11.4 Places in Town, Services and Simple Technology
Key Takeaways
- Town facility words (library, post office, bank, pharmacy, sports centre) power directions, Speaking Part 2 choices, and Listening place matching.
- Service verbs—send a parcel, open an account, borrow a book, cash a cheque—work as Part 4-style collocations, not isolated nouns.
- Weather and seasons language supports small talk in Speaking and detail in Listening forecasts or weekend plans.
- A2 technology English focuses on phones, internet, email, and simple media actions: text, call, download, charge, go online.
- Connect places + weather + tech when you practise: where you meet, what the weather is like, and how you message friends.
11.4 Places in Town, Services and Simple Technology
Quick Answer: Learn town places + what you do there, weather and season phrases, and simple phone/internet/email/media chunks. Together they let you handle directions, public services, small talk about the weather, and modern contact language in Speaking, Listening detail, and Reading Part 4.
Sections 11.1–11.3 gave you people, free time, food, and health. This section is the map and the tools: where things are in town, how public services work at elementary level, what the weather is doing, and how you use phones and the internet without advanced IT vocabulary.
Exam Connections
| Task | How this vocabulary appears |
|---|---|
| Speaking Part 1 | Where is your town? What’s the weather like today? Do you use social media? |
| Speaking Part 2 | Choose a place to meet / a free facility / a gift from a shop area |
| Listening | “Meet me outside the library”; weather changing plans; text message times |
| Reading notices | Opening hours of the post office; library rules; cinema app info |
| Reading Part 4 | borrow books, send an email, charge my phone, heavy rain |
| Writing Part 6 | Arrange a meeting place; mention weather; suggest messaging |
Places in Town: Facilities Map
Study places as name + action + meeting language, not as a dry list.
Core facilities table
| Place | Typical actions / chunks |
|---|---|
| post office | send a parcel/letter, buy stamps |
| bank | open an account, pay in money, use the cash machine |
| library | borrow / return books, study quietly |
| police station | report a problem (recognition) |
| hospital / clinic | see a doctor, visit someone |
| pharmacy / chemist’s | buy medicine |
| sports centre / gym | do exercise, swim |
| swimming pool | go swimming |
| park | go for a walk, have a picnic |
| museum / art gallery | look at exhibitions, go sightseeing |
| cinema / theatre | watch a film / play |
| restaurant / café | eat out, meet for coffee |
| supermarket / shopping centre | do the shopping |
| bus station / train station | catch a bus/train |
| airport | fly, check in |
| hotel | stay, book a room |
| school / university / college | study |
| town hall | local government (recognition) |
| car park | park the car |
| petrol station | put petrol in the car |
Location and meeting chunks
| Chunk | Example |
|---|---|
| in the town centre / city centre | The library is in the town centre. |
| on the high street | many shops |
| on the corner of… | exact position |
| outside / in front of the… | meeting point |
| at the entrance | where to wait |
| near / not far from | distance softener |
| How do I get to the post office? | ask the way |
| Let’s meet at… | Speaking Part 2 gold |
Speaking Part 2 sample move: I think the library is better than the café because it’s quiet and free. We can meet outside the entrance at four o’clock.
Public Services: Collocations That Carry Marks
Nouns alone are weak. Verb + service object is what Part 4 and natural Speaking need.
Post office
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| send a letter / parcel / package | post something |
| buy stamps | postage |
| post a card | send by mail |
| airmail | overseas post (recognition) |
| address / postcode | where it goes |
| deliver | post worker brings mail |
Bank and money services
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| open a bank account | start banking |
| pay in / withdraw money | put in / take out |
| use a cash machine / ATM | get cash |
| check your balance | see how much money |
| exchange currency | change money (travel link) |
| bank holiday | public holiday when banks close |
Library
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| join the library | become a member |
| borrow a book | take home for a time |
| return a book | bring back |
| renew a book | extend loan |
| pay a fine | late fee |
| be quiet | rule |
| online catalogue | find books (modern libraries) |
Other service micro-chunks
| Place | Chunks |
|---|---|
| hairdresser’s / barber’s | cut my hair, make an appointment |
| dry cleaner’s | clean a jacket |
| garage / mechanic | repair a car |
| tourist information | get a map, ask about opening times |
Original Part 4 line: You can _____ books for three weeks, but you must _____ them on time or pay a fine. → borrow / return
Weather and Seasons
Weather is perfect Speaking Part 1 small talk and a common reason plans change in Listening.
