Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Describe a friend



Describe a friend



Is this friend male or female? 

1. What is  his/her  name?

2. ____ old are they?

3. Where ____ they live?

4. How _____ have you known them?

5. Where and when ____ you meet them?

6. What do they look _____? 

7. What clothes do they like ____ wear?

8. What ____ of hair do they have? 

9. What _____ their personality like?

10. _____ do you like this person?

11. Do they _____ any strong opinions? About anything (food? music? other people?) 

12. Is there anything _____ them you don't like? 



Check

What is their name?

How old are they?

Where do they live?

How long have you known them?

Where and when did you meet them?

What do they look like? Are they attractive?

What clothes do they like to wear?

What kind of hair do they have? 

What is their personality like? 

Why do you like this person?

Do they have any strong opinions? About anything (food? music? other people?) 

I there anything about them you don't like?




Grammar - Adverbs of frequency

  • Meaning Percentages:

    • Always = 100% of the time

    • Often = About 80% to 90% of the time

    • Sometimes = About 50% of the time

    • Never = 0% of the time

  • Sentence Position:

    • Before normal verbs:

      • Example: My friends always meet on Saturdays.


    • After the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were):

      • Example: My best friend is often late




Talk about your best friend (90 seconds)

1. Basic information

  • I want to talk about my best friend. Their name is…

2. How you met

  • I met them…

3. Appearance

  • They look… such as their height, hairstyle, eyes, and face. They often…

4. Personality

  • They’re really… for example,… They sometimes…

5. Interests

  • They often like… such as…

6. Your relationship

  • I like them because… for example,…

7. Future

  • In the future, I think they’ll…





Talking about personal photos - Present simple, Present Continuous


Grammar

(Present Simple) Watch the video and do the exercises

PositivePositive Short Form
I amI'm
you areyou're
he ishe's
she isshe's
it isit's
we arewe're
they arethey're

Negative
Negative short form
I am notI'm not
you are notyou aren't
he is nothe isn't
she is notshe isn't
it is notit isn't
we are notwe aren't
they are notthey aren't
Positive with other verbs
I play
you play
he plays
she plays
it plays
we play
they play

Negative (of 'play')
I do not playI don't play
you do not playyou don't play
he does not playhe doesn't play
she does not playshe doesn't play
it does not playit doesn't play
we do not playwe don't play
they do not playthey don't play
  1. 'have' becomes 'has'
  2. 'do' becomes 'does'
  3. 'go' becomes 'goes'



(Present continuous) Watch the video and do the exercises


PositivePositive Short Form
I am sleepingI'm sleeping
you are sleepingyou're sleeping
he is sleepinghe's sleeping
she is sleepingshe's sleeping
it is sleepingit's sleeping
we are sleepingwe're sleeping
they are sleepingthey're sleeping


NegativeNegative Short Form
I am not sleepingI'm not sleeping
you are not playingyou aren't playing
he is not readinghe isn't reading
she is not workingshe isn't working
it is not rainingit isn't raining
we are not cookingwe aren't cooking
they are not listeningthey aren't listening



 Present continuous questions




Speaking

Conversation practice



More grammar

Question forms

There is or there are?



Have a look at these photos from my life. Think of some questions to ask me about them.

Try to find some of these people:
Me - Gabe
My mum - Carol
My dad - Peter
My Sister - Helen
My brother - Matthew
My daughters - Lieveke and Noor
My band - Danny, Hermione, Robbie
My students - 
My neighbour Vito
My friend Stephen
My daughter's mum Liesbeth
My cousin Kathleen
Some kids from my neighbourhood

Can you guess where the pictures are taken? Can you guess the occasion?

Birthday
Concert
Holiday in Rotorua
Holiday in Australia
Holiday in Hawkes Bay
Halloween
Family time

For class
Bring some photos of your life to talk about!


















