions)

Exercises. Put together the following words in the proper order to form a present continuous question. Don’t forget to use the correct form of the verb “be.”

1. Are they having a snowball fight?

2. Is she buying any magazines for the train ride?

3. Are we baking cookies today?

4. Are you feeling sick?

5. Am I dreaming?

6. What is the teacher doing tomorrow?

7. Is it getting cold out?

8. How are you doing?

9. Why are they jumping up and down?

10. Is Mike playing in next week’s ball game?

11. Is my phone ringing?

12. When is Steve singing in the school choir concert?

13. Who is lying?

14. Who is telling the truth?

15. Is the soup boiling yet?

16. Where are you going on vacation?

17. Am I going crazy?

18. Is the baby still sleeping?

19. Who is snoring so loudly?

20. Are you still watching TV?

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