English Learning Content: Festivals

Dialogue

Alice: Bob, guess what? I just saw a calendar! It’s almost festival time!

Bob: Alice! Calendar? Are you sure it wasn’t a really fancy pizza menu? You’re always thinking about food.

Alice: Haha, very funny! No, it really said ‘Autumn Festival next month’! What’s your favorite festival?

Bob: Oh, an autumn festival! Hmm, my favorite… definitely the ‘Sleep-in-until-noon Festival’ every weekend. It’s a classic.

Alice: That’s not a real festival, Bob! I mean a celebration with food and music!

Bob: Okay, okay! If I have to pick a real one, I love the Spring Blossom Festival. All the flowers are beautiful.

Alice: Ah, the Spring Blossom Festival is lovely! My favorite is the ‘Food Truck Fiesta’ in July. So many delicious smells!

Bob: Of course it is, Alice. Anything with ‘food’ in the name! Do you remember that time you tried to eat a whole giant pretzel by yourself?

Alice: Hey! I almost did it! It was a festival pretzel! Anyway, what do people usually do at the Spring Blossom Festival?

Bob: Well, they go for picnics under the trees, take lots of photos, and there’s often traditional music. It’s quite relaxing.

Alice: Sounds nice. At the Food Truck Fiesta, people eat, listen to live bands, and sometimes there are even cooking contests.

Bob: Cooking contests! I bet you’re always a judge, right? “Yes, this burger needs more cheese, please!”

Alice: Maybe! Do you ever dress up for festivals?

Bob: Sometimes! For the Halloween festival, I was a zombie last year. It was a bit messy, but fun!

Alice: Oh, Halloween is fun! I was a witch. My hat kept falling off.

Bob: You’d make a great witch, Alice. Just add a giant cauldron for all your festival snacks!

Alice: Alright, Mr. Funny! Are there any festivals you don’t like?

Bob: Hmm, I’m not a big fan of the ‘Early Morning Marathon Festival.’ Too much running, not enough eating.

Alice: Haha, I agree! I don’t like festivals where it’s too crowded. I can’t find the food trucks!

Bob: Priorities, Alice, priorities! So, about this Autumn Festival… what kind of food do you think they’ll have?

Alice: Pumpkin pie, apple cider, roasted corn… My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Bob: Sounds like a plan! We should definitely go together. Maybe I can find a new ‘favorite festival’ that day.

Alice: Perfect! But only if you promise not to try and eat a flower.

Bob: Deal! Unless it’s a giant edible flower made of candy. Then all bets are off!

Alice: You’re impossible! See you there, Bob!

Bob: Bye, Alice! Don’t eat all the pumpkin pie before I get there!

Current Situation

Festivals are special events and celebrations that happen regularly in different places around the world. They are a big part of culture and community life. People celebrate festivals for many reasons: to mark a season, honor a religion, remember history, enjoy art and music, or simply to have fun and share food. Festivals often involve unique traditions, special foods, music, dancing, parades, and dressing up in costumes. They bring people together and create a sense of joy and shared experience.

Key Phrases

• Guess what?: Used when you want to tell someone surprising or interesting news.

  Example: Guess what? I’m going to a music festival next month!

• Very funny!: A common way to respond to a joke, sometimes used sarcastically if the joke isn’t actually that funny.

  Example: “You look like a giant potato!” “Very funny, Bob.”

• Favorite festival: The festival that someone likes the most.

  Example: My favorite festival is Christmas because of all the lights and food.

• Sounds nice: Used to express that something sounds pleasant, appealing, or like a good idea.

  Example: “We’re going to the beach this weekend.” “Sounds nice!”

• Dress up: To wear special clothes, often for a party, costume, or formal event.

  Example: Children love to dress up for Halloween in funny costumes.

• Not a big fan of: To express that you do not particularly like something or are not enthusiastic about it.

  Example: I’m not a big fan of spicy food, so I prefer mild dishes.

• My mouth is watering: To feel hungry and have saliva produced in the mouth, usually when thinking about delicious food.

  Example: Just thinking about freshly baked bread makes my mouth water.

• Sounds like a plan!: Used to agree with a suggestion or idea, indicating you are happy with it.

  Example: “Let’s meet at 7 PM.” “Sounds like a plan!”

• All bets are off: If a certain event happens, then previous agreements or plans are no longer valid.

  Example: If it rains, all bets are off for the outdoor concert.

• You’re impossible!: A humorous way to describe someone who is difficult, unpredictable, or very playful in an endearing way.

  Example: “I bought twenty cats!” “You’re impossible, Emma!”

Grammar Points

1. Present Simple Tense

We use the Present Simple tense to talk about:

• Habits and Routines: Things you do regularly.
  Example: People go to festivals every year.
• Facts and General Truths: Things that are always true.
  Example: The sun rises in the east.
• Festival activities: What people generally do.
  Example: People eat, listen to music, and take photos.

How to form it:

• Positive: I/You/We/They + verb (base form). He/She/It + verb + -s/-es.
  Example: I like festivals. He likes festivals.
• Negative: I/You/We/They + do not (don’t) + verb. He/She/It + does not (doesn’t) + verb.
  Example: I don’t like crowded places. She doesn’t like running.
• Questions: Do + I/you/we/they + verb? Does + he/she/it + verb?
  Example: Do you like festivals? Does he dress up?

2. The Verb “To Be” (am, is, are)

The verb “to be” is one of the most important verbs in English. We use it to describe things, identify people, or talk about location.

• Identity / Description:
  Example: My favorite festival is the Food Truck Fiesta. Halloween is fun.
• Location / Time:
  Example: The Autumn Festival is next month.
• Feelings / States:
  Example: My mouth is watering.

Forms:

• I: am
  Example: I am happy.
• You/We/They: are
  Example: You are impossible. We are friends.
• He/She/It: is
  Example: It is almost festival time.

3. Modal Verb “Should”

“Should” is used to give advice, make a suggestion, or say what is the right thing to do.

• Advice/Suggestion:
  Example: We should definitely go together. (This is a good idea.)

How to form it: Subject + should + base form of the verb. It is the same for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

• Example: You should try the pumpkin pie.
• Example: They should not (shouldn’t) eat too much candy.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are).

1. The Autumn Festival ____ next month.
2. I ____ not a big fan of crowded places.
3. You ____ impossible, Bob!
4. My favorite festival ____ the Food Truck Fiesta.
5. We ____ friends.

Answers:

1. is
2. am
3. are
4. is
5. are

Exercise 2: Choose the correct word for the blanks (Present Simple).

1. What do people usually (do / does) at festivals?
2. She (like / likes) pumpkin pie.
3. I (don’t / doesn’t) like early morning events.
4. He often (dress / dresses) up for Halloween.
5. We (go / goes) to festivals every year.

Answers:

1. do
2. likes
3. don’t
4. dresses
5. go

Exercise 3: Match the key phrase to its meaning.

1. Guess what?
2. Sounds like a plan!
3. My mouth is watering.
4. Not a big fan of.
5. Dress up.

Meanings:

a. To feel hungry.

b. To dislike something.

c. Asking for attention before surprising news.

d. To wear special clothes.

e. Agreement.

Answers:

1-c, 2-e, 3-a, 4-b, 5-d