Writing Practice A1- Describe a Park in your Town

Goals for this lesson

• Use the simple present to describe a place and what people do there.
• Use there is / there are to list features in the park.
• Use prepositions of place (near, next to, between, behind, in front of) to show location.
• Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) about a park in your town.

Key words & sentence frames

Park features: playground, swings, slide, benches, path, trees, flower beds, pond, fountain, café, sports field

Actions: walk, jog, relax, sit, read, play football, ride a bike, have a picnic

Prepositions: near, next to, between, behind, in front of, across from

Useful frames:

• In my town, there is/are ______ (a big park / many trees).
• The park is ______ (large, quiet, beautiful) and it is near ______ (my school).
• There is ______ / There are ______ (a pond / two playgrounds).
• People ______ there (walk, play, relax).
• I like the park because ______.

Tips: Use the simple present for facts and routines (People walk, The park is). Use there is/there are to say what exists in a place (There is a pond, There are benches). Capitalize proper names like Sunny Park.

Part 1 — Building sentences step by step

A clear sentence has a subject + verb + details (size, location, features, activities, feelings).

• In my town, there is a park called Sunny Park. (name)
• It is near the bus station. (location)
• The park is green and quiet. (description)
• There are tall trees and a long walking path. (features)
• People jog in the morning and children play on the swings. (activities)
• I like this park because it helps me relax. (reason/feeling)

Part 2 — Model paragraph

Example (Maya):

In my town there is a beautiful park called River Park. It is next to my school and across from a small café. The park is clean and full of trees. There are benches along the path and a playground with swings and a slide. In the afternoon, families have picnics and teenagers ride their bikes. I like this park because it is quiet and it’s easy to meet my friends there.

Why this is good: It uses there is/there are, describes location with prepositions, and gives reasons.

Part 3 — Guided writing

1. Plan: Note the park’s name, where it is, 3 features, 2 activities, and 1 reason you like it.
2. Draft: Use these starters:
   • In my town, there is a park called …
   • The park is … and it is near …
   • There is … / There are …
   • People … there.
   • I like this park because …
3. Check: Use the A1 checklist below.

Self-check (A1 writing checklist)

• Did I use the simple present (is/are, like, play)?
• Did I use there is/there are correctly?
• Did I include location words (near, next to, between, behind)?
• Did I capitalize the park’s name?
• Do I have at least 5–7 sentences?

Part 4 — Practice activities

Activity 1 — Fill in the blanks

Word bank: benches • next to • trees • there is • there are

1. In my town, ______ a park called Central Park.
2. It is ______ the library.
3. The park has tall ______ and a long path.
4. ______ many people in the park at the weekend.
5. There are wooden ______ near the playground.

Activity 2 — Choose the correct preposition

1. The pond is (between / behind) the café and the playground.
2. The toilets are (in front of / across from) the main gate.
3. The bike rack is (next to / under) the big oak tree.

Activity 3 — Put the sentences in order

Number the sentences from 1 (first) to 4 (last).

• ___ There are flower beds near the gate.
• ___ In my town, there is a park called Green Garden.
• ___ People sit on the benches and read.
• ___ It is near the bus station.

Activity 4 — Correct the mistakes

Rewrite the sentences.

1. there are a pond and two slide in my park.
2. The park is next the museum.
3. Sunny park is beautiful.

Activity 5 — Mini reading (True/False)

Text: Our town has a park called Lakeview Park. It is behind the sports centre. There are tall trees and a small fountain. On Saturdays, children play on the swings and families have picnics. I like walking on the path in the evening.

1. The park is behind the sports centre. (T/F)
2. There is a large fountain. (T/F)
3. People have picnics on Saturdays. (T/F)

Part 5 — Your paragraph

Write 5–7 sentences about a park in your town. Include the park’s name, where it is, 3 features, 2 activities, and one reason you like it.

Sample answer: In my town there is a park called Hill Park. It is between the river and the station. There are tall trees, clean paths, and a pond with a small fountain. People jog in the morning and children play on the swings. I like this park because it is peaceful and close to my home.

Review & reflection

• Which features did you include? (trees, benches, pond, playground, café)
• Did you use there is/there are and prepositions correctly?
• Read your paragraph aloud. Is it clear and organised?