I'm Alive

When do you feel happy?

Picking a costume for Halloween

 

I don't like the way these teens think so many costumes are boring, but it's good conversation practice.

Halloween Vocabulary

Do you celebrate Halloween?  What do you do?  Are you taking your children trick or treating?  What are they going to be?

Giving Directions in a car

 

Practice basic directions with Learning Chocolate Vocabulary

Listening Challenge:  The traffic ticket

Please stick with me!  Don't follow the advertising for Steve...

Where are your favorite places in Northern Virginia?  Are they easy to get to from Plum Center?

CHALLENGE: Cars

Are you learning to drive?  Here are some resources for English and driving!

Car Parts -- Use language guide to practice vocabulary!

Learning Chocolate Basic Vocabulary inside a car

Car Interior vocabulary practice with Learning Chocolate

Taking the Behind-the-Wheel Test

During COVID -- The driver is quite slow.

Many people recommend using turn signals even in the parking lot for the driving test.

documentation=paper.  You should bring your  insurance card.  You shouldn't bring your cell phone.

Be sure  = make certain = be careful to do

turn signal:   = 

Emergency flashers=hazard lights:  

I think this instructor has good advice and it's good for you to hear realistic American English.

I don't think you should take classes from 

anyone who only uses one hand to drive or who films selfies while driving!

The next video was made in Canada, but it has good advice for Virginia too!!

Quizlet Car Vocabulary (made by another teacher)

Practice Car Vocabulary with Learning Chocolate


Do you know how to drive?  If yes, when did you learn?  If no, how do you get to school?  

You're Beautiful!!

What do you wear when you want to be comfortable?

Do you have an outfit that makes you feel beautiful or handsome?

What does it look like? 

Practice Speaking and Listening Vocabulary for Women's Clothing
Speaking and Listening Vocabulary for Men's Clothing

Practice Vocabulary for Clothes and Accessories

Quiz on Common Vocabulary for Clothes and Accessories

"Flying high" can mean on drugs.  It can also mean be very happy.

1. Write about a beautiful person in your life.  How did you meet?  What does that person do?  

2. Write about a beautiful person you admire.  Why do you respect that person?

NO SCHOOL MONDAY, October 20 It's Diwali!

 

Did you ever see a Diwali celebration?  What did it look like?

 

What's your favorite holiday?  Do you usually go shopping before that holiday?  What do you buy?

What do you like to wear on your favorite holiday?

What are you wearing?

 

(Jumper has a different meaning in US English)

Basic Vocabulary Review and Listening Practice: Women's Clothing   men's clothing

LOTS of clothing vocabulary practice

What are you wearing now?

What do you like to wear in the winter?

What do you like to wear in the summer?

What do you usually wear to a party?

I seldom do that, but I'm doing it today!

 

What are you doing now?

What do you usually do on _______(this day of the week)?

Did you ever have to change your routine?  What happened?

Lady in Red-- Describe people with adjectives in the correct order (1. Opinion 2. Size 3. Color 4. Pattern 5. noun that you are describing)

When you describe clothing, use the adjective order: opinion, size, color, pattern.

(If there isn't a pattern, the word "plain" goes before the color.)

She's wearing a dramatic, long red sparkly dress.  I'm wearing a comfortable, large, plain blue tee-shirt.

Basic Vocabulary Review and Listening Practice: Women's Clothing   men's clothing

Basic Shopping Conversations (Despite American accents, this video uses a few British terms. Instead of lift, use elevator. Instead of trial room, we say fitting room  Instead of "make a bill," say, "ring this up.")  Most of the phrases are common in the USA too.

Challenge:  Explanations of Adjective Order and Difficult practice using all the categories

(NO SAS-C POMP= number, opinion, size, age, shape, color, pattern, origin, material, purpose)

Intermediate Level Shopping Conversation (Turn on CC if it's too fast...)

What is your favorite color?  What is your favorite season?  What's your favorite outfit?  

Describe what you wore when you looked really good.

What do you look like?

2 Minute English -- Descriptions in (Slow) Conversation

For this class, you only need Opinion--Size--Color--Pattern

It's difficult to find internet resources on adjective order that only have these categories.

It's also easy to find internet resources that are totally wrong about the order.

Advanced Class adjective order is NO SASC POMP -- Number Opinion Size Age Shape Color Pattern Origin Material Purpose  (I think numbers often replace articles and that an article (a-the-an) isn't an adjective)  Practice Adjective Order -- Advanced, but the easiest I found

Describe a good friend, a relative, and/or an outfit that you like to wear

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day ! We HAVE SCHOOL MONDAY! (Children don't.)

