PART 1

When was the first/last time you did X?

Cách I: Nói rõ thời gian/địa điểm
As far as I can remember, the first/last time I did X was… + time
I first/last did X when… (I)
It’s been… since I first/last did X
just a month ago.
Nêu thời điểm
Cách 2: Không nhớ rõ, nhưng đoán
I’m not really sure but I guess (I)
I can’t remember exactly, but I guess (I)
Nêu thời điểm
Ex:
When was the first time you used a computer?
Answer I:
Well as far as I can remember, the first time I used a computer was I0 years ago.
I first used a computer when I was in grade 9.
It’s been I0 years since I first used a computer.
About I0 years ago.
My dad bought me a destop computer for my birthday and I was very excited. (buy sb sth)
Answer 2:
I can’t remember exactly, but I guess the first time I used a computer was I0 years ago. My dad bought
me a destop computer for my birthday and I was very excited.
Practise:
I. When was the first time you used a computer?
2. When was the first time you went on holiday?
3. When was you last have visitors at your house?
4. When was the first time you spoke with someone in a foreign language?
5. When was the last time you did something in a hurry?
Did you do X when you were a child?
Cách I: Có, lý do/chi tiết
Yes, I did.
Yes, … when I was a child …
When I was a child = When I was a kid
When I was very small/little
When I was … (years old)
When I was in primary school
I can’t remember exactly how old I was, but I was probably about… or… (years old)
Nêu chi tiết
Cách 2: Không, lý do/chi tiết
No, I didn’t/No, not really.
No, … when I was a child …
Nêu chi tiết
Ex:
Did you enjoy singing when you were younger?
Yes, I did. My mom told me that when I was three years old, I sang a lot. She eveb recorded me singing
and we still have the recording at home.
Note: record sb/sth + Ving
Did you enjoy doing art lessons when you were a child?
No, not really. When I was a kid, I was not really interested in art because I found it quite boring. I
remember I usually felt sleepy during my art lessons and I got quite low marks in that subject.
Note:
Find + myself/yourself/themselves/… adj
Find + sb/sth + adj: cảm thấy thứ gì đó ntn
We found the beds very comfortable.
Get quite good/high marks in…: đạt điểm cao trong môn gì
Get quite poor/low marks in…: đạt điểm thấp trong môn gì
Practice:
I. Did you often listen to music when you were a child?
2. Did you do household work when you were a child?
3. Did you see your grandparents often when you were a child?
Is X suitable for …?
Cách I: Có + lý do/chi tiết
Yes, I think so.
Yes, it’s very suitable…
Yes, it would be a great idea…
Nêu chi tiết
Cách 2: Không + lý do/chi tiết
No, I don’t think so.
No, not really.
No, it’s not really suitable…
No, I don’t think it’s a good idea…
Cách 3: Còn tùy + trường hợp
It depends.
It depends on…
Ex:
Do you think it’s appropriate for museum to sell things to visitor?
Yes, it would be a great idea because museums need money for their operation and maintenance.
Plus, many people want to buy something at the places they visit to give to their loved ones as a gift.
Note:
Need + money for…: cần tiền cho việc gì
They needed this money for their project.
Give sb sth as a gift: tặng thứ gì đó cho ai đó để làm quà
She gave him this card as a gift.
Is your hometown suitable for young people?
No, I don’t think so, because there are not many job opportunities in my town; that’s the reason why
many young people leave the town and move to major cities in search of a better job.
Note:
in search of…: tìm kiếm cái gì
They decided to study abroad in search ofva better furture.
Are computers suitable for yound children?
Well, I think it depends on what they use computers for. If they use their computers to learn online
courses or watch educational TV shows, then I would say yes. But if they use computers mainly for
recreational activities, like chatting online or playing online games, then computers are not really
suitable for them.
Practise:
1. Are outdoor sports suitable for people of all ages?
2. Do you think bicycles are suitable for people of all ages?
Is X easy/difficult to do X?
Cách I: Dễ + lý do/chi tiết
It’s very/quite/really easy/simple to…
It’s not really difficult/hard/challenging to…
Cách 2: Khó + lý do/chi tiết
It’s very/quite/really difficult/hard/challenging to…
It’s not really easy/simple to…
Cách 3: Ban đầu khó, lúc sau dễ
It’s always quite difficult at the beginning when you try something new. … is not an exception.
At first, …
But after a while, things begin to get a bit easier.
Ex:
Is it easy to learn to swim?
No, it’s very difficult, especially for people who are afraid of water like me. I think the hardest part is
to learn to breathe underwater, which took me nearly two weeks to learn.
Note: tốn bao nhiêu thời gian để làm gì
Take time for sb/sth to
It took three months for the project to be completed.
Take sb time to do
It took us three hours to get there.
Is it difficult to learn to play a musical instrument?
I think it’s always quite difficult at the beginning when you try something new. Learning to play a
musical instrument is not an exception. Take learning to play guitar, as an example. At first, your
fingers can hurt a lot, but after a while, things begin to get a bit easier.
Note
Take… as an example.
Take Hoi An as an example.
Is it easy to travel around your city?
Yes, it’s very easy to travel around my city. You can catch a bus, take a taxi or hire a motorbike to get
around the city. However, the traffic is not always good, it gets crazy during rush hour.
Practise:
1. Is it difficult to learn another language?
2. Is it hard to learn to ride a bike?
What do you dislike about X?
Cách I: Nói thẳng + lý do/chi tiết
I don’t really like/love…
Cách 2: Nói vòng + lý do/chi tiết
Well, generally speaking, I love X, but sometimes…
Well, generally speaking, I love X, but the only thing I don’t really like about X is…
Well, there are a few things that I don’t really love about X.
First/Firstly/The first thing is…
Second/Secondly/The second thing is
Finally, …
Ex:
What do you disike about your parties?
Well, I don’t really like going to parties where there’s loud music and too much drinking. People talk
a lot and even behave weirdly when they get drunk.
What do you dislike about eating in restaurant?
Generally speaking, I love eating in restaurants. The only thing that I don’t like about some
restaurants here is that they don’t take cards. It means that I have to pay by cash, and it’s really hard
for me to calculate my speading at the end of the month.
Practise:
1. What don’t you like about your job?
2. What do you dislike about living in a big city?
3. What don’t you like about listening to live music?
 How often do you do X?
 Mức độ thường xuyên + lý do/chi tiết

