English Beginner’s Course

Summary
The English Alphabet ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Greetings and farewells (also introducing oneself) ........................................................................................... 2
Pronouns ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
The Simple Present and Simple Past Tenses ..................................................................................................... 6
Verb to be (Simple present) ............................................................................................................................... 6
Verb to be (Simple past tense) ........................................................................................................................... 7
Yes/ no questions with verb to be ...................................................................................................................... 8
Greetings, farewells, and Polite Request ......................................................................................................... 11
Polite Request .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Using Polite Request ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Formal and Informal Introductions .................................................................................................................. 14
Practicing Formal and Informal Greetings and Introductions ......................................................................... 15
The Simple Present of Full Verbs .................................................................................................................... 16
Talking About Daily Routine Activities .......................................................................................................... 17
The Regular Verb Past Tense Formation ......................................................................................................... 18
The “-ed” Pronunciation .................................................................................................................................. 19
Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns ............................................................................................. 22
Demonstratives ................................................................................................................................................ 23
There to be (Verbo haver) ................................................................................................................................ 23
Nationalities and Professions ........................................................................................................................... 24
Nationalities ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
Professions ....................................................................................................................................................... 25

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 English Beginner’s Course

The English Alphabet

A [eɪ] B[bi:] C[si:] D[di:] E[i:] F[ef] G[dzɪ:] H [eɪʧ] I[aɪ] J[dzeɪ] K[keɪ] L
[el] M [em] N[en] O [oʊ] P[pi:] Q[kju:] R [ɑr] S [es] T [ti:] U [ju:] V [vi:] W['dʌbəl
ju:] X [eks] Y[waɪ] Z[zi:].

Introduction.
 Hello! ola!  I was born in Benguela. Fui nascido em
 Hi! oi!- ola! Benguela.
 What is your name? Qual é o seu nome?  Whom do you live with? Com quem vives?
 My name is… O meu nome é…  I live with my parents. Vivo com os meus
 What is your full name? Qual é o seu nome pais.
complete?  Where do you study? Onde estudas?
 My full name is… O meu nome complete é…  I study at Hercay School. Eu estudo no
 Where do you live? Onde vives? Hercay.
 I live at… Eu vivo em, no,na…  What do you do for a living: Qual é o seu
 How old are you? Quantos anos tens? trabalho?
 I am … years old. Eu tenho … anos de idade.  Do you work? Trabalhas?
 What is your father’s name? Qual é o nome  Yes, I am a teacher/a nurse/ a scientist...
do seu pai?  No, I am just a student.
 My father’s name is… O nome do meu pai é...  Nice to meet you! Prazer em conhece-lo.
 When were you born? Quando é que foste  Nice to meet you too. Prazer em conhece-lo
nascido? também.
 I was born on January 21, 2016. Fui nascido  See you later! Até mais tarde!
em 21 de Janeiro de 2016  See you soon! Até logo!
 Where were you born? Onde é que foste
nascido?

1. Nickname: alcunha, aplelido. 11. To live: viver

2. Namesake: xará 12. At: no, na
3. Full name: nome completo 13. To study : estudar
4. Surname: sobrenome 14. School : escola
5. Last name: sobrenome 15. To meet : conhecer
6. Middle name: nome do meio! 16. Later : depois
7. What? o quê? Quê? 17. Soon : logo
8. Where? onde?
9. When? quando?
10. Full: cheio, complete.

Greetings and farewells (also introducing oneself)

2.1) Greetings. Saudações.
 Good morning! Bom dia! Hi! Oi!
 Good afternoon! Boa tarde! Hello! Ola!
 Good evening! Boa noite! Hey! Oi! Hey!

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2.2) Questions about the Health. Questões acerca da saúde.
 How are you? Como vai?
 How are you doing? Como vai?
 Are you ok? Estás bem?
 Are you fine? Estás bem?
 What´s up? É como?

Answers. Respostas.
A) Good Health. Saúde boa.
 I´m fine, thank you. Estou bem obrigado.  I´m ok. Estou bem.
 Fine thanks. Bem obrigado.  Just fine. Bem.
 I´m very well. Estou muito bem.  Great. Ótimo.
 I´m doing fine. Estou bem.  I´m doing great. Estou ótimo.

B) Medium Health. Saúde media.

 I´m so-so. Estou mais ou menos.  More or less. Mais ou menos
 Not so Bad. Não tão mal.

C) Critical Health. Saúde crítica.

 I´m bad. Estou mal.  I´m sick. Estou doente.
 I´m very bad. Estou muito mal.  I´m ill. Estou doente
 I´m not fine. Não estou bem.
 I´m not ok. Não estou bem.

D) Rejoinders. Réplicas.
 And you? E você?  How about you? E você?
 What about you? E você?

E) Farewells. Despedidas.
 Bye! Chau!  See you next year! Até o próximo ano!
 Bye-Bye! Chau-Chau!  See you tomorrow! Até amanhã!
 Goodbye! Adeus  See you! Até mais!
 Keep in touch! Etamos juntos.  See you soon; Até logo!
 See you next week! Até a próxima semana!  See you later! Até mais tarde!
 See you next month! Até o próximo mês!  We are together! Estamos juntos!

F) Wishes. Desejos.
 Good night! Feliz noite!  Take it easy! Acalma-se!
 Sweet dreams! Bons sonhos!  Good luck! Boa sorte!
 Have a nice day! Tenha um bom dia!  Enjoy your meal! Bom apetite!
 Have a good weekend! Tenha um bom final de  Merry Christmas! Feliz natal!
semana!  Happy New Year! Feliz ano novo!
 Have a good trip! Tenha uma boa viagem!  Happy birthday! Feliz aniversário!
 Take care! Cuide-se!  Welcome! Seja bem vindo!

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

4-Rejoinders. Réplicas.
 Thank you! Obrigado!
 Thank you very much! Muito obrigado!
 Thanks! Obrigado!
 You too! Você também!
 The same to you! De igual modo!