Government offices, banks, and libraries usually close today.  Restaurants and stores usually don't.  They are often crowded with people who don't have to work!  Sometimes, they offer good deals.

Sometimes schools close, sometimes they don't.

For 2025, our children don't have school, but we do.

Knowing that Native Americans were here before the English colonists and naming a few North American tribes is on the citizenship exam.  Most common tribes named include: ▪ Cherokee ▪ Navajo ▪ Sioux ▪ Chippewa ▪ Choctaw ▪ Pueblo ▪ Apache ▪ Iroquois ▪ Creek ▪ Blackfeet ▪ Seminole ▪ Cheyenne ▪ Arawak ▪ Shawnee ▪ Mohegan ▪ Huron ▪ Oneida ▪ Lakota ▪ Crow ▪ Teton ▪ Hopi ▪ Inuit

Did you celebrate Columbus Day or Indigenous People's Day?

What did you do?

What did you wear?

We have school on Monday

 Fairfax County children don't have school, but we have school.  I'm going to be here.

Do you have a favorite day of the week?  Do you have a favorite season?  Write about it!

What are you going to do this week?

 

Practice future with going to

What do you want to do this weekend?

What do you have to do this weekend?

What are you going to do this weekend?

It's going to take some time!

 

English grammar takes time!

Try to remember the rules and make many examples. Focus on using correct examples.

: What's a verb?  What's a verb tense?

Practice future with going to

Our book mixes the verb tenses a lot just like people do in real life.  

Please do not study ALL the English verb tenses on the internet.

In this level, we practice future with "will", future with "going to", Present Continuous, Simple Present., Simple Past and the modals: can, could, should, have to, & need to.

Happy Chuseok! (Korean holiday during the Autumnal Equinox)

 

Challenge: Ellii handout that I might use in class

Did you do anything special today?  What did you eat?  Did you ever celebrate a holiday about the moon, about harvest, or about the Equinox?

Read all about it

Our school gives reading tests mostly to show people who give us money that we are a good program.  It often takes 100 hours of reading to move up 5 points on the test.  Last summer, however, three people moved up almost 10 points in only 5 weeks.  Please read as much as you can.  It's best if you feel interested and know most of the words -- no more than 7 new words per page.  

What is your favorite genre?  What are your favorite books?

What a wonderful world

Wonderful, pretty, and smart are adjectives.  Adjectives describe people, places, things or ideas.

See, hear, and think are non-action verbs.  We usually don't use them in present continuous (be __ing)

What do you see right now?  What do you hear right now?  What do you think of fasting?


Did you see anything beautiful today?  What did you see?

Do you have children?  Do you watch any children grow?  Write about a child.

NO SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2-- It's Yom Kippur!

Fairfax County Schools are off for a religious holiday.  I think this Children's book has a nice explanation for our level, but some of the activities are hard to see.  Is it easy for you to understand?

Do you celebrate Yom Kippur?  If yes, what are you doing today?

If not, do you have any traditions that involve fasting?  How often do you fast?  Do you have any traditions that involve saying, "I'm sorry?"  Do you have any traditions that involve praying?

Great job on the repeat Kahoot!

I was very worried that I might keep you late on a Friday.  I'm sorry I didn't show who won the second Kahoot in class!  Here's a screen shot of the winners! 

Explanation and practice: conjunctions

Practice sorting regular past tense verbs by the sound of ed

Do you like to play Kahoot?   Do want to try this one at home?  Kahoot about and, but, or.  

Here's a link to the other Kahoots we did!   Kahoot for pronouncing ed.

On the night shift

 Shift can mean move a little.  Shift can be a simple dress or a slip.  In our book, shift is a set of hours.  Businesses that are open 24 hours per day -- hospitals, factories, 7 11-- have shift workers.

Shift work is typically morning shift from 7AM-3PM.  Afternoon shift is 3PM-11PM.  Night shift is from 11PM - 7AM.  When I did shift work, night shift workers got extra pay.

When I hear "night shift," I think of this song.  This song was popular right after Martin Gaye died.  I think that night shift might mean heaven in this song.

Did you ever work the night shift?  What did you do?

Where do you want to go?

 

Practice future with will

Where will you go this weekend?  

Where are the most beautiful places in the world?  Where do you want to travel to?   

When is a good time (season) to go to the places you like?  (I like Florida because I visited it in the winter.  My husband doesn't like Florida because he lived there during a very hot August.)

How Did you Know?

SxS video past

S x S video  (was were)

Listen and practice speaking the most common regular past tense verbs (Press the speaker icon next to past tense to hear them)

Simple Past Grammar Explanation and Practice

When did you first fall in love?