Chose 1-3 photos of your life

Write something about each one. Only use present tenses.
Who is in the picture? What can you tell us about them?
Where are you?
What are you doing?
Is it a special occasion? A birthday? A holiday?
How are you feeling?

Model:

Picture 1

This picture shows me on my birthday. My neighbour Vito is sitting next to me. He is a chef. he is wearing his chef's uniform. He is giving me a birthday cake. I'm very happy in this picture and it's a nice sunny day. Behind me there is a bottle of wine that goes with the cake.

Picture 2

This picture is of my parents on their 60th wedding anniversary. They are standing in a beautiful garden called Eden Gardens. It's a beautiful day and we're all very happy. My dad is 95 and my mum is 86. They love each other very much.

Picture 3

This is a photo of me and my friend Stephen having a beer in a pub called the Occidental. We are drinking Belgian beer. It's my birthday again! Stephen is an actor. He is sometimes on TV and in movies. I'm not drunk! I'm wearing my favourite hat.


Common responses

 



Echoing:

Another easy way to keep the other person talking is to echo the key thing they're saying, like this:

A) I'm going to the movies tonight.
B) The movies?

 In this dialogue the speakers echo one another to maintain clarity. Guess the words in the gaps.


A) I'm going to the movies tonight.
B) The _______?
A) Yes, I'm going to see a new anime movie.
B) An _______ movie?
A) It's a new one from Studio Ghibli.
B) ___________! I love those movies.
A)You _____ them?
B) Of course - what's the title?
A) The _____ - I'm not sure. I'll google it.
B) Okay ______ it. If I haven't seen it, could I come along?
A) Sure, you can _____ _____... Here it is - it's called Ponyo.
B) ______ - I don't think I've seen that one.
A) Well, it's on a 6.45 tonight.
B) ______. Great. I'm keen to come.
A) _____! Let's meet here at school at 5.15 and then walk down to the cinema.
B) _____. Sure thing, I'll be here.




Check

 

A) I'm going to the movies tonight.

B) The movies?

A) Yes, I'm going to see a new anime movie.

B) An Anime movie?

A) It's a new one from Studio Ghibli.

B) Studio Ghibli! I love those movies.

A) You love them?

B) Of course - what's the title?

A) The title - I'm not sure. I'll google it.

B) Okay google it. If I haven't seen it, could I come along?

A) Sure, you can come along... Here it is - it's called Ponyo.

B) Ponyo - I don't think I've seen that one.

A) Well, it's on a 6.45 tonight.

B) 6.45. Great. I'm keen to come.

A) Great! Let's meet here at school at 5.15 and then walk down to the cinema.

B) 5.15. Sure thing, I'll be here.

 


Common responses

Quizlet practice




Reacting to questions

When someone asks you a question, try commenting on the question before you answer it.

Oh, it's funny you should ask me that because...

I was wondering if you'd ask me that.

I wasn't expecting that question.

That's an interesting question.

I like the question.

That's a tricky one

This question makes me feel happy because...

I was hoping you'd ask me that.

Oh not that question!

Hmmm. Let me think about that.

Can you be more specific?

Can you rephrase the question?

What do you mean exactly?

Good question.

Tough question.

Nice question.




Prompts like these elicit further input from a conversational partner. Use them!

Really?
Interesting.
Go on?
Okay.
Yes?
Great.
Continue.
Did you really?
Perfect.
Nice.
How terrible.
Oh.
And?
Then what?
So?
Crazy!
Amazing.
No!?
You're kidding, aren't you?
Funny. Keep talking!
Good one.
Good for you.
Of course.
No way!?
Ha ha.
Yeah.
Yeah?
Yeah!


Noelia: Morning, Bob.

Bob: Oh, good ________. 

Noelia: It's so rainy today. The weather in this country is horrible!

Bob: Yes … yes … The ________ was even worse when I lived in Canada.

Noelia: Oh, I didn't know that you lived in __________, Bob. How cool!

Bob: One winter it was _______ cold and windy _____  I fell on the ice and broke my leg in three places.