More
 Certainly! Certamente/com certeza.
 What’s new? Novidades?
 What’s going on? O que se passa?
 How’s your day? Como está indo o seu dia?
 Long time no see. Já faz tempo que não te vejo.
 It’s been a while. Já faz tempo.
 It’s been a long time. Já faz muito tempo.
 How have you been? Como tem passado?
 Good to see you. Bom ver você.
 I look forward to our next meeting. Estou ansioso para o nosso próximo encontro.
 See you next time. Até a próxima.
 My name is…But you can call me… O meu nome é…Mas podes me chamar por…
 What have you been up to? O que tens feito?
 I’m from Angola. Sou natural de Angola.
 I come from Cabinda. Venho de Cabinda.
 Do you have any siblings? Tens irmãos?
 Yes, I do/ No I don’t. Sim, tenho/ Não, não tenho.
 What is your date of birth? Qual é a sua data de nascimento?
 When is your birthday? Quando é o seu aniversário?
 My birthday is on April 4th. O meu aniversário é em 4 de abril.
 What is your phone number? Qual é o seu número de telephone?
 My phone number is ... O meu número de telefone é...
 What’s your job? Qual é o seu trabalho?
 What do you do? O que você fazes?
 I am a teacher/ I’m a lawyer. Sou professor/ Sou advogado.
 I’m retired. Sou reformado.
 I’m unemployed. Estou desempregado.
 I work as a doctor. Trabalho como doutor/ Sou doutor.
 What’s your hobby?/ What are your hobbies? Qual é o seu passatempo?/ Quais são seus passatempos?
 My hobby is listening to music. O meu passatempo é ouvir música.
 My hobbies are Reading and Playing videogames.
 What do you like? O que você gosta?
 What’s your interest? O que te interessa?
 I’m interested in painting. Interessa-me a pintura. /Gosto de pintar.
 I like sports/ I like swimming. Gosto de esporte/ Gosto de nadar.
 What’s your favorite movie/ drink/fruit/book? Qual é o seu filme/sua bebida/sua fruta/seu livro favorito/a?
 My favorite...is... O meu/ a minha ... favorito/a…é....
 What do you do in your spare time? O que fazes em seu tempo livre? = What do you like to do in your free
time?
 In my spare/free time, I like watching TV/ reading. No meu tempo livre eu gosto de ver TV/ ler.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Pronouns
 Pronouns are words that take places of nouns in sentences. They usually refer to something mentioned
previously to avoid its repetition. Personal pronouns do not always refer to people.
Subjective case means the pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence or
 Singular
clause.
 I
 You  Diplomats travel extensively. = They travel extensively.
 He/ she/ It  Teacher Pessoa has a dog. = He has a dog.
 Plural
 Irina loves learning English. = She loves learning English.
 We
 Carlos is also one of my students. = He is also my student.
 You
 They

 Singular In the objective case, it means that the pronoun is used as the object of the
 Me verb.
 You  I teach Irina English. = I teach her English.
 Him/ her/ It
 I love my mother very much. = I love her very much.
 Plural
 I love you. Do you love me?
 Us
 You  I gave Carlos my new house. = I gave him my new house.
 Them

 A problem of case: Irina and I or Irina and me?

 Irina and I are delighted to be here today. (Not Irina and me)
 The letter was sent to Irina and me. (Not to Irina and I)
 In 1th, Irina and I are the subjects (they conjugate the verb).
 In 2th, Irina and me are the objects (they suffer the action of the verb).
More examples:
 You and I love playing sports.
 My mother loves you and me / loves us.
 Laura and I are friends.
 You can’t help both Laure and me / you can’t help us both.
 Pedro and I have a nice house. It is also big.
 She hates Pedro and John. = She hates Pedro and him.

! We normally put I/me last, Not I and Laura.

Notes:
 We use the object form when the pronoun is on its own.
 Who invited Marta? _ I did.
 Who invited Marta? _ Me.
 We sometimes use the subject pronoun as complement.
 The young man looked rather like Carlos, but it wasn’t him/ he.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

  Who’s that?_ It’s me/ It is I.
 Sarah knows all about it. It was her/ she who told me.
 The subject in this position is old-fashioned and often formal. The object pronoun is normal, especially
in informal speech.

The Simple Present and Simple Past Tenses

When the particle “to” is followed by the verb it is called “to-infinitive”, and the infinitive without “to” is
called “the bare infinitive”.

Verb to be (Simple present)

Affirmative long form Affirmative short form

 She is tall and pretty.
 I am  I’m  She’s tall and pretty.
 You are  You’re
 They are my students.
 He is  He’s

 They’re my students.
She is  She’s
 It is  It’s  I am interested in learning English.
 We are  We’re  I’m interested in learning English.
 You are  You’re
 They are  They’re


Negative long form Negative short form 1 Negative short form 2

 I am not  I’m not  I’m not
 You are not  You’re not  You aren’t
 He is not  He’s not  He isn´t
 She is not  She’s not  She isn’t
 It is not  It’s not  It isn’t
 We are not  We’re not  We aren’t
 You are not  You’re not  You aren’t
 They are not  They’re not  They aren’t


 I am not happy today.

 We aren’t crazy.
 She is not addicted to videogames.
 We’re not boys.
 They aren’t my friends.
 You’re not awake.
 She isn’t my girlfriend.
 She’s not beautiful

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

Interrogative forms (questions)

Positive Negative long form Negative short form

 Am I?  Am I not?  Aren’t I?
 Are you?  Are you not?  Aren’t you?
 Is he?  Is he not?  Isn’t he?
 Is she?  Is she not?  Isn’t she?
 Is it?  Is it not?  Isn’t it?
 Are we?  Are we not?  Aren’t we?
 Are you?  Are you not?  Aren’t you?
 Are they?  Are they not?  Aren’t they?


 Are you ok?  Are Irina and Carlos friends?