Video: When professional basketball players fell in love with basketball

Write about the time you first met a friend.  Where were you? How old were you?

 What did your friend look like?

Happy New Year/Rosh Hashanah

 Do you celebrate Rosh Hashanah?  More than 30,000 people in Fairfax county will pray, reflect, and plan for a better year today.  

What do you usually do for New Years?  What can make this year better than last year?

Yesterday Once More

Practice Using Simple Past Tense when something happened one time and finished

Practice Using Irregular Verbs

Some songs always bring back memories.   This song reminds me of ice skating in the 1970's with my babysitter -- a young man who wanted to be a magician.  He always found the quarters for the hot chocolate vending machine behind my ear!  The ice rink played this song a lot.  (Shah la la la, shing a ling a ling, whoa oh oh don't have any meaning, but people often sang those sounds in the 1950s)

Do you have any memories with this song?  What songs make you think of certain times in the past?

Fall 2025 list of Kahoots

Frequency adverb Kahoot

Identify present continuous vs. simple present

adjective order with a Kahoot.

Future with be going to

Sort by sound: Pronouncing ed

Conjunctions: and, but, or or

ID past or present.

Simple Past: Contrast positive and negative.

Present Continuous Verb Practice 

ID base verbs and practice actions at school

Farmer's Markets

Many students miss fresh food.  Some food in the USA is better for shipping with no damage than for tasting fresh and delicious.  We have many Farmer's Markets in this area.  You can see the big list here or under "community."

Listening (end of class on Wednesday & the beginning of class on Friday)

 

Can you type?  Can you program a computer?  Can you draw?  Can you make jewelry?  What are your best skills?  What are your most unusual skills?

We use "can" to talk about skills

We often use  can _______(base form verb -- swim, drive, cook, run, be calm....) when we talk about skills.  People use can at work and to get a new job often.

My husband loves the movie, "Aliens"  I think it is scary and disgusting.  I like this scene and this scene shows people using can ______(base form verb)

I feel like a fifth wheel means I feel I am not necessary.
Be my guest is an old way to say yes to a request.

Practice Vocabulary with some job skills

Ripley surprises her colleagues.  Do you have skills that surprise people?  One of my students can catch fish with his hands,  and another student can make a heart with cream in her coffee.

You can do this hard thing

 

Practice can, could, & be able to

What are your favorite skills?  What hard things can you do?

Welcome!

Welcome to English Class!  

I post songs and questions.

Please write answers to the questions in the comments or on paper to turn in.

Please listen to songs. When I post a song you like, repeat listening to it until you can sing it.

Sometimes the songs are fast and challenging, and sometimes they are slow.

I also put many links to any website that looks helpful for our level.

On a phone, you need to go to the bottom of the page, and press "view web version" 

to see and use the links.  I usually update the class vocabulary after class.

If you love a helpful website, please tell me about it.

Welcome to English class!  What is your name?  When did you come to the USA?  What are your goals for this class?  How can I make this class excellent for you?

No Food in Class

 I'm very sad about this new rule.  I think eating together at breaktime and talking about it is one of the best ways to practice English.  We can only have covered drinks.  We can eat outside.

I like fajitas, chili, and kung pao chicken more than cheeseburgers and hot dogs.  

What are your favorite things to eat?  What food is good for health?  What food is good for picnics?  What food is good for holidays?  What food is not good for you?  Why?

Fall 2025 Homework

List of Kahoots                                                                            vocabulary set 3.

I hope the written homework can be finished quickly. I want it to help you remember vocabulary and grammar patterns.  Research shows that taking a break and then reviewing is really good for memory. Testing yourself is good studying. Using English in real life is your best homework.

Homework for Wednesday, October 29 - Study your reading day vocabulary!  Green and blue vocabulary or Red and Blue Vocabulary. If you want more to read and listen to, sign up for my (free to you) online reading groups.

www.ellii.com Code V3THWG (green)

www.ellii.com Blue code is 409LSL

www.ellii.com Red code is 166GS2JJ

Mary Ann's group vocabulary is at  Red and Blue Vocabulary.   

10-28 Today, we went over the rest of Unit 1 in the workbook.  We played Quizlet Live.  We did an online grammar quiz. We played a game to practice present continuous verbs & changing verbs to match a time phrase.  We took a  unit 1 quiz.

Homework for Tuesday, October 28-  Study Unit 1 for a quiz.  I want you to be able to identify and use opinion-size-color-pattern-noun for clothing descriptions. (SB p. 8)  Use length-type-color for hair.  I also want you able to correctly use simple present and present continuous verbs (SB p. 10) We'll have the Vocabulary 3 quiz on Thursday.

