Where

Lead-in

  • Where is a good place for a party?
  • Do you prefer parties in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening?

Presentation

Pre

  • When do you have parties in your house?

Top Down

  • What do they talk about? Read the text and find out!
  • A Party
  • Phone Numbers
  • Presents
  • Decorations
  • Drinks
  • Occupations
  • Emergencies
  • Clothes
  • A Party
  • Phone Numbers
  • Presents
  • Decorations
  • Drinks
  • Occupations
  • Emergencies
  • Clothes

John: Are you going to Noah’s birthday party?

Chad: I am. Is it going to be at his house?

John: Yeah. It’s going to be in his backyard.

Chad: Where do we put the presents?

John: We put them on the table, next to the pool.

Chad: I see. Is his brother going to be there?

John: No, he is going to be in the hospital.

Chad: He’s sick?

John: No, he’s going to work in the hospital.

Chad: Oh, that’s good. Is he a doctor?

John: No, he is a nurse.

Bottom Up

  • True or False?

Example: Chad is going to Noah’s party. True

  1. The party is going to be at his house.
  2. You put the presents under the table.
  3. His brother is going to be there.
  4. His brother isn’t sick.
  5. His brother is a doctor.
  1. The party is going to be at his house. True
  2. You put the presents under the table. False
  3. His brother is going to be there. False
  4. His brother isn’t sick. True
  5. His brother is a doctor. False

Post

  • Do you like birthday parties?
  • Do you prefer to receive presents or money?

Target Language

Abstract and Concrete Places

Concrete

  • Someone is in the kitchen with Donna.
  • We live in Brazil.
  • He lives in the United States of America.
  • We live in the United Kingdom.

Some countries have ‘the’ in their names. However, in general, proper nouns do not use ‘the’.

Abstract

  • Terry is sick in hospital.
  • Juliana studies in university.
  • The students are in school.

We don’t use ‘the’ when talking about abstract places or states.

‘School’, ‘hospital’ and ‘church’ can be concrete or abstract places.

Concrete

  • He’s at the restaurant. I don’t know if he is in the restaurant or in front of the restaurant.
  • There is a party at Brian’s house. It is going to be in the backyard, behind his house.
  • We are at the park walking the dogs.

We use ‘at’ to talk about a general concrete location. It’s not specifically in, on, under, in front of, behind, next to or between.

Abstract

  • She’s at home.
  • They are at work.
  • The students are at school.

‘Work’ and ‘home’ are never concrete, for there is no geographical place called ‘work’ or ‘home’.

Concrete

  • The teacher and the students are in the school.

Abstract

  • The teacher is at work.
  • The teacher is not in school.
  • The students are in school.
  • The students are not at work.

The teacher is teaching, not learning.

Concrete

  • The doctor, the nurse and the patient are in the hospital.

Abstract

  • The doctor and nurse are at work.
  • The doctor and nurse are not in hospital.
  • The patient is in hospital.
  • The patient is not at work.

The doctor and nurse are not patients who need help.

Concrete

  • The church members and the minister are at the church.

Abstract

  • The church members are at church.
  • The church members are not at work.
  • The minister is at work.
  • The minister is at church too.

The minister and the church members are participating in the mass or church service.

Controlled Practice

  • Complete the dialogue with the correct words. Then, practice it.

John: Are you going ____ Noah’s birthday party?

Chad: I am. Is it going to be ____ his house?

John: Yeah. It’s going to be ____ his backyard.

Chad: Where do we put ____ presents?

John: We put them ____ the table, next to the pool.

Chad: I see. Is his brother going to be there?

John: No, he is going to be ____ the hospital.

Chad: He’s sick?

John: No, he’s going to work ____ the hospital.

Chad: Oh, that’s good. Is he ____ doctor?

John: No, he is ____ nurse.

John: Are you going to Noah’s birthday party?

Chad: I am. Is it going to be at his house?

John: Yeah. It’s going to be in his backyard.

Chad: Where do we put the presents?

John: We put them on the table, next to the pool.

Chad: I see. Is his brother going to be there?

John: No, he is going to be in the hospital.

Chad: He’s sick?

John: No, he’s going to work in / at the hospital.

Chad: Oh, that’s good. Is he a doctor?

John: No, he is a nurse.

Freer Practice

  • Replace the words in blue to make new questions.
  • Who works in a school?
    • Teachers, janitors and secretaries work at a school.
  • What objects are there in a school?
    • There are desks.

Production

  • Make 5 abstract and 5 concrete sentences with the prepositions from the Target Language.

Example: I work at home.

Homework

Match the places with their corresponding classification. There is one example.

  1. Concrete

  2. Abstract

(2) At church

(   ) In hospital.

(   ) In the hospital.

(   ) In school.

(   ) At the church.

(   ) In the school.

  1. Concrete

  2. Abstract

(2) At church

(2) In hospital.

(1) In the hospital.

(2) In school.

(1) At the church.

(1) In the school.

Put the words in the correct order.

Example: in / the park / Eduardo and Mônica / met. > Eduardo and Mônica met in the park.

  1. at / the / movies / I’m.

  2. for/ me / at home / she’s / waiting.

  3. at / the circus / my children / are.

  4. their / church / at / mothers / are.

  5. in / for 20 years / Nelson Mandela / was / jail.

  1. I’m at the movies.

  2. She’s waiting for me at home.

  3. My children are at the circus.

  4. Their mothers are at church.

  5. Nelson Mandela was in jail for 20 years.

Choose the correct option to complete the sentences. Use In at / in.

Example: Eduardo e Mônica met ______ the park. > Eduardo e Mônica met in the park.

  1. The principal is ______ work.

  2. Your daughter must be ______ school to get child support.

  3. The priest is ______ the mass.

  4. My son finished highschool, now he’s ______ college.

  5. Your husband was ______ the hospital last week.

  1. The principal is at work.

  2. Your daughter must be in school to get child support.

  3. The priest is at the mass.

  4. My son finished highschool, now he’s in college.

  5. Your husband was at / in the hospital last week.

Answer the questions using the right prepositions of place.

Example: Where Eduardo and Mônica met? They met ______ the park. > Where Eduardo and Mônica met? They met in the park.

  1. Where are you now? I’m ______ home doing homework.

  2. Where’s your uncle? He’s ______ work.

  3. Where do you live? I live ______ Brazil.

  4. Where was she born? She was born ______ New Zeland.

  5. Where are the kids? They’re ______ the theater.

  1. Where are you now? I’m at home doing homework.

  2. Where’s your uncle? He’s at work.

  3. Where do you live? I live in Brazil.

  4. Where was she born? She was born in New Zeland.

  5. Where are the kids? They’re at the theater.

Correct the wrong sentences.

Example: Eduardo and Mônica met in park. > Eduardo and Mônica met in the park.

  1. My cats are in the home with my mom.

  2. I’m going to wait for you at house.

  3. Their uncle is at hospital because of his kidney.

  4. The clowns are in circus.

  5. That woman is at movie. She’s an actress.

  1. My cats are at home with my mom.

  2. I’m going to wait for you in the house.

  3. Their uncle is in hospital because of his kidney.

  4. The clowns are at the circus.

  5. That woman is in the movie. She’s an actress.

Writing

Write a dialogue about going somewhere with a friend.

Example: Today me and my friend are going to…