 Is this your house?  Aren’t Pessoa and Irina lost?
 Are Samantha and Pitt your friends?  Are we not in danger?
 Is that your father?  Aren’t we in danger?
 Are you sure, you’re ok?  Is she not funny?
 Isn’t she your sister?  Isn’t she funny?
 Aren’t we friends?
Verb to be and adjectives.
 Big  False  New  Uninterested
 Small  Dead  Old  Wrong
 Ugly  Alive  Strong  Right
 Beautiful  Near  Weak  Correct
 Handsome  Far  Fake  Incorrect
 Pretty  Distant  Original  Married
 Long  Close  Interesting  Single
 Short  Young  Uninteresting  Good
 True  Old  Interested  Bad

Verb to be (Simple past tense)

Affirmative form Negative long form Negative short form

 I was  I was not  I wasn’t
 You were  You were not  You weren’t
 He was  He was not  He wasn’t
 She was  She was not  She wasn’t
 It was  It was not  It wasn’t
 We were  We were not  We weren’t
 You were  You were not  You weren’t
 They were  They were not  They weren't

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Interrogative forms

Positive Negative long form Negative short form

 Was I?  Was I not?  Wasn’t I?
 Were you?  Were you not?  Weren’t you?
 Was he?  Was he not?  Wasn’t he?
 Was she?  Was she not?  Wasn’t she?
 Was it?  Was it not?  Wasn’t it?
 Were we?  Were we not?  Weren’t we?
 Were you?  Were you not?  Weren’t you?
 Were they?  Were they not?  Weren’t they?

 I was sad yesterday.  Were they together all the time?

 She was my only friend.  Was she not present today? = Wasn’t she
 They were the only friends I had. present today?
 Was she ok with that?  Were we not there yesterday? = Weren’t we
 Was she afraid of me? there yesterday?

Yes/ no questions with verb to be

 Are you ok? _Yes, I am/ No, I am not.  Aren’t you ok? _ Of course, I am/ of course,
 Are you Frank? _ Yes, I am/ No, I am not. I’m not.
 Is she a nurse? _ Yes, she is/ No, she isn’t.  Aren’t you Frank? _ Yes, I am/ No, I’m not.
 Is he a cook? _ yes, he is/ No, he isn’t.  Isn’t he a nurse? _ Yes, he is/ No, he is not.
 Isn’t he a cook? _ yes, he is/ No he isn’t.

Exercise: answer the following questions.

 Are you Angolan?
 Are you with your friends at the movies?
 Isn’t she your girlfriend?
 Weren’t you a pilot?
 Were you together?
 Weren’t they ok with your presence?
 Were they at the party?
 Were we alone yesterday?
 Weren’t we together yesterday?
 Were we not together the day before yesterday?
 Is this English course easy for you?
 Are you having fun learning with Pessoa?

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Dialogue 1
Getting To Know Someone for the First Time 1
 Taninho: Hello!
 Marta: Hi!
 Taninho: How are you doing?
 Marta: I’m doing fine, thanks. How about yourself?
 Taninho: I am fine too, thanks. What is your name, please?
 Marta: My name is Marta. And yours?
 Taninho: Mine is Taninho. Where are you from?
 Marta: I’m from Angola. And you, dear?
 Taninho: So am I. How old are you?
 Marta: I’m 11 years old. How about yourself? Don’t tell me; let me guess… 15 years old?
 Taninho: No, but you were quite there. I’m actually 14 years old. Do you study?
 Marta: Yes, I do. I study at Elizângela School. What about you, do you?
 Taninho: Ooh really! What a surprise! I also study at Elizângela. What a coincidence! But you
know what, now that we’re talking about this, I guess I have seen you there before. I guess I just
couldn’t recall that.
 Marta: Well, if you say so. So, when is your birthday?
 Taninho: My birthday is on March 24th. It actually was three months ago. What about yours?
 Marta: Oh, mine is on October 15th . So, now that we know each other and we also got to know
that we’re actually schoolmates, I think we could hang out sometimes, don’t you think so?
 Taninho: I couldn’t agree more! All right then…I guess I’ll see you around! By the by, it’s
been a pleasure meeting you, Marta.
 Marta: The pleasure is all mine, Taninho. So, see you around then…And have a nice day!
 Taninho: Thank you very much. Have a nice day too!

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Dialogue 2
Getting To Know Someone for the First Time 2
 Taninho: Hello! Good morning!
 Pedro: Hey, good morning!
 Taninho: How are you?
 Pedro: I’m fine, thank you. What about you?
 Taninho: I’m great, thanks.
 Pedro: Would you mind telling me your name?
 Taninho: No, I wouldn’t. My name is Pedro. How about yours?
 Pedro: Mine is Taninho. Where do you live?
 Taninho: I live at Vila das Acácias Rubras neighborhood. And you?
 Pedro: Oh, really! I live there as well. How nice! So, whom do you live with?
 Taninho: I live with my parents. Actually, I live with my whole family, parents and siblings. What
about you?
 Pedro: Well me… I live with my family too. I love my family, I mean, who doesn’t! So, when and
where were you born?
 Taninho: I was born on January 22, 2011 in Benguela. And you?
 Pedro: Well me… I was born on August 24, 2010 in Huambo.
 Taninho: Oh, that’s nice. Well, I guess I have to leave; it’s been a pleasure to meet you.
Nevertheless, I really have to go. So, see you around!
 Pedro: It’s been a pleasure to meet you too. See you!

