✈️ Lesson 4.3: Review Project — Telling a Travel Story
You've reached the halfway milestone of A2 — the end of Module 4. Today you will not learn new grammar. Instead, you will bring everything so far together into one very useful skill: telling a travel story. You will learn real, useful travel language. Then you will put the past, the future, and the present perfect into a story that is really yours. Look how much you can say now! 🌍
📚 What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Use practical travel language at the airport, at a hotel, and when asking for help
- Put all your A2 grammar so far together — past simple, comparatives, quantifiers, future forms, present perfect, and modals — to tell a story
- Know which tense to use at each part of a travel story
- Tell (and write) a clear, connected "My Trip" story about a real or imagined trip
⏱️ Estimated Time: ~60 minutes
🎯 Project: The A2 halfway project — tell and record (or write) "My Trip": where you went, what you did, how it was, something you have never done before, and your plans for the next trip.
In This Lesson
Your Story Is the Goal
When you started A1, you could say your name and a few present-tense sentences. Now, halfway through A2, you can talk about yesterday, make plans for tomorrow, share your experiences, compare things, and give advice. That is a lot of English — and a travel story is the perfect way to use it all at once.
Think about how a real trip works. First it is a plan (the future). Then you go and do things (the past). On the trip you compare places and see how much there was. After the trip you think about your experiences (the present perfect) — and start to dream about the next trip (the future again). Every tense you have learned has a place in that story. 🧳
🧠 Mindset
Don't try for a "perfect" story with no mistakes. Try for a real, connected story that a listener can follow and enjoy. Fluency is not about never making a mistake — it is about keeping going. Every time you tell your trip, it will get a little easier. You have come this far, and you can do this. 🌱
Part A: Travel Language
Before the story, let's collect the useful phrases that help you travel. Learn them as whole phrases, and they will be ready when you need them. We'll put them in groups by place.
✈️ At the airport / station
🏨 At a hotel
🙋 Getting help
💡 Register tip: stay polite
With people you don't know, a few polite words help a lot. Start with "Excuse me, …" and end with "…, please." — "Excuse me, where's the check-in, please?" It is softer and more natural than just the question, and people help polite travelers everywhere. 🙏
Now let's hear the phrases together. Read this aloud and imagine you are the traveler:
Traveler: Excuse me, a ticket to Kyoto, please. What time does it leave?
Clerk: The next train leaves at 9:15, from platform 4.
Traveler: Great. And what time does it arrive?
Clerk: At 11:40. Here's your ticket.
Traveler: Thank you! Is platform 4 far?
Clerk: No, it's just over there, past the shops.
And later that day, checking in at the hotel:
Guest: Hello, I have a reservation. The name is Silva.
Receptionist: Welcome! Yes, a room for two nights. Here's your key card.
Guest: Thank you. Is breakfast included?
Receptionist: Yes, from 7 to 10 in the morning.
Guest: Perfect. And what time is check-out?
Receptionist: Check-out is at 11 a.m. Enjoy your stay!
Travel Wordlist
These are the words you will use most on a trip — and in your story. Say each one aloud once.
- airport
- flight
- ticket
- platform
- luggage
- passport
- reservation
- check-in
- check-out
- map
- tour
- souvenir
⚠️ Watch out: luggage
Luggage is uncountable — we don't say "a luggage" or "two luggages." Say "some luggage," "a lot of luggage," or count the bags: "two bags" / "two suitcases."
Part B: Grammar Review — Look How Much You Can Say Now!