Weather adjectives and phrases
| Chunk | Use |
|---|---|
| What’s the weather like? | standard question |
| It’s sunny / cloudy / windy / foggy | conditions |
| It’s raining / snowing | -ing weather verbs |
| heavy rain / light rain | intensity |
| a storm / a thunderstorm | strong weather |
| hot, warm, cool, cold, freezing | temperature feel |
| degrees (20 degrees) | number + unit |
| shine (the sun is shining) | bright weather |
Seasons and clothing link
| Season | Typical weather / clothes (simple) |
|---|---|
| spring | milder; rain possible; light jacket |
| summer | hot/sunny; T-shirt |
| autumn (US fall) | cooler; windy; jumper |
| winter | cold; snow possible; coat |
Weather collocations and plan language
| Chunk | Example |
|---|---|
| nice / lovely weather | positive |
| bad weather | negative |
| the weather forecast | prediction |
| It looks like rain | prediction softener |
| cancel because of the weather | plan change |
| stay indoors | avoid weather |
| put on a coat | clothes + weather |
Listening trap pattern: First speaker wants a picnic; second mentions rain → plan moves indoors. Always listen to the final decision.
Speaking models:
- Today it’s cloudy and a bit cold. It might rain later.
- In my country winters are freezing and summers are very hot.
- If the weather’s nice this weekend, I’ll go for a walk in the park.
Simple Technology: Phones, Internet, Email
A2 tech English is about everyday digital life, not coding.
Phone language
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mobile phone / mobile / smartphone | device |
| make a call / call someone | phone someone |
| answer the phone | pick up |
| hang up | end call |
| text / send a text message | SMS |
| miss a call | not answer in time |
| charge the phone / charger | battery power |
| run out of battery | no power left |
| put on silent / turn off the phone | sound settings |
| signal / Wi-Fi | connection |
| app | small program |
Internet and online actions
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go online / use the internet | connect |
| browse / look something up | search info |
| search for | try to find online |
| download / upload | transfer files (basic) |
| click on | select |
| password | login secret |
| log in / log out | start/end session |
| website | site on the internet |
| social media | online networks (light use) |
| post a photo | share |
| follow / like (recognition) | social actions |
Email language (Writing-friendly)
| Chunk | Use |
|---|---|
| send / receive an email | core verbs |
| reply to an email | answer |
| attachment | file with email |
| address (email address) | name@… |
| check my email | look at inbox |
| inbox | where mail arrives |
Part 6 transfer: I’m sending you the photo as an attachment. Please reply when you can.
Media at A2
| Word / chunk | Note |
|---|---|
| TV programme / show | British programme |
| channel | TV station number/name |
| news, documentary, series | types |
| radio | audio |
| podcast | modern listening (recognition) |
| newspaper / magazine / online article | reading media |
| advertise / advert / advertisement | notices and Listening |
| video / clip | short film online |
| stream a film | watch online |
| headphones | listen privately |
Collocation care: watch TV, listen to the radio, read the news, see a film vs watch a film (both appear; match options in Part 4).
Combining Place + Weather + Tech (Exam Reality)
Real tasks mix topics. Practise combined answers.
Scenario: Friends want to meet, weather is bad, they use phones.
The forecast says heavy rain this afternoon, so let’s not meet in the park. How about the library in the town centre? I’ll text you when my bus arrives. If the Wi-Fi is working, we can look up train times for tomorrow’s trip.
