Next To It - Prepositions of Place

Individual work

• The teacher assigns one or more household object cards to each student.
• Students read each word and think about where the object is usually found, which room it is in and what is normally around it. They then describe its location and surroundings using prepositions of place and can add extra details about its colour, size or position.
• The teacher can model a sample answer before the activity.

For example: “Bed. It’s in the bedroom. There is usually a bedside table next to it. There may be a lamp on the bedside table and a window near the bed. There is sometimes a picture above it.”

Encourage students to:

• use different prepositions of place
• make complete sentences with there is / there are
• describe several objects around the main object
• add details about colour, size and position

Extra idea: After several cards, students choose one object and describe the whole room around it. The teacher can draw a simple room plan based on the description.

Pair/group work (including breakout rooms)

• The teacher assigns one or more household object cards to each pair or group.
• One student reads the word and describes where the object is usually found and what is around it without showing the card. The others listen and try to guess the object.

For example: “It’s usually in the living room. There may be a coffee table in front of it, a lamp next to it and a TV opposite it.” — “A sofa!”

• Group members can ask simple follow-up questions, such as “Is there a window near it?” or “What is behind it?”
• Students then take turns and move on to a new card.