Here is the first half of your A2 course (Modules 1–4) on one page. Each row shows a grammar point you learned — and a travel example that uses it. As you read down the table, you can see the order of a travel story. 🎉
| Grammar (from your A2 lessons) | What it does | Travel example |
|---|---|---|
| Past simple — to be (was / were) | Set the scene: where & how | The flight was long, but the flight attendants were friendly. |
| Past simple — regular (-ed) | Say what you did | We arrived late and walked to the hotel. |
| Past simple — irregular | Say what you did (special verbs) | We saw the old town and ate amazing food. |
| Comparatives & superlatives | Compare places | The second hotel was better. It was the most beautiful street in the city. |
| Quantifiers (a lot of, some, a few) | Say how much / how many | There were a lot of tourists and a few quiet cafés. |
| going to / will / arrangements | Talk about the future & plans | Next year I'm going to visit Japan. Our train leaves at 9. I think I'll book early. |
| Present perfect (have / has + past participle) | Share experiences | I've never been to Asia before. It was the best trip I've ever had. |
| Modals (should, have to, must) | Give advice & talk about rules | You should book early. You have to show your passport at check-in. |
Notice how the tenses take turns as the story moves through time:
graph LR
A["Plan the trip (future)"] --> B["Set the scene (past 'to be')"]
B --> C["What you did (past simple)"]
C --> D["Compare places (comparatives)"]
D --> E["Reflect on experience (present perfect)"]
E --> F["Next trip (future again)"]
✅ The one habit that ties it together
Use small linking words to join your sentences into a story: first, then, after that, later, but, so, because, in the end. They turn a list of facts into a real story a listener can follow. Compare: "We arrived. We were tired. We went to bed." → "We arrived late, so we were tired, and after that we went straight to bed."
🔊 Hear It & Repeat — Model Sentences
Listen to each model sentence, then say it back. Use the 🎧 Audio control (bottom-right) to pick a UK or US voice and make the speed slower. These sentences put the first four modules together to tell a simple travel story.
- Last year I went to Italy on vacation.
- We stayed in a small hotel near the beach.
- The food was delicious and cheap.
- We have been to many beautiful places.
- Next summer I'm going to visit Greece.
Practice & Quiz
🏋️ Exercise 1: Which travel phrase fits?
Objective: Match the situation to a natural phrase.
- You want to buy a train ticket to Rome. You say:
- You just arrived at your hotel and booked a room online. You say:
- You're lost and need directions to the city center. You say:
- You want to know when you must leave the hotel room. You ask:
✅ Answer
1. "A ticket to Rome, please." · 2. "I have a reservation." · 3. "Excuse me, how do I get to the center?" · 4. "What time is check-out?"
🏋️ Exercise 2: Choose the right tense
Objective: Put the verb in the correct form for a travel story.
- Last summer we (go) to Portugal.
- The beach (be) beautiful, and there (be) a lot of little shops.
- I (never / try) surfing, so I want to try it on my next trip.
- Next year I'm (visit) Greece.
✅ Answer
1. went · 2. was / were · 3. have never tried (I have never tried surfing — a life experience, so present perfect) · 4. going to visit
🎯 Quick Quiz
Question 1: You're at the station and you want to know when your train departs. What do you ask?
Question 2: Choose the sentence that correctly mixes past and present perfect in a travel story.
🎯 Capstone Project: "My Trip"
This is the big project — it shows everything you can do. Tell the story of a trip (real or imagined). Do the five steps in order. Each step uses grammar from a different part of A2. Do it alone into a recorder, or as a partner interview where your partner asks a question at each step.
Your five-step story (aim for ~5 minutes total)
- (1 min) Set the scene — past to be. Say where you went, when, and what it was like.
"Last year I went to Italy. It was spring. The weather was warm and the streets were full of flowers." - (1 min) Tell 3+ things you did — past simple (regular + irregular).
"We arrived in Rome, walked around the old town, saw the Colosseum, and ate pizza every night." - (1 min) Describe and compare a place — comparative / superlative + a quantifier.
"There were a lot of tourists. The second city was quieter and more beautiful — it was the best part of the trip." - (1 min) Add an experience — present perfect.
"I've never tasted anything like that gelato. It's the best food I've ever eaten." - (1 min) Share a future plan — going to / will.
"Next year I'm going to visit the south. I think I'll stay longer this time."