Monologue.
Talking About Oneself
Hello, everyone! Good morning!
I am José Fernando Madeco, AKA Pessoa, and I am 23 years old. I was born on April 4, 2001, bright early in the
morning. My mother’s full name is Jorgina Nvunda and my father’s full name is also José Fernando Madeco as
mine, he is my namesake. I was born in Cabinda but I now live in Benguela with my younger brother since 2021.
My parents are divorced ever since I was a child and we live in two different and distant provinces. My younger
brother’s full name is Vicente Lameca Madeca, and his given name is Vicente. My father remarried years after my
mother left him. He had five children with my mother, me and my siblings, and years later, he had more 6 children
with my stepmother, but unfortunately, they’re now just five because one of them died last year in December,
poisoned. He also had another child outside of his marriage who, unfortunately, I don’t know yet. So, in whole, I
have 10 siblings, 5 brothers and 5 sisters, I’m the 11th. By birth, I’m the third one but the first boy, therefore,
according to our culture, I’m the older.
I’m an English and French teacher. I was at the university majoring in E.L.T. Unfortunately, I quit. In my free
times, I love reading science books, philosophy, watching videos and movies on my computer, but mainly learning
new foreign languages, I’m crazy about those! I’m a polyglot, I speak 7 languages in different levels each, of
course. I speak Portuguese, which by the way is my native language and one of my mother tongues, English, French,
Spanish, Ibinda, which is my second mother tongue, Lingala, and now I’m learning German which is one of the
most beautiful languages, for me of course, however, very hard to master. I love learning and knowing about other
people’s culture!

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Greetings, farewells, and Polite Request

Formal Greetings and Farewells

 Pedro: Good morning, teacher Pessoa! How are you doing?
 Teacher Pessoa: Good morning, Pedro. I am doing well. How about you?
 Pedro: I’m great. Thank you. This is my new friend, her name is Marta. She’s also a new student
at this institution. And as any new student, she has a few questions about the school.
 Teacher Pessoa: Hello, Marta. Welcome to our institution. And it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am
more than happy to speak with you and, of course, answer any questions you may have about the
institution. However, I am very busy at the moment. Would you mind stopping by my office
tomorrow morning?
 Marta: Oh, thank you, teacher Pessoa. And no, I wouldn’t mind. It’s a pleasure to meet you too,
Sir. Thank you so much for your time.
 Teacher Pessoa: Don’t mention it. I hope that I will be able to answer your questions.
 Pedro: Bye, teacher, and see you tomorrow. Have a nice day!
 Teacher Pessoa: Bye, Pedro. Bye, Marta. See you tomorrow, and have a nice day too!

Informal Greetings and Farewells

 Laura: Hi, Judy! How’s it going?
 Judy: Fine, thanks. And you, Laura?
 Laura: Just fine. Where are you off to?
 Judy: To the library. I’ve got a history exam next week, so… I really need to start studying. I
have to be ready by then, Laura.
 Laura: Oh, really. Me too. Would you mind if I study with you later at your house?
 Judy: No, not at all. I think it’s going to be great. So, at what time would you like to come to my
place?
 Laura: Umm… Let’s see… Would it be ok if I came at 5 p.m.?
 Judy: Yeah, that’s totally fine. Let’s meet at 5 p.m. Well, I got to get going. See you later, Laura.
 Laura: Ok, Judy. See you later. Bye-Bye!
 Judy: Bye.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Polite Request
Will/would/ could you please + verb (bare infinitive)
 Would you please call my mother?  Would you call my mother, please?
 Will you please tell me your name?  Will you tell me your name, please?
 Could you please try to call him?  Could you try to call him, please?
Positive answer:
 Service: yes, no problem/ yes, with pleasure.
 Offer: yes, please.
Negative answers:
 Service: No, I’m sorry/ no, I’m afraid not.
 Offer: no, thanks.
Will/would/could you mind + verb (-ing form)
 Would you mind helping him?
 Will you mind having some tea?
 Could you mind joining us for dinner?
Positive answers:
 Service: no, not at all/ no, I wouldn’t (mind).
 Offer: no, not at all/ no, that would be kind/nice/ I’d love to.
Negative answers:
 Service: yes, I’d mind (less polite)/ I’m afraid yes.
 Offer: Thank you, but…/ I’d rather not.

Other forms
 Would you be as kind as …
 I was wondering if…
 I was wondering if you could tell me your name.
 I was wondering if you could help me with my homework.
 Would you be as kind as telling me where your father is?
 Would you be as kind as teaching me English grammar?
More examples:
 Would you come to my party, please?
 Could you tell her that I miss her?
 Could you please tell him that we love him?
 Would you please ask him about that?
 Will you invite her, please?
 Will you please come with me?

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Using Polite Request

1
 A: Hey, Mike! How are you?
 B: I’m ok. And you?
 A: I’m ok, too. Would you please give me your phone?
 B: Yes, no problem. Here you are. What do you need it for?
 A: I just want to call my mother.
 B: Ah, ok. No problem. Please, feel free to use my phone!
2

 A: Excuse me, Sir. Could you tell me where Colégio Benguela is?
 B: Yes, I could. It’s located at Cambanda neighborhood.
3

 A: Excuse me, Madame. Will you lend me your cellphone, please?

 B: Oh, I’m afraid not. I’m actually in a hurry. Sorry!
 A: No problem, Madame.
4

 A: Oh, sorry! I didn’t see you.

 B: No problem. Are you new here?
 A: Yes, I am. Could I help you with anything?
 B: No, thanks. That’s really kind of you. But, everything is under control.
 A: Ah, good to know. By the way, would you mind telling me your name?
 B: No, I wouldn’t. My name is Sofia. And yours?
 A: Oh…! Mine is Pedro. Nice to meet you.
 B: Nice to meet you too.
5
 A: Mom, will you mind helping me with my homework?
 B: Oh, sweetie, I’m afraid yes! I’m really busy right now. Go ask your father.
 A: Dad, will you please help me with my homework?
 C: No problem, sweetheart. What is it about?
 A: It’s about regular and irregular verbs.
 C: Oh! No worries! That’s a piece of cake! Come here, give me the book.
 A: Ok. Here you are, dad.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Formal and Informal Introductions

Formal Introductions
 Pessoa: [Link], I’d like you to meet Dr. Edward Smith.
 Mr. Caetano: Pleased to meet you, Dr. Smith.
 [Link]: It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Caetano.
 Pessoa: [Link] is a linguist. He’s been working with me here at the university.
 [Link]: Oh…! That’s interesting. I’m a physicist here at the university. And…I
would like you to meet my co-worker Dr. Manuel Gimbi.
 [Link]: It’s really a pleasure to meet you Dr. Gimbi.
 [Link]: Well, the pleasure is all mine, [Link]. So, we have to go, because apart
from researching I also have some classes to teach. Anyway, I hope to see you all later.
 [Link]: Ok, Dr. Gimbi. See you after your class.

