A1

Introducing Yourself By Email

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Look at the following exercises about writing an email to help improve your writing skills when introducing yourself by email.

Preparation

Match the punctuation with the correct symbols.

  1. exclamation point
  2. period
  3. question mark
  4. comma
  5. capital letter

a. H b. ? c. ! d. , e. .

1. c 2. e 3. b 4. d 5. a

Writing an Email

introducing yourself by email

Tips for Writing[1]https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Question-Marks

introducing yourself by email

True or False

Select true or false for each statement.

  1. Bob is 12 years old.
  2. Bob is from the USA.
  3. Bob can speak Spanish.
  4. Bob can speak 3 languages.
  5. Bob likes basketball.
  6. Bob has a dog named Spot.
1. False 2. True 3. True 4. False 5. True. 6. True

Punctuation

Write the correct punctuation in the blanks.

  1. Hi ___ How are you ___
  2. ___y name is Joe___
  3. I speak French ___ English ___ and Spanish ___
  4. Do you want to be my friend ___
1. !/? 2. M/. 3. ,/,/. 4. ?

Practice

Write to a pen pal introducing yourself by email. Make sure to use the correct punctuation.

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

At the Airport

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Look at the airline ticket below and do the exercises for at the airport to improve your English reading skills.[1]https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/beginner-a1-reading/train-station

Preparation

Match the pictures with the corresponding vocabulary words below.

at the airport
  1. Boarding gate ____
  2. terminal ____
  3. airport ____
  4. airplane ____
  5. plane ticket ____
  6. passport ____
1. E 2. F 3. D 4. C 5. A 6. B

Reading

at the airport

Fill in the blank

  1. The airline’s name is _______.
  2. The passenger’s name is _______.
  3. The plane departs from _______.
  4. The boarding ticket is an _______ fare.
  5. The passenger is going to _________.
  6. The flight leave on _____________.
  7. The flight number is _______.
  8. You must go to Gate _____ to board the plane.
1. Blue Airlines 2. Joe Smith 3. Los Angeles 4. Economy 5. Paris 6. 14 June 7. A1982 8. 20A

True or False

Select true or false for each statement.

  1. The flight is on July 15. True/False
  2. The first name of the passenger is Smith. True/False
  3. The destination is Paris. True/False
  4. You can board the plane at 8:00. True/False
  5. The passenger has a business class ticket. True/False
  6. The flight leaves at 8:25. True/False
  7. You can’t board the plane at Gate 20A. True/False
  8. The passenger is leaving from Paris. True/False
  9. The flight number is A1982. True/False
  10. The name of the company is Blue Airlines. True/False
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. False 8. False 9. True 10. True

Discussion

Now that you have read the article about an airport and the vocabulary that goes along with it:

  • Have you ever flown on an airplane before?
  • Where did you go?
  • Did you fly in Economy class?
  • How long was the flight?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

At the Restaurant

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Look at the menu below and do the exercises for at the restaurant to improve your English reading skills.[1]Restaurant

Preparation

Match the pictures with the corresponding vocabulary words below.

food vocabulary
  1. orange juice ____
  2. tea ____
  3. fruit cake ____
  4. salad ____
  5. coffee ____
  6. pizza ____
  7. chicken tenders ____
  8. ice cream ____
  9. nachos ____
  10. cheese burger ____
  11. soda ____
  12. chocolate cake ____
1. D 2. L 3. C 4. B 5. K 6. G 7. A 8. J 9. I 10. F 11. E 12. H

Reading

At the Restaurant

Fill in the blank

  1. Caesar salad costs _______.
  2. _______ costs $9.50.
  3. There are _______ items under drinks.
  4. The three flavors of ice cream are _______, _______, and _______.
  5. Every main dish comes with a _______________.
  6. The cheapest appetizer is _____________.
  7. ____________ pizza is cheaper than ____________ pizza.
  8. Nachos cost _______.
1. $3.99 2. Cheese burger 3. 5 (five) 4. vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry 5. side of fries 6. Caesar salad 7. Cheese, meat 8. $4.99

True or False

Select true or false for each statement.