Alone option: record all five steps as one story, then listen back once and check the tenses. Partner option: your partner asks "Where did you go?", "What did you do?", "How was it?", "Have you ever…?", "What are your plans for next time?" — and you answer each with a full sentence.
✅ Project Completion Checklist
- ☐ I set the scene with was / were (where, when, what it was like)
- ☐ I narrated 3 or more things I did using past simple (regular + irregular)
- ☐ I compared a place and used a quantifier (a lot of / some / a few)
- ☐ I added an experience with the present perfect ("I've never…" / "the best … I've ever…")
- ☐ I shared a future plan with going to or will
- ☐ I used linking words (first, then, but, so) to connect my story
- ☐ I used at least one travel phrase or travel word
📓 Learning Journal
A journal entry to mark your halfway point in A2. Take a few minutes to write down:
- Key concepts you learned across the first four modules
- Things that clicked for you so far
- Questions or confusion points to revisit
- Ideas you want to try in real conversations
- Your progress and feelings at the halfway mark of A2
✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write your "My Trip" story in 6–8 sentences, using all five steps from the project. Then read it back and underline one example of each tense: a past, a comparative, a present perfect, and a future. Look how much you can say now — keep this entry; it shows how far you have come. 🌟
📝 Lesson Summary
🎓 Key Takeaways
- A travel story naturally uses every A2 tense so far: future (plan) → past (what happened) → present perfect (experience) → future (next trip).
- Learn travel language as whole phrases, grouped by place — airport/station, hotel, and asking for help.
- Ask politely: "Excuse me, …, please."
- Use linking words (first, then, but, so, because) to turn facts into a story a listener can follow.
🎉 You're Halfway Through A2! 🎉
Congratulations — you've completed the first four modules of A2! 🥳 Think about the journey so far: you can now talk about the past, make plans for the future, share your life experiences, compare the world around you, give advice, and deal with real travel situations — and today you brought it all together into one connected story. That is real, useful English. You are not a beginner anymore. You can take part in everyday conversations. Take a moment to feel proud of that — and then keep going, because the second half of A2 makes your English richer still. 🎓
❓ Common Questions at This Stage
I finished Module 4 — what's next?
You move into the second half of A2 (Modules 5–8). You'll learn to tell fuller stories (past continuous, used to), join ideas into longer sentences (first conditional, relative clauses, linking words), handle real situations (travel & directions, eating out, the doctor), and deepen the present perfect. It starts with Lesson 5.1: Past Continuous — What Was Happening. You're ready for it.
How do I keep improving as I go?
Speak a little every day — even to yourself. Read and watch things in English (short videos, articles, songs with lyrics). Use the ESL Hub for extra practice, and go back to earlier lessons — reviewing is where real fluency is built. A little practice every day is better than a lot of study once in a while.
I still make mistakes. Is that normal?
Completely normal — and a good sign! Mistakes mean you are using the language, not hiding from it. Every fluent speaker made thousands of them. Keep talking, keep noticing, and keep going. 🌱
🔭 Looking Ahead
Your next lesson is Lesson 5.1: Past Continuous — What Was Happening. In the second half of A2 you'll learn to tell richer stories, connect your ideas into longer sentences, and handle everyday situations out in the world — from asking directions to ordering a meal to booking a doctor's appointment. Everything you built in A1 and the first half of A2 is the base for it. 🚀
✅ Before You Move On
- Record or write your full "My Trip" story and complete the project checklist.
- Practice the travel phrases aloud until they feel easy and natural.
- Look through the Part B review table and say one travel example for each grammar point.
- Write your Learning Journal entry — and keep it as a record of your progress.
🌟 Encouragement for the Journey
You started as a complete beginner in A1, and now you're halfway through A2. 🎉 You can already tell stories, make plans, share experiences, and travel the world in a new language. That took courage, patience, and real work, and you should feel proud. Take a breath, celebrate the first half — and when you're ready, the second half of A2 is waiting to make your English fuller and more confident still. Great work — let's keep going! ✈️🌍👏