Informal Introductions
 Will: Who’s that woman next to Celina?
 Mark: That’s her friend Clara. Didn’t you meet her at Pessoa’s birthday party?
 Will: No. I wasn’t at Pessoa’s birthday party. I was really busy that day.
 Mark: Uh, yeah! You’re right. Then let me introduce you to her. Clara, this is my friend
Will. Will, this is Clara.
 Clara: Hi, Will!. What a great name! Nice to meet you.
 Will: You, too. Would you like to grab a drink?
 Clara: Sure, why not…? Let’s go get one. And maybe, later, we can all make some plans
for the weekend. What do you guys think?
 Will: I’m ok with that. What about you, Mark.
 Mark: No need to ask. I’m in.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Practicing Formal and Informal Greetings and Introductions

1
 A: Hello, Marta! How are you?
 B: I’m fine, thank you, and you?
 A: I’m fine too, thanks. Marta, I would like you to meet my brother Luis. Luis, this is
Marta, my best friend.
 B: Hi, Marta. Pleased to meet you!
 A: Pleased to meet you too, Luis.
2
 A: Hi, Celina.
 B: Hey, Gloria!!! Are you ok?
 A: Yes, I am. And you?
 B: Oh, I’m ok too, thanks for asking. Who is this?
 A: Oh… This is my boyfriend Alex. Alex, meet my friend Gloria.
 B: Hey, Gloria. Nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.
 A: Oh, really! How sweet! Nice to finally meet you too. I’ve also heard a lot about you!
3
 A: Who is that man over there?
 B: Oh! That’s Mike. He’s our new classmate. Come, I’ll introduce you to him.
 B: Hey, Mike! Welcome to our school. Let me introduce you to some friends of mine.
Mike, these are Stella, Pedro and George. And guys, this is Mike.
 A: Hey, Mike. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
 C: Likewise.
4
 A: Hey, Sabrina. How have you been?
 B: I’ve been fine. What about you?
 A: Oh, I’ve been terrific. Lot’s of things have changed since we last talked.
 B: Ooh, really! How come?
 A: Well, I have a boyfriend now. His name is Lucas. He’s from Portugal and we have been
together for 2 years.
 B: Wow!!! I’m really happy for you! So, isn’t he with you here?
 A: He’s right there. Come, I’ll introduce you.
 A: Lucas, this is Sabrina, an old friend of mine. Sabrina, this is Lucas, my boyfriend.
 B: Hey, Lucas. Pleased to meet you.
 C: Pleased to meet you too, Sabrina.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 The Simple Present of Full Verbs
The Third Person Singular.
Rules:
1- In general you simply add “-s” at the third person singular (he, she, it)
 He/she/it sees (to see)  He/she/it works (to work)  He/she/ it reads (to read)
More verbs like this: to speak, to say, to choose, to love, to like, etc…
2- For verbs ending in ch, sh, s, x, z and o you add “-es”.
 He/she/it catches (to catch)  He/she/it passes (to pass)  He/she/it does (to do)
 He/she/it smashes (to  He/she/it buzzes (to buzz)
smash)  He/she/it fixes (to fix)
More verbs like this: to miss, to go, to search, to mix, to banish, etc…
3- For verbs ending in Consonant+Y, change the “y” into “i” and add “-es”.
 He/she/it studies (to study)  He/she/it carries (to carry)  He/she/it cries (to cry)
 He/she/it hurries (to hurry)  He/she/it applies (to apply)

More verbs like this: to try, to fry, to fly, to accompany, to burry, etc…
4- For verbs ending in Vowel+Y, you only add “-s”.
 He/she/it stays (to stay)  He/she/it slays (to slay)
 He/she/it plays (to play)  He/she/it pays (to pay)

We use the verb “do” as the auxiliary for the negative and interrogative forms.

Negative long form Negative short form Interrogative (positive) form

 I do not do  I don’t do  Do I do?

 You do not do  You don’t do  Do you do?
 He/ she/ it does not do  He/ she/ it doesn’t do  Does he/ she/ it do?
 We do not do  We don’t do  Do we do?
 You do not do  You don’t do  Do you do?
 They do not do  They don’t do  Do they do?

Yes/no questions with full verbs

 Do you speak English? _ Yes, I do/No, I do not./No, I don’t.
 Does he love you? _ Yes, he does/ No, he does not./ No, he doesn’t.
 Don’t you speak Spanish? _ Of course, I do/ No, I don’t.
 Doesn’t he have a great job? _ Yes, he does/No, he doesn’t.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

Text on Simple Present

Mark is 20 years old. He lives on the 20th floor of a tall building. Every morning he wakes up at
6 o’clock. He has a shower then he eats breakfast, and after that he leaves his apartment at 8
o’clock, he goes in the lift/elevator and goes down to the ground floor/first floor. He leaves the
building and catches the bus to work. He starts work at 9 o’clock and finishes at 5 p.m. He
comes back to the tall building at 6 p.m. and he goes into the lift. He does not press the button
for the 20th floor; instead, he presses the button for the 11th floor. Do you know why he does
that? He presses the button for the eleventh floor because he is short and cannot reach all the
buttons.

Talking About Daily Routine Activities

 To wake up  To rinse ones face  To watch TV
 To get up  To get dressed  To listen to the radio
 To have a shower  To comb one’s hair.  To read (the paper)
 To shave  To put on make-up  To brush your hair
 To dry oneself  To have breakfast  To have a bath
 To brush one’s teeth  To have a cup of coffee  To go to bed
 To wash one’s face  To go to work  To sleep

Texts on Daily Routine Activities.

