A miscellany of lesson notes aimed specifically at basic-level English

Contents :

Introductions

Daily routines

Describing clothes

Discourse markers

Driving expressions

Grammar – adjectives // helping verbs // comparatives & superlatives // I used to // modal verbs // much or many ? // past tense exercises // possessives // relative pronouns // should or shouldn’t // some or any // I need // verbs – most common verbs present, past and past participle.

Listening comprehension

Vocabulary – new words and expressions

Vocabulary – film

Vocabulary – Kitchen

Vocabulary – what do you need ?

Sentence building

Speaking practice – introductions // repairs // future tense

Travel language

Warm-up activities

Introducing yourself:

If you meet a new friend or business acquaintance 

Hello, how are you ? Very well, thank you, and yourself ? / I’m great

How do you do ? How do you do ?

How’s it going ? (inf)All good, going well. Yeah, I’m fantastic !

What do you do ? I’m a designer at VMin company

What line are you in ? Engineering.

What’s your profession ? I’m a nurse.

Are you a family man ? Yes, I have a wife and two kids

You married ? No, my job leaves me no time for romance !

Do you have kids ? Ha, I’m married to my job

Where did you train ? I got my degree from …….. University

I majored in business admin.

I studied at ……..

How do you relax ? I enjoy sports and meeting up with friends

How do you unwind ? I just crash on the sofa and watch movies

What do you do in your spare time ? I love to travel and drink beer.

Where do you see yourself in five years ? Senior manager !

On an island in Thailand / Still working here !

Daily routines

My routine:

In the morning: 

07.00: Get up. Wake up 

07.05: Brush my teeth, (Get washed / have a wash / shower) put on clothes / get dressed

07.15: Eat breakfast.

07.45: Go to work / go to my company/ go to my job

08.00 -17.00: Work.

09.45 – 10.00: Coffee break

12.00 – 13.00: Go out for lunch / lunch

17.00: Check out and go to eat dinner. Take another break and eat

17.30: Go back to company and continue working. Knock off / finish work 

19.00: Go to swimming pool. Go swimming 

20.00: Go home and talk with family. Hang out / spent time with my family

22.00: Read books or play games

23.00: Go to bed / Go to sleep. 

Grammar note:

we can use an infinite or continuous form

She starts to work at 7.30 OR she starts working at 7.30.

What is your typical free day ?

How was your day ?

Did you have agood day ? A so-so day or a bad day. 

Did anything unusual happen or was it same old, same old ?

In the morning, I went to my company then I went to the bank.

After that, I went home. 

[NOTE: never ‘to home’, ‘to swimming’ or ‘to shopping.’ I went shopping, then went home]

After lunch I went to a customer and we spoke about the new project. After we said goodbye, I came here to study English.

Replace ‘went‘ with: 

visited / travelled to / had to go to (means very important) / drove / saw / met with

Describing clothes

Patterns

Plain T-shirt – no pattern, no writing or design.

Material

leather / lace / fur / cotton / silk / denim / wool / velvet / plastic

Vocabulary:

awful / beautiful / cool / cute / designer / elegant / gaudy / old-fashioned /scruffy / smart

Adjectives – when we use more than one before a noun, they are in this order:

opinion / size/ age / colour / origin / pattern / material noun

a great small new blue Japanese plain silk dress

some stupid big old pink American flowery plastic shoes

Put these in the correct order:

leather / at / miniskirt / Look / fabulous / that

Look at that fabulous leather miniskirt.

wearing / an / blouse / elegant / white / She’s / lacy

shoes / high-heeled / bought / ridiculous / She

tight / socks / I hate / nylon

skirt / wearing / velvet / a / She’s / spotty

stripy / green / like / your / tracksuit / I / baggy

Discourse Markers

And: also, as well as, additionally

But: however, having said that, on the other hand

I enjoy whisky however I dislike vodka with snake blood !

