Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 4 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 1: Hello and Me

What do the colours of flags mean?

Every country has a flag. Flags have colours and shapes, and many of them tell a story. In this lesson you describe things with colours, and you use a and an, and plural nouns.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Flags and colours

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. What colour is your favourite T-shirt?
  2. What colour is the flag of your country?
  3. Is your phone black or white?
  4. What is your favourite colour?
  5. Is the sky blue today?
  6. What colour is your bag?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. A is a piece of cloth with colours for a country.
  2. Red, blue and green are each a .
  3. The flag of Japan has a red on a white background.
  4. The flag of the USA has fifty white .
  5. The French flag has three : blue, white and red.
  6. The flag of Canada has a red maple .
  7. The red circle on the Japanese flag is the .
  8. Many people say that the blue on Ukraine's flag is the .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. a flag is a piece of
  2. a circle is
  3. a stripe is a long
  4. a leaf is part of a
  5. the sky is
    on a sunny day
  6. a field is a big area of
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to describe a flag.

  • It is a red flag.Це червоний прапор.It is a red flag with a white circle.
  • It is an orange circle.Це помаранчеве коло.It is an orange circle.
  • They are blue stripes.Це сині смуги.They are blue stripes.
  • The flag has...На прапорі є...The flag has two stars.
  • It means...Це означає...It means the sun.
  • My favourite colour is...Мій улюблений колір — це...My favourite colour is green.
  • It is blue and yellow.Він синьо-жовтий.The flag is blue and yellow.
  • I like this flag.Мені подобається цей прапор.I like this flag. It is simple.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Flags of the world

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

What do the colours of flags mean?

Every country has a flag. A flag has colours, and often it has a shape: a star, a cross, a circle or a stripe. Many flags have a story.

The flag of Ukraine has two stripes: a blue stripe and a yellow stripe. Many people say that the blue is the sky and the yellow is a field of wheat. The flag of Japan is white with a red circle. The circle is the sun. The flag of Canada has a red maple leaf.

The flag of the USA has fifty white stars and thirteen stripes. The stars are for the fifty states. The stripes are for the first thirteen states.

The flag of Italy has three stripes: green, white and red. There are some stories about the colours, but people say different things.

A flag is a symbol. It is a picture of a country and its people.

What is a colour on your flag, and what does it mean?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Every country has a flag.
  2. The flag of Japan has a blue circle.
  3. The flag of Ukraine has two stripes.
  4. The USA flag has fifty stars.
  5. All people say the same about the Italian colours.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Is a flag important?
  2. What colour is a good colour for a flag?
  3. Do you like flags with stars?
  4. What flag is your favourite?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

A and an

Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u). We say a or an for one thing only.

a flag, a star, a red circle, an orange circle, an umbrella, an hour.

Plural nouns

For more than one thing, add -s: flag → flags. After s, sh, ch, x add -es: box → boxes. After consonant + y change y to ies: country → countries. Some nouns are irregular: man → men, child → children.

two stars, three stripes, five boxes, ten countries, two children.

Block 1 review

Use the grammar from this block.

the verb to be (L1) · questions with to be (L2) · my, your, his, her (L3)

Common mistakes: use a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound, and add -s for more than one. ✗ an flag → a flag. ✗ a orange circle → an orange circle. ✗ two star → two stars.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. It is
    red flag.
  2. It is
    orange circle.
  3. It is
    umbrella.
  4. Ukraine has two
    .
  5. The USA flag has fifty
    .
  6. These are my
    .
  7. There are three
    .
  8. Italy and Spain are
    .
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. It is an flag. →
  2. He has a orange phone. →
  3. Two star are on the flag. →
  4. There are three box. →
  5. Ukraine and Poland are two country. →
  6. She has two childs. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use a, an and plural nouns.

  1. What colour is your flag?
  2. What shape is on your flag?
  3. What is your favourite colour?
  4. What colour is your bag?
  5. What things are blue in your room?
  6. How many stripes are on your flag?
5

Three people and their flags, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and their flags

Three people talk about their flags. Compare them. Whose flag has a circle? Whose flag has stars? Which flag do you like?

Person 1

Taras, 28

  • Is from Ukraine
  • His flag is blue and yellow
  • Likes the two stripes
  • Says the colours are the sky and wheat
Person 2

Yuki, 12

  • Is from Japan
  • Her flag is white with a red circle
  • Says the circle is the sun
  • Likes simple flags
Person 3

Emma, 35

  • Is from Canada
  • Her flag has a red leaf
  • Says it is a maple leaf
  • Likes red and white
5.2

Mini-talk: my flag

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: describe the flag of your country (colours and shapes).
  3. Part 2: say what you think the colours mean.
  4. Part 3: say what flag you like and why.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What colour is your flag?
  2. Is a star on your flag?
  3. What colour is your favourite T-shirt?
  4. Is your bag big or small?
  5. What colour is your phone?
  6. What is a symbol of your country?
  7. Do you like red?
  8. What is your favourite flag?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who has a blue bag?
  2. Who has a red phone?
  3. Who is from a country with a star on its flag?
  4. Who wears green?
  5. Who has two children?
  6. Who has a yellow T-shirt?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is red a strong colour?
  2. Is a simple flag better?
  3. Are flags important?
  4. Is blue a calm colour?
  5. Are colours different in different countries?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Describing a flag

You

Speaker

You describe a flag to a friend (your teacher):
  • say the country
  • say the colours
  • say the shapes
  • say what you like
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use a, an and plural nouns.
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. Which flag is it?
  2. What colours does it have?
  3. Are there stars?
  4. Do you like it?
7.2

At a shop

You

Customer

You buy a T-shirt in a shop (your teacher):
  • say the colour
  • ask if there is a big size
  • say you want one or two
  • say thank you
You do most of the talking. Use: I want a... · I want an... · I want two...
Your teacher

Shop assistant

Says things like:
  1. Hello!
  2. What colour?
  3. Which size?
  4. Anything else?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

flagcolourcirclestarsstripesleafsunsky
  1. A is a piece of cloth with colours for a country.
  2. Red, blue and green are each a .
  3. The flag of Japan has a red on a white background.
  4. The flag of the USA has fifty white .
  5. The French flag has three : blue, white and red.
  6. The flag of Canada has a red maple .
  7. The red circle on the Japanese flag is the .
  8. Many people say that the blue on Ukraine's flag is the .
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. It is blue flag.
  2. I have orange.
  3. She has umbrella.
  4. There are two .
  5. They have three .
  6. I see five .
  7. Ukraine and Poland are .
  8. He has apple.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. It is a red flag.
  2. It is an flag.
  3. It is an orange circle.
  4. He has a orange phone.
  5. There are two stars.
  6. There are three box.
  7. She has two children.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. It is a
  2. It is an
  3. They are
  4. The flag
  5. It means
  6. My favourite colour
  7. I like

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.