1
I am a student. I get up early every morning. I go to school every weekday. I have lots of books
because I love reading so much. My father is a constructor, he builds houses. He usually goes to
work by car but he sometimes walks. My mother is a teacher. She teaches mathematics in the
school where she works. She likes music and she very often plays the piano. My sister Julia works
very hard. She starts at 7:30 and finishes at 8 o’clock in the evening. She is very clever. She
speaks four languages. She speaks English, German, Spanish and Chinese.
The weather here is always cold. It sometimes rains. But it often snows. We live in a small town
and we go skiing every weekend, we like it so much.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 2
Sarah is an Indonesian girl. She lives in Jakarta, Indonesia. She lives with her family in a modern
house. She is eleven years old and she has got an older brother, Daffa, and a younger sister, Cindy.
She starts her day at about 5 o’clock. She gets up, she goes to the bathroom, takes a shower,
brushes her teeth and she gets dressed. Then she has breakfast. At a quarter to seven (6:45),
she leaves home and catches the bus to go to school. School starts at half past seven (7:30). She
usually has lunch at the school canteen at half past eleven (11:30). After school, at half past two
(2:30), she goes home. When she arrives, she does her homework and when she finishes it, she
helps her mom setting the table. At half past seven (7:30), the family has dinner all together.
Sarah is a very helpful girl, so, she helps her mother cleaning up everything after dinner. She
always watches TV after having dinner. And at about 9 o’clock, she brushes her teeth again. She
puts on her pajamas and goes to bed.

The Regular Verb Past Tense Formation

Rules:
1- In general you only add “-ed”, and for the verbs ending in “-e” just add “-d”
Examples: loved (to love), liked (to like), followed (to follow), waved (to wave), etc…
More verbs like this: to land, to lower, to cook, to wash, to catch, to smash, to allow, etc…
2- For monosyllabic verbs ending in the pattern CVC (consonant+vowel+consonant), you double the
last consonant and then add “-ed”.
Examples: stopped (to stop), stripped (to strip), hopped (to hop), tripped (to trip), etc…
More verbs like this: to jog, to nod, to spot, to wet, etc.
!We also double the last consonant of a two-syllable verb whose stress is at the second syllable.
Examples: committed (to commit), referred (to refer),
More verbs like this: to transfer, to fulfil, etc.
3- For verbs ending in Consonant+Y, change the “y” to “i” and add “-ed”.
Examples: tried (to try), cried (to cry), fried (to fry), etc…
More verbs like this: to apply, to hurry, to carry, to accompany, to marry, to worry, to magnify etc…
If the verb ends in Vowel+Y, you only add “-ed”.
Examples: betrayed (to betray), stayed (to stay), prayed (to pray), etc…
More verbs like this: to play, to pay, to convey, to replay etc…
4- For verbs ending in “-ic”, you first add “-k-” then “-ed”.
Examples: mimicked (to mimic), panicked (to panic)

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 The “-ed” Pronunciation
Although there is only one past tense inflection for regular verbs, there is a difference in pronunciation
when the “ed” inflection is added. The change in pronunciation depends on what sound the verb ends in. The
different pronunciations of “ed” are not reflected in written English.
“-ed” Pronunciation Rules
 Verbs that end in voiceless sounds such [p] [k] [ʧ] [f] [s] and [ʃ] (except for the voiceless alveolear
stop [t], represented most of times, by the graphemes (p, k, ch, f, gh, sh) take the [t] sound for the “-
ed”. Examples:

1. Helped /helpt /: 9. Baked /beɪkt/:

2. Baked /beɪkt /: 10. Laughed /læft/:
3. Coughed /kɑːft /: 11. Watched /wɑ:tʃt/:
4. Missed /mɪst/: 12. Sucked /sʌkt/:
5. Washed /wɑːʃt /: 13. Kissed /kɪst/:
6. Pitched /pɪtʃt /: 14. Approached /əˈproʊtʃt/:
7. Fixed /fɪkst/: 15. Racked /rækt/:
8. Mixed /mɪkst/:
 Verbs that end in the sounds [d] or [t] take the [əd] sound (there is going to be an extra syllable).
Examples:
1. Added /ædəd /: 6. Expected /ɪkˈspektəd/:
2. Wanted /wɑːntəd /: 7. Accepted /ækˈseptəd/:
3. Needed /niːdəd /: 8. Attempted /əˈtem(p)təd/:
4. Tilted /tɪltəd/:
5. Adjusted /əˈʤʌstəd/:
 All other verbs sound endings, the voiced ones, [b] [g] [dʒ] [v] [ð] [z] [ʒ] [m] [n] [ŋ] [l] [r] [j] and
[w] (except for the voiced alveolar stop [d]), represented mostly by the graphemes (b, g, v, z, th, j,
m, n, ng, l, r,), and also vowel sounds take the [d] sound. Examples:

1. Robbed /rɑːbd /: 7. Blamed /bleɪmd /

2. Dragged /drægd /: 8. Ruined /ˈruːɪnd /:
3. Shaved /ʃeɪvd /: 9. Pinged /pɪŋd /:
4. Garaged /gəˈrɑːʒd /: 10. Called /kɑːld /:
5. Breathed /briːðd /: 11. Ordered /ˈɔːdərd /:
6. Raged /reɪdʒd /: 12. Played /pleɪd /:

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 What Did You Do Yesterday?
1
 A: What did you do yesterday? Can you tell us about your day?
 B: Sure!...Umm… Yesterday was a school day, so I woke the kids up at about 6 o’clock
and made breakfast for the family. We had pancakes. Our favorite! My husband drove
the kids to school, so I gave them each a big kiss…and a big lunch!
 A: How nice of you! You had the house to yourself! Did you relax?
 B: I wish! I did chores all morning. First, I did the laundry, then I washed the breakfast
dishes and made the beds.
 A: Did you then relax?
 B: Ha! No! Then I vacuumed the floors and cleaned the bathrooms.
 A: So then, did you get a chance to relax?
 B: Yes, finally! –I read my favorite book…for about 20 minutes. It was almost 3:00, and
I had to pick up the kids from school. We stopped for an ice cream on the way home, and
at 5:00, I took them to their swimming lesson, and chatted with the other parents. We had
such a nice time catching up! My husband came home right after we did and we prepared
dinner together. He’s a great cook!
After we ate dinner, I helped the kids with their homework. It was my turn. They played
a game for a while and then I put them to bed at 9:00.
 A: Ooh! That’s a lot!
 B: Yeah… I went to bed right after that.