Driving expressions

hit the brakes / run a red light / cut someone off

tailgate / road rage /pull over (the police officer pulled me over) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXt5ceU67wg

Grammar – adjectives

Adjectives for coffee and tea: 

hot, cold, sweet, bitter, Vietnamese, weak, strong, expensive, Indian

Now add a reason – ‘because’, ‘as’

I love good strong coffee because it wakes me up and I also adore sweet Indian tea in the evening as it helps me to unwind.

Make longer sentences:

I like Sai Gon but I don’t like Ha Noi

I like films and I like games

My friend likes street food but he doesn’t like restaurants

Vocabulary – adjectives

standard / higher / / opposite / higher

good / brilliant // bad / terrible

beautiful / gorgeous // ugly / hideous

interesting / fascinating // boring / tedious

expensive / over-priced // cheap / bargain

modern / hip / trendy // old-fashioned / out-dated

gentle / calm // angry / hot-headed

big / massive / huge // small / tiny

important / significant // unimportant / insignificant

tiring / exhausting // relaxing / peaceful

Helping verbs: have / want / need /go / like

Subject + helping verb + infinite ….. 

I have to find my mobile phone // She goes to work // He needs to relax

Write sentences for these pictures:

He wants ….

She likes ….

Negative: He doesn’t …

Grammar – comparatives and superlatives:

big / bigger / biggest (-er / -est for small words)

interesting / more interesting / the most interesting (more / the most for longer words)

Sai Gon is bigger than Ha Noi

Chinese is the most difficult language to learn

Make sentences:

London expensive Sai Gon

Thailand hot Canada

Moroccan food spicy French

Action films exciting rom-com (romantic-comedy)

I used to …

When I was young, I used to play football. Now I am too old !

I do NOT play football NOW. I played football when I was young

Write sentences. Example: When I was young, I used to read comics.

When I lived in Germany I used to …

Grammar: possession

This pen belongs to me, it is mine.

The laptop belongs to Jane, it is _______

It’s John’s book, it belongs to ______

We all work for HLS, it is ______ company.

Give this to Anna and Gary, it is _______

Grammar: modal verbs

Modal verbs are helping verbs that show 

permission (sự cho phép)

possibility (khả năng)

can / could / have to / must / might / should

can’t / couldn’t / don’t have to / mustn’t / mightn’t / shouldn’t

1. Ted’s flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He must be exhausted after such a long flight. He might prefer to stay in tonight and get some rest.

2. Hiking in the mountains ______ be dangerous. You _____ research the route a little more before you start.

3. You _____ take your umbrella today. The weatherman said there’s a storm in Nha Trang and it ______ rain this afternoon.

4. When you have a small child, you ______ leave small objects lying around. Such objects _____ be swallowed.

5. I _____ believe she said that to the supervisor! 

6. Jenny’s wedding ring is enormous! It ______ be very expensive.

7. Please water the plants. If they don’t get enough water, they _____ die.

Try to make sentences:

I need to…. She wants to… You have to… We like to … He hates to …

Much or many ? A little or a few ? 

[a few = countable / little = uncountable]

Is there much work left ? I really want a little free time to run some errands.

There are ….. shops in the mall. I need to buy …… items

Is there ….. beer in the fridge, or do I need …… more ?

There are only a … millionaires inVietnam but they have so ….. money.

There are far too ….. karaoke singers. I need …….. peace.

PAST TENSE EXERCISE:

Complete the exercise with the verbs inside the box.

buy	catch	cost	drink / fall / hurt / sell
teach	throw	win	spend  / write

1. Mozart   ……. more than 600 pieces of music. 

2. ‘How did you learn to drive?’ ‘My father  …….. me.’ 

3. We couldn’t afford to keep our car, so we …….   it. 

4. I was very thirsty. I ……… the water very quickly.

5. Paul and I played tennis yesterday. He’s much better than me, so he ……. easily. 

6. Don …….   down the stairs this morning and  his leg.

7. Jim …….. the ball to Sue, who  ……..  it.

8. Ann  …….. a lot of money yesterday. She …….  a dress. It  ……. £100

Grammar – Present Perfect

Present perfect:

Subject + have/ has + past participle

I have been to Ha Noi

She has visited London

They have seen that film so many times but (they) have never understood it.

