What Time? What Colour? What Size?

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What Time? What Colour? What Size?

By the end: I can ask for a time, a colour and a size.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Ask about a time

Use what time together. With an activity, use do or does when needed.

What time is the lesson?

What time do you start?

Does carries the question form

The statementThe train leaves at ten.

The positive statement uses leaves for the train.

The questionWhat time does the train leave?

After does, use the base form leave, without s.

Keep what time together. The question asks for the time, so at ten is the relevant answer.
Lesson scene for What time is the lesson? People and essential props on white.
What time is the lesson?What time asks for a time answer.

Ask about a colour

Use what colour with is or are. The answer is a colour.

What colour is your bag?

What colour are the chairs?

Match is or are to the item you ask about

One shirtWhat colour is that one?

That one refers to one shirt in the conversation. The answer is white.

Plural shoesWhat colour are your shoes?

Shoes is plural. The recorded answer is They’re black.

What colour stays the same. Is or are changes to fit the singular or plural item.

Ask about a size

Use what size together. Match the rest of the question to the thing or person.

What size is this shirt?

What size do you need?

Guided practice

Say or write your answer first. Compare form and meaning with the model.

1. Complete: What ___ is the meeting? At nine.

Compare a model and explanation

time

At nine answers a time question.

2. Complete: What ___ is the hat? Blue.

Compare a model and explanation

colour

Blue is a colour.

3. Complete: What ___ do you need? Medium.

Compare a model and explanation

size

Medium names a size.

4. Correct: What time you start?

Compare a model and explanation

What time do you start?

Add do in the present-simple question.

5. Choose is or are: What colour ___ your socks?

Compare a model and explanation

are

Socks is plural.

6. Ask about the time: The train leaves at ten.

Compare a model and explanation

What time does the train leave?

Use does and the base form leave.

7. Ask about the colour: My bike is green.

Compare a model and explanation

What colour is your bike?

Your changes the question to the listener.

8. Ask about the size: This coat is small.

Compare a model and explanation

What size is this coat?

The question asks for the size.

A short conversation

Listen first, then open the transcript when useful.

Open the conversation transcript

A: What time does the shop open?

B: At ten. What do you need?

A: A shirt. What colour is that one?

B: It’s white. What size do you need?

Listening checks

Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have a separate score.

1. What information is given?
Read the listening transcript

What time is lunch? It’s at one.

2. Which shoes are described?
Read the listening transcript

What colour are your shoes? They’re black.

3. What does the customer need?
Read the listening transcript

What size do you need? Large, please.

Lesson scene for What colour is your bag? People and essential props on white.
What colour is your bag?What colour asks for a colour; is agrees with one bag.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.

1. The answer is At half past eight. Choose the question.
2. Complete: What colour ___ the walls?
3. Choose the question.
4. The answer is Small, please. Choose the question.
5. Complete: What ___ is the bus? It’s yellow.
6. Complete: What size ___ you wear?
7. Choose the question about one door.
8. The lesson is at six. Which reply answers What time is the lesson?

Use it in your own words

Speaking 1

Ask and answer two questions about your daily times.

Reveal a possible response

What time do you get up? At seven. What time do you start work? At nine.

Success check: Use what time and give times.

Speaking 2

Ask about a bag’s colour and a shirt’s size.

Reveal a possible response

What colour is the bag? It’s brown. What size is the shirt? It’s medium.

Success check: Match the answers to colour and size.

Put it all together

Make a short shop conversation. Ask when it opens, then ask about colour and size.

Reveal a possible response

What time do you open? At ten. What colour is this jacket? It’s blue. What size is it? It’s large.

Success check: Use all three question phrases.

Take it with you

I can ask for a time, a colour and a size.

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