Lesson 1: Learning to talk about yourself.I = the word used to talk about myself. I am Mr. G. I am a man. I am fuzzy. I am smiling. am = a form of the verb "to be" used only with I.(Note: In spoken English, "I" and "am" are often joined to form a "contraction" that looks like this in writing - "I'm" - and rhymes with words like "time" and "lime".)I am + adjective. An adjective tells who I am, what kind of person I am, what I look like, how I feel.page breakI am tall.I am awake.I am sleepy.I am tired.I am hungry.I am dirty.I am pretty.I am English.I am afraid.I am short.I am fat.I am thin.I am happy.I am smart.I am French.I am young.I am rich.I am sick.I am healthy.I am single.I am quiet.I am Italian.I am sad.I am old.I am angry.I am poor.I am clean.I am noisy.I am married.I am American.I am unemployed.I am confused.I am Iraqi. page breakI am + -ing verb. This sentence tells what I am doing at this moment. "I am writing this lesson now."I am eating.I am sleeping.I am working.I am crying.I am walking.I am shopping.I am driving.I am babysitting.I am watching tv.I am writing.page breakI am + article + noun. Articles are little words that point out Nouns. They tell us that there will be a Noun ahead in the sentence. Articles are A, AN, THE. Nouns are words that name a person, a place, a thing, an idea, a feeling or an action. Any word we use to name something is a Noun.THE is used to point out a definite noun, the only one of its kind, a special one.Example: "I am the driver" In this group, I am the only one who can drive or who is responsible for driving. Example: If I say "I am the doctor.", I mean that I am the only doctor here on this case or in this situation.I am the teacher.I am the boss.I am the janitor.I am the cook.I am the driver.I am the supervisor.I am the mailman.I am the doctor.I am the president.I am the owner.page breakA and AN are used with singular nouns. A and AN mean the same thing, but they are used in different situations. AN is used before words that begin with a Vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u) . A is used before words that begin with a consonant sound (all the other letters). This is to make it easier to pronounce the Article and the Noun together. A and AN refer to one of a group of similar things - not a special one or a particular one, just one of them.Example: "I am a driver." There are other drivers; I am just one of them.Example: If I say "I am a doctor.", I mean that I am not the only doctor; I am just one of them, a member of the medical profession.I am a salesman.I am a boxer.I am a gambler.I am a mother.I am a Muslim.I am an organ-player.I am an undertaker.I am an ice skater.I am an angel.I am an elephant.page breakA, AN and THE must come before the noun they point out, but there can be other describing words between them and the Noun. Remember, use A before words beginning with a consonant (a boy, a dog) and AN before words beginning with a vowel (an ugly boy, an old dog).I am the only doctor.I am the school janitor.I am the main man.I am the boy's father.I am a good doctor.I am a careful janitor.I am a tall man.I am a young father.I am an awful doctor.I am an honest janitor.I am an old man.I am an angry father.With these models, you can say just about anything you want about yourself. I am + Adjective.I am + Article + Noun.I am + -ing Verb. Exercise A: Use words from the box below to complete the following sentences.good, carpenter, happy, mechanic, dirty, eating, singer, driver, single, married, horse, pizza, diving, funny, doctor, unemployed, tall, old, sick, honest, teacher, woman, battleship, choking, proud, cook, running, decent1. I am ____________________________. 4. I am _____________________________.2. I am ____________________________.5. I am _____________________________.3. I am ____________________________.6. I am _____________________________.Exercise B: Use words from the box above to complete the following sentences.1. I am a ____________________________.5. I am an _________________________________.2. I am the _____________________________.6. I am the _________________________________.3. I am a ______________________________.7. I am a ___________________________________.I want __(something) . I want a pizza.I want a job.I want an aspirin.I want a new car.I want a drink.I want an orange.I want some change.I want a room.I want the newspaper.I want some water.I want some gas.I want the telephone.Notice the Articles - A, AN, THE - and the adjective SOME. They all point out nouns. A is used before words that begin with a consonant sound. It refers to any one of a group of things. "A pizza" means one of the pizzas in the shop: not a particular one. AN is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. It also refers to any one of a group of things. "An aspirin" means one of the aspirins in the bottle or medicine cabinet, but no special one.THE refers to a particular something: "I want the newspaper." usually means today's newspaper or the most recent one. It could also mean the only newspaper in the room or the one on the table.SOME means an indefinite amount of the noun it refers to. "some water" could mean a glass of water, half a glass of water, or a bucket of water. The exact meaning would be different in different situations.page breakI need (something) .I need a drink.I need a job.I need a new car.I need a hug.I need an aspirin. I need an umbrella.I need an overcoat.I need an envelope.I need some gas.I need some change.I need some milk.I need some help.I need the screwdriver.I need the phone book.I need