Noelia: Oh no! You're ________!

Bob: I wish I _________, Noelia, I wish I was. I was never the same after that winter. And my leg is still bad today.

Noelia: Really? I'm sorry to _______ that. Poor you.

Bob: But it's not all bad. I met my wife in the hospital. She was the doctor who looked at my leg!

Noelia: __________! 

Bob: It was love at first ________! 

Noelia: Ah, ______’s brilliant!

Bob: Yes, and we're _________ in love 40 years later …  

Noelia: So in the end, breaking your leg was ______________ that could have happened.

Bob: Yes, I _________ it was!

 




Noelia: Hi, Bob!

Bob: Oh, morning, Noelia.

Noelia: So, what's _____? 

Bob: New, hmm, let me ______. Hmm … Nothing _____. Oh, hang on. My dog Bertie had his 14th birthday on Monday! 

Noelia: Oh, he's getting old ______?

Bob: I guess ____ … but not as old as his owner. 

Noelia: Haha … er, _________ …

Bob: How _______ you, Noelia? How's it going? 

Noelia: Great, actually. Yeah … ______ good.

Bob: _____ the way, I ________ to ask you, where in Spain are you from?

Noelia: I'm from Santander.

Bob: Oh, _______. Wonderful to grow up near the sea. 

Noelia: Yeah, it was perfect. Ah, I miss the sea. 

Bob: I know what you ______. I used to live in Spain and I _________ loved it.

Noelia: Really? I _______ know that, Bob! 

Bob: Yeah, I had a little bar on the Costa Brava.

Noelia: Wow! So do you speak Spanish ______?

Bob: Oh, _____ much. Ah, those were the days! Excuse me. Perdona, Noelia. Tengo que irme. Me necesitan en el segundo piso. ¡Hasta pronto! 

Noelia: Wow! 

 


Alex: You won’t believe what happened to me yesterday.
Jamie: R_____?

Alex: I ran into my old school teacher at the airport.
Jamie: I__________.

Alex: And guess what—he remembered my name after ten years.
Jamie: G___ ___?

Alex: He even asked about that science project I failed.
Jamie: O____.

Alex: Then he started laughing about it like it was the best thing ever.
Jamie: Y___?

Alex: And he said it was actually his favorite project because it exploded.
Jamie: G____.

Alex: Apparently, he tells that story to every class he teaches now.
Jamie: C_______.

Alex: He even showed me pictures he kept of the mess.
Jamie: D__ ___ r______?

Alex: Yep, still had them on his phone!
Jamie: P______.

Alex: I couldn’t believe it either.
Jamie: N___.

Alex: But then he told me the school had to repaint the whole lab.
Jamie: H__ t_______.

Alex: Yeah… I felt a bit bad about that.
Jamie: O_.

Alex: But wait, there’s more.
Jamie: A__?

Alex: He said that incident inspired three students to become scientists.
Jamie: T___ w___?

Alex: One of them even works at a big research company now.
Jamie: S__?

Alex: So my failure kind of helped people succeed!
Jamie: C_____!

Alex: I know, right?
Jamie: A_______.

Alex: He even thanked me for it.
Jamie: N__!?

Alex: I swear, I’m not making this up.
Jamie: Y_____ k_______, a_____ y__?

Alex: Not at all!
Jamie: F____. K___ t______!

Alex: Then we grabbed coffee and talked for an hour.
Jamie: G___ o___.

Alex: He said I was one of his most memorable students.
Jamie: G___ f__ y__.

Alex: I guess I made an impression.
Jamie: O_ c______.

Alex: And get this—he offered to write me a recommendation letter.
Jamie: N__ w__!?

Alex: Yep, just like that.
Jamie: H_ h_.

Alex: I walked away feeling pretty great.
Jamie: Y___.

Alex: You think that’s lucky, right?
Jamie: Y___?

Alex: Best airport trip ever.
Jamie: Y___!