  1. You can’t eat salad at this restaurant. True/False
  2. The place sells desserts. True/False
  3. There are three different types of pizza. True/False
  4. All main dishes come with fries. True/False
  5. There are four different flavors of ice cream. True/False
  6. The most expensive item on the menu is meat pizza. True/False
  7. There are four different items for appetizers. True/False
  8. It costs $1.98 per scoop of ice cream. True/False
  9. The restaurant sells sea food. True/False
  10. You can’t buy coffee from the restaurant. True/False
1. False 2. True 3. False 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. False 10. False

Grouping

Group the food in the following categories.

ice cream/chicken tenders/fruit cake/nachos/coffee/cheese burger/chocolate cake/orange juice/tea/soda/salad/pizza

Appetizer: ___________________________________

Main Meal: __________________________________

Drinks: ______________________________________

Desserts: _____________________________________

Appetizer: nachos, salad Main Meal: chicken tenders, cheese burger, pizza Drinks: coffee, orange juice, tea, soda Desserts: ice cream, fruit cake, chocolate cake

Discussion

Now that you have read the article about a restaurant and the vocabulary that goes along with it:

  • What items on the menu do you like?
  • What would you order for appetizer, main dish, drinks, and dessert?
  • Would you go to this restaurant?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A1 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

Present Continuous Tense

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The present continuous tense is made from the present simple tense of the verb “to be” and a verb + ing.[1]https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/present-continuous

Subject + to be + verb –ing

present continuous tense

When do we use the present continuous tense?

Action happening right now

The present continuous tense is used to talking about an action that you are doing right at the moment.

Positive

  • I am studying English right now!
  • You are watching a movie.
  • He/she/it is eating dinner.
  • We are studying for an exam.
  • They are going to school right now.

Negative

  • I am not studying English right now.
  • You are not watching a movie.
  • He/she/it is not eating dinner.
  • We are not studying for an exam.
  • They are not going to school right now.

Question

  • Am I studying English right now?
  • Are you watching a movie?
  • Is he/she/it watching a movie?
  • Are we studying for an exam?
  • Are they going to school right now?

Action happening around right now

The present continuous tense is also used to talk about events that is happening right now but is not yet finished.

Positive

  • I am reading a great book.
  • You are cooking dinner.
  • He/she/it is learning French.
  • We are eating dinner.
  • They are taking a test.

Negative

  • I am not reading a great book.
  • You are not cooking dinner.
  • He/she/it is not learning French.
  • We are not eating dinner.
  • They are not taking a test.

Question

  • Am I reading a great book?
  • Are you cooking dinner?
  • Is he/she/it learning French?
  • Are we eating dinner?
  • Are they taking a test?

When do you not use it?

Do not use the present continuous tense verb conjugation with stative verbs. Stative verbs show a state of being.[2]https://www.grammarly.com/blog/present-continuous/

When using stative verbs you should just use the present tense.

For example:

I am preferring chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream. (incorrect)

I prefer chocolate ice cream to vanilla ice cream. (correct)

Practice Exercises

 17%

Question 1 of 6

1. My brother _____________ a movie right now. (to study)

Question 1 of 6

Question 2 of 6

2. I _____________ dinner with my family right now. (to eat)

Question 2 of 6

Question 3 of 6

3. Sam and Joe _____________ up the stairs. (to climb)

Question 3 of 6

Question 4 of 6

4. Mrs. Smith _____________ English. (to teach)

Question 4 of 6

Question 5 of 6

5. You _____________ with her right now. (to talk)

Question 5 of 6

Question 6 of 6

6. We _____________ a great song. (to sing)

Question 6 of 6


 

References[+]

Verb -ing: like/hate/love

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You can use the form of like/hate/love + verb –ing to describe how you feel about something.[1]https://www.woodwardenglish.com/lesson/like-verb-ing-like-infinitive-enjoy-verb-ing/ You can use almost any verb with this form.

Like

You can use the verb “like” + verb –ing to describe that you enjoy doing an activity.

Like + verb -ing

Positive

  • I like swimming.
  • You like running in the morning.
  • He/she/it likes eating ice cream.
  • We like watching tv at night.
  • They like playing baseball.

Negative

  • I don’t like swimming.
  • You don’t like running in the morning.
  • He/she/it doesn’t like eating ice cream.
  • We don’t like watching tv at night.
  • They don’t like playing baseball.

Question

  • Do I like swimming?
  • Do you like running in the morning?
  • Does he/she/it like eating ice cream?
  • Do we like watching tv at night?
  • Do they like playing baseball?

Love

You can use the verb “love” + verb –ing to describe that you really enjoy doing an activity.

