Tag: pre-intermediate

Introduction to First Conditional

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🔑 What is the First Conditional?

We use the First Conditional when we want to:

  • Talk about the future
  • Say what will happen if something else happens
  • Show real and possible situations

✨ Example:

  • If I eat too much chocolate, I will feel sick.
  • If we hurry, we will catch the bus.

🧩 Grammar Structure

👉 The First Conditional has two parts:

IF clause (condition)Result clause
If + Present Simplewill + base verb

✅ Examples:

  • If it rains, I will stay at home.
  • If I study, I will pass the test.
  • If we are late, the teacher will be angry.

🚨 Important!
Don’t use will after if.
❌ If it will rain, I will stay home.
✅ If it rains, I will stay home.

💡 When do we use it?

We use the First Conditional for:

  1. Predictions: If it rains, the streets will be wet.
  2. Warnings: If you run too fast, you will fall.
  3. Promises/Plans: If you call me, I will help you.

🗣 More Examples

  • If I am hungry, I will eat a sandwich. 🥪
  • If my friend visits, we will go to the park. 🌳
  • If the teacher gives homework, I will do it. ✏️
  • If we don’t leave now, we will miss the train. 🚉

Practice Time

Practice 1

Practice 2

 Speaking Practice

Card game

Flip the cards

Look at the picture

Complete the sentences using first conditional

Open the box

Choose a box.

Read the sentence starter.

Complete the sentence with your own ideas

Movies and TV Shows

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for beginner learners (A1/A2)

Here’s a list of basic words to help you talk about films and TV programs.

🎬 Types of Movies & TV Shows

WordMeaningExample
🐭 cartoonAn animated story, often for childrenTom and Jerry is a cartoon.
🎤 chat showA TV show where people talk with a hostThe Oprah Winfrey Show is a chat show.
😂 comedyA funny movie or showMr. Bean is a comedy.
🎭 dramaA serious story, often about real lifeTitanic is a drama.
❓ quiz showA contest with questionsJeopardy is a quiz show.
📺 sitcomA funny TV series about everyday lifeFriends is a sitcom.
💔 soap operaA long TV story with many episodesDays of Our Lives is a soap opera.
📰 the newsInformation about today’s eventsI usually watch the news at 6 pm.
☀️ weather forecastInformation about the weatherThe weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow.
🐒 wildlife programmeA show about animals and naturePlanet Earth is a wildlife programme.

🎬 Adjectives to Talk About Movies & TV Shows

😀 Positive😢 Negative😐 Neutral
exciting – full of action or adventure
The movie was exciting from the beginning.		silly – not serious or funny in a bad way
The cartoon was silly.		serious – important or not funny The news is serious.
clever – smart or creative
The comedy has clever jokes.		sad – makes you feel unhappy Titanic is a sad drama.long – takes a lot of time
The movie is long but interesting.
funny – makes you laugh
Mr. Bean is very funny.		scary – makes you feel afraid The monster in the film was scary.true – based on real events
The story is true.
popular – liked by many people Friends is a popular sitcom.boring – not interesting
The soap opera is boring.
interesting – keeps your attention
The wildlife programme is interesting.

Let’s Practice

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

How to Write a Movie / TV Show Review

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For beginner learners (A1/A2)


A movie or TV show review is when you say what the movie or show is about, what you liked or didn’t like, and if you recommend it.

Steps to Write a Review about a Movie or a TV Show

1. Say the Name + Type

Start by writing the name of the movie or TV show. You can also say the type (genre). Use these words:

Movie type (genre):

  • cartoon (animated story, often for children)
  • chat show (people talk on TV, with a host)
  • comedy (funny show or movie)
  • drama (serious story)
  • quiz show (contest with questions)
  • sitcom (funny TV series about everyday life)
  • soap opera (long TV story with many episodes)
  • the news (information about today’s events)
  • weather forecast (information about the weather)
  • wildlife programme (about animals and nature)

👉 Example:
“I watched Frozen. It is a cartoon.”
“I usually watch Friends. It is a sitcom.”

2. Say What Happens (Short Summary)

Write 2–3 short sentences about the story.

Useful phrases:

  • “The story is about …”
  • “The main character is …”
  • “They …”

👉 Example:
“The story is about two sisters, Anna and Elsa. Elsa has magic powers. She makes everything snow.”

3. Give Your Opinion

Now say what you think. You can use simple sentences:

  • “I like … because …”
  • “I don’t like … because …”
  • “My favorite part is …”

You can talk about:

  • The characters (funny, interesting, boring)
  • The story (exciting, sad, slow, easy to understand)
  • The music (nice, beautiful, loud)
  • The pictures / special effects (good, colorful, amazing)

🎭 Adjectives to Use in Reviews

Positive adjectives: exciting, clever, funny, popular, interesting
Negative adjectives: silly, sad, scary, boring
Neutral adjectives: serious, long, true

👉 Example:
“I like the characters because they are funny. The music is beautiful. But I don’t like the snow monster because it is scary.”

4. Recommend or Not

Finish with your final idea. Say if you recommend it.

Useful phrases:

  • “I recommend this …”
  • “I don’t recommend this …”
  • “Overall, it is …”
  • “I give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars.”

👉 Example:
“Overall, Frozen is a very good cartoon. I recommend it for families and children. ⭐⭐⭐⭐”

5. Example Review

Writing Practice

👉 Now it’s your turn! Choose a movie or TV show you know. Write:

  1. The name + type.
  2. What happens.
  3. Your opinion.
  4. If you recommend it.

Introduction to Indirect Questions

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When we ask questions in English, sometimes we want to sound more polite. Instead of asking directly, we can use an indirect question.