Alex: You won’t believe what happened to me yesterday.
Jamie: Really?

Alex: I ran into my old school teacher at the airport.
Jamie: Interesting.

Alex: And guess what—he remembered my name after ten years.
Jamie: Go on?

Alex: He even asked about that science project I failed.
Jamie: Okay.

Alex: Then he started laughing about it like it was the best thing ever.
Jamie: Yes?

Alex: And he said it was actually his favorite project because it exploded.
Jamie: Great.

Alex: Apparently, he tells that story to every class he teaches now.
Jamie: Continue.

Alex: He even showed me pictures he kept of the mess.
Jamie: Did you really?

Alex: Yep, still had them on his phone!
Jamie: Perfect.

Alex: I couldn’t believe it either.
Jamie: Nice.

Alex: But then he told me the school had to repaint the whole lab.
Jamie: How terrible.

Alex: Yeah… I felt a bit bad about that.
Jamie: Oh.

Alex: But wait, there’s more.
Jamie: And?

Alex: He said that incident inspired three students to become scientists.
Jamie: Then what?

Alex: One of them even works at a big research company now.
Jamie: So?

Alex: So my failure kind of helped people succeed!
Jamie: Crazy!

Alex: I know, right?
Jamie: Amazing.

Alex: He even thanked me for it.
Jamie: No!?

Alex: I swear, I’m not making this up.
Jamie: You're kidding, aren't you?

Alex: Not at all!
Jamie: Funny. Keep talking!

Alex: Then we grabbed coffee and talked for an hour.
Jamie: Good one.

Alex: He said I was one of his most memorable students.
Jamie: Good for you.

Alex: I guess I made an impression.
Jamie: Of course.

Alex: And get this—he offered to write me a recommendation letter.
Jamie: No way!?

Alex: Yep, just like that.
Jamie: Ha ha.

Alex: I walked away feeling pretty great.
Jamie: Yeah.

Alex: You think that’s lucky, right?
Jamie: Yeah?

Alex: Best airport trip ever.
Jamie: Yeah!



Monday, October 19, 2026

Phonemic chart

 (See also: Printable Phonemic Chart)

Interactive version

Monophthong vowels are arranged by mouth shape:

  • left > right, lips wide > lips round
  • top > bottom, jaw closed > jaw open

The first two rows of consonants are paired:

  • above, voiceless
  • below, voiced

Go deeper into the phonemic chart


Emotions


Sad

Unhappy, Down, Blue, Upset, Lonely, Crying, Low, Hurt

Sentence 1:
After everyone left the party early, he felt very ________ sitting in the quiet room.

Sentence 2:
When her pet was sick, she felt ________ and didn’t want to play.


Angry

Mad, Cross, Annoyed, Upset, Grumpy, Mean, Rude, Tense

Sentence 1:
When she found out someone had taken her bag without asking, she was really ________.

Sentence 2:
He felt ________ when his sister kept changing the TV channel.


Afraid

Scared, Nervous, Worried, Shy, Tense, Panicky, Afraid, Jumpy

Sentence 1:
The sudden bang made the cat ________ and run out of the room.

Sentence 2:
She felt ________ walking alone in the dark hallway.


Happy

Glad, Smiling, Cheerful, Excited, Pleased, Calm, Joyful, Content

Sentence 1:
The children were ________ on the morning of their school trip and couldn’t sit still.

Sentence 2:
After finishing his homework early, he felt ________ and relaxed.








Try this!












relief    awe    boredom    fear   embarrassment   

  triumph   disgust   rage   exhilaration    contentment    

     amusement    despair      realisation





What makes you feel disgust?
What makes you feel exhilaration?
What makes you feel despair?
What makes you feel embarrassment?
What makes you feel awe?
What makes you feel rage?
What makes you feel relief?
What makes you feel contentment?
What makes you feel fear?
What makes you feel amusement?
What makes you feel triumph?
What makes you feel boredom?
What makes you feel realisation?