10-27 Today, we practiced contrasting and using simple present and present continuous verbs.  We talked about using have.  When have means "own," it's never present continuous.  We can say, "I have this pencil right now,"  Don't say "I'm having this pencil right now.  Most other verbs are present continuous right now:  I'm talking right now.  I'm working right now.  You usually shouldn't use simple present right now:  I work right now.  I talk right now.  She's having a baby=she is pregnant.  No "having" for children after that.  He's having a party means he's hosting a party.

If the meaning is enjoy or eat, have is normal -- Present continuous now:  I'm having a snack right now.   Simple present for routine: I have snacks every afternoon.  We did a Kahoot to contrast simple present and present continuous.

Homework for Monday, October 27-- Do the worksheet. Study vocabulary set 3.  Study Unit 1 -- practice using adjective order and contrasting simple present with present continuous.  Write me an email that describes a famous person, friend, or relative at pimteacherlaurie@gmail.com 

Today, we practiced writing and listening.  We reviewed low intermediate adjective order:  opinion, size, color pattern noun.  We talked about two exceptions:  north American native people often say " big beautiful" and "big ugly" but that's not in the "right" order.  We wrote descriptions of our classmates and guessed who they were.  We read the email on p. 12.  We played Quizlet live.  We talked about new words.  We did a partner dictation and a fill-in-the-blank song.

Homework for Friday, October 24 -- Do workbook p. 14 & 17. Study vocabulary set 3.   Notice that we're almost finished with Unit 1, so we're almost ready for a Unit 1 test.

Today, we practiced using simple present tense with "How often" questions & group conversation.  We practiced using frequency adverbs with a Kahoot.  We identified simple present and present continuous verbs.  We went over the homework on WB p. 10 and practiced speaking it.  We practiced using simple present with but, too, & either on SB p. 17.

Homework for Thursday, October 23 -- Do workbook p. 10, 14, & 16  Study new vocabulary set 3.  

10-22 Today was reading day!  Laurie's group vocabulary is at Green and blue vocabulary  I put things for you to read (if you want to) at www.ellii.com Code V3THWG (green)

www.ellii.com Blue code is 409LSL

www.ellii.com Red code is 166GS2JJ

Mary Ann's group vocabulary is at  Red and Blue Vocabulary.   

Homework for Wednesday, October 22:  Do workbook p. 10 & 16.  Study new vocabulary set 3.  

10-21 Today, we did SB p. 13.  We went over the answers for SB 14 & 15.  We practiced using time marker phrases at the beginning or end of a sentences. (NO time marker phrases in the MIDDLE)  We put a comma after the time phrases at the beginning.  We didn't use any commas when the time phrase is at the end. We did WB p. 15. We practiced using frequency adverbs before most verbs, but after verb to be. I talked about matching verb tense to time phrase:  Yesterday, I didn't come to school.  They light lanterns for Diwali every year.  She is getting dressed up in a gorgeous dress.  She usually works very hard.  She didn't go to work last week.  Two months ago, we didn't have classes in Trailer 2.

In English, descriptive words are always singular even when it's utterly crazy for those words to be singular.  Our weekend was three days. -- We had a three-day weekend.  (NO S on day if it's before the word we're talking about.)  Her son is sixteen years old.  She has a sixteen-year old son.   I have a four-door car, but he has a two-door car.  My car has four doors, but his car has two doors.  That building has twelve floors.  That is a twelve-floor building.

NO SCHOOL MONDAY

Homework for Tuesday, October 21:  Finish blue book p. 14 & 15.  Do WB p. 14.  Study new vocabulary set 3.

Today, we did WB p. 12, SB p. 10, 11, 14 & 15.  We didn't finish SB p. 14.  We practiced using time markers (phrases like every day, every week, on Monday, Now) with  BOTH simple present and present continuous.   Every _______ and usually go with simple present.  I work every day.  I usually wear blue shirts.  He visits his mother every Saturday.  She cleans the kitchen every morning.  We do laundry every Saturday.  I usually drink coffee in the morning.  He usually eats soup.  We usually speak English in class.  He usually drives to class, but she often takes the bus.  Look! Right now. & At the moment go with present continuous.  Look!  The sun is shining and the wind is blowing.  I'm writing about the class at the moment.  What are they doing right now?  Hyck Jin is checking his phone.  (Of course, he checks his phone every class.  Look!  Washington is asking an excellent question!  Of course.  He asks excellent questions every class.  Look!  Amparo is coming in late.  Of course.  She can't come on time because she has to drop off someone before class. Today, most of the students are wearing black.  Of course! They usually wear black clothes.)

