Wildlife by the Sea: Pheasants & Deer
CEFR: B1
Read/Listen first
We stayed in a small house by the sea. A tall meadow lay between the house and the beach, and in the evenings we spotted pheasants and sometimes deer moving through the long grass. The scene felt very quiet and open. The coastline was beautiful but the land was strikingly flat. From the window, you could see fields for miles and almost no people or cars. It seemed calmer than our life back home, and the children loved watching the animals at dusk.⚡ Learning goals
- Describe key details from the scene using precise nouns and adjectives.
- Compare two places using clear contrasts and simple reasons.
- Share a short personal reaction using natural speaking phrases.
✨ Key language
- It feels/looks … “It feels very quiet and open.”
- You can see … “You can see fields for miles.”
- Compared to … “Compared to home, it’s flatter.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Descriptive noun + prepositional phrase
Rule: Use a concrete noun followed by a precise place phrase to anchor the image.Examples: a meadow by the sea; quiet towns in the south; card payments at small shops
Common pitfall + fix: Using vague fillers like ‘things there’. — Name the thing and add a preposition of place..
Choose the most descriptive phrase.
Tip: Prefer concrete nouns plus place phrases.
Fill with the best answer: ________________
Tip: Use the target structure from the rule.
2️⃣ Contrast with ‘but/while/whereas’
Rule: Link two facts to show difference.Examples: It’s flat, but the coast is beautiful.; Payments are easy, whereas cash is rare.; I was nervous, while the talk was short.
Common pitfall + fix: Listing facts without cohesion. — Add a contrast linker once per sentence..
Choose the most descriptive phrase.
Tip: Prefer concrete nouns plus place phrases.
Fill with the best answer: ________________
Tip: Use the target structure from the rule.
3️⃣ Past simple for travel experiences
Rule: Use past simple to recount what you saw and did.Examples: We saw pheasants near the house.; We paid by card everywhere.; I gave a short AI talk.
Common pitfall + fix: Overusing present for finished trips. — Switch to past simple for completed events..
Choose the most descriptive phrase.
Tip: Prefer concrete nouns plus place phrases.
Fill with the best answer: ________________
Tip: Use the target structure from the rule.
4️⃣ Hedging with ‘seems/feels/looks’
Rule: Use softeners to express impressions.Examples: It seems quieter than Berlin.; The landscape feels endless.; The rules look strict.
Common pitfall + fix: Stating opinions as facts. — Add a hedging verb to moderate claims..
Choose the most descriptive phrase.
Tip: Prefer concrete nouns plus place phrases.
Fill with the best answer: ________________
Tip: Use the target structure from the rule.
✍️ Vocabulary
pheasant
Meaning: a colorful wild bird often found in fields.Synonyms: game bird, fowl.
Chunk/Idiom: a pheasant in the meadow.
Example: We saw a pheasant near the house..
Morphology: noun.
Self-practice: Name two birds you saw last year..
deer
Meaning: a wild animal with antlers.Synonyms: stag, doe.
Chunk/Idiom: deer at dusk.
Example: Deer crossed the meadow quietly..
Morphology: noun.
Self-practice: Describe where you last saw a deer..
meadow
Meaning: a field of grass and wildflowers.Synonyms: field, grassland.
Chunk/Idiom: a high meadow by the sea.
Example: The house faced a wide meadow..
Morphology: noun.
Self-practice: Write two things you see in a meadow..
coastline
Meaning: the land along the edge of the sea.Synonyms: shore, seashore.
Chunk/Idiom: a quiet coastline.
Example: We walked along the coastline..
Morphology: noun.
Self-practice: Compare two coastlines you know..
quiet
Meaning: making little or no noise.Synonyms: silent, calm.
Chunk/Idiom: a quiet town.
Example: It felt quiet and open there..
Morphology: adjective.
Self-practice: Say three quiet places you like..
to spot
Meaning: to notice or see briefly.Synonyms: notice, observe.
Chunk/Idiom: spot wildlife.
Example: We spotted birds at sunset..
Morphology: verb.
Self-practice: Write a sentence using ‘spot’..
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
We stayed in a small house by the sea.
It felt quiet and open, with long views.
We spoke about costs, travel, and daily routines.
Small details brought the scene to life.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the best contrast sentence.
Tip: Use a linker like but to contrast.
Pick the correct past simple sentence.
Tip: For a finished trip, use past simple.
Fill with the best answer:
It ______ quieter than Berlin.Tip: Hedge opinions with seems/feels/looks.
Fill with the best answer:
We ____ pheasants near the house.Tip: Use a past simple verb.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Which word best describes the towns?
Tip: Scan the mini text for adjectives.
How did they usually pay?
Tip: Look for payment methods in the story.
Fill with the best answer:
They saw ________ near the house.Tip: Two kinds of animals are named.
Fill with the best answer:
Denmark looked like ________.Tip: Use an adjective + noun from the text.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: It feels so quiet here, doesn’t it?B: Yes. You can see fields for miles.
Why this matters:
Noticing concrete details builds clear descriptions. It helps your audience imagine the scene and follow your story.Verb & Adjective Pack:
notice — Notice the long, open views.compare — Compare Denmark with the Netherlands.
seem — It seems quieter than Berlin.
quiet — a quiet town
flat — a flat coastline
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: It ______ open and very quiet.
Tip: Use a hedging verb.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: We see pheasants near house.
Tip: Use past simple and the article.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
You can pay by card everywhere.
Tip: Keep the sentence short and clear.