Love + verb -ing

Positive

  • I love swimming.
  • You love running in the morning.
  • He/she/it loves eating ice cream.
  • We love watching tv at night.
  • They love playing baseball.

Negative

  • I don’t love swimming.
  • You don’t love running in the morning.
  • He/she/it doesn’t love eating ice cream.
  • We don’t love watching tv at night.
  • They don’t love playing baseball.

Question

  • Do I love swimming?
  • Do you love running in the morning?
  • Does he/she/it love eating ice cream?
  • Do we love watching tv at night?
  • Do they love playing baseball?

Hate

You can use the verb “hate” + verb –ing to describe that you really don’t like doing any activity.

Hate + verb -ing

Positive

  • I hate swimming.
  • You hate running in the morning.
  • He/she/it hates eating ice cream.
  • We hate watching tv at night.
  • They hate playing baseball.

Negative

The negative of hate suggests that you feel so-so about an activity. It is neither good nor bad.

  • I don’t hate swimming.
  • You don’t hate running in the morning.
  • He/she/it doesn’t hate eating ice cream.
  • We don’t hate watching tv at night.
  • They don’t hate playing baseball.

Question

  • Do I hate swimming?
  • Do you hate running in the morning?
  • Does he/she/it hate eating ice cream?
  • Do we hate watching tv at night?
  • Do they hate playing baseball?

References[+]

How Much & How Many

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In English, “how much” and “how many” are used to describe the amount or quantity of something. While they are very similar, they are not used in the same way.[1]https://www.grammar.cl/english/how-much-how-many.htm

how much how many

How much?

“How much?” is used in two different ways in English.

Quantity with Uncountable Nouns

How much + uncountable noun

Uncountable nouns are information, concepts, and materials which cannot be broken down into individual objects to be counted.[2]https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/much_many3.htm

For example:

  • How much time before the train arrives?
  • How much sugar is needed for the cake?
  • How much milk do we have in the refrigerator?
  • How much traffic is there on the road?
  • How much water is in the pool?
  • How much money is in your wallet?

Price

“How much?” is also used when talking about the price/cost of something.

When talking about price we use the following form:

How much + (verb) + countable noun

Countable nouns are individual places, people, and objects which can be counted.

For example:

  • How much is the car?
  • How much for the car?
  • How much does a meal cost at this restaurant.
  • How much is the pants?
  • How much does it cost?

How many?

“How many?” is used when we want to know the quantity of something.

Plural Countable Nouns

We use it only with plural countable nouns.

How many + plural noun

For example:

  • How many days until your birthday?
  • How many students are in your class?
  • How many books do you read per year?
  • How many countries have you visited?
  • How many donuts do you want me to buy at the store?
  • How many siblings do you have?

In Context

You can take out the noun with “how much” or “how many” while talking when you know the context.

For example:

A: Can I have some money? B: How much (money) do you need?

A: Can I borrow some baseballs? We need it for the game. B: Sure, how many do you need?

Practice Exercises

Please go to How Much & How Many to view this quiz

References[+]

Simple Future Tense

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In English, the simple future tense is used when you want to make decisions to do something in the future.[1]https://eslgrammar.org/simple-future-tense/))((https://eslgrammar.org/simple-future-tense/

simple future tense

Forms of the Simple Future Tense

Will

Positive

  • I will have a hamburger please.
  • You will have to stop.
  • He/she/it will help us.
  • We will help you.
  • They will buy one too.

Negative

  • I will not have a hamburger.
  • You will not have to stop.
  • He/she/it will not help us.
  • We will not help you.
  • They will not buy one too.

Question

  • Will I have a hamburger?
  • Will you have to stop?
  • Will he/she/it help us?
  • Will we help you?
  • Will they buy one too?

Going to

The verb “to go” is also used to describe the future.

Positive

  • I am going to visit the store after work.
  • You are going to have to study.
  • He/she/it is going to travel after college.
  • We are going to eat dinner together on Sunday.
  • They are going to help us with the project.

Negative

  • I am not going to visit the store after work.
  • You are not going to have to study.
  • He/she/it is not going to travel after college.
  • We are not going to eat dinner together on Sunday.
  • They are not going to help us with the project.

Question

  • Am I going to visit the store after work?
  • Are you going to have to study?
  • Is he/she/it going to travel after college?
  • Are we going to eat dinner together on Sunday?
  • Are they going to help us with the project?

