Video Download

Steve and Anne explore the park.

ANNE
Look at this big grey one

STEVE
He’s massive. He has very, very strong arms and legs.

ANNE
And a big strong tail.

STEVE
Yeah. And ears. Very big ears

ANNE
His fur looks very soft.

STEVE
It feels soft on my hand

ANNE
It’s got beautiful big brown eyes.
They walk around.

ANNE
Oh, look at that little black and white one.

STEVE
Oh yeah. I think that’s a willy wagtail. They’re very fast and they move around a lot.

ANNE
It’s cute. It’s got such a long tail. Oh, look at that bird!

STEVE
Oh, that’s a kingfisher

ANNE
Oh, we have them in Singapore

STEVE
Really?

ANNE
Hmm. Look at its beautiful blue back.

STEVE
Very colourful, isn’t it? There’s lots in Australia. Big ones and small ones. We have a very big one called a kookaburra. It has a very interesting laugh.
Anne cuddles a koala.

ANNE
He’s so soft and cuddly.

STEVE
Yeah, like me!

STEVE
They’ve actually also got really sharp claws. See?

ANNE
He’s so cute! Can I take him home?

STEVE
I don’t think they’d be very happy about that.
Anne has a moment of sadness.

STEVE
Oh, look at that one. What’s the matter?

ANNE
Nothing… I’m just feeling a bit homesick.

STEVE
Come on, let’s go and get something to eat.

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1. DESCRIBING THINGS

We describe things with words called adjectives.
a small frog
a green frog
 

We often use more than one adjective at a time.
a small green frog
 

ANNE
And a big strong tail.
 

We use adjectives that describe size before colour.
a small green frog
a small green frog
 

If the thing has more than one colour, we use and
a small green and red frog
 

If we want to say what type something is, we say it after size and colour.
a small green and red toy frog

If we want to say what type something is, we say it after size and colour.
a small green and red toy frog

When we describe a quality, we usually say it first.
a happy green and red toy frog



ANNE
It’s got beautiful big brown eyes.
 

STEVE
He has very, very strong arms and legs.
  Notice that we use a comma when writing very twice.
very, very big
 

Very can be used before or after the things it is describing.
You have very beautiful eyes.
Your eyes are very beautiful.
 

STEVE
Yeah. And ears. Very big ears.

ANNE
His fur looks very soft.
 

STEVE
I think that’s a willy wagtail. They’re very fast and they move around a lot
 

STEVE
Very colourful, isn’t it? There’s lots in Australia. Big ones and small ones. We have a very big one called a kookaburra. It has a very interesting laugh.
 

So & such
You can use so instead of very to mean the same thing.
Your eyes are so beautiful.
 

ANNE
He’s so soft and cuddly.

But we use so only after the things being described.
Your eyes are so beautiful.

We use such before the things being described and say:
You have such beautiful eyes.
 

ANNE
It’s cute. It’s got such a long tail.
 

If you use such to describe a single thing, you use a.
You have such a beautiful smile.
 

ANNE
It’s cute. It’s got such a long tail.
 

For things that can’t be counted we just use such.
It’s such lovely weather.

     3. ONE, SOME & ANY

We use the word one instead of naming the thing we are talking about if it’s clear what we are talking about.
There’s a black and white bird.
There’s a black and white one.
 

ANNE
Oh, look at that little black and white one.
 

If there are more than one we use ones.
I like black and white birds.
I like black and white ones.
 

STEVE
Very colourful, isn’t it? There’s lots in Australia. Big ones and small ones.
 

We only use one and ones with things that can be counted.
For things that can’t be counted, such as milk, we use some or any.
Do we have milk?
Yes, we have some.
or
Do we have milk?
No, we don’t have any.