Family trip to the zoo
Viaje familiar al zoológico
- Describe different landscapes and animals.
- Organize a family activity at an attraction park.
- Learn about famous zoos or wildlife areas in your host country
- Use of ya, todavía and todavía no
Explore organizing a family trip to the zoo using key Spanish expressions: ya (already), todavía (still), and todavía no (not yet). Learn to describe animals like el elefante and el tigre, and discuss famous zoos in Spain.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
A2.20.2 Cultura
El desierto de Tabernas: el Hollywood español
The Tabernas Desert: the Spanish Hollywood
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
El búho
The owl
2
El tigre
The tiger
3
Comprar una entrada
To buy a ticket
4
El mono
The monkey
5
África
Africa
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ya ______ comprado las entradas para el zoológico esta tarde.
(We have already ______ bought the tickets for the zoo this afternoon.)2. Mientras caminábamos por la selva, ______ muchos monos salvajes.
(While we were walking through the jungle, ______ many wild monkeys.)3. Después, ______ el paisaje africano desde la terraza del parque.
(Later, ______ the African landscape from the park terrace.)4. Todavía no ______ visto al tigre, pero seguro que aparecerá pronto.
(We still haven't ______ seen the tiger, but surely it will appear soon.)Exercise 4: Family trip to the zoo
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Ser - To be
Pretérito indefinido
- yo fui
- tú fuiste
- él/ella/Ud. fue
- nosotros/as fuimos
- vosotros/as fuisteis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. fueron
Comprar - To buy
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo compraba
- tú comprabas
- él/ella/Ud. compraba
- nosotros/as comprábamos
- vosotros/as comprabais
- ellos/ellas/Uds. compraban
Ver - To see
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo veía
- tú veías
- él/ella/Ud. veía
- nosotros/as veíamos
- vosotros/as veíais
- ellos/ellas/Uds. veían
Estar - To be
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo estaba
- tú estabas
- él/ella/Ud. estaba
- nosotros/as estábamos
- vosotros/as estabais
- ellos/ellas/Uds. estaban
Describir - To describe
Pretérito indefinido
- yo describí
- tú describiste
- él/ella/Ud. describió
- nosotros/as describimos
- vosotros/as describisteis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. describieron
Decir - To say
Pretérito indefinido
- yo dije
- tú dijiste
- él/ella/Ud. dijo
- nosotros/as dijimos
- vosotros/as dijisteis
- ellos/ellas/Uds. dijeron
Exercise 5: Uso de ya, todavía y todavía no
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Use of ya, todavía and todavía no
Show translation Show answersTodavía no, Ya, todavía, ya, Todavía
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ser to be Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) fui | I was |
| (tú) fuiste | You were |
| (él/ella) fue | he/she was |
| (nosotros/nosotras) fuimos | we were |
| (vosotros/vosotras) fuisteis | you were |
| (ellos/ellas) fueron | they were |
Ver to see Share Copied!
Pretérito imperfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) veía | I saw |
| (tú) veías | You saw |
| (él/ella) veía | he/she saw |
| (nosotros/nosotras) veíamos | we saw |
| (vosotros/vosotras) veíais | You saw |
| (ellos/ellas) veían | they saw |
Describir to describe Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) describí | I described |
| (tú) describiste | You described |
| (él/ella) describió | he described/she described |
| (nosotros/nosotras) describimos | we described |
| (vosotros/vosotras) describisteis | You described |
| (ellos/ellas) describieron | they described |
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Family Trip to the Zoo: Lesson Overview
This lesson focuses on practical communication skills for organizing and describing a family outing to the zoo in Spanish. Aimed at A2 learners, it enhances both vocabulary and grammar around everyday activities connected to outings and nature, specifically zoological parks.
Key Language Points
- Usage of ya, todavía, and todavía no: These adverbs help express completed actions, ongoing states, and things that have not happened yet. For example, Ya compré las entradas (I already bought the tickets), Todavía no hemos decidido (We still haven't decided).
- Describing animals and landscapes: Vocabulary related to animals (e.g., tigres, elefantes, búho) and environment (e.g., selva, paisaje) is practiced. Learners describe habitats and animal behaviors using simple yet effective sentences.
- Talking about zoological parks in Spain: The lesson introduces famous places such as the Zoo of Barcelona and the Doñana Reserve, encouraging learners to discuss travel plans and share experiences.
Grammatical Structures
The lesson trains useful verb tenses including the pretérito perfecto compuesto to talk about recent actions (hemos comprado), and the pretérito indefinido and imperfecto for narrating past events and describing ongoing past states (fuimos, comprábamos).
Practical Vocabulary Examples
- ya – already
- todavía – still
- todavía no – not yet
- entradas – tickets
- excursión – outing, excursion
- paisaje – landscape
- animales – animals
Instruction Language vs. Spanish: Useful Phrases and Differences
English and Spanish express time-related concepts differently. Spanish uses ya, todavía, and todavía no very commonly to indicate whether something has happened or not, which is less directly matched by English adverbs. For example, Ya he comprado las entradas directly translates as "I have already bought the tickets," emphasizing completion.
Other useful phrases include:
- ¿Ya compraste las entradas? – Have you already bought the tickets?
- Todavía no hemos decidido a qué hora salir. – We still haven't decided what time to leave.
- El elefante es enorme y su piel está muy arrugada. – The elephant is huge and its skin is very wrinkled.
- ¿Quieres que vayamos juntos? – Do you want us to go together?
These constructions are essential in daily communication when planning events or describing experiences.
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