My Neighbourhood
Describe the street or area where you live: what there is, what you like and what you don't like.
- Time
- 15 min
- Length
- 40-60 words
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
NameClassDate
The situation
A new student in your class wants to know about your neighbourhood. Write a short description for them.
Your task
Describe your neighbourhood. Write about:
- where it is
- three places near your home (a shop, a park, a school...)
- one thing you like and one thing you don't like
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Write the name of your street or area and the city.
- Use there is and there are for places.
- Say what you like with I like.
- Say what you don't like with I don't like.
Useful phrases
Where
Places
Opinions
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- neighbourhood
- the area around your homeMy neighbourhood is quiet.
- near
- not farThe school is near my house.
- busy
- with a lot of people or carsThe main road is very busy.
- noisy
- with a lot of loud soundsThe street is noisy at night.
Model answer (57 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
I live in Karşıyaka, a busy area in Izmir.1 There is a small park near my house and there are two bakeries on my street.2 There is a big supermarket too, but there isn't a cinema. I like the park because it is green and quiet. I don't like the main road because it is very noisy.3
- Name the place, then one adjective.
- "There is" for one, "there are" for more than one.
- A balanced description: one good thing, one bad thing.
Teacher notes
Focus: there is / there are / there isn't / there aren't. Draw a simple street map on the board and elicit sentences.
Common error: There is two cafés. Students check their own texts for this.
Extra challenge
Add two sentences: What would you like to have in your neighbourhood? Use I want a ...
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: neighbourhood, near, busy, noisy.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “I live in ..., a quiet / busy area in ...”, “There is a small park near my house.”, “There are two cafés and a supermarket.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (40-60 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I wrote where my neighbourhood is.
- I used there is and there are.
- I wrote one thing I like and one thing I don't like.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I wrote where my neighbourhood is.
- I used there is and there are.
- I wrote one thing I like and one thing I don't like.
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
Assessment rubric: My Neighbourhood
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I wrote where my neighbourhood is.
- I used there is and there are.
- I wrote one thing I like and one thing I don't like.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
Peer-review sheet: My Neighbourhood
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I wrote where my neighbourhood is. | |||
| I used there is and there are. | |||
| I wrote one thing I like and one thing I don't like. |
Questions
- Does the text give all the information asked for?
- Does every sentence start with a capital and end with a full stop?
- Did the writer use and, but or because? Copy one example.
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
Lesson plan: My Neighbourhood
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: neighbourhood, near, busy, noisy.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “I live in ..., a quiet / busy area in ...”, “There is a small park near my house.”, “There are two cafés and a supermarket.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (40-60 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Did you use this task in class?
If you used it, tell us. It helps us see which tasks work.