Writing Practice A1- Describe a place you visited

Goals for this lesson

• Use the past simple (went, visited, saw, was/were) to talk about a finished visit.
• Use location words (in, near, next to, between) to say where the place is.
• Use sequencing words (then, after that, finally) to order your ideas.
• Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) about a place you visited.

Key words & sentence frames

Place words: city, town, village, beach, market, museum, square, old town, garden, mountains

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

Past simple verbs: visited, went, saw, tried, ate, drank, walked, watched, bought, took (photos)

Adjectives: beautiful, sunny, quiet, busy, colorful, historic, modern, relaxing, exciting

Useful frames:

• Last (summer/weekend), I visited ______.
• It is in ______ (the north of Morocco) and it is ______ (near the mountains).
• The place was ______ (beautiful and sunny).
• I saw ______ (gardens, markets, old buildings).
• Then / After that / Finally, I ______.
• I liked it because ______. It made me feel ______.

Tips: Use past simple for the visit (I visited, it was). Use present simple for general facts that are still true (It is in Morocco).

Part 1 — Building sentences step by step

A clear sentence has a subject + verb + details (time, place, activity, feeling).

• Last summer, I visited Agadir. (time + action)
• It is in the south of Morocco, near the ocean. (present fact + location)
• The beach was clean and sunny. (past description)
• I saw fishing boats and a long promenade. (things you saw)
• After that, I ate fresh seafood with my family. (sequencer + activity)
• The trip made me feel relaxed and happy. (feeling/reason)

Part 2 — Model paragraph

Example (Karim):

Last weekend, I visited Marrakech. It is in central Morocco and it is famous for its markets. The weather was warm and the streets were busy. I saw Jemaa el-Fnaa square, old gates, and colorful shops. Then I drank fresh orange juice and took photos. After that, I walked in a beautiful garden. The trip made me feel excited and curious.

Why this is good: It uses past simple for the visit, adds location words, and orders ideas with sequencing words.

Part 3 — Guided writing

1. Plan: Choose a place. Note 1 location fact, 3 things you saw, 2 activities, and 1 feeling.
2. Draft: Use these starters:
   • Last …, I visited …
   • It is in … / It is near …
   • The place was …
   • I saw … / I visited …
   • Then / After that / Finally, I …
   • I liked it because … It made me feel …
3. Check: Use the A1 checklist below.

Self-check (A1 writing checklist)

• Did I use the past simple for the visit (went, saw, was/were)?
• Did I add location words (in, near, next to, between)?
• Did I use sequencing words (then, after that, finally)?
• Do my sentences start with a capital letter and end with a period?
• Do I have at least 5–7 sentences?

Part 4 — Practice activities

Activity 1 — Fill in the blanks

Word bank: visited • was • saw • after that • in

1. Last year, I ______ Chefchaouen.
2. It is ______ the north of Morocco.
3. The town ______ colorful and quiet.
4. I ______ blue houses and small streets.
5. __________, I ate lunch in the square.

Activity 2 — Choose the correct word

1. I (visit / visited) the beach last weekend.
2. The museum (is / was) interesting.
3. We (see / saw) a modern bridge.
4. (Then / Than) we drank mint tea.
5. The city (make / made) me feel happy.

Activity 3 — Put the sentences in order

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

• ___ It is in the mountains, near a river.
• ___ Then I took photos and bought a snack.
• ___ Last month, I visited a small village.
• ___ I saw old houses and a market.

Activity 4 — Correct the mistakes

Rewrite the sentences.

1. i visit Tangier last summer.
2. The city were very busy.
3. After then, we eat fish and drink tea.

Activity 5 — Mini reading (True/False)

Text: Last spring, I went to Agadir. It is on the Atlantic coast. The weather was sunny, and the beach was clean. I walked on the promenade and watched the boats. Finally, I ate seafood with my family.

1. The writer visited Agadir in spring. (T/F)
2. The beach was dirty. (T/F)
3. The writer ate seafood at the end. (T/F)

Part 5 — Your paragraph

Write 5–7 sentences about a place you visited. Include where it is, what you saw and did, and how you felt. Use past simple for the visit and present simple for general facts that are still true.

Sample answer: Last summer, I visited Ouarzazate. It is in the south of Morocco, near the desert. The old kasbah was beautiful and the streets were quiet. I saw movie studios and small shops. Then I drank tea on a terrace and took photos of the mountains. The trip made me feel calm and excited.

Bonus — Short letter

Template:

Dear _____,
Last ______, I visited ______. It is in ______. The weather was ______ and the place was ______. I saw ______ and ______. After that, I ______. I liked this place because ______.
Best wishes,
______

Review & reflection

• Which past verbs did you use? (visited, saw, was/were, ate, drank)
• Which location words did you use? (in, near, next to, between)
• Did you organise your ideas with then / after that / finally?