Manuals > General English > Rosetta Stone Advantage > Beginner - Book 1 > Lesson 24
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By the end of the lesson, the student should be able to describe a lost item.
Communication strategies:
The student should be able to describe a lost item by following the 3 steps below:
1) describe what it looks like
2) describe the contents
3) give their contact information
e.g. I need to report some lost property. I’ve lost my bag. It’s a black backpack. It’s about this big. It has three pockets. There is a laptop and two books inside it. My name is … and my phone number is...
Words and rules:
The student should be able to conjugate the present perfect tense. e.g. I have lost my bag.
The student should be able to use the past tense. e.g. I left it on the train.
The student should be able to describe features using "have". e.g. the bag has two straps.
Appropriateness:
Non-verbal behaviour: You can say "yay" and gesture with your hands to show the size of something e.g. It's yay big.
Register: When describing a lost item to staff you can use a polite register.
Track #49
It was raining yesterday, but I lost my umbrella! I think I left it on the bus.
Track #50
Oh no! I can’t find my wallet. Maybe I dropped it in the
restaurant.
Track #51
Last week I lost my car keys. I had them on Monday, but on
Tuesday I couldn’t find them anywhere.
Track #52
I lost my bag when I was on vacation. It was a black backpack with my passport and money in it.
Because the lesson touches on the topic of possessions, you are welcome to introduce some of the following vocabulary if you like.
1) a document (n)
2) a charger (n)
3) an ID card (n)
4) a comb (n)
5) a pencil case (n)
6) a key (n)
7) glasses (n)
8) a lighter (n)
9) a USB cable (n)
10) a battery pack (n)
Option 1:
Difficulty ★
Type: Brainstorming
Purpose: Teaching the student some different kinds of bags
Method: Brainstorm some different kinds of bags. There is also a picture in reference pics. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1oNohx36FidOXVlM3BzMi1nVms/view?usp=sharing
You can then discuss what different bags they have / use / like and why.
Option 2:
Difficulty ★★
Type: Discussion
Purpose: Warm up
Method: Together with the student, discuss some different items you have lost.
Option 3:
Difficulty ★★★
Type: Role-play
Purpose: Fluency practice
Method: P1 goes to lost property and states they have lost an item.
P2 then quizzes them on the contents to make sure they are telling the truth.
e.g. What color is it? How many books does it have inside? etc.
Note: It’s best to use your imagination for this. Students probably wouldn’t like to use
their real bags for this activity.
Naruhodo point
A randoseru (ランドセル?) is a firm-sided backpack made of stitched firm leather or leather-like synthetic material, most commonly used in Japan by elementary schoolchildren. Traditionally it is given to a child upon beginning his or her first year of school. The term is a borrowed word from the Dutch "ransel" meaning "backpack", a clue to its origins nearly 200 years ago as used in the Netherlands.
Extra questions you might like to ask in the lesson
- When did you lose it?
- What does it look like?
- What does it have in it?
- Can you describe the bag?
- Can you describe the contents?
- What’s your contact information?
Let’s start
Label the pictures.
a briefcase
a backpack
a messenger bag
a suitcase
Can you name three things that might be in each bag?
a briefcase
- documents
- smartphone charger
- an ID card
a backpack
- a book
- a Nintendo DS
- sunglasses
a messenger bag
- a PC
- a notebook
- a textbook
a suitcase
- clothes
- a toothbrush
- socks
Let’s try
Listen to the four people and write down what they lost. Then tell your teacher about each person.
Track #49
It was raining yesterday, but she lost her umbrella! She thinks she left it on the bus.
Track #50
He can’t find his wallet. Maybe he dropped it in the restaurant.
Track #51
Last week she lost her car keys. She had them on Monday, but on Tuesday she couldn’t find them anywhere.
Track #52
She lost her bag when she was on vacation. It was a black backpack with her passport and money in it.
Let’s practice
Use the words and phrases below to practice reporting and describing lost property.
Sports bag
A) What’s wrong?
B) I need to report some lost property.
A) What did you lose?
B) My sports bag.
A) Do you know where you lost it?
B) I think I left it on the train.
A) What does it look like?
B) It’s pink. It’s about this big.
A) What does it have in it?
B) Two tennis rackets and some other tennis stuff.
A) OK. Can I have your name and phone number please?
B) Sure it’s Ben Smith 555 123 456
A) OK. If we find it, we will give you a call. Have a nice day.
Let’s speak
Role-play going to the lost property office and giving information about your lost item and its contents.
Same as previous role-play