I have read ‘My Sassy Girl 1’ although I have not read ‘My Sassy Girl 3’

(I haven’t read) 

Have you read any good books recently ?

To talk about something in the past but not when it happened

He has looked at the report – YES

He has looked at the report last week – NO 

(He looked at the report last week) just use simple past

Can use with ‘for’ and ‘since’

I have lived in HCM since 2010

I have lived in HCM for seven years

Exercises: Put these sentences into present perfect

I John (read) your email several times. John has read your email ….
2. She (wear) that skirt many times. 
3. My family (visit) Brazil a few times.
4. I (eat) already.
5. Mia (finish) her homework.
6. You (break) the glass again.
7. They (pay) for everything.
8. It (never snow) like that.
9. I (meet) Anna once.
10. We (see) him before.

Grammar – Relative Pronouns:

who For people: This is the man who sold me the fake Rolex ! 

which For things: We tried fish and chips which is delicious.

where For places: Let’s go to the shop where we saw the great bargins.

Whose Possessive: That’s the singer whose record we heard last night.

The car, whose driver was young, won the race.

Exercises

We arrived at a nice beach ______ we could swim and lie in the sun.

A man ______ mobile phone was ringing did not know what to do.

The patient, ______ had a serious disease, was taken to hospital immediately.

Smithsfield is a small village ______ people live a quiet life.

A boy ____ sister is in my class was in the bank at that time.

I know a person ____ can speak seven languages.

We visited the church _____ is in the middle of the square.

It is a protected area of land _____ you can see a lot of interesting wildlife.

This dress is made of silk, _____ is a very expensive and delicate material.

Grammar: should / shouldn’t

Complete the sentences.
Use the verb in brackets. Sometimes the verb will be nagative
Use contractions where possible.

1. It’s cold. You … a cardigan. (wear)
2. She’s always tired. She … to bed late every night. (go)
3. … now? (we / leave)
4. You … some fruit or vegetables every day. (eat)
5. The students … their mobile phones in the exam. (use)
6. You … the teacher to help you if you don’t understand the lesson. (ask)
7. People … fast in the town centre. (drive)
8. … the dress or the skirt? (I / buy)

Grammar: ‘some’ or ‘any’

we use ‘some’ for a statement

we use ‘any’ for a negative or a question 

There are some great websites for learning English. PLURAL / countable

There is some Czech beer on sale at VinMart. PLURAL / uncountable

There aren’t any beer clubs near here

We don’t have any French cheese

Are they any good films playing ?

Do you have any English tea?

1 Do you have ______ questions about the new project ?

2 Let me give you _______ advice.

3 You don’t need to bring ____ pens or paper. There will be ______ print-outs available.

4 There will be _____ visitors from Germany coming. Do you know ____ German ?

Speaking practice:

Jim I can’t wait for Tet. Do you have any plans ?

Alf Of course ! I’m going to watch some films and get some rest.

Jim Have you bought any special food ?

Alf I don’t have any time for shopping. I’ve still got some beer. How about you ?

Jim I need to buy some fruit, some biscuits, and do I need any special food for Tet ?

Alf Absolutely ! You must buy some cakes and some sweets. 

Jim Anything else ? I need some advise.

Alf Just make sure you have some beer. A LOT of beer. Cheers !

Grammar: I need

subject need (helping verb) infinite verb (to + verb) completion

I need to visit a dentist

She needs to stop buying clothes !

subject need (helping verb) article / determiner noun

He needs a laptop / I need the report

We need some overtime / She needs a bottle of water

I need tôi cần // I want tôi muốn

1 I ____ to visit Thailand. 2 He ______ to find a job now !

3 Her mother ____ her to get married. 4 Do you ____ to see Twin Peaks ?

5 She can’t go out, she _____ to finish her homework.

6 They _____ new shirts but they ______ to buy computer games instead.

Grammar: common verbs

More common verbs (numbers 15 – 20)

15	to find	found	found
16	to give	gave	given
17	to tell	told	told
18	to work	worked	worked
19	to call	called	called
20	to try	tried	tried

Make sentences with these verbs:

I lost my keys but last night I found them

We always ____ lucky money at Tet to children. 