Rất thường xuyên Thường xuyên Thỉnh thoảng Hiếm khi Không bao giờ
Khá thường xuyên Hầu như không
• Always • Usually • Sometimes • Rarely • Never
• All the time • Often • Occasionally • Seldom
• Every day/morning • Regularly • Once or twice a week • Hardly ever
• Almost everytime • Frequently • Not often • Almost never
• All day • Quite often • Don’t usually • Once in a blue moon
• Five days a week • Quite regularly • Every 2 months
• 28 days a month • Quite frequently • Every now and then
• Very often • 2 or 3 times a week
• Very frequently
• A lot

Ex:
How often do you go out wuth friends?
We just meet once a week. (mức độ thường xuyên) At weekend when none of us have to work. We
usually go out for dinner or go to see a movie (lý do/chi tiết)
 We just meet once a week at the weekend when none of us have to work. We usually go out for dinner
or go to see a movie.

Note:
none (of sb/sth): not one of a group of people or things
In formal styles, we use none of with a singular verb when it is the subject. However, in informal
speaking, people often use plural verbs.
None of that surprises me.
Indeed, none of his novels is well shaped or well written.
None of the products have been tested on animals and all the bottles are recyclable. (informal)
How often do you make telephone calls?
I have to call my clients every day to confirm the products they ordered. I also call my parents very
often, I’d say every two days, because I miss them so much.
Note:
Call sb (v): gọi cho ai
My brother called me from Spain last night.
Call (n): cuộc gọi
I made a call to a friend in London.
Contact (v) sb: gọi cho ai đó
I’ve been trying to contact you all day.
Contact (n): sự liên lạc => keep contact with sb (collocation)
I don’t have much contact with my uncle.
Practice:
1. How often do you watch programmes or read articles about wild animals?
2. How often do you buy new clothes for yourself?
3. How often do you sing now?
How has X changed?
Cách I: Thay đổi nhiều + sự thay đổi
It has changed a lot In recent years
It has changed a great deal. In recent times
It has changed quite a bit. Over the past few years/decades
It has changed significantly. Since I was a child/…

Quá khứ Hiện tại

In the past Now/Today => HTĐ
Several years ago / … years ago These days/nowadays => HTTD
A decade/ a few decades ago Recent => HTHT
Not so long ago

Cách 2: Thay đổi ít/hầu như không + sự thay đổi

It hasn’t changed much The only change is that
It has changed very slightly.

Quá khứ Hiện tại

In the past Now/Today => HTĐ
Several years ago / … years ago These days/nowadays => HTTD
A decade/ a few decades ago Recent => HTHT
Not so long ago
Ex:
How has your hometown changed in recent years?
I have to say that it has changed a great deal. A few decades ago, the main streets were very narrow,
and there were not many tall buildings. But recently, the main streets have become much wider, and
lots of shopping malls and high-rise buildings have been constructed.
How have shops changed in your town in the last five years?
They haven’t changed much. Most of them are still quite small and family-run. The only change is that
several years ago, they didn’t take credit or debit card payments, so I had to pay by cash. But recently,
some shops have started taking card payments.
Practise:
1. How has education changed in the past 10 years?
2. How has TV shows in your country changed over the years?
3. In what ways have families in your country changed in recent years?