4
Empty, nearly empty, full
Learner’s Book 1: Unit 12, pp. 171–172
GoalSay how full a container is using empty, nearly empty, nearly full and full.
New words
nearly empty · only a tiny bit is insidenearly full · almost at the top, with a little room leftlevel · the top of the water
Explanation
We can say how full a container is. Empty means nothing is inside. Nearly empty means there is only a tiny bit inside. Nearly full means the water is almost at the top but there is still a little room. Full means the container is filled to the top. Look at the four bars below. Each bar is a jug, and the coloured part is the water: empty, nearly empty, nearly full and full, in that order. Look at the level of the water to decide.
Worked examples
Only a little water is at the bottom of this jug. It is nearly empty.
The water in this jug is almost at the top, with a small gap. It is nearly full.
Nodira pours some juice out of a full jug. Now there is a little gap at the top, so the jug is nearly full. She keeps pouring until only a little is left at the bottom. Now it is nearly empty.
Class activity
Level game: line up four clear cups. Fill them so they are empty, nearly empty, nearly full and full. Mix them up. Your partner puts them in order from the emptiest to the fullest. Say the words as you go.
Practice
1
Is this jug empty, nearly empty, nearly full or full?
full
2
How full is this jug?
nearly full
3
How full is this jug?
nearly empty
4
Ravi drinks from a full glass until only a drop is left. Is the glass now nearly empty or nearly full?
nearly empty