Teacher Edition
Starter • Unit 2: People & Things

The Perfect Car

Use adjectives to describe things, know that adjectives come BEFORE the noun, and express preferences with 'I prefer'.

50 min
adjective position (before noun) + adjectives are invariable
16 words
1

Listening

10 minutes
Say to student:

"What color is the first car? Is it fast or slow? Let's learn about adjectives!"

A car showroom. A customer is looking at cars with a salesperson.

Dialogue: A car showroom. A customer is looking at cars with a salesperson.

Customer and Salesperson

Here is the text from the listening. Read along and check your answers.

Customer
I want a new car.
What about this blue car?
Salesperson
It's small and easy to park.
Salesperson
Customer
But it's very slow. And it's ugly!
OK. This red car is fast and beautiful.
Salesperson
Customer
Yes! I love it. How much is it?
It's very expensive.
Salesperson
Customer
It's my money!
or click any bubble to hear one line

Comprehension:

1. What color is the first car?

2. Is the blue car fast?

3. What does the customer think of the red car?

2

Language Focus

12 minutes

Grammar Discovery: adjective position: adjective + noun (a big car, NOT a car big). Adjectives don't change in plural.

Look at these phrases from the dialogue. Where is the adjective — before or after the noun?

a NEW car (adjective + noun)

this BLUE car (adjective + noun)

It's VERY SLOW. (adjective alone, no noun)

This RED car is FAST and BEAUTIFUL.

Expected answer: Adjective comes BEFORE the noun. Or alone after verb be (It's slow).

Explain:

In Portuguese, you say 'carro bonito' (noun + adj). In English?

a beautiful car (NOT a car beautiful) — English: adj + noun (opposite of Portuguese!)

fast cars (NOT fasts cars) — Adjective never changes — no plural form

Quick Check (oral):

1. Say: "a ___ car / a car ___ — which is correct? 'a big car' or 'a car big'?"

Expected: a big car

If wrong: Adjective BEFORE noun: a big car.

2. Say: "two fast cars / two fasts cars — which is correct?"

Expected: two fast cars

If wrong: Adjectives don't change: fast cars, not fasts cars.

3. Say: "Is it a ___ phone or a ___ phone? (old/new)"

Expected: an old phone / a new phone

If wrong: Adjective before noun: old phone, new phone.

Common Errors

a car beautiful → a beautiful car
In English, adjective ALWAYS before noun: beautiful car, not car beautiful.
They're fasts cars. → They're fast cars.
Adjectives NEVER change. No plural: fast cars, not fasts cars.
Explicação (PT-BR):
Em ingles, o adjetivo vem ANTES do substantivo: a BIG car (nao 'a car big'). Adjetivos NAO mudam no plural: fast cars (nao 'fasts cars').
3

Practice

15 minutes
Watch for:
- Adjective position — rule vs habit: Brazilian says 'carro bonito' (noun + adj). English is ALWAYS 'beautiful car' (adj + noun). Takes time to automate. Correct every time.
- Adjective invariable: 'A fast car' → 'two fast cars' (NOT 'fasts cars'). Adjective in English NEVER changes. Different from Portuguese.
- 'Very': amplifier. 'It's expensive' → 'It's VERY expensive.' Student can use 'very' with any adjective.
- 'Beautiful' /bjuːtɪfəl/: 3 syllables. Brazilian tends to say 4. Correct: BEAU-ti-ful.
- 'Expensive' /ɪkspɛnsɪv/: Brazilian tends to say 'espensive' (no /k/). Correct: eK-spensive.
- Colors as adjectives: blue, red, black, white follow the SAME position rule: 'a blue car', 'red shoes'.

Adjective Position

Which sentence is correct? Choose A or B.

1. A beautiful car or a car beautiful?

A. a beautiful car
B. a car beautiful
🗣 Teacher speaks: a beautiful car

2. A phone expensive or an expensive phone?

A. a phone expensive
B. an expensive phone
🗣 Teacher speaks: an expensive phone

3. A big bag or a bag big?

A. a big bag
B. a bag big
🗣 Teacher speaks: a big bag

4. Red shoes or shoes red?

A. red shoes
B. shoes red
🗣 Teacher speaks: red shoes

5. A house old or an old house?

A. a house old
B. an old house
🗣 Teacher speaks: an old house

6. They're cars fast or They're fast cars?

A. They're cars fast.
B. They're fast cars.
🗣 Teacher speaks: They're fast cars.

Opposite Adjectives

Match the opposites.

Column A

big
fast
expensive
beautiful
new
long

Column B

short
slow
cheap
old
ugly
small

Describe It!

Complete with the correct adjective from the box.

bigsmallexpensivecheapnewold
1. Tokyo is a city.
2. My phone is . I want a phone.
3. A Ferrari is very .
4. A pen is .
5. My bag is very . I need a bag.

I Prefer...

Your teacher asks. Answer with 'I prefer...' and say why.

1. Big cities or small cities?

2. Expensive restaurants or cheap restaurants?

3. Old houses or new apartments?

4. Fast cars or slow cars?

5. Long movies or short movies?

6. Black or white clothes?

4

Let's Talk

13 minutes

Let's Talk!

Use what you learned today to answer these questions. Elaborate as much as you can!

Describing things and preferences.

1. Describe your phone. Is it big or small? New or old? What color?

Follow-up: Is it expensive?

Target: My phone is ___. It's a ___ phone.
Expected answer: It's black. It's new. / My phone is a new black phone.
Tip: Model: 'My phone is big and black. It's a new phone.' Accept adjectives alone, build to sentences.

2. Do you prefer big cities or small cities? Why?

Follow-up: Is Sao Paulo big or small?

Target: I prefer ___ cities because ___.
Expected answer: Big cities. / I prefer big cities.
Tip: Teach 'because' as connector. Accept 'big cities' alone, build to 'I prefer big cities because they're interesting.'
Extension activity: Aluno rapido: descrever 5 objetos na sala com 2 adjetivos cada. 'This is a big, black bag.' 'That's a small, old book.'

Self-Assessment

How did you do today?

  • ✓
    I can describe things: It's a big, red car.
  • ✓
    I can say opposites: big/small, fast/slow, expensive/cheap.
  • ✓
    I can say what I prefer: I prefer small cities.

Great work today!

Next class: Next class: REVIEW! Everything from lessons 7 to 12.