Study Path:
English for Pets and Animals
Build Skills for Talking About Pets and Animal Care
A carefully selected sequence of 10 activities for intermediate to advanced learners. Work through them in order to develop the listening and grammar skills you need to talk about pets, animal care, and exotic animals in English.
How to use this path: Click “Open Lesson” to start each activity — it will open in a new tab. When you finish, close that tab and come back here to continue with the next lesson.
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1📖 Grammar: Intermediate
Modals of Advice: Might, Could, Should, Ought To, Have To, Had Better
Master the grammar of advice and recommendation. Knowing when to use should, could, and ought to will help you follow conversations about pet care and animal handling.
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2▶️ Culture Video
Pet Cat
Watch Aubrey introduce her cat, Sam, who is fourteen years old. She explains that she got him from her aunt after he had been abandoned with an injured leg that has since healed.
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3▶️ Culture Video
Family Animal Companions
Watch Randall introduce his two dogs, Amelia and Kuro, and describe how each one joined the family. He shares details about their energy level and daily routine.
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4📖 Grammar: Intermediate
Comparatives
Learn how to compare two things using structures like more and -er. This is useful for following opinions about which option is better, such as choosing between a dog and a cat.
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5▶️ Interview
Dogs or Cats?
Listen to Randall and Aubrey discuss the pros and cons of owning a dog versus a cat. Aubrey explains why she cannot choose between the two.
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6🎧 Difficult
Easy Pet Care
Listen to a humorous exchange in which Norman asks his neighbor to care for his three pets. You will hear fast-paced natural dialogue, vocabulary related to animals, and some unexpected pet care routines.
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7📖 Grammar: Advanced
Reported Speech
Learn how to report what someone said without quoting them directly. This grammar point comes up naturally when people retell stories, share advice, or describe what their pets would say if they could talk.
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8🎧 Difficult
Enjoying the Zoo
Listen to a father and son talk about the animals they see during a visit to the zoo, including porcupines, elephants, and monkeys.
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9▶️ Interview
If Pets Could Talk
Listen to Randall, Emily, and Aubrey imagine what their pets would say if they could talk. They share stories about their pets’ food demands, quirky habits, and different personalities.
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10🎧 Difficult
Exotic Animal Kingdom
Listen to a radio program about bearded dragons, covering where they originate, what they eat, and how to care for them as pets. The vocabulary section covers specialized terms related to exotic animal care.
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