KENYA: WHERE COULD YOU SEE PLASTIC BAGS BEFORE THE BAN?

 Before the ban in 2017, plastic bags were everywhere in Kenya. People used them for shopping, carrying food, and packing things. You could see plastic bags on the streets, in rivers, and in trees. They caused pollution and hurt animals. In this lesson, we talk about past habits using could and past simple tense.

Examples:

• You could see plastic bags in markets and parks.

• People used them every day.

• They caused many problems.

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GRAMMAR

We use could to talk about past ability or possibility.

Structure:

• Subject + could + base verb

Examples:

• You could see plastic bags everywhere.

• People could use them in shops.

We also use past simple:

• People used plastic bags for shopping.

• They didn’t think about pollution.

Negative with could:

• You couldn’t walk without seeing plastic bags.

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VOCABULARY (10 words with definition)

1. Before – earlier than a time or event

2. See – to look at something with your eyes

3. Everywhere – in all places

4. Market – a place where people buy and sell things

5. River – a long body of water

6. Tree – a tall plant with leaves and branches

7. Cause – to make something happen

8. Pollution – dirty or harmful things in the environment

9. Hurt – to cause pain or damage

10. Ban – a rule that stops people from doing something

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USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

• You could see them everywhere.

• Plastic bags were a big problem.

• They caused a lot of pollution.

• Animals ate the plastic.

• The streets were full of plastic bags.

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SENTENCES

Positive:

• People could get plastic bags from any shop.

• They used them every day.

Negative:

• You couldn’t go to a park without seeing plastic bags.

• People didn’t think about the damage.

Questions and Answers:

• Where could you see plastic bags before the ban? – On streets, in trees, and in rivers.

• Could people use plastic bags in shops? – Yes, they could.

• Did plastic bags cause pollution? – Yes, they did.

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CONVERSATION

Liam: Where could you see plastic bags before the ban in Kenya?

Maria: You could see them everywhere—in the streets, rivers, and trees.

Liam: That sounds bad for the environment.

Maria: Yes, animals ate the plastic, and the cities looked dirty.

Liam: I’m glad they banned them.

Maria: Me too. Now the streets are cleaner.

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READING

Plastic Bags in Kenya Before the Ban

Before 2017, plastic bags were very common in Kenya. People used them for shopping and carrying things. But there were too many bags. You could see them on the ground, in rivers, and even in trees. They did not go away. Animals ate them and got sick. The government saw this problem and decided to ban plastic bags in 2017. After the ban, the country became cleaner.

Questions:

1. What did people use plastic bags for?

2. Where could you see plastic bags before the ban?

3. Did the plastic bags disappear?

4. What happened to animals?

5. What did the government do?

Answers:

1. For shopping and carrying things.

2. On the ground, in rivers, and in trees.

3. No, they stayed in the environment.

4. Some animals ate the plastic and got sick.

5. It banned plastic bags in 2017.