Which emotion being shown in the images below?

Image result for realization



Image result for triumphant face















Related image








































Triumphdisgustrageexhilarationcontentmentamusementdespairrealisationreliefaweboringfearembarrassment

 

 

 

•  r_g_

•  exhi__aration

•  con__entment

•  amuse__ t

•  de__air

•  re__ief

•  b__ring

•  fe__r

•  em__arra__ment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

triumph   disgust   rage   exhilaration    contentment    

     amusement    despair      realisation

relief    awe    boring    fear   embarrassment   

  

1.  She felt _______ when she heard her friend was okay.

2.  He looked at the tall mountains in _______.

3.  The movie was so _______ that I fell asleep.

4.  She felt _______ when she saw a big dog running toward her.

5.  He felt _______ when he tripped in front of everyone.

6.  They felt ________ after winning the game.

7.  She felt ______ when she saw the dirty dishes.

8.  He was filled with _____ when someone cut in line.

9.  Riding the roller coaster gave her a feeling of _______.

10. He felt ______ while eating his favorite meal.

11. The funny clown brought _________ to the party.

12.  She felt _______ when she lost her favorite toy.

13.  He had a ________ that he forgot his homework at home.








What is the lizard feeling?
Image result for smiling reptile







What is the dog feeling?

Image result for smiling animal








Discuss different types of animals


Which animals can feel...

guilt
anger
love
fear
joy
boredom
despair
hope
shame
jealousy
gratitude
insignificance

  1. You accidentally break your friend’s favorite headphones and try to hide it, but you can’t stop thinking about it all day.
    What emotion do you feel?

  2. Someone keeps interrupting you while you’re trying to explain your idea to the class, and eventually you snap at them.
    What emotion do you feel?

  3. Your little sister runs toward you after school and hugs you tightly because she missed you.
    What emotion do you feel?

  4. You wake up in the middle of the night after hearing a loud noise downstairs and you’re too scared to get out of bed.
    What emotion do you feel?

  5. Your team scores the winning point in the final seconds of the game, and everyone jumps up cheering.
    What emotion do you feel?

  6. You are stuck inside on a rainy weekend with nothing to do and no one to talk to.
    What emotion do you feel?

  7. You study hard for an important exam but still fail, and it feels like nothing you do makes a difference.
    What emotion do you feel?

  8. You’ve been practicing for months, and even though the competition is tough, you believe you might finally succeed.
    What emotion do you feel?

  9. You trip and fall in front of a large group of students who start laughing.
    What emotion do you feel?

  10. Your best friend starts spending all their time with someone else, and you feel left out.
    What emotion do you feel?

  11. A classmate helps you understand a difficult math problem before the test without expecting anything in return.
    What emotion do you feel?

  12. You look up at the night sky full of stars and suddenly feel very small compared to the size of the universe.
    What emotion do you feel?

Emotions (in random order):

  • Hope

  • Jealousy

  • Joy

  • Guilt

  • Insignificance

  • Anger

  • Gratitude

  • Fear

  • Shame

  • Love

  • Despair

  • Boredom




 A

  1. Think of a time you felt guilty. What exactly were you telling yourself about what you “should” have done differently?

  2. Remember a moment when you felt ashamed. Did you believe you had done something wrong — or that you were somehow wrong?

  3. When you last felt anger, what boundary of yours had been crossed?

  4. Describe a recent fear. Was it about something that was actually happening, or something that might happen?

  5. Recall a time you felt deep joy. What made that moment feel meaningful rather than just fun?

B

  1. Think about a time you felt jealous. What did that situation reveal about what you wish you had?

  2. When have you felt truly grateful? How did that feeling affect the way you treated the other person afterward?

  3. Describe a moment of boredom. What did your mind start craving in that silence?

  4. Have you ever felt despair? What thoughts made the situation feel permanent or hopeless?

  5. When have you felt hopeful even when things were difficult? What helped you hold onto that hope?










Questions to chat about...


















