Beginners’ English, Part 2

Various exercises designed for people who have just started learning English.

Contents

Grammar / contractions & questions / past continuous exercise / past tense exercise / present simple & continuous /

Pronunciation

Snow (listening & vocabulary). Theme: the weather.

Speaking practice

Vocabulary

What’s your name and basic introductions (listening & vocabulary)

Grammar

Contractions & questions (31.35 – 42.16): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeaadwctbD4

I am John = I’m John // You are Anna = You’re Anna

Past Continuous exercise

Write positive sentences in past continuous.

I was reading a great book

subject + was / were + verb ing (+ noun, adjective + noun)

1. you / play / cards /// you were playing cards
2. Alice / walk / around the lake
3. Fiona and Sam / visit / the castle
4. we / read / a book about Australia
5. my sister / feed / the birds
6. Greg and Phil / count / their money

Past tense

Write in the past tense

Andrew (am) born in New York and (come) to Viet Nam in 2016. He (live) in District 1 but it (is) too expensive so he (move) to District 9. Last week, he (have) a party and he (dance) all night and (drink) too much Tiger and Sai Gon Special beer. In the morning, he (catch) a plane and (go) to Ha Noi.

In Vietnam’s capital he (see) Uncle Ho, (hear) traditional music and (buy) many Rolex watches … but they (are make) in China.

Present simple & Present continuous

Present simple & continuous exercise: use always + ing

Tony has lost the key again. He’s always losing the key. [This is permanent.]

My motorbike has broken down again. It is ………… (break + ing)

The rice is burnt ! She is ………. the rice. (burn + ing)

The security guard is asleep. He is ……………… on duty. (sleep + ing)

Pronunciation

Long vowels part 1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/pronunciation/longvowel1

Snow

Listening Practice: (0.20 – 1.30) cartoon – snow – beginners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emQSVdW-Ee4

What is the date ? Listen for the adverb ‘finally’. Why doesn’t Mum like the snow ?

What does the boy ‘put on’ ? Listen for ‘My sister and I’ What happens to the jacket ?

What do the siblings do outside ? What do they do at night and why ?

Vocabulary

shovel / mitten / scarf / jacket / zipper

What is happening here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp3p539C2f4

Theme: the weather

Vocabulary:

storm = heavy rain // heatwave = time of very high temperature

flood = lots of water on the roads and streets. The street is flooded.

Idioms– it’s raining cats and dogs = it raining very heavily. 

I’m melting = I’m very hot

Reading & listening

There are often powerful storms in Vietnam. There are floods in Vietnam every year, too. This year’s floods are very bad.

Over 16,000 homes are covered in water. The situation is the worst in Yen Bai and How Bing provinces. Thousands of people are homeless. Forty people are dead. Forty people are missing: https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/floods-in-vietnam-level-1/

powerful (very strong), flood (big water), missing (we do not know where these people are, or if they are alive).

Speaking practice: 

Hello, my name is John and I’m from New York. I’m a taxi-driver, and I have been in Vietnam for one year. My hobbies are dancing, watching films and playing computer games. In Asia, I have been to Thailand and Laos and I really want to visit Japan and Korea.

continuous verbs (verb + ing): I like reading.

How many continuous verbs can you see ?

Interests / hobbies 

Now you write something and introduce yourself.

Name / Job / How long have you been at (your company or school ?)

Hometown / Hobbies/ Where you want to visit

Vocabulary

Try to learn these words / expressions:

like / love / adore /

dislike / hate / detest /

and / as well as / additionally

but / however / on the other hand /

usually / normally / often /

sometimes /occasionally

And these adverbs: very / really / extremely / highly / quite / somewhat

Now make short sentences. For example:

I adore coffee as well as tea (I like coffee and tea)

London is extremely expensive. On the other hand, Thailand is quite cheap.

Vocabulary booster.

Match the words or expressions:

tired // considering

sometimes // selfish

thinking about // kind of 

type of something // exhausted

Not generous // occasionally 

Now practice using them:

I can’t go out tonight, I’m ………..

Bill is ……………. buying a new motorbike

Ms Vi only goes to visit her family in Hue ………….. because it is so far.

What ………… laptop are you using ?

Share your sweets with your friends ! Don’t be ……..

What is the best word ?

want / like / need / prefer

She likes coffee but …….. tea 

I ….. to speak English to study in USA.

He …. to buy a new Yamaha Exciter but he …… to save up money.

realise / suppose / understand / remember

I ……. we could go shopping and then go swimming.

Do you ……… when you were at school ?

She didn’t …… he was Chinese, so she spoke Korean to him !

What’s Your Name (Introductions)

What is your name ? / Possession. (listening & vocabulary 0.00 – 5.03) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeaadwctbD4