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Lesson 175 of 240

New here? This is lesson 175 of a free 240-lesson English course.

Old warehouse streets in English

Tasha takes Ana through the Third Ward in Milwaukee. The streets are old brick, and the river is close.

These buildings used to store goods. Now many of them are shops.

By the end, you'll talk about an old neighborhood, what the buildings used to be, and how they changed.

You'll also say how a place feels different from Chicago, and you'll suggest a walk toward the river.

By the end of this lesson

Describe an old neighborhood, what the buildings used to be, and how they changed.

  • This neighborhood is over a hundred years old.This area began more than one hundred years ago.
  • These used to be warehouses.In the past, these buildings stored goods.
  • They turned the old buildings into shops.People changed the old buildings into stores.
  • You can still see the old brick.The old brick is still easy to see.
  • It's different from Chicago.This city does not feel like Chicago.
  • Let's walk toward the river.We should walk in the direction of the water.

Scene — old brick streets

Ana and Tasha walk a quiet brick street in Milwaukee's Third Ward. Old warehouses stand in a row, now with shop windows. The river is a short walk away.

Tasha grew up here, so she talks about the past. Ana looks up at the brick and tries to picture the old loading doors.

Ana and Tasha walk along a quiet brick street lined with converted old warehouses.

Learn — warehouses and shops

Six lines help you talk about an old street and what it used to be.

You'll also say how a place feels different, and suggest a walk to the river.

  1. Tasha gestures toward the old warehouse buildings around her.

    This neighborhood is over a hundred years old.

    This area began more than one hundred years ago.

    When to use it: Say this when an area began a long time ago.

    Over a hundred means more than one hundred.

    Say it: The stress in hundred is on the first part.

  2. Tasha looks up at the former warehouses and their high loading doors.

    These used to be warehouses.

    In the past, these buildings stored goods.

    When to use it: Say this when buildings had a different use in the past.

    Used to names a past fact that is not true now.

    Say it: In used to, to often sounds like tuh.

  3. Tasha touches the old brick beside a shop window built into a warehouse wall.

    They turned the old buildings into shops.

    People changed the old buildings into stores.

    When to use it: Say this when people made old buildings into stores.

    Turned is the past tense. It tells what people did then.

    Say it: The -ed in turned sounds like d.

  4. Ana looks thoughtfully up at the weathered brick and a faint former loading door.

    You can still see the old brick.

    The old brick is still easy to see.

    When to use it: Say this when the old brick is easy to see now.

    Still means this is true even now, after a long time.

  5. Ana pauses in the open brick street and looks along the quiet row of converted warehouses.

    It's different from Chicago.

    This city does not feel like Chicago.

    When to use it: Say this when a place does not feel like Chicago.

    It's is one piece. After different, use from.

    Say it: The stress in Chicago is on the second part.

  6. Tasha points down the street toward the river as Ana follows her direction.

    Let's walk toward the river.

    We should walk in the direction of the water.

    When to use it: Say this when you want to walk toward the water.

    Let's is one piece. It means we should do this together.

    Say it: Toward has the stress on the second part.

Story — she pictures the past

Watch Tasha walk Ana through the old warehouse streets. Ana tries to picture the past.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned.

  1. A cold sky sits over the Third Ward. Tasha slows down on the brick.
  2. TashaSo, this neighborhood is over a hundred years old.This area began more than one hundred years ago.
  3. AnaA hundred years. I keep trying to picture that.She wants to see the past in her mind.
  4. TashaThese used to be warehouses.In the past, these buildings stored goods.
  5. AnaSo they stored goods here?She checks that the buildings held things in the past.
  6. TashaYeah. Boats came up the river with crates.She says boats brought boxes here on the water.
  7. She taps a thick wall with her fingers.
  8. TashaThey turned the old buildings into shops.People changed the old buildings into stores.
  9. AnaYou can still see the old brick.The old brick is still easy to see.
  10. TashaYou can. I'd rather keep the old windows.She would prefer not to change the windows.
  11. AnaIt's different from Chicago.This city does not feel like Chicago.
  12. TashaIt is. The streets are quieter, I mean.She agrees. These streets feel less busy.
  13. They reach a corner. A wide sky shows between the brick buildings.
  14. AnaWhere's the water? Is it near here?She asks if the river is close.
  15. TashaIt's on the left. Let's walk toward the river.The river is on the left. She wants to walk toward the water.
  16. AnaYeah. I want to see it.She agrees and wants to go to the water.

Practice — brick and river

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay short, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

    What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    What does it mean?

    These used to be warehouses.

  3. What do you say?

    What do you say?

    The old buildings are stores now. Say what people did.

  4. Fill the gap

    Fill the gap

    The old brick is still easy to see.

    You can still see the old ____.

  5. Build the line

    Build the line

    This city does not feel like Chicago.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Pick the reply

    Tasha says:

    Pick the reply

    The river is a few blocks that way.

    She says the water is close.

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    Swap the word

    You are saying how old this neighborhood is.

    This neighborhood is ____ a hundred years old.

  8. Match the pairs

    English

    This neighborhood is over a hundred years old.Drop the Simple English here
    These used to be warehouses.Drop the Simple English here
    They turned the old buildings into shops.Drop the Simple English here
    You can still see the old brick.Drop the Simple English here

    Simple English

  9. True or false?

    True or false?

    You say this to ask if a place is far away.

  10. What do you say?

    What do you say?

    Someone asks where the river is. You can see it on the left.

  11. Fill the gap

    Fill the gap

    I would prefer not to change the windows.

    I'd rather keep the old ____.

Say it — say it on the walk

Now you're Ana on this walk with Tasha. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap play first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. TashaLook at these streets.She wants Ana to look at the streets.
  2. Ana (you)Tell her this area began a very long time ago.

    Tell her this area began a very long time ago.

    This neighborhood is over a hundred years old.

    This area began more than one hundred years ago.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

Every line from this lesson
EnglishSimple EnglishPlay
This neighborhood is over a hundred years old.This area began more than one hundred years ago.
These used to be warehouses.In the past, these buildings stored goods.
They turned the old buildings into shops.People changed the old buildings into stores.
You can still see the old brick.The old brick is still easy to see.
It's different from Chicago.This city does not feel like Chicago.
Let's walk toward the river.We should walk in the direction of the water.
Next: lesson 176The story grows

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