the newspaper.I need the answer.page breakI have (something) . I have a headache.I have a toothache.I have a stomach ache.I have the newspaper.I have the time.I have two sisters.I have an apartment.I have a good job.I have an idea.I have an apple.I have some coffee.I have some friends.In the place of the articles (A, AN, THE), you can often use numbers or amount words: "I have a lot of time." "I have little time." "I have a cup of coffee." "I have two friends." "I need 5 gallons of gas." "I need three envelopes." "I want two aspirins." page breakI want to (+ verb) . This form talks about an action I wish to take but is not necessary.I want to go home.I want to stay home.I want to work.I want to sleep.I want to drive.I want to write a letter.I want to change shoes.I want to help.page breakI need to (+ verb) . This form is used for an action that is necessary or important to take.I need to sleep.I need to exercise.I need to wake up.I need to buy milk.I need to go shopping.I need to study.I need to pay bills.I need to drive slowly.page breakI have to (+ verb) + . This form is to talk about an action I am obligated to do - very important.I have to rest.I have to work.I have to eat.I have to visit Mother.I have to take a test.I have to pay my rent.I have to fix my car.I have to finish this job.page breakExercise A: Complete the following sentences with I want, I need, or I have. 1. ____________ some cherry pie.4. _____________ a lawyer.7. ____________ an ice cream cone.2. _____________ new tires for my car.5. _____________ film for my camera.8. ____________ a wife and two kids.3. ____________ some cold medicine.6. ____________ too many bills.9. ____________ a vacation.Exercise B: Complete the following sentences with I want, I have, I need.1. ___________ to go swimming.4. ___________ to polish my shoes.7. ___________ to mow the grass.2. ___________ to buy groceries.5. ___________ to watch a movie.8. ___________ to play basketball.3. ___________ to attend school.6. ___________ to pay my taxes.9. ___________ to learn English. Answers to Lesson 2 Exercises:Exercise A: These are the best answers, but other choices may be correct.1. I want (have) some cherry pie.4. I need (want) (have) a lawyer.7. I want an ice cream cone.2. I need (have) (want) some new tires for my car.5. I need (want) (have) film for my camera.8. I have (want) a wife and two kids.3. I need (have) (want) some cold medicine.6. I have too many bills.9. I need (want) a vacation.Exercise B: The best answers are first. Other answers may be OK.1. I want to go swimming.4. I have (want) (need) to polish my shoes.7. I have (need) (want) to mow the grass.2. I need (have) (want) to buy groceries.5. I want to watch a movie.8. I want to play basketball.3. I have (want) to attend school. 6. I have to pay my taxes.9. I need (want) to learn English.Lesson 3: Grammar Terms and Sentence PartsWhat is GRAMMAR? Grammar is the set of rules for using a language. What is a SENTENCE? A sentence is a group of words that express a complete thought or idea. A sentence always begins with a CAPITAL letter and ends with a Period ( . ), a Question mark ( ? ) or an Exclamation point ( ! ).SENTENCE PARTSEvery sentence has two main parts: a SUBJECT, and a PREDICATE.SUBJECTSPREDICATESIHefell.is lazy.The boyThose dogskicked the ball.chased the mailman away.All the womenSix white horses and four black oneswent to the store and bought new gloves.pulled the carts into town and around the square.By looking at the examples above, can you tell what a Subject and a Predicate are?Subject: Who or what a sentence is about; who or what does something in a sentence; any words that tell about or describe the main subject.Predicate: What happens in a sentence; who or what it happens to; words that tell when, where, why or how the action happens; words that describe who or what the action happens to.NOTE: There are words called Linking Verbs that are always part of the Predicate but do not show any action. The most common ones are AM, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE, BE, BEING, BEEN. They tell about the existence of something or someone, not what someone or something does. They are called Linking Verbs because they link the subject to a word or words in the predicate that mean the same as the subject or that describe the subject. To learn more about Linking Verbs, click HERE.What are Subjects made of?ARTICLESADJECTIVESNOUNSPRONOUNSPREPOSITIONAL PHRASESa, anlarge, small, tinyman, boy, womanI, you, weof the familythegreen, yellow, bluehorse, dog, cathe, she, itin the choir old, young, ancientbuilding, tree, roadtheywith a long beard this, that, these, thosetruck, car, bicyclewho, which, whatfrom the office staff one, five, twentyhappiness, sadnessthis, that, these, thoseon the corner naked, wealthy, tiredfreedom, slaveryone, anyone, nobodywithout a spare tire Articles: Point out nouns; signal that a noun is close ahead in a sentence. Nouns can be used without an article, but articles can never be used without a noun.Adjectives: Describe nouns. They tell what kind, which one, how many, what size, what color a noun is.Nouns: Any word that names something is a noun. The name of a person, a place, a thing, an idea, an emotion, or an activity is a noun. If it is a particular person, place or thing (George, New York, Cadillac), it is a Proper Noun and must be written with a capital letter. If it is a general name (man, city, automobile), it is a common noun with no capital letter.Pronouns: Pronouns take the place of nouns when we write or speak. (Tom did not