FUN AT THE ZOO

I went to the zoo with my family last weekend. The zoo was full of amazing animals. First, we saw lions sleeping under a tree. Then, we watched monkeys swinging from the branches. I liked seeing the colorful birds in the aviary. My sibling enjoyed watching the elephants splash water with their trunks. My parents loved the zebras with their black-and-white stripes. We took many pictures of the animals. At noon, we ate lunch at the picnic area. After lunch, we went to the reptile house. The snakes and lizards looked so interesting. Visiting the zoo was fun and exciting. I cannot wait to go back again!

Individual Sentences

1. I went to the zoo with my family last weekend.
   Pattern: S + V + Prep Phrase + O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O + Adj O

2. The zoo was full of amazing animals.
   Pattern: S + Aux + Adj + Prep Phrase + Adj O

3. First, we saw lions sleeping under a tree.
   Pattern: Adv + S + V + O + V-ing + Prep Phrase + O

4. Then, we watched monkeys swinging from the branches.
   Pattern: Adv + S + V + O + V-ing + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

5. I liked seeing the colorful birds in the aviary.
   Pattern: S + V + V-ing + Adj O + Prep Phrase + O

6. My sibling enjoyed watching the elephants splash water with their trunks.
   Pattern: Poss Adj + S + V + V-ing + Poss Adj + O + V + O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

7. My parents loved the zebras with their black-and-white stripes.
   Pattern: Poss Adj + S + V + Poss Adj + O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + Adj O

8. We took many pictures of the animals.
   Pattern: S + V + Adj O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

9. At noon, we ate lunch at the picnic area.
   Pattern: Adv Phrase + S + V + O + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

10. After lunch, we went to the reptile house.
    Pattern: Adv Phrase + S + V + Prep Phrase + Poss Adj + O

11. The snakes and lizards looked so interesting.
    Pattern: S + Conj + O + V + Adv + Adj

12. Visiting the zoo was fun and exciting.
    Pattern: V-ing + Prep Phrase + Aux + Adj + Conj + Adj

13. I cannot wait to go back again!
    Pattern: S + Aux + V + Inf Phrase + Adv

Who Are You Talking To?

Just an example of how this phrase would be said in different environments:
Phrase: "Did you have fun at the zoo?"

1. Casual: "Hey, did you enjoy your trip to the zoo?"

2. Intimate: "Sweetie, did you have fun at the zoo with us?"

3. Formal: "May I ask if you enjoyed visiting the zoo?"

4. Business: "Could you share why the zoo visit was enjoyable?"

5. Writing: "Please describe your experience at the zoo and explain what you enjoyed."

Key Vocabulary

To help you recall the words faster, draw a picture, create a sentence, or a story for each word.

1. Aviary – A large enclosure for keeping birds.

2. Trunks – The long, flexible nose of an elephant.

3. Stripes – Long, narrow bands of color.

4. Reptile – A cold-blooded animal like a snake or lizard.

5. Picnic Area – A place where people can eat outdoors.

Comprehension Questions

Refer back to the story if you need to answer the following questions.

1. Where did I go with my family last weekend?
   Sentence: ________________.

2. What were the lions doing under the tree?
   Sentence: ________________.

3. What animals did my sibling enjoy watching?
   Sentence: ________________.

4. Where did we eat lunch?
   Sentence: ________________.

5. What was fun and exciting for me?
   Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

1. The zoo.

2. Sleeping.

3. The elephants.

4. At the picnic area.

5. Visiting the zoo.

Speaking Activity

Practice placing stress on the bolded words to change the message of the sentence.

1. I went to the zoo with my family last weekend. (Emphasizes who went to the zoo)

2. I went to the zoo with my family last weekend. (Emphasizes the place)

3. My parents loved the zebras with their black-and-white stripes. (Emphasizes the pattern on the zebras)

4. The snakes and lizards looked so interesting. (Emphasizes the description of the reptiles)

5. Visiting the zoo was fun and exciting. (Emphasizes the overall experience)

Writing Activity

Unscramble the Sentences:

1. Zoo / last / went / family / weekend / the / to / my / I / with.
   Sentence: ________________.

2. Under / sleeping / tree / the / lions / saw / a / we.
   Sentence: ________________.

3. Took / pictures / we / animals / the / of / many.
   Sentence: ________________.

4. Snakes / the / so / interesting / lizards / looked / and.
   Sentence: ________________.

5. Fun / was / the / and / zoo / exciting / visiting.
   Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

1. I went to the zoo with my family last weekend.

2. We saw lions sleeping under a tree.

3. We took many pictures of the animals.

4. The snakes and lizards looked so interesting.

5. Visiting the zoo was fun and exciting.

Create Activity

Follow the sentence pattern and build sentences with the following words:

Words To Use: aviary, trunks, stripes, reptile, picnic area

1. S + V + O.
   Sentence: ________________.

2. S + V + Adj + O.
   Sentence: ________________.

3. S + V + O + Prep Phrase.
   Sentence: ________________.

4. S + V + O + Adv.
   Sentence: ________________.

5. S + Aux + V + Adj.
   Sentence: ________________.

Answers:

1. I visited the aviary.

2. The elephants’ trunks are long.

3. We saw zebras with stripes.

4. The reptile moved slowly.

5. The picnic area was nice.

Grammar Activities

Multiple-Choice Questions:

1. Where did I go with my family last weekend?
   a) The park
   b) The zoo
   c) The aquarium

2. What were the lions doing under the tree?
   a) Playing
   b) Sleeping
   c) Eating

3. What animals did my sibling enjoy watching?
   a) Monkeys
   b) Birds
   c) Elephants

4. Where did we eat lunch?
   a) In the aviary
   b) At the picnic area
   c) Near the reptile house

5. What was fun and exciting for me?
   a) Seeing the snakes
   b) Visiting the zoo
   c) Watching the birds

Answers:

1. b) The zoo

2. b) Sleeping

3. c) Elephants

4. b) At the picnic area

5. b) Visiting the zoo

Natural Dialogue

Me: Did you have fun at the zoo?
Friend: Yes, I went to the zoo with my family last weekend.
Me: What was your favorite animal?
Friend: I liked the monkeys swinging from the branches.
Me: Why do you like visiting the zoo?
Friend: Because it’s fun and exciting!