What’s the difference between “will” and “going to”?

Both “will” and “going to” are used to talk about the future. In most cases, they can be both used and if you mix them up, native speakers will still understand you.

However, there are slight differences between the two.

Will

Quick Decisions

This is for quick decisions that you make right at the moment.

For example:

  • No problem, I will buy one for the both of us.
  • I guess I will try one.

Prediction

This is for thinking about believing something in the future.

For example:

  • I think it will snow later so take a warm coat.
  • Our team will win the game.

Threats, Promises & Offers

This is for threats, promises, and offers in the future.

For example:

  • I will help you if you help me.
  • I promise I will hurt you if you tell anyone.

When someone refuses to do something

For example:

  • He won’t help us.
  • They won’t take out the trash.

Going to

Prior Plans

You can use “going to” if you are making plans for the future.

For example:

  • I am going to go to France for vacation this summer.
  • They are going to study all week for the exam.

Evidence

You can use it for future events based on evidence and predictions.

For example:

  • The weatherman said that it is going to rain this evening.

Something is about to happen

For example:

  • Be careful! The bomb is going to explode!

Similarities between “will” and “going to”

You can use “will” and “going to” interchangeably in some cases.

Predicting the Future

Both of these examples are correct:

  • It is going to rain tomorrow.
  • I will rain tomorrow.

Practice Exercises

Please go to Simple Future Tense to view this quiz

References[+]

Past Simple Tense

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Now that you have learned about the past simple tense for “to be”, it is important to know it for other verbs as well. The past simple tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past.

Regular Verbs

In general, we add –ed to the end of a verb to conjugate it to the past simple tense.[1]https://7esl.com/past-simple-tense/

past simple tense

Spelling Rules

In general, you add –ed to the end of a verb to conjugate it to the past simple tense.[2]https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/phase-6-past-tense-ed-suffix-4-different-spelling-rules-for-this-suffix-table-cards-ppt-6449174

However, there are a few exceptions:

  1. If the verb ends in “e”, just add the letter “d”.

For example:

  • live → lived
  • If the short verb ends in a consonant + vowel, double the consonant and add “ed”

For example:

  • trip → tripped
  • hop → hopped
  • jog → jogged
  • slip → slipped
  • If the verb ends in a “y”, delete the “y” and add “i” + “ed”

For example:

  • try → tried
  • fry → fried

When do we use the past simple tense?

There are several cases when we use the past simple verb tense in English.

Completed Actions in the Past

  • I walked to the park.
  • Susie parked her car in front of the house.
  • They lived

Series of Completed Actions in the Past

  • I walked to school, took an exam, and took the bus home.
  • She ran a mile, lifted some weights, and stretched.

Habits in the Past

  • When she was young, she watched a lot of movies.
  • When they were young, they played a lot of sports.

Irregular Verbs

There are several examples of irregular verbs that don’t follow the –ed rule in the past simple tense.

For example:

To Have

Positive

  • I had
  • You had
  • He/she/it/ had
  • We had
  • They had

Negative

  • I didn’t have
  • You didn’t have
  • He/she/it didn’t have
  • We didn’t have
  • They didn’t have

Question

  • Did I have?
  • Did you have?
  • Did he/she/it have?
  • Did we have?
  • Did they have?

To Go

Positive

  • I went
  • You went
  • He/she/it went
  • We went
  • They went

Negative

  • I didn’t go
  • You didn’t go
  • He/she/it didn’t go
  • We didn’t go
  • They didn’t go

Question

  • Did I go?
  • Did you go?
  • Did he/she/it go?
  • Did we go?
  • Did they go?

Pronunciation

As you can see, pronouncing the –ed sound in English can be very confusing. It isn’t always said the same. There are 3 ways to pronounce –ed.

simple past tense

“id”

Words that end in “d”or “t” are pronounced as “id”.

“t”

Words that end in a voiceless sound are pronounced as “t”.

A voiceless sound is one that is produced in the mouth and not the throat.

voiceless sounds

“d”

Words that end in a voiced sound are pronounced as “d”.

A voiced sound is one that is produced in the throat and not the mouth.

voiced sounds

References[+]

Past simple of to be

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We learned about the present tense of the verb “to be” and the present tense verb conjugation. They allow us to talk about things in the present. However, we use the past simple tense to talk about things in the past. The most basic one is the past simple of to be.[1]https://www.grammar.cl/Past/To_Be.htm

past simple of to be

Affirmative

The positive form of the past simple of to be can be either: was or were.