Most time markers go at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.  They don't go in the middle.  If you put a time marker at the beginning, put a comma after it.  Don't put a comma before a time phrase at the end of a sentence.  We usually have class on Mondays, but we don't have class on Monday, October 20.  Every weekend, I clean the kitchen.  I clean the kitchen every weekend. 

 Present continuous is for NOW and for the future.  We practiced answering "What are you doing after class?"(I'm going home.  I'm going to work.  I'm picking up my daughter. and "What are you doing this weekend?" I'm spending time with my parents.  I'm watching my children play soccer.  I'm going to a party.  I'm doing laundry.  I'm cleaning my kitchen.) 

Frequency adverbs: always, usually, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never go before the (simple present tense) verb, but after verb to be: am, are, is.  I usually come to class.  I am usually in class.

We took a vocabulary quiz and wrote about a classmate.

Homework for Friday, October 17.  Do BLUE Student book p. 10 and WHITE Workbook p. 12.  Study vocabulary set 2 and new vocabulary set 3.  

10-16 Today we practiced using adjective order and Unit 1 vocabulary with WB pages and a game.  We talked about Present Continuous vs. Present Tense and watched the video on SB p. 10.  We reviewed Unit 8 vocabulary (set 2) and our current vocabulary (set 3) with Quizlet live.

Homework for Thursday, October 16: Study vocabulary set 2 and new vocabulary set 3.  Do p. 6 & 8 in the workbook.  You now have new vocabulary sets:  Green and blue vocabulary or Red and Blue Vocabulary.  I want to give a quiz for vocabulary set 2 

Some people will finish the Dictionary-adjectives worksheet, but the first part is difficult because my copier didn't copy it in color.  Ava and Ella have blond hair.  Luis has black hair.  Zara has brown hair.

10-15 Today was reading day.  Red & Blue group read about Tarsila de Amaral and practiced advanced adjective order.  They also read about the movement to change Columbus Day into Indigenous peoples Day.  Green group also practiced  using adjectives.  We read about a man who wanted to start a business.  We talked about phonics as we listened and pronounced common letter combinations:  ch, green tea ea and gray day ai words.  We practiced finding answers to tricky reading questions in texts.

10-14  Today, we did the first four pages of Unit 1 -- 6, 7, 8, 9.  We described people. Native speakers use a complicated word order for adjectives:  Number, Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Pattern, Origin, Material, Purpose (NOUN).  Our class will practice Opinion, Size, Color, Pattern for clothes, and Length, type, color for hair.  Use this order to make your own phrases for things you often want to describe.  (I have an old blue car.  She has a tall, four-year-old daughter.  That's a beautiful long green dress.  She's wearing a sexy, tight, red dress.)  We practiced vocabulary with Quizlet.  We practiced adjective order with a Kahoot.

 Homework for Tuesday, October 14:  Study vocabulary set 2 and  vocabulary  If you didn't turn in the handout from Friday today ( Chang is going to watch the fireworks,  We're hungry, so we're going to eat) turn it in on Tuesday.  It has two sides, but I only put one side on here last Friday.  1.  I didn't assign new written homework today.  We won't have a vocabulary quiz on Tuesday, but I want to have one soon.  If you want, bring a recipe for a dessert that you like.

10-13-25  Today we talked about our weekend.  We practiced writing sentences in different verb tenses.  We read an old-school style Columbus Day history and practiced using past tense correctly.  We played Quizlet live.  We talked about Columbus Day and Clothes.

Homework for Monday, October 13:  Do the handout to practice be going to ____(base verb) for the future.   Study vocabulary set 2 and  vocabulary 1.  We'll probably have a vocabulary test on Tuesday.

10-10 Today, we practiced using be going to _______(base verb).  Use be going to ___(base verb to talk about plans for the future.  It's better to use "will" when you don't have an existing plan.  We often correctly use present continuous for the future when we have plans to go somewhere.  We did a Kahoot to practice future with be going to.

Homework for Friday, October 10:  Do the handout.   Study new vocabulary set 2 and  vocabulary 1.  

10-9 Today, we talked about jobs.  We played Quizlet live to practice the verbs on page 98.  We practiced using what and where with a job history.  We did Ventures Arcade- Blue 2 Unit 8.  We took a quiz.

  Homework for Thursday, October 9  Study Unit 8 especially can vs. could, what vs. where, and the verbs on p. 98.  Bring your job history.  Study new vocabulary set 2 and  vocabulary 1.  Finish These People are Employed to turn in.

