BASIC 1

L E S S O N 1

ADJECTIVES
:: USE AND STRUCTURE

Physical Characteristics
Adjectives → Descriptions → Characteristics
Personality Traits

Sentence Construction

Subject + Verb To Be + Adjective → Liam is handsome.

Subject + Verb To Be + A/An + Adjective + Noun → Liam is a handsome man.

Physical Characteristics

VS.

SH ORT VS. TAL L HA N DSOME/BEAUTI FUL UGLY/HORRI BLE

( m as cul in e/fe m in in e )

FAT CHUBBY THI N

ST RON G W EA K ATHLETI C

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Personality Traits

VS. VS.

O UTG OIN G / E X T ROV E RT S H Y/ TI MI D ORGA N I Z ED/N EAT DI SORGA N I Z ED/MESSY

VS. VS.

N O R M AL /OR D IN ARY W E IR D/STRA N GE A RROGA N T/PROUD HUMBLE/MODEST

:: EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT

Talking About a New Co-worker

Phil – Hey, Alex, do you know the new accountant?

Alex – Oh yeah, Mary. She is a very beautiful girl.
Phil – She is! She is shy, too, right?
Alex – Yes, but just say “hi” to her and you will start a conversation.

:: COMMON MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT
Tony is a man weird. Tony is a weird man.
Sheila is a thin. Sheila is thin.

INDEFINITE ARTICLES
:: USE AND STRUCTURE

A Nick is a doctor.
(Nick is one person.)
INDEFINITE Only with
ARTICLES singular nouns
Sarah is an English teacher.
AN
(Sarah is one person.)

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L E S S O N 1

The client wants:

An apple, an orange, an apple (= one apple) a banana (= one banana)
and a banana, please.

an orange (= one orange)

Is it a specific apple, a specific banana? No. It refers to an unspecified fruit from the lot.

Thank you!

A Before consonant sounds

INDEFINITE
ARTICLES

AN Before vowel sounds

Mike has a car. Laura is an organized student.

(C = consonant sound) (O = vowel sound)

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• In English some letters may sound like a consonant or like a vowel in different words.

Letter H Letter U
 e is an honest man. (The H is not pronounced,
Honest → H  arol has an umbrella. (The U is pronounced
Umbrella → C
so it starts with a vowel sound.) as a vowel.)
 he Atlas is a hotel in Milan. (The H is pronounced,
Hotel → T Uniform → I use a uniform at work. (The U is pronounced
so it starts with a consonant sound.) as a /y/ like in the word “you,” so it starts with
a consonant sound.)

Important:

Nick and Sarah are students. → Plural, so no indefinite article is used.

:: EXAMPLES IN CONTEXT

Rainy Day

Kate – Oh my God, it’s raining!

Stu – Do you have an umbrella with you?
Kate – No.
Stu – Come with me then.

At Work

Paul – Michael, what time is the meeting?

Michael – It’s starts in an hour.
Paul – Oh, OK! Thanks.

:: COMMON MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT
I’m enginner. I’m an engineer.
Marcy and Robert are a friends. Marcy and Robert are friends.
I live in an house. I live in a house.
Please, an ripe orange. Please, a ripe orange. / Please, an orange.
I study at an university. I study at a university.

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L E S S O N 1

GREETINGS AND FAREWELLS

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

Greetings → used to start conversations

Hi, Mary!
Hello! How are you? Hello, Lucy!
Great to see
you! I’m fine.
How are you?

Hi!
Hello!

Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening.

Good
Farewells → used to end conversations night, Kim.
I’ve got to Take care!
go now. Bye!
Bye!
Goodbye!
Take care.
Good night.
See you later!
See you tomorrow!

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VERB TO BE + SUBJECT PRONOUNS

:: USE AND STRUCTURE

VERB TO BE

Location (Permanent Feelings (Permanent Descriptions

Introductions
or Temporary) or Temporary) (People and Places)

I am Julia. Where are you? I am happy. Lia and Tim are tall.
My name is Mario. I am at home now. Zoey is fine. Tanya is pretty.
This is Jessica. Tokyo is in Japan. John is exhausted. Leo is smart.

Let’s check the use of the verb to be with subject pronouns.

I You
She He

You
It We
They

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L E S S O N 1

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I am/I’m a teacher. I am not/I’m not Scottish. Am I in London?

You are/You’re a student. You are not/You aren’t here. Are you a teacher?
He is/He’s an actor. He is not/He isn’t sick. Is Zico/Is he a soccer star?
She is/She’s a model. She is not/She isn’t cold. Is Madonna/Is she American?
It is/It’s cold. It is not/It isn’t in Brazil. Is Paris/Is it in France?
We are/We’re humans. We are not/We aren’t Irish. Are we friends?
You are/You’re students. You are not/You aren’t OK. Are you ready for the exam?
They are/They’re happy. They are not/They aren’t sad. Are they married?

:: COMMON MISTAKES

INCORRECT CORRECT
I be happy. I am happy.
She don’t be a doctor. She isn’t a doctor.
He not is in New York. He is not in New York.
He is my friend? Is he my friend?

L E S S O N 2

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
:: USE AND STRUCTURE
Demonstrative Pronouns

This is Mark. (close) These are English books. (close)

That is my sister. (distant) Those are my bikes. (distant)

Singular Plural
This: you → These: you →
That: you Those: you

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