This year I _____ lucky money to all my neighbours (past tense).

I have ______ my Thai girlfriend 20 times, but no answer !

The supervisor ____ the staff to come in early (past tense).

She wants _______ German food.

You have ______ at HLS for how long ?

Before, I ______ in Chicago but now I need _______ a job in Sai Gon

Listening comprehension

Comprehension: Listen for comparatives,superlatives and adjectives

Vietnam is exciting and lively (7 fun facts about Vietnam)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZONkSvEf3nY

When do people eat pho ? How is it made ? How is coffee made ?

From what is the traditional hat made ? Who used to wear it and why ?

What is the English word for a small motorbike ? How many motorcycles are there in Saigon ?

What is the game shuttlecock like ? A mix …….

Do men do park dancing ? What exercise can men do ?

Sundays – what do you usually do on Sundays ?http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/listening/my-sundays

Listening practice:(1:21 – 1:48) & (11.30 – 12:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpMjYXxScCQ

What are the names of the two people ?

Where did they meet ?

What does the lady order ?

What is the name of the manager and the waitress ?

Where does she live ?

What is her phone number ?

What do you think of the manager and waitress ?

I think he is ……. because ……..

In my opinion, the waitress is …

New vocabulary and expressions

boring = tedious ( it’s like watching paint dry ! – expression)

Like: enjoy, love, adore

Dislike: hate, dislike, detest (very strong)

Ubiquitous = everywhere

In Sai Gon, coffee shops are ubiquitous.

take a load off = have a seat / take a seat

I am so naïve (innocent) 

Vocabulary – adjectives

standard / higher / / opposite / higher

good / brilliant // bad / terrible

beautiful /gorgeous //ugly/ hideous

interesting / fascinating // boring / tedious

expensive/ over-priced // cheap / bargain

modern / hip / trendy // old-fashioned / out-dated

gentle/ calm // angry //hot-headed

big / massive / huge // small / tiny

important / significant //unimportant / insignificant

tiring / exhausting // relaxing / peaceful

Make sentences with the new vocabulary

detest / gorgeous / hustle and bustle / peace and quiet / tedious / fascinating

Anh’s Thai girlfriend is simply ………

She loves shopping, however Anh ……… it !

Bangkok is ……….. lots of energy, lots of ……….

He will take her to Hoi An for some …………….

Now he’s going to work. Sometimes it’s great, but sometimes it’s ………

Vocabulary – Film

box office / trailer / concessions / multiplex / genre / adverts / Dolby surround 

What genre of films are there ? Which are your favourites ?

How often do you go to the cinema ? Once a week, once a month, less often, only if there is a good film playing. http://www.english-in-chester.co.uk/e-learning/lesson/film-vocabulary/

What do you think about this trailer ? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY

Vocabulary: kitchen equiptment

What do I need for my kitchen ?

Some items are essential (very important) Some are useful

Some are luxury items (don’t really need them)

EXAMPLE: I think a fridge is essential. However, a meat slicer is a luxury item.

What are they made of and what are they used for ?

EXAMPLE: A toaster is made of metal and is used to toast bread.

What do you need …. ?

What do you need to make pho ?

What do you need to ride a motorbike ?

What do you need for a party ?

What animals do you need for a zoo ?

What do you need to do before you go out ?

Sentence building

Sentence building – verb practice

REMEMBER: ‘to be’ is different:

I am busy / you are busy / she is busy

I was busy / you were busy / she was busy

I was quite busy / really busy / I was extremely, incredibly busy !

I have been busy / you have been busy / she has been busy

Look at this picture: describe what you see

First – what is the subject ? A man

What does he look like ? Adjectives

What is he wearing ? Colour, material, pattern

Where is he ? What is he doing ?

A young man with short dark hair, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and black and white spotted tie is sitting in a restaurant or coffee shop. He is drinking from a small white cup. We know he is drinking damn fine coffee !

Write the subject first ( A young man ). THEN, you can use pronouns (he).

Write long sentences for one of these pictures.

Speaking Practice

Colin Good morning, I’m Colin.