👉 We often start with:

  • Could you tell me …?
  • Do you know …?

Direct vs. Indirect Questions 📝

  • Direct question:
    Where is the bank?
  • Indirect question:
    Could you tell me where the bank is?
    Do you know where the bank is?

Notice:

  • In the indirect question, the word order is like a normal sentence (subject + verb).
  • ❌ We don’t use do/does/did in the second part.

More Examples ✅

  • Direct: What time does the movie start?
  • Indirect:
    • Could you tell me what time the movie starts?
    • Do you know what time the movie starts?
  • Direct: Where is the supermarket?
  • Indirect:
    • Could you tell me where the supermarket is?
    • Do you know where the supermarket is?

Let’s practice

Practice 1

Put the words in the correct order.

Practice 2

Quiz

Practice 3

Match the halves

Speaking

Practice 1

Open a box

Ask an indirect question to your classmates

Could/ couldn’t

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Past modals of ability

We use could to talk about things we were able to do in the past.

It’s the past form of can when we talk about ability.

👉 Think of it as “can in the past.”

✅ Examples:

  • When I was 6, I could swim.
  • My grandmother could play the piano beautifully.
  • We could run very fast when we were teenagers.

We use couldn’t to say we were not able to do something in the past.

✅ Examples:

  • I couldn’t ride a bike when I was 5.
  • She couldn’t speak English last year.
  • We couldn’t use computers when we were children (because there were none at home!).

We also use could to ask about abilities in the past.

✅ Examples:

  • Could you swim when you were 7?
  • Could your father drive a car when he was young?
  • Could your grandmother speak another language?

🧾 Useful Tips

✨ Notice the difference:

  • I can swim = now, in the present.
  • I could swim when I was 6 = in the past.

✨ Pronunciation tip:

  • could is pronounced /kʊd/ (like good).
  • The l is silent!

✨ Everyday English:
We sometimes use could in polite offers or suggestions:

  • Could you help me, please?
  • We could go to the park this afternoon.
    👉 But in today’s lesson, we are focusing on past ability.

Can vs Could

PRESENT (can/can’t)

PAST (could/ couldn’t)

Let’s practice

Quiz time

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking

Complete the sentences with information about you.

Use could/ couldn’t

Just, Already and Yet

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We use the present perfect (have/has + past participle) with these words to show when or if something has happened.

⏱️ 1. Using just

We use just to describe something that happened a short time ago.

✅ Examples:

  • I’ve just seen a great comedy.
  • She’s just finished her homework.

✅ 2. Using already

We use already to describe an action that has happened (earlier than we expected).

✅ Examples:

  • They’ve already finished the new series.
  • He’s already eaten lunch.

❓ 3. Using yet

We use yet in negative sentences and questions to talk about something that hasn’t happened but we think it will.

✅ Examples:

  • Have you watched it yet?
  • I haven’t seen it yet.

🌟 Quick Tip

  • just → a short time ago
  • already → it happened earlier than expected
  • yet → not happened, but we expect it (only in negatives/questions)

Let’s practice

Quiz time

Practice 1

Practice 2

Speaking time

Practice 1

Practice 2

For or Since

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We use the present perfect (have/has + past participle) to talk about things that started in the past and continue now.

✅ Example:

  • How long have you known her?
  • We’ve lived together for about nine months.

⏳ 1. Using for

We use for + a period of time (the length).

👉 It answers: How long?

✅ Examples:

  • I’ve known Justin for about two years.
  • We haven’t done that for a long time.

📅 2. Using since

We use since + the starting point (when it began).

👉 It answers: Since when?

✅ Examples:

  • I’ve known her since we were at school.
  • We haven’t argued since we met.

🌟 Quick Tip

  • for = length of time → 3 months, 2 years, a long time
  • since = starting point → 2019, last week, Monday

Present Perfect Review

Let’s Practice

1️⃣Quiz time

Practice 1

Practice 2

2️⃣Speaking time

Practice 1

Practice 2

🗺️ Giving directions

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What Does “Give Directions” Mean?

To give directions means to explain to someone how to get from one place to another. You tell them where to turn, which road to follow, how far to go, and landmarks that help.

Example:

“Go straight on Main Street, then turn left at the traffic lights. The library will be on your right.”

Giving directions helps in daily life — when someone is lost, when explaining how to reach a place, etc.

2. Useful Words & Phrases

Here are key vocabulary and useful expressions for giving directions:

PurposePhrase / WordExample
Moving forwardgo straight onGo straight on until the roundabout.
Turningturn left / turn rightTurn right at the traffic lights.
Counting turnstake the second / third left/rightTake the second right after the bank.
Landmarks / reference pointsat the corner, opposite, next toIt’s opposite the post office.
At junctions / intersectionsat the end of the road, junction, roundaboutAt the roundabout, take the first exit.
Describing locationon the left / on the right / in front of / behindThe café is on the left, just after the bridge.

3. Examples

Here are sample conversations and direction-giving using the phrases above.

Example 1:

Person A: Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?
Person B: Sure. Go straight on Elm Street for two blocks, then turn left at the bank. Continue straight past the park, then turn right at the traffic lights. The station is on your left, next to the hotel.

Example 2:

Person A: I’m lost — can you help?
Person B: Of course. From here, walk straight on until you reach a roundabout. At the roundabout, take the third exit. Then take the second left. The supermarket will be opposite the library.

Let’s Play

1️⃣ Quiz time

Practice 1

Practice 2

Practice 3

2️⃣Speaking time

  1. Choose a place to START and FINISH on the map.
  2. Write the instructions on a piece of paper.
  3. Tell your partner how to go get to the final destination (FINISH).