Skills hit: weather forecast, place choice, transport, texting, internet lookup—exactly the multi-topic feel of A2 papers.
Worked Reading Part 4 Micro-Text (Original)
Our town [1] _____ a new sports centre last year near the station. You can [2] _____ books from the library next door, and the post office is opposite, so you can [3] _____ parcels easily. Many people [4] _____ online to book gym classes with their phones. In winter the weather is often freezing, so people [5] _____ indoors more. If you get lost, [6] _____ me a text and I will meet you outside the entrance.
Plausible answers: (1) opened / built (2) borrow (3) send (4) go (5) stay (6) send
Each gap is a life collocation, not a rare word.
High-Value Chunk Tables
Table A — Services
| Verb | Service partners |
|---|---|
| send | a parcel, a letter, an email, a text |
| borrow | a book, money (careful), a charger |
| return | a book, an email call-back meaning differs |
| open | a bank account, a file, an app |
| charge | a phone, a laptop |
| book | a class, a ticket, a table (multi-topic verb) |
Table B — Weather + plans
| If weather is… | Useful decision language |
|---|---|
| sunny and warm | go for a walk, have a picnic, eat outside |
| raining heavily | stay indoors, take an umbrella, cancel the match |
| freezing / snowing | put on a warm coat, be careful on the roads |
| very windy | not ideal for beach / cycling |
Table C — Digital contact
| Goal | Chunk |
|---|---|
| contact fast | send a text / call me |
| share info | send an email with an attachment |
| find info | look it up online |
| power | charge your phone |
| quiet place | put your phone on silent |
Directions + Facilities Drill (One Paragraph to Personalise)
Write and speak:
From the bus station, go straight on to the traffic lights. Turn right. The bank is on the corner. Next to the bank is the post office. Opposite the post office is the library. The sports centre is behind the library, near the car park.
Then add tech: If you can’t find it, call me or send a text.
Then add weather: Take a coat—it’s cold and windy today.
Practice Week
| Day | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Label a sketch map of your area with 10 A2 place words |
| 2 | Roleplay post office + library (send parcel; borrow book) |
| 3 | 60-second weather report for today + weekend plan |
| 4 | Write six sentences with phone/internet collocations |
| 5 | Mixed quiz: partner asks for directions to three services |
Common Errors
| Error | Better |
|---|---|
| I go to library for take book | I go to the library to borrow a book. |
| The weather is rain | It’s raining. / The weather is rainy / wet. |
| send a SMS message text mail (messy) | send a text (message) / send an email |
| charge on my phone | charge my phone |
| meet me in the outside | meet me outside |
| borrow a book to the library | borrow a book from the library / return a book to the library |
Checklist: Topic Map Complete?
- I can name 12+ town places and one action for each
- I can use post office, bank, and library collocations
- I can answer What’s the weather like? with season context
- I can talk about phones, texts, email, and going online
- I can combine place + weather + contact method in one Speaking turn
- I recognise these chunks quickly in Reading Part 4 options
How Chapter 11 Fits the Whole Exam
| Vocabulary cluster | Strongest exam links |
|---|---|
| 11.1 People, home, routines | Speaking Part 1; Listening times; Part 4 life verbs |
| 11.2 Free time, travel | Speaking 1–2; Listening transport; holiday texts |
| 11.3 Food, shopping, health | Listening prices; restaurant talk; illness messages |
| 11.4 Places, services, tech | Directions; notices; weather; digital contact |
You do not need a dictionary-sized word list to score well at A2 Key. You need dense, reusable chunks tied to real tasks. Keep a personal notebook with four sections matching this chapter. Each week, recycle old chunks in a new micro-story. That is how vocabulary becomes marks in Reading Part 4, secure detail in Listening, and fluent answers in Speaking—not tomorrow’s forgotten list.
Which collocation is most natural for using library books?
Someone asks “What’s the weather like today?” Which answer is the most natural A2 response?
Which sentence uses natural A2 technology language?