10-8 Today, we talked a lot.  Many students answered the most common question, "Tell me about yourself."  We did pair work and a FSW to practice common expressions in job interviews.

Homework for Wednesday, October 8 -- Study Unit 8.  Bring your job history.  Study new vocabulary set 2 and  vocabulary 1.  

10-8 Today, we practiced using a time sheet. (SB 106)  We also reviewed can/could to talk about skills now/in the past. (WB 101)  We gave each other advice about how to get a job.

Homework for Tuesday, October 7:  Do WB p. 101.    Study new vocabulary set 2. Have you finished Unit 8 in the workbook?  If you didn't turn in a resume or job history today, bring it tomorrow.  Write your answers to these common job interview questions 

10-6   Today, we reviewed unit 8 vocabulary and ideas (using past tense, using present tense, and using conjunctions - and, but, or)(WB 90, 91, & 95)  We studied how to use can & could for ability.  (SB p. 107)  (I could dance ballet when I was eighteen years old, but I can't dance ballet now.  I couldn't drive when I was fourteen years old, but I can drive now.) Can and could are modals.  Modals don't follow verb tense rules.  Can is always can.  Could is always could.  They both go with a base form verb.  When used for ability, can is present and could is past.  When used for requests, can and could are used the same ways. (Can you please do your homework? = Could you please do your homework?)  Could is a little more formal than can.

Homework for Monday, October 6:  Do WB p. 98. Write and bring your job history.  Start to write answers to common job interview questions 

10-3 Today, we went over WB 100, 96, & 97.  I explained the three ways to make future tense.  We did a reading and talked about our opinions of some jobs.  We talked about the upcoming weekend.  We practiced talking about errands.  We played Quizlet live.  FOUR people won!! 

Homework for Friday, October 3:  Study new vocabulary set 2.  Do workbook p. 92 & p. 98.  As always, read something you like in English (No more than 7 words you don't know per page). Homework for Monday: Do WB p. 98. Write and bring your job history.  Start to write answers to common job interview questions   

NO SCHOOL THURSDAY

10-1 Today we used past and present tenses to talk about duties (responsibilities).  We did p. 102 and p. 104 in the student book.  We practiced vocabulary set 2 with teams doing Quizlet.live.  In response to Kabir's question, I talked about one of the most important topics in this class, basic verb tenses.  Use present continuous for action verbs right now.  (I am writing about the class.  They are driving home.  She is taking the bus)  We can use simple present for right now, but we usually don't.  We usually use simple present to talk about schedules, frequency, and facts. (I go to school every weekday. Water boils at 100 degrees C.  She watches soccer games every Saturday.  He works four evenings a week.  She never drinks wine.  I usually visit my mother in the evening. I have an old car.  She doesn't come on time.)  Use simple present for things that are always true, things that repeat, when you use a frequency adverb (always, usually, sometimes, seldom, never), and for non-action verbs now.  Non-action verbs often involve ownership, opinion, the senses (see, hear, feel, taste, smell), and emotions.  I see you!  He hears us.  Aziza's food tastes delicious.  Coffee smells wonderful.  I don't have that paper.  I need it.) Use past tense for actions that are finished.  (We talked about duties. We finished two pages in the book.  We practiced vocabulary.  We didn't write very much.  I made a mistake five seconds ago, then I fixed it.)

Homework for Wednesday:  Do workbook p. 95.  Study new vocabulary set 2.

9-30 Today, we practiced using what to ask about an activity (What are you doing?  I'm writing about class.  What did she do?  She worked.  What did you eat for breakfast?  I ate an egg on toast and a mandarin.  What are you doing?  I'm drinking coffee.  )We used where to ask about location.  (Where do you study?  I study at Plum Center.  Where do you live?  I live in Springfield.  Where does she live?  She lives in Fairfax.  Where did they buy their coffee? They bought it at 7 11.)  We used when to talk about time.  When is your birthday?  It's in August.  When can you come?  I can come on Monday.  When will we have a day off?  We're off on Thursday.  When did you come to Northern Virginia?  I came to NoVa in July, 1990.  (Want to practice with a Kahoot?  Kahoot what or where) We did a past tense kahoot so we practiced the 3 ways of speaking ed and we practiced the irregular verbs on p. 98. We reviewed spelling rules for adding ed.  (Usually just add ed.  Consonant y -- no y -- ied. (study-studied, try-tried)  Vowel y - just add ed -- played, enjoyed.

