Describing places with can and can’t games

Describing places with can and can’t games

Warmer/ Personalised speaking

Ask and answer questions about the place you are now like:

• “Is there anywhere near here where I can…?”/ “Can I… anywhere near here?”
• “Where can I… near here?”
• “Where is the nearest place that I can…?”

Describing places with can and can’t brainstorming games

Choose one place and take turns saying things you can and can’t do there until one of you runs out of ideas.

Choose one positive rule or one negative rule, e.g. “You can’t shout there”, and take turns saying where that thing is true until one of you runs out of ideas.

Describing places can and can’t guessing game

Choose one of the places below but don’t say which you chose. Explain what is and isn’t possible and allowed until your partner guesses which place you are talking about, using phrases like those in the table.

When your teacher stops the game, ask about any places below that you don’t understand, each time saying at least one rule in that place to show your understanding.

Describing places with can and can’t projects

Design your own rules for a place such as your workplace or an apartment building.

AND/ OR

Design a place where you can do untypical things, such as a hotel room that you can have parties in.

Describing places with can and can’t roleplays

Roleplay conversations between a security guard and a visitor about rules in that building, for example a conversation starting with one of these phrases:

Visitor: “(Excuse me.) Can I… here?”/ “Am I allowed to… here?”

Do the same with a security guard starting the conversation, for example starting with:

Security guard: “I’m sorry Sir/ Madam, you can’t… here/ … isn’t permitted here (but…)”

Describing places with can and can’t TPR

Mime doing something that you think is okay everywhere. Your partner will tell you that you can’t do that thing and try to think of a reason why.

Basic places vocabulary

• aeroplane/ plane (= airplane)/ airport
• apartment building/ block of flats
• art gallery/ museum
• bank/ bureau de change
• bar/ pub
• bath/ shower
• bed(room)
• beach/ coast/ sea
• boat/ ferry/ ship/ yacht
• (local/ long distance/ highway) bus/ coach
• café / coffee shop
• campsite/ tent
• canal/ river
• car park (= parking lot)/ parking space
• chemist’s (= pharmacy)
• church/ cathedral/ mosque/ temple/ shrine
• cinema (= movie theater)
• clinic/ hospital
• college/ university
• concert hall
• elevator (= lift)
• floor/ carpet
• gym/ sports centre
• hotel (lobby/ room)
• karaoke booth/ karaoke bar
• kitchen
• library
• mountain/ ski slopes/ ski resort
• office (building)/ workplace
• park/ public garden
• (football/ rugby) pitch/ (baseball) field/ (tennis) court
• post office
• restaurant
• roof(top/ top garden)
• (dining/ living/ bed)room
• (primary/ elementary/ junior high/ high/ secondary/ conversation) school/ classroom
• stadium
• (bus/ coach/ underground/ subway/ train) station
• (book/ convenience/ department/ pet/…) store/ supermarket
• street
• (conveyor belt) sushi bar
• swimming pool
• taxi (rank)
• theme park/ amusement park
• toilet/ ladies/ gents/ bathroom/ restroom
• town centre (= downtown)

More difficult places vocabulary

• alley(way)
• amusement arcade (= video arcade)
• B&B/ bed and breakfast
• balcony
• bicycle lane/ cycle lane
• board room/ meeting room
• club/ nightclub/ disco
• corridor/ hall
• countryside (e.g. woods or mountains)
• courtyard/ garden/ sunken garden
• (zebra) crossing
• (automatic/ revolving) doors
• elevator hall
• emergency exit
• (main/ rear/ back/ side/ night/ out of hours) entrance
• escalator
• fountain/ water feature
• gaol/ jail/ prison
• host family
• (youth) hostel
• hot springs/ hot springs resort/ spa
• kindergarten/ nursery school
• lake/ pond
• lobby
• locker room
• (street/ flea/ antiques/ Sunday/ farmers) market
• metal detector
• motorway/ highway/ (elevated) expressway
• off license (= liquor store)
• pavement (= sidewalk)
• petrol station (= gas station)
• phone booth/ phone box/ public telephone
• police box/ police station
• reception (desk)/ front desk
• riverfront/ waterside
• security barrier
• shopping centre/ shopping mall
• smoking area/ smoking room
• staff room
• (emergency) stairs/ staircase
• student halls (= dorms)
• theatre
• town hall/ city hall
• (railways) tracks
• wall
• water fountain