Mike Pleased to meet you, Colin. I’m Michael but call me Mike.

Colin Thanks, Mike. Have you worked at ….. long ? (a long time ?)

Mike Yes, quite long; about five years. Oh, I like your phone.

Colin Thank you. It’s an LG which is much better, I think, than Apple.

Mike Where did you get it ? (buy it)

Colin Tokyo, where there are so many phone stores.

Mike I really want to go ! Have you met Ms Mi who works in HR ?

Colin Not yet … but she looks very pretty ! (gorgeous / adorable)

Exercise 2

Ben Excuse me … is this seat taken ?

Fred I’m sorry ?

Ben May I sit here ?

Fred Oh,by all means. I’m Fred.

Ben Pleased to meet you, Fred. I’m Ben. Are you German ?

Fred Yes, from Berlin, which is the capital. I’m here for three days.

Ben Then you should go to Ben Thanh market where you can buy a Rolex.

Fred Too expensive. My job is great but the salary is terrible !

Ben Ms Na, who works in HR , has a Rolex. Only 400 000 VND.

Fred Really … ? Fake ?

Ben That’s it ! Made in China ! You have a meeting here ?

Fred Yes, with Ms Na; she is gorgeous and so adorable… is she married ?

Ben Yeah … she’s my wife !

Exercise 3

Something is either working OR not working

The watch is working The watch is broken – it is not working

I am repairing it – it WAS broken, now it is working again. It has been repaired.

The motorbike is broken. It needs to be repaired / fixed / mended

The mechanic is repairing / fixing / mending the motorbike

It is repaired / fixed / mended

Peter Hi, Mark. How’s it going ? (how are you ?)

Mark Not bad. However, I have a problem. My laptop’s broken.

Peter Oh, dear. What kind is it ?

Mark It’s a PC (personal computer).

Peter Oh, I understand. They are good but sometimes are flawed.

Mark Where can I get it fixed? Do you know somewhere ?

Peter Sure, no problem. There are many shops near here.

Mark Can you take me ?

Peter Sorry, my bike has a problem. It’s not working.

Mark I’ll take a look. Maybe I can mendit. I enjoy fixing engines.

Peter Brilliant. It costs so much to repair a bike.

Mark And it costs so much to use Grabbike every day !

Exercise 4

Dialogue practice (ordinal numbers, phrasal verbs, future tense)

Harry and Martin are chatting at work.

Harry What are you going to do tonight ?

Martin I will knock off about 6, then I’m going to the cinema.

Harry What are you going to see ?

Martin Not sure. My girlfriend’ll choose. I’m picking her up later. 

Harry Sounds fun ! I’m going to drop off my laundry, then I’ll go swimming.

Martin What days are your taking off for Tet ?

Harry The 14^th, 15^th and 16^th. Then I’ll come back to work.

Martin Why ? Do you have to finish off some work ?

Harry No, I want to start working on the 4th German project.

Now practice – in small groups or pairs, what are YOU going to do tonight or on your free day ?

Example:

After work, I will go to the cinema // This weekend I want to drink beer

Tonight, I’m going to meet some friends // I will hang out with my Thai girlfriend.

Use adjectives and extend the sentences:

After work, I will go to the big cinema at Diamond Plaza to see a new American movie.

On Saturday, I’ll (I will) meet my beautiful Thai girlfriend and we will eat delicious and healthy sushi.

Travel Language

What do we do when we go to the airport to catch a flight ?

Take a taxi/ buy a ticket / board the aeroplane / go through security

claim baggage / go thorough immigration / go though customs 

check in / buy duty-free / pack your bags

Questions:

You are flying from Sai Gon to Hue. Where do you go in the airport ?

What will you do at check in ?

What documents do you need ?

How can you check in ? Two ways …

What happens at security ?

Warm up exercises

Things you love, things you hate ! Try to make long sentences using adverbs and discourse markers (linking words such as furthermore, additionally, however, although etc)

What do you see here ?

Start with the subject or subjects.

What are they doing ? Where do you think they are ?

Describe them – use adjectives

Describe the area.