Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 9 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 2: Family and Friends

What pets do people have?

Millions of families have a pet. Dogs and cats are the most popular, but people have fish, birds and rabbits too. In this lesson you talk about pets and use plural nouns and How many...?

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Pets and animals

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Have you got a pet?
  2. Is a dog or a cat better?
  3. What animals do you like?
  4. How many pets have you got?
  5. Have you got a friend with a pet?
  6. What is your favourite animal?
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. An animal that lives with a family is a .
  2. I my cat in the morning and in the evening.
  3. Dogs need to go for a every day.
  4. A doctor for animals is a .
  5. A bird can live in a .
  6. A dog moves its when it is happy.
  7. Cats have got soft .
  8. A dog that likes people is .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. a pet is an animal that lives
  2. to feed = to give
  3. a vet is a doctor for
  4. fur is the soft
  5. friendly =
  6. a tail is at the
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to talk about pets.

  • I have got a dog.У мене є собака.I have got a dog and two cats.
  • How many pets have you got?Скільки в тебе тварин?How many pets have you got?
  • I have got two cats.У мене дві кішки.I have got two cats.
  • It is very friendly.Він дуже дружній.My dog is very friendly.
  • It eats...Він їсть...My rabbit eats carrots.
  • I feed it...Я годую його...I feed it twice a day.
  • He is cute.Він милий.My cat is cute.
  • We go for a walk.Ми йдемо на прогулянку.We go for a walk every day.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Pets around the world

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

What pets do people have?

Many families around the world have got a pet. In some countries, more than half of the families have got a pet. Dogs and cats are the most popular animals. A lot of people have got fish, birds, rabbits or hamsters too.

Why do people have pets? A pet is a friend. A dog goes for a walk with you. A cat sits on your knees. A rabbit eats carrots from your hand. Many people say that pets make them happy. Some studies say that pets can help people to feel less stress, but it depends on the person.

A pet needs a lot of things. You must feed it every day. Dogs need a walk. All pets need a vet sometimes. A pet is a big job, and it is a friend for many years.

How many pets have you got, or what pet do you want?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Dogs and cats are the most popular pets.
  2. Only a few families in the world have got pets.
  3. A dog needs a walk.
  4. The text says all pets are the same.
  5. A pet is a friend for many people.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Is a dog a good pet?
  2. Is a cat a good pet?
  3. Is it good to have many pets?
  4. What is the most unusual pet?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Plural nouns

Add -s to most nouns: dog → dogs. Add -es after s, sh, ch, x: box → boxes. Change y to ies after a consonant: baby → babies. Some nouns are irregular: man → men, woman → women, child → children, mouse → mice, fish → fish.

two dogs, three cats, five boxes, ten babies, two mice, three fish, four children.

How many...?

Use How many + a plural noun to ask about a number. Answer with a number.

How many pets have you got? I have got two. How many cats has she got? She has got three. How many legs has a dog got? Four.

Block 2 review

Use the grammar from this block.

have got and has got (L6) · questions with have got (L7) · possessive 's and whose (L8)

Common mistakes: add -s for more than one, -es after s, sh, ch and x, and learn irregular plurals. ✗ two cat → two cats. ✗ three mouses → three mice. ✗ How many pet have you got? → How many pets have you got?

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I have got two
    .
  2. She has got three
    .
  3. There are five
    .
  4. They have got two
    .
  5. I can see three
    .
  6. How many
    have you got?
  7. My parents have got two
    .
  8. We have got five
    .
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I have got two cat. →
  2. How many pet have you got? →
  3. She has got three mouses. →
  4. There are two box. →
  5. I have got three babys. →
  6. They have got two childs. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use plural nouns and how many.

  1. Have you got a pet?
  2. How many pets have you got?
  3. What do you feed your pet?
  4. What is your favourite animal?
  5. Have your friends got pets?
  6. Do you want a pet?
5

Three people and their pets, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and their pets

Three people talk about their pets. Compare them. Who has got the most pets? Who has got a dog? What pet do you want?

Person 1

Maria, 10

  • Has got a dog
  • Her dog is friendly
  • She goes for a walk with it
  • The dog's name is Rex
Person 2

Mr Lee, 55

  • Has got five fish
  • The fish are small
  • He feeds them every day
  • He has got a big tank
Person 3

Anya, 30

  • Has got two cats
  • The cats have got soft fur
  • She goes to the vet twice a year
  • She loves her cats
5.2

Mini-talk: my pet

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: say what pets you have got (or want) and how many.
  3. Part 2: say what the pet eats and what it does.
  4. Part 3: say why a pet is good or not good.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Have you got a pet?
  2. How many pets have you got?
  3. What is your favourite animal?
  4. What do you feed your pet?
  5. Have you got a dog or a cat?
  6. How many animals can you see now?
  7. Is your pet friendly?
  8. Do you want a pet?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who has got a dog?
  2. Who has got a cat?
  3. Who has got two pets?
  4. Who feeds the pet at your house?
  5. Who takes the dog for a walk?
  6. Who has got a fish?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is a pet good for children?
  2. Is a pet expensive?
  3. Is a dog better than a cat?
  4. Is it OK to keep a bird in a cage?
  5. Are pets part of the family?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

At the vet

You

Owner

You are at the vet with your pet (your teacher is the vet):
  • say what pet you have got
  • say how old it is
  • say what is wrong
  • say what you feed it
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use plural nouns where you can.
Your teacher

Vet

Says things like:
  1. What pet have you got?
  2. How old is it?
  3. What is the problem?
  4. What do you feed it?
7.2

At the pet shop

You

Customer

You are in a pet shop (your teacher is the seller):
  • say what pet you want
  • ask how much it is
  • ask what it eats
  • say how many you want
You do most of the talking. Use: I want... · How many...? · How much is...?
Your teacher

Seller

Says things like:
  1. Hello! Can I help?
  2. This one is friendly.
  3. It eats carrots.
  4. Two or three?
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

petfeedwalkvetcagetailfurfriendly
  1. An animal that lives with a family is a .
  2. I my cat in the morning and in the evening.
  3. Dogs need to go for a every day.
  4. A doctor for animals is a .
  5. A bird can live in a .
  6. A dog moves its when it is happy.
  7. Cats have got soft .
  8. A dog that likes people is .
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. I have got two .
  2. She has got three .
  3. There are two .
  4. I can see five .
  5. How many have you got?
  6. We have got two .
  7. They have got four .
  8. How many has he got?
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I have got two cats.
  2. I have got two cat.
  3. How many pets have you got?
  4. How many pet have you got?
  5. There are three mice.
  6. She has got three mouses.
  7. They have got two children.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I have got
  2. How many
  3. I have got
  4. It is
  5. I feed it
  6. He is
  7. We go for

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