We use the auxiliary “do” in its past tense inflection “did” to form negative and interrogative sentences.

Negative long form Negative short form Interrogative (positive) form

 I did not do  I didn’t do  Did I do?

 You did not do  You didn’t do  Did you do?
 He/ she/ it did not do  He/ she/ it didn’t do  Did he/ she/ it do?
 We did not do  We didn’t do  Did we do?
 You did not do  You didn’t do  Did you do?
 They did not do  They didn’t do  Did they do?

Yes/no questions with full verbs in the simples past.

 Did you speak to you father? _ Yes, I did/ No, I did not.
 Did he go to school? _ Yes, he did/ No, he didn’t.
 Didn’t you see me? _ Yes, did/ No, I didn’t.
 Didn’t he love you? _ Yes, he did/ No, he didn’t.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 What Did You Do Yesterday?
2
 A: Bob, what did you do yesterday?
 B: Yesterday? Well… I woke up early because I like to exercise before work. I left home
around 5 a.m. and walked to the gym. Once I arrived in the gym, I stretched and did
some cardio to warm up.
 A: Great! What cardio did you do? I usually ride the stationary bike.
 B: I jogged for 20 minutes to loosen up my muscles. Then I lifted weights for an hour.
Yesterday was an arm day.
 A: oh! I hate those. What did you do after you finished your workout?
 B: I finished at 8:00 and I went straight to work. I had meetings all morning, and worked
on a project during the afternoon.
 A: It sounds like you were very busy! What time did you finish work?
 B: I finished work at my normal time, around 5:00. Then, I went to meet a friend at a
restaurant nearby. We had a really nice dinner. I had steak, and she had pasta. I got home
around 8 p.m. and I watched TV for a while. I was exhausted after a busy day and I actually
fell asleep on the couch!
 A: Nice, thanks for your time!

What Time Is It?

 Natasha: Hey, Tony! Good morning!
 Tony: Hey, sweetie! Morning!
 Natasha: How was your night?
 Tony: It was wonderful. I never had such a wonderful night. What about yours?
 Natasha: I had a great night too, thanks. Sweetheart, you know that we have to leave early
for the doctor’s appointment, right?
 Tony: Oh, Yeah! I almost forgot. Sorry, sweetheart. I’m gonna get myself ready right
away. I’ll be done in a few minutes.
(30 minute later)
 Natasha: What time is it, sweetie? Are you ready yet? Hurry up. We’re going to be late.
 Tony: It’s a quarter after seven(7:15). Don’t worry, we’re on time. No need to panic.
 Natasha: I’m not panicking. I just thought that we should be at the doctor’s office by 7:30
for the appointment. We’ll never make it there on time if we keep like this.
 Tony: Sure, we will. Rush hour is almost over. Anyway, the appointment is not until 8:00.
However, I do need to do things with a little more rush.
 Natasha: Of course you do. Let’s go! Hurry up!

Note: Rush hour is the time of day- usually in the morning and evening- when traffic is
heavy because of people coming to and from their workplace by bus, by car, by subway, on
foot, etc.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

Text on Simple Past Tense

The Old Man and The Young Boy

Once upon a time, there was a very old man, who lived in the mountains above a small village. One
day, the old man decided to walk down into the village. It was a very hot day and the man was very
hungry. He needed to sit down. There was a young boy next to the road. He watched the old man for
a moment. The boy offered the old man his bread and soup. The old man and the young boy talked for
a long time. Then, the boy helped the old man walk to his house in the mountains. The old man smiled
and thanked him.
When the young boy arrived home, he looked in his pocket and discovered a beautiful little bag. He
opened the bag. It contained a lot of gold coins. The boy was very surprised!

Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Adjectives/ Determiners Like articles (a, an, the), possessive pronouns, which function as
determiners, can occur in the house (for example, his house, our
 My
house, your house). Since they function as determiners, you can
 Your
 His/ Her/ Its
understand why they are followed by a noun.
 Our
 Your
 Their

Nominal Possessive Pronouns Nominal Possessive Pronouns replace a whole noun (or noun
phrase). For example, instead of saying that book is Sally’s book we
 Mine
can simply say, that book is hers.
 Yours
 His/ Hers/ Its Do not confuse possessive pronouns with contracted pronouns: It’s
 Ours (= it is) a wonderful day. (Contracted pronoun)
 Yours
 Theirs Its positives outweigh its negatives. (Determiner possessive
pronoun)
 You’re (= you are) absolutely right. (Contracted pronoun)
 Your shoelaces are untied. (Determiner possessive pronoun)
 They’re (= they are) leaving. (Contracted pronoun)
 Their leaving early was unexpected. (Determiner possessive pronoun) As you can see, the contracted
pronoun is always written with an apostrophe.
 My pen is new and yours is old  Their teacher is really intelligent.
 Your ruler is longer than mine.  Our classroom is empty.
 His answer is correct but yours is wrong  Their school is far away.
 Our homework is done but theirs isn’t.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Demonstratives
 This/ that (singular)
 These/ those (plural)

 This pen is no longer good.  Those exercises were wrong.