come to work today. He was sick.)Prepositional Phrases: These small groups of words tell us which one or what kind the sentence is referring to. (The building on the corner is tall. Which building? Not the one across the street or the one in the middle of the block, but the one "on the corner".)Not all of these parts need to be in a subject, but all of them may be. This is how, using parts from the box above... (predicates will be in parentheses ).He (was sick.)The man (was sick.)The wealthy old man (was sick.)That ancient yellow truck without a spare tire (drove down the street.)The great sadness of the large family in the choir (depressed me.)What are Predicates made of?VERBSADVERBSARTICLESADJECTIVESNOUNSPRONOUNSPREPOSITIONAL PHRASESam, is, arevery, hardlyathis, thatgirl, boy, dogme, youin the back seatwas, werequickly, slowlyanthese, thoseriver, car, foghim, herunder the pine treego, went, comenow, then, here, theretheone, five, many, few, severalconcert, movie, playus, thembetween the pages, on the roofrun, jump, hidewhere, everywhere big, little, old, young, prettyrunning, singing, dayanyone, someoneafter the party, before dinnerlike, have, takewhen, until blue, red, dirty, clean, disgustingpity, cheer, deernobody, everybodyduring the class, with difficultyVerbs: Words that describe or name an action; words that describe a state of being or existence. Every predicate must have a verb. Verbs also tell us when something happens or exists - in the past, the present or the future.Adverbs: Adverbs modify (add to the meaning of) verbs. They describe when, where, why or how something happens. Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.Pronouns: Different pronouns are used in the predicate than are used in the subject. Subject Pronouns do it and Predicate Pronouns receive it. (Theygave the balls to them. He showed the book to him.) Examples of Predicates. (Subjects are in parentheses ).(I) am sad.(He) walked.(He) slowly walked home.(She) threw the ball.(She) quickly threw the ball to her teammate.Before halftime, (she) quickly threw the ball to her teammate.Exercise A: Draw a circle around the subjects and underline the predicates in the sentences below.1. Yesterday, Harvey and Harriet took their children to the zoo.2. The elephants, the lions, and all of the other animals were hungry.3. The president of the bank looked everywhere for the combination to the vault.4. They sat quietly.5. The red race car with yellow stripes finished last in the race.6. After his speech, the mayor shook hands with members of the crowd.Exercise B: Match a subject with a predicate from the boxes below and write the complete sentences on the lines.SubjectsPredicates(The dirty yellow cat) ( We )(Tom and his brother)(The taxi driver) (Anna's elderly mother) (The green tree snake) (The detective in the gray raincoat) (Seven rats)(stood outside the hotel all night.) (prowled through the dark alley.) (lived in the attic last winter.) (baked delicious apple pies.) (were late yesterday.) (sold used cars.) (was from the Middle East.) (waited patiently for his victim.)1. ________________________________________________________________________________2. ________________________________________________________________________________3. ________________________________________________________________________________4. ________________________________________________________________________________5. ________________________________________________________________________________6. ________________________________________________________________________________7. ________________________________________________________________________________8. ________________________________________________________________________________ Answers to Exercises, Lesson 3:Exercise A:1. Yesterday, (Harvey and Harriet) took their children to the zoo.2. (The elephants, the lions, and all of the other animals) were hungry.3. (The president of the bank) looked everywhere for the combination to the vault.4. (They) sat quietly.5. (The red race car with yellow stripes) finished last in the race.6. After his speech, (the mayor) shook hands with members of the crowd.Exercise B: Answers will vary. Here are some possibilities.1. The dirty yellow cat prowled through the dark alley. (waited patiently for his victim. lived in the attic last winter. stood outside the hotel all night. was from the Middle East.)2. We were late yesterday. (stood outside the hotel all night. prowled through the dark alley. baked delicious apple pies. sold used cars. lived in the attic last winter.)3. Tom and his brother sold used cars. (stood outside the hotel all night. prowled through the dark alley. lived in the attic last winter.)4. The taxi driver was from the Middle East. (stood outside the hotel all night. prowled through the dark alley. lived in the attic last winter. baked delicious apple pies. sold used cars. waited patiently for his Anna's elderly mother baked delicious apple pies. (stood outside the hotel all night. prowled through the dark alley. lived in the attic last winter. sold used cars. was from the Middle East.)6. The green tree snake waited patiently for his victim. (prowled through the dark alley. lived in the attic last winter. was from the Middle East.)7. The detective in the gray raincoat stood outside the hotel all night. (prowled through the dark alley. lived in the attic last winter. baked delicious apple pies. sold used cars. waited patiently for his victim.)8. Seven rats lived in the attic last winter. (prowled through the dark alley.