Homework for Tuesday.  Do this worksheet -- remember base form with didn't and past form for affirmative.  Do WB 94 if you didn't do it last weekend.  As always study vocabulary especially new vocabulary set 2.   If you don't have much time, play the matching game for five or ten minutes.  Read anything that interests you in English.  It's your level if you don't know between 2-7 words per page.  if you want to try the Kahoot again, it's here:  Kahoot for pronouncing ed.

9-29  Today, we talked about last weekend.  We contrasted the verbs that go with usually, last weekend, and next weekend.   Usually: (I usually work.  He usually mows the lawn.  She usually buys groceries.  They usually play soccer.) Last weekend ( I worked last weekend.  He mowed the lawn last weekend.  She bought groceries last weekend.  They played soccer last weekend. Next weekend. (Next weekend, I'll work.  He's going to mow the lawn.  She'll buy groceries.  They are going to play soccer.  We practiced pronouncing simple past regular verbs and did a Kahoot for pronouncing ed.  Some students talked about their past with conversation questions, while other students took a vocabulary retest from our vocabulary:  class words set 1.  We did a fill-in-the-blank listening worksheet with "How did you know."

Homework for Monday:  Do WB . 94.  Read something in English.  Study new vocabulary set 2. If today's quiz was difficult, study vocabulary again.  

Today, we practiced using present tense with 'on the weekend" and "every weekend."  We studied vocabulary.  We took a vocabulary quiz.  We studied conjunctions: and, but, or.  Use and with similar or additional information.  Use or for choices -- pick only one.  Use but as a warning: opposite is coming.

Homework for Friday, September 26.  Study vocabulary. for a quiz.  Do Workbook p. 90.  If you know the vocabulary from set 1, look at our new vocabulary set 2.

9-25 Today, we reviewed agreeing with too and either by writing sentences.  We used "but" to show differences in opinion.  I don't like fish, but Romario does.  I like spicy food, but Romario doesn't.  I don't like bussing tables, and he doesn't either.  He likes to dance, and I do too. We practiced using present continuous verbs for NOW and for the future (after class.)  We played Quizlet live.  We went over vocabulary in a hospital on p. 96 (SB) and we did the listening on p. 97 (SB).  One trick:  you don't need to do something if you already did it. We did partner dictations for writing sentences about the picture on p. 96.

Homework for Thursday, September 25:  Write an email to me at Pimteacherlaurie@gmail.com.  You can talk about your job or you can write about a weekend or a day off.  Study vocabulary.

9-24 Today, I introduced the idea of using too (for affirmative) and either (for negative) to agree.  We played games to practice vocabulary & using verbs.  We identified present and past verbs with WB p. 5 and with this Kahoot:  ID past or present.   We practiced using past form for affirmative and base form for negative with this Kahoot: Simple Past: Contrast positive and negative.

Homework for Wednesday, September 23:  Do Workbook (White book) p. 5. and study vocabulary.   If you want to try the Kahoot again, here's a link.  For WB p. 5, use present tense with every or usually.  Use past with last.

9-22 Today I used a slide show to teach the formal grammar rules of "simple" past tense.  It's important to use a past form verb for affirmative sentences (I sat down after class.  I walked this morning.  I went to an amazing show.), but use a base verb with didn't for negative sentences (I didn't sit down.  I didn't walk this morning.  I didn't go to a show last week.)  Use a base form with did for questions.  (Did you sit down?  Did you walk to school?  Did you see a show?)  We watched the slides, practiced some examples, talked to each other, filled out a worksheet, and wrote sentences for "find someone who."

Study vocabulary,  D   Homework for Monday, September 21- WB p. 96-97.  Study vocabulary.  If you want to try the Present Continuous Kahoot again, click here.

9-19 Today we reviewed present continuous and identified job duties (SB p.103).  We spent a lot of time talking about spelling rules that go with adding an ing.  We described the picture on SB p. 2, we did the listening on SB p. 4, and we did a present continuous kahoot. (link above)

Homework for Friday, September 18.  Study vocabulary..  Do this worksheet.about can ___base verb  I hope it's easy and you can do it quickly.

9-18  Today, we practiced listening to people who talked about their skills.  We used "you can't ____(base verb) to talk about rules. We went over the color vowel chart.  We wrote about objects that our classmates brought.

Homework for Thursday, September 17:  Study vocabulary.  Do WB p. 3.  Bring something that you like to talk about. (Can be a picture on your phone, but please choose tonight, not during class>)  I'm not looking for a full oral presentation, but I want you to talk about it in English.  Example from me:  I'm Laurie.  "Olive sock"  Laurie.  I brought this tee-shirt because it's very special to me.  It's special because my mother gave it to me. She gave it to me because she said I helped her do a NASA experiment, and she wanted me to have the NASA team tee-shirt.