 This desk is mine and that one over there is
yours.  This book/ these books
 This classroom is opened/closed.  This pen/ these pens
 That man over there is my teacher.  This student/ these students
 That big book is not mine is his.  This marker/ these markers
 Those rulers belong to me.  This teacher/ these teachers
 These answers are incorrect/wrong.

 That chair/ those chairs  That paper/ those pencils

 That pupil/ those pupils  That computer/ those computers
 That pencil/ those pencils

There to be (Verbo haver)

 There is (há)  There was (houve/havia)  There will be (haverá)
 There are (há)  There were (houve/havia)

 There is a pen on the desk.  There was a pen on the desk.

 There is a student in the classroom.  There were two students looking for me.
 There is an English teacher looking for you.  There were nine books on the table.
 There’s a pencil in the drawer.  There will be four students in the classroom.
 There’s a pupil inside of the classroom.  There will not be anyone present.
 There are four pencils in your backpack.  There won’t be two students but one.
 There are three empty chairs.  There won’t be teachers; only students.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 Nationalities and Professions

In A Language School
 Marcos: Good morning! Are you also a student here?
 Sabrina: Yes, I am. I’m a journalist and I study English here.
 Marcos: What’s your name, by the way?
 Sabrina: My name is Sabrina. Nice to meet you.
 Marcos: Oh, I’m Marcos. Nice to meet you too. And, if I may, what’s your nationality,
mademoiselle Sabrina?
 Sabrina: I’m Spanish. Let me introduce you my friend. This is George. He is French.
 Marcos: Good morning, George. I’m Marcos and I’m Angolan, by the way. So, George, what
do you do for a living in France?
 George: I’m an engineer and I’m an intern here, I’m here for my internship. What about you,
what’s your profession?
 Marcos: In Angola, I’m a computer scientist. I would like you to meet a new student, her name
is Natacha. She is Brazilian. She is also a computer scientist like me.
 Natacha: Good morning!
 Sabrina: Well, I’m hungry. Can we go something? I really need to put something in my stomach.
 George: That’s a superb idea. I’m also famished.
 Marcos: So, Sabrina, are you coming with us?
 Sabrina: Sure, I am, Marcos. Oh, nice! There’s Pedro! Would you like to come with us too,
Pedro?
 Pedro: Sure, I would, dear. I’ll go with you guys. Just let me get my stuffs.
 Sabrina: So, I would like you guys to meet Pedro. He is Portuguese and he is… guess what…a
comedian!

Nationalities
 He is a/an… He lives in..  European…. Europe
 African… Africa  French… France
 Algerian… Algeria  German… Germany
 American… America  Indian… India
 Angolan… Angola  Italian… Italy
 Argentinian… Argentina  Japanese… Japan
 Armenian… Armenia  Lebanese…. Lebanon
 Asian… Asia  Mexican… Mexico
 Australian… Australia  Mozambican… Mozambique
 Austrian… Austria  Namibian …Namibia
 Belgian… Belgium  Nigerian …Nigeria
 Brazilian… Brazil  Polish …Poland
 Bulgarian… Bulgaria  Portuguese …Portugal
 Cape Verdean… Cape Verde  Russian …Russian
 Canadian… Canada  South African …South Africa
 Chinese… China  Spanish …Spain
 Congolese… Congo  English…England
 Congolese… DR. Congo  Thai…Thailand
 Cuban…. Cuba  Turkish…Turkey
 Egyptian… Egypt  Ukrainian…Ukraine
Typed by: Fernando Pessoa
How to Ask About People’s Nationalities How to Answer
 Where are you from?  I’m from Brazil.
 Where do you come from?  I come from Turkey.
 Which country are you from?  I’m from Portugal.
 What’s your Nationality?  I’m Angolan.

At The Airport
 A stranger: Excuse me, are you French?
 A 2nd stranger: No, I’m Belgian but I live in France. And you, what’s your nationality?
 The stranger: Me, well… I’m Canadian and I live in France, too. Actually, I live here in Paris.
I’m traveling to Barcelona. I’m an architect and I have to work there. What about you, where
are you traveling to?
 The 2nd stranger: I’m traveling to Barcelona, too. My daughter works there. She also lives there
apart from just working. Actually, she got married to a famous photographer.
 The stranger: well, that’s superb!... What about your daughter, what does she do for a living?
 The 2nd stranger: Oh, she is a journalist and painter as well, she… - the passengers traveling
to Spain are invited to enter the gate 15.
 The 2nd stranger: Oh! Shoot! That’s our plain, let’s go!

Professions
 Teacher  Painter  Musician
 Professor  Sculptor  Singer
 Interpreter  Therapist  Tailor
 Translator  Chemist  Gardner
 Writer  Physicist  Chef
 Journalist  Biologist  Server
 Lawyer  Psychotherapist  Waiter/waitress
 Judge  Psychologist  Barrister
 Veterinarian  Secretary  Bartender
 Doctor  Engineer  Farmer
 Surgeon  Accountant  Barber
 Nurse  Receptionist  Librarian
 Pediatrician  Intern  Baker
 Dentist  Advertiser  Steward/ flight attendant
 Pharmacist  Designer  Handyman/ repair man
 Scientist  Photographer
 Artist  Actor/actress

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa

 About The Developer of This Program

Fernando Pessoa [José Fernando Madeco] is an advanced English Speaker from Cabinda, who now lives
in Benguela where he moved to, three years ago, for the completion of his higher education, now
majoring in E.L.T at ISCED-Benguela. He is a polyglot who speaks seven languages and an interpreter
of English and French languages. He is also a foreign-languages learner enthusiast, English study-
program developer, foreign languages trainer, English home lesson teacher and a former English
practicing-activities organizer. Most of all, a Linguistics-learner enthusiast who has received some
training in the field through online courses.

E-mail: josefernandomadeca88@[Link]
Cell: 940 871 662 (whatsApp) / 958 563 789
No reproduction of any kind is allowed from this material.

Typed by: Fernando Pessoa