Writing Practice A1- Writing About Your Favorite Animal

Goals for this lesson

• Use the simple present to describe animals (is, has, can).
• Describe appearance (size, color, body parts) and behaviour (what it does, what it eats).
• Explain why you like the animal using reasons and feelings.
• Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) about your favorite animal.

Key words & sentence frames

Adjectives (appearance): small, big, tall, short, long, furry, smooth, colorful, cute, strong, fast, slow

Body parts: fur, feathers, tail, claws, paws, wings, beak, fins, whiskers, horns

Habitats & diet: forest, ocean, desert, farm, zoo, house • grass, fish, meat, fruit, insects

Useful frames:

• My favorite animal is a/an ______.
• It is (size/color/adjective): ______.
• It has (body parts): ______.
• It can (ability): ______.
• It lives in ______ and it eats ______.
• I like it because ______.

Tip: For routines and facts, use the simple present: It is, It has, It lives, It eats, It can.

Part 1 — Building sentences step by step

A clear sentence has a subject + verb + details (size, color, place, reason).

• My favorite animal is a rabbit. (subject + verb + animal)
• It is small and white. (description)
• It has long ears and soft fur. (body parts)
• It lives on a farm and eats vegetables. (habitat + diet)
• I like it because it is cute and friendly. (reason/feeling)

Part 2 — Model paragraph

Example (Amina):

My favorite animal is a dolphin. It is medium-sized and very smart. It has smooth, gray skin and a strong tail. It can swim fast and jump out of the water. It lives in the ocean and eats fish. I like dolphins because they look friendly and they play together. They make me feel happy.

Why this is good: It uses is/has/can, adds details (size, color, abilities, habitat, diet), and ends with a clear reason.

Part 3 — Guided writing

1. Plan: Choose an animal. List 2 adjectives, 2 body parts, 1 habitat, 1 food, and 1 reason you like it.
2. Draft: Use these starters:
   • My favorite animal is …
   • It is … / It has …
   • It can …
   • It lives … and it eats …
   • I like it because …
3. Check: Use the A1 checklist below.

Self-check (A1 writing checklist)

• Did I use the simple present (is, has, can, lives, eats)?
• Did I include details (size, color, body parts, place, food)?
• Do my sentences start with a capital letter and end with a period?
• Do I have at least 5 sentences?

Part 4 — Practice activities

Activity 1 — Fill in the blanks

Word bank: has • can • is • lives • eats

1. My favorite animal ___ a panda.
2. It ___ black-and-white fur and round ears.
3. It ___ in the forest and it ___ bamboo.
4. It ___ climb trees.

Activity 2 — Choose the correct word

1. A tiger (is / has) orange and black.
2. A parrot (is / can) fly and (is / has) colorful feathers.
3. A camel (lives / is) in the desert and (eats / has) plants.

Activity 3 — Put the sentences in order

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

• ___ It has long whiskers and sharp claws.
• ___ It can climb and run fast.
• ___ My favorite animal is a cat.
• ___ It lives in houses with people.

Activity 4 — Mini reading (True/False)

Text: The penguin is my favorite animal. It is black and white. It has small wings and a short tail. It lives in cold places and it eats fish. It can swim very well.

1. Penguins live in hot deserts. (T/F)
2. Penguins have small wings. (T/F)
3. Penguins can swim. (T/F)

Part 5 — Your paragraph

Write 5–7 sentences about your favorite animal. Use is, has, can, and add details about appearance, habitat, diet, and one reason you like it.

Sample answer: My favorite animal is a turtle. It is small and green. It has a hard shell and short legs. It lives near water and it eats plants and insects. It can swim slowly. I like turtles because they are quiet and calm.

Review & reflection

• Which details did you include? (size, color, body parts, place, food, reason)
• Can you add one ability with can and one place with lives?
• Read your paragraph aloud. Does it sound clear and organized?