For example:

  • I was sleepy at work today.
  • You were a very fast runner.
  • He was very talkative today.
  • She was nice to me.
  • It was a difficult test.
  • We were tired after the long drive.
  • They were a very good company.

Negative

The negative form of the past simple of to be can be either: was not or were not.

  • I was not sleepy at work today.
  • You were not a very fast runner.
  • He was not very talkative today.
  • She was not nice to me.
  • It was not a difficult test.
  • We were not tired after the long drive.
  • They were not a very good company.

Negative Contractions

The negative past simple form of to be can be contracted.

  • was not = wasn’t
  • were not = weren’t

Questions

The question form of the past simple of to be is:

Verb(was/were) + subject

For example:

  • Was I sleepy at work today?
  • Were you a very fast runner?
  • Was he very talkative today?
  • Was she nice to me?
  • Was it a difficult test?
  • Were we tired after the long drive?
  • Were they a very good company?

Short Answers

When you know the context, you can give short answers using the past simple tense.

For example:

Positive

  • Was I sleepy at work today? Yes, you were.
  • Were you a very fast runner? Yes, I was.
  • Was he very talkative today? Yes, he was.
  • Was she nice to me? Yes, she was.
  • Was it a difficult test? Yes, it was.
  • Were we tired after the long drive? Yes, we were.
  • Were they a very good company? Yes, they were.

Negative

  • Was I sleepy at work today? No, you were not (weren’t).
  • Were you a very fast runner? No, I was not (wasn’t).
  • Was he very talkative today? No, he was not (wasn’t).
  • Was she nice to me? No, she was not (wasn’t).
  • Was it a difficult test? No, it was not (wasn’t).
  • Were we tired after the long drive? No, we were not (weren’t).
  • Were they a very good company? No, they were not (weren’t).

Practice Exercises

Please go to Past simple of to be to view this quiz

References[+]

Intensifiers

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Intensifiers are adverbs that make the meaning of the verb it is modifying stronger. Depending on the intensifier you use, it can change the strength of the action.[1]https://vocabularyhome.com/adjectives-adverbs/intersifiers-words-in-english/#more-524

intensifiers

Strongest Intensifiers

These intensifiers show the greatest strength of action.

Examples include:

  • Really – I am really tired.
  • Very – She is very good at math.
  • Extremely – It is extremely windy today.

Note: Very is the most common intensifier in the English language. It is so common that it is often overused. Consider using other more descriptive words.

Strong Intensifier

These intensifiers strengthen the action; however, to a lesser extent than the previous ones.

Examples include:

  • Quite – Be careful! The food is quite hot.
  • Rather – The homework is rather difficult.

Limited Intensifier

These adverbs are the least strong words in the list. They do add strength to the words they are describing, but only a little bit.

  • Somewhat – That exam was somewhat difficult.
  • Pretty – I am pretty sure you are wrong.
  • Fairly – I am fairly certain that the cinema opens at 10:00 AM.

Negatives

A common negative intensifier is “at all”.[2]https://completeenglishgrammar.com/using-intensifiers-very-at-all-really-so-etc/

You can use it in the following manner:

  • I don’t like vegetables at all.
  • They didn’t notice it at all.

Adverbs of Frequency

It is important to note that an intensifier and adverbs of frequency are not the same.

Adverbs of frequency give more precise information about the action being performed while intensifiers increased the intensity of the action being performed.

In addition, intensifiers are generally used in informal conversation. In more formal situations, using intensifiers can be seen as being overly flowery.

Other Examples

If you want to increase your vocabulary and sound more fluent, consider including these other examples of intensifiers instead of just “very”.

  • absolutely
  • amazingly
  • astoundingly
  • colossally
  • completely
  • dreadfully
  • especially
  • exceptionally
  • excessively
  • extraordinarily
  • extremely
  • fantastically
  • frightfully
  • fully
  • highly
  • incredibly
  • literally
  • mightily
  • moderately
  • outrageously
  • quite
  • radically
  • rather
  • really
  • remarkably
  • so
  • somewhat
  • strikingly
  • supremely
  • terribly
  • terrifically
  • too
  • totally
  • uncommonly
  • unusually
  • utterly

References[+]