9-17  We reviewed our vocabulary with a game.  We completed p. 2 in the white workbook, and the listening on p. 3 in the blue student book. We practiced using the Color Vowel Chart., and present continuous verbs.  We also practiced listening with can and can't.  We talked about our skills.  If you can't do something that a job interviewer asks for, tell them that you are willing to learn and that you usually learn quickly.

Homework for Wednesday, September 16- Study vocabulary. Bring an object or a picture of an object that you like to talk about!

9-16 Today, I introduced the color vowel chart.  A vowel is a letter (a, e, i, o, u) or a sound we make with our voice.  English has 5 vowels.  We often only teach 10 sounds for those vowels, but there are fourteen sounds. The color vowel chart has one color for every sound.  I rarely use "auburn dog" because it's not a common sound in a Northern Virginia accent.  I hope we can use this chart to teach and remember pronunciation, spelling, and reading.

We played a board game to get to know each other.

Some people took a reading test.  Others did a grammar (mixed verb tense) page and wrote a paragraph.

Homework for Tuesday, September 15: Study class vocabulary for today.  Answer questions on the class website (blog) either as a comment or on paper.

9-15 Today, we introduced ourselves.  We interviewed a classmate.  We tried our first line dialog.  How many people did you talk to?  We talked about the class and about class goals.  Skills are actions that you can do.  When you talk about skills, stress the action after can.  I can cook.  I can read.  He can play the guitar.  In the sentence, I can cook, pronounce "can" like Kn or Kuhn.   When you talk about things you can't do yet, stress can't.

Can-can't-will-won't & want to ____________(Base verb)  A base verb doesn't have a special ending like ed, s, or ing.

See you in September

What are you going to do in August?  I'm going to miss you!

If you want ESOL grammar practice, click here for some options.

Check the links to the side for old-fashioned computer-based learning.  Remember that using English with real people is great!

Ships

 

Possessive Adjective Rap

 

Jimmy's Recommendation

 

May you feel at home here.

Was or were  ______ing is past continuous.  Use this verb tense when you are talking about a specific times in the past when you weren't finished with an activity. Don't use was/were as an auxiliary verb in simple past.

When I was a child, I moved a lot.  Home was where my mom was.

What makes a home feel like home?

Where are good places to live?  Why?

Challenge Listening: Reviews of the big bedrooms on the Auto Train that goes from Lorton, VA to Florida

 I rarely ride trains, but I am curious about the auto train.

Amtrak's auto train allows you to bring your car on the train to Florida.

How often do you travel?  Do you take vacations?  Where did you go on your last trip?  How long did you stay there?

Ordering at a restaurant

 

What' s your favorite food?  How often do you eat at a restaurant? What restaurant do you recommend?  Can you tell me a story about excellent or terrible service at a restaurant?

Getting a table

The instructions on the homework say, "listen."  You can listen to this video to complete the homework.

What duties does a host perform?  Did you ever work at a restaurant?

What was your job?  What did you have to do?

 

Ordering Coffee at Starbucks

 

Although I enjoy many of their products, I don't usually go to 7 11 or Starbucks because I don't like their prices. 

Starbucks has their own vocabulary in how to order.

How often do you drink coffee?  How do you like your coffee?

Talking at a restaurant

Quizlet Vocabulary: Speaking about food

Grammar: Practice using count & non-count nouns

Can you find the spelling mistake in the subtitles?

A few regional differences:  My family says "appetizer" rather than "starter." 

In this area, a 20% (minimum) tip is customary.  "Tip jobs" have a lower minimum wage, so servers don't get the minimum wage of $12.41/hour.  Servers usually get $2.13/hour from the restaurant, and taxes often take their whole paychecks.  Some restaurants require servers to pay some of their tips to bussers, "expo," (a person who checks the order and arranges the food in a pretty way) and bartenders.

In the conversation at the end of the video, native speakers in this area say, "chicken sandwich" rather than chicken burger.  We'd probably say we like tacos or a taco if there's only one.

English for my Job-Hospitality

Food and drink Vocabulary from English Club  (Go down to see links to vocabulary and practice)

Grammar: count vs. non-count  (same link as the top)

What is your favorite restaurant nearby?  What is the best restaurant in your native country?  What is the best restaurant you ever ate at?

7-11

For many summers, my children loved this day because they could get free Slurpees from 7-11.

Happy birthday 7 11

What do you like to drink? 

Practice "drink" vocabulary with https://www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/drinks/ and
learning chocolate:  tea, drinks with their containers, and fruit.