Session 43
September 12, 2026 · Intermediate
- A family trip: sightseeing & transport
- travelling together & staying within budget
- reflection vocabulary
1 Corrections
How you said it, the natural version, and why. These are your own sentences.
How you said it
I'm a fan Um Kalthoom.
The natural version
I'm a fan of Um Kalthoom.
Use a fan of + a person or thing. (You got it right with “a fan of Real Madrid.”)
How you said it
A pickpocket is someone that steals from your pocket.
The natural version
A pickpocket is someone who steals from your pocket.
For people, use who (“that” is possible, but who is best).
How you said it
We tried all moving vehicles.
The natural version
We tried every kind of transport (all the different vehicles).
“Moving vehicles” is unnatural — a vehicle already moves. Say every kind of transport.
How you said it
How much money is left of the budget?
The natural version
How much money is left in the budget?
Money is left in a budget. (Or: “How much of the budget is left?”)
How you said it
The small bus fits 24 passengers.
The natural version
The small bus seats / holds 24 passengers.
A vehicle seats or holds a number of people.
1b Already right
These needed no correction at all.
It's an old hotel which was built in the 12th century.
Nice — correct relative clause (which) + passive (was built).
2 Grammar tips
Relative clause + passive
which / that + was + past participle describes when/how a thing was made.
a hotel which was built in the 12th century.
Relative pronouns: who / which
who for people, which for things; both link a describing clause to a noun.
a pickpocket who steals; a hotel which is old.
over- = too much
The prefix over- means “too much.”
overspend = spend too much; overeat = eat too much.
“since” = because
since can give a reason (like “because”), usually at the start.
Since I travel with my children, they take many photos.
Money & budget prepositions
money is in the budget; stay within budget; spend on things.
Stay within budget; how much is left in it?
a fan of + noun
Always a fan of someone or something — don't drop the “of.”
I'm a fan of Real Madrid.
3 New words and phrases
5 Practice sentences
01I'm a big fan of Real Madrid, so I wanted to see their stadium.
02Before we traveled, my brother booked everything and made a full itinerary.
03We visited a historic monument and an old citadel from the 12th century.
04We stayed in an old-fashioned hotel which was built hundreds of years ago.
05In the crowded markets, you have to watch out for pickpockets and thieves.
06We tried every kind of transport — the underground metro, the tram, and small buses.
07One small bus only seats 24 passengers, so we were a little crowded.
08The best part of any trip is the company, especially when everyone is flexible.
09At the end, we do the math and divide all the expenses by 11.
10One person takes the lead so that we stay within the budget without overspending.
11My children take a thousand photos, and maybe a few of me.
12It was expensive, but the whole trip was completely worth it.
6 Model sentences
Read these out loud three times.
We booked our itinerary early, so we didn't waste a single day.
We visited a royal palace, an old citadel, and a mosque with a beautiful minaret.
The hotel, which was built in the 12th century, had the same old balconies on every floor.
In busy tourist areas, keep your bag close so a pickpocket can't reach it.
We tried the metro, the tram, and a small bus that seats 24 passengers.
The best part of a trip is good company — flexible people who are easy to plan with.
We do the math, divide the expenses by 11, and stay within our budget.
It cost a lot, but honestly it was worth it.
7 Mini-dialogue
- A
Welcome back! How was the trip?
- B
Wonderful. We visited a royal palace and an old citadel from the 12th century.
- A
Did you drive everywhere?
- B
No — we tried every kind of transport: the metro, the tram, and small buses.
- A
That sounds expensive.
- B
One person took the lead with the money, so we stayed within the budget.
- A
Smart. And the crowds?
- B
Full of pickpockets, but they didn't disturb us at all. Honestly, it was worth it.
Read A, say B's line yourself, then check.
8 Homework
- Writing: Describe your last trip in 6 sentences, using itinerary, monument, book (reserve), and worth it.
- Relative clauses: Write 4 sentences using who (for people) and which (for things) — e.g., “a hotel which…”, “a guide who…”.
- Speaking: Say these words out loud three times each and record yourself — itinerary, monument, citadel, minaret, century.
- Money & budget: Use do the math, expenses, take the lead, and within budget in four sentences about a group trip.
- Prepositions: Fill in — “a fan ___ Real Madrid,” “stay ___ budget,” “money left ___ the budget.”
- Vocabulary: Write the difference between sad and depressed, and use each in one sentence.
9 Self-check
The travel vocabulary was very useful — itinerary, monument, citadel, and pickpocket. I can now describe a whole trip, from booking the itinerary to reaching our destination.
I keep forgetting the small prepositions: it's “a fan OF Real Madrid,” “stay WITHIN the budget,” and money left “IN the budget.” I'll practice these.
One thing I enjoyed was the group-travel language — “do the math,” “take the lead,” “stay within budget,” “without overspending.” Next time I'd like more idioms like these.