المحلّات في مدينتي · Programme: Naming shops; locating them on a map · Grammar: Prepositions of place (next to, opposite, between, behind); simple past
By the end of this lesson, I can:
- I can name six or seven shops in my town.
- I can say what each shop sells.
- I can find a shop on a map with next to, opposite, between and behind.
- I can say what I bought last weekend.
🖼️ Picture dictionary قاموس مصوّر
tap 🔊 to listen📚 كلمات الدرس
12 كلمة من هذا الدرس في القاموس المدرسي: المعنى بالعربية والفرنسية، والنطق، ومثال.
📖 Read: A Saturday in the town centre أقرأ
Last Saturday, Mariem went shopping in the town centre of Sfax with her mum and her little brother Aziz. First, they went to the jewellery shop. It is next to the bank. Mum looked at a gold ring and a silver necklace. She bought the necklace for Grandma’s birthday.
Then they walked to the music shop. It is opposite the café. Aziz saw a small guitar, but it was not cheap: 180 dinars! So he didn’t buy an instrument.
The shoe shop is between the music shop and the bookshop. There was a big sale with 30% off. Mariem chose white sneakers. They were only 45 dinars.
At the end, they had orange juice at the café. The car park is behind the café, so they didn’t walk far. Mariem said: “I love shopping with Mum!”
Do you understand? أفهم
Answer in your copybook first, then check.
- Where did Mariem go last Saturday?
Answer
She went to the town centre of Sfax.
- Where is the jewellery shop?
Answer
It is next to the bank.
- What did Mum buy for Grandma?
Answer
A silver necklace.
- Why didn’t Aziz buy the guitar?
Answer
Because it was not cheap: it was 180 dinars.
- How much were Mariem’s sneakers?
Answer
They were 45 dinars.
🧩 Grammar القواعد
1. Prepositions of place say where a thing is:
- next to = very near, at the side: The jewellery shop is next to the bank.
- opposite = on the other side of the street: The music shop is opposite the café.
- between A and B = in the middle of two things: The shoe shop is between the music shop and the bookshop.
- behind = at the back of: The car park is behind the café.
- in front of = before, facing: The bus stop is in front of the bakery.
2. The simple past tells what happened (last Saturday, yesterday, two days ago). Regular verbs take -ed: walk ➡️ walked, look ➡️ looked. Some verbs are irregular: go ➡️ went, buy ➡️ bought, see ➡️ saw, choose ➡️ chose. Negative: didn’t + base verb: He didn’t buy a guitar.
حروف المكان: next to بجانب، opposite مقابل، between بين (مع and)، behind خلف، in front of أمام. الماضي البسيط: نضيف ed- للأفعال المنتظمة، وللأفعال غير المنتظمة شكل خاص (went, bought). النفي: didn’t + الفعل في أصله.
My town map
bank
jewellery shop
bookshop
shoe shop
music shop
bakery
chemist’s
toy shop
clothes shop
café
Look at the map: The jewellery shop is next to the bank. The bookshop is between the jewellery shop and the shoe shop. The toy shop is opposite the bookshop.
Where is the café? ➡️ It is opposite the music shop, next to the clothes shop.
What do they sell?
| Shop | We buy… |
|---|---|
| jewellery shop 💍 | rings, necklaces, bracelets |
| music shop 🎸 | instruments: guitars, violins, drums |
| shoe shop 👟 | sneakers, sandals, boots |
| clothes shop 👕 | T-shirts, dresses, jackets |
| bakery 🥖 | bread, croissants, cakes |
| bookshop 📚 | books, notebooks, pens |
| toy shop 🧸 | dolls, balls, kites, puzzles |
Last Saturday: the simple past
| Base verb | Simple past |
|---|---|
| go | went |
| buy | bought |
| see | saw |
| choose | chose |
| walk | walked |
| look | looked |
💬 Useful expressions عبارات مفيدة
Naming shops and goods
Finding a shop
🔊 Pronunciation النطق
Worked examples أمثلة محلولة
Try first, then read the solution.
Look at the map. Where is the bookshop?
Step-by-step solution
- Find the bookshop: it is in the middle of the top row.
- On its left: the jewellery shop. On its right: the shoe shop.
- Two shops, one on each side ➡️ between … and ….
✓ The bookshop is between the jewellery shop and the shoe shop.
Complete: Yesterday, I (buy) a ring.
Step-by-step solution
- Yesterday ➡️ the past.
- buy is irregular: buy ➡️ bought.
✓ Yesterday, I bought a ring.
Where do you buy a violin?
Step-by-step solution
- A violin is a musical instrument.
- We buy instruments at the music shop.
✓ At the music shop.
⚠️ Common mistakes أخطاء شائعة
⭐ Remember أحفظ
- Shops: bakery, jewellery shop, music shop, shoe shop, clothes shop, bookshop, toy shop.
- next to = at the side; opposite = on the other side of the street.
- between A and B = in the middle; behind = at the back.
- Simple past: walk ➡️ walked, go ➡️ went, buy ➡️ bought.
- Negative: didn’t + base verb.
Quick quiz اختبار سريع
4 questions · instant feedback1. Where do you buy a necklace?
2. The car park is … the café (at the back).
3. What is the past of buy?
4. In the text, what did Mariem buy?
✍️ Write: Shops in my town أكتب
Write a short paragraph (50–70 words) about the shops in your town or your street. Say where they are and what they sell.
Steps
- Write the name of your town.
- Name three or four shops.
- Say what each shop sells.
- Say where one shop is (next to, opposite, between).
- Say which shop you like and why.
A model text to compare with (after writing mine)
I live in Kairouan. There are many shops in my street. There is a bakery next to my house. They sell bread and croissants. Opposite the bakery, there is a toy shop with dolls, balls and kites. The bookshop is between the toy shop and the chemist’s. I like the bookshop because I love comics. Last week, I bought a new comic there. It was cheap!
One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.
😊 The lighter side استراحة
Don’t judge a shop by its window.
I have a face and two hands, but no arms. You can buy me at the jewellery shop. What am I?
Answer
A watch.
Customer: “Have you got any cheap rings?” — Shopkeeper: “Yes, here is one. It rings when you lose it!”
✅ Exercises تمارين
All exercises →6 exercises on three levels, with new questions every time.
- Choose the right answerTo do
- ClassifyTo do
- Situation 1To do
- Situation 2To do
Practise: Shops in My Town
True or false, complete, choose, classify and situations: instant correction with explanations.
Got the lesson? Try it yourself
6 exercises · instant correction · new questions every time
Start the exercisesPictures: Twemoji (CC-BY 4.0). Texts, explanations and exercises: Scolaire.tn.