How are you today?


















Do you feel happy easily?   (too easily?)















Do you feel sad easily?














What's the most frustrating thing for you lately?












Try to guess the word: first letter "a"

_________ adj.
VERBS be, feel, look, seem, sound He sounded very ______ on the phone. | become, get, grow | make sb
ADV. deeply, extremely, highly, very | increasingly | a little, quite, rather, slightly | visibly
PREP. about She's ______ about getting there on time. | at She started to grow ________ at the sight of the spider.
PHRASES in an _______ state By now he was in a very _______ state.







 

Sadness

 

Do you think these feelings are “sad”?

 

Nostalgia/ /  nostalgic

Overwhelmed

Sick at heart

Devastation / devastated

Grumpiness / grumpy

Ennui

Sentimentality / sentimental

Isolation / isolated

Solitude / solitary

 

 

 

1

2

3

4


try using them in a sentence...

Today I feel ____________ because ___________...

I'm a bit ___________ today because _____________...

______________ makes me feel so ______________....

Lately I've been feeling rather ______________ because...







idioms for feeling sad

down in the dumps
in low spirits
feeling out of sorts





Are you moody? Is is a bad thing to be moody?













Are you easily manipulated?












What's your passion? What are your biggest passions?


















What is a 'pet hate' of yours? (something you really hate)














Do you panic sometimes? What helps you calm down?










Guess the missing word: first letter "h"


________ adj.
VERBS be, feel, lie, look, seem, stand, watch John felt completely ______. He lay _______ in the hospital ward. | become | leave sb, render sb He was left _______ and alone. She was rendered _______ by panic.
ADV. absolutely, completely, quite, totally, utterly | apparently, seemingly | physically
PREP. against She was _______ against his strength. | before Kirk stood ______ before this giant of a man. | in the face of feeling _______ in the face of all these rules and regulations 











Guess the missing word: first letter "c"

ADV. desperately, extremely, very | increasingly She was watching the clock and becoming increasingly ______. | a bit, a little, quite, rather, slightly, somewhat | genuinely | naturally, understandably Final-year students are naturally ______ about getting work after graduation. | unduly There's no need to get unduly ______ on my account. | suddenly
PREP. about I'm becoming very _____ about my son. | for We are extremely _____ for her safety.









What is your biggest fear?








Fear

Think of three words that mean the roughly same as "fearful"
1
2
3

Now write three sentences with those words


I often get _______________ when _____________...

Every time _______________ happens, I can't help feeling ________________.

When I feel _____________, I find it helps to _____________...



Find words on the wheel related to fear and try to memorise them














Write as many words related to fear as you can remember:


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16




idioms for feeling afraid

to jump out of your skin
going white as a ghost
shaking like a leaf
scared stiff
paralysed with fear







Find words on the wheel related to anger and try to memorise them








Write as many words related to anger as you can remember:


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

use some of these words in a sentence:

________________ really makes me feel _____________...

I get so ______________ when _______________...

When I'm  ________________ I ______________...

If people __________________, I get ___________ and I ____________...

Don't ever ________________ or I'll get extremely _____________ and _____________...





idioms for being angry


seeing red
beside yourself
makes your blood boil



 







Which emotion is more powerful, fear or anger?









Joy


The last time I was ____________ was when _______________...

Nothing makes me feel more ____________ than ______________...

Today I'm feeling very ____________ because _____________...

Today I'm not feeling ____________ at all, because_____________









Synonyms:












Speaking practice:

Personality

Emotions

Imagine you're catching up after not seeing each other for two years.

One of you is showing an emotion that appears in the wheel. Think of a reason WHY you feel this way. The other can't see the wheel and has to figure out how you're feeling and why.


Personality test


Review of 60 personality adjectives


Guess the missing word:

 

first letter "h"

________ adj.

VERBS be, feel, lie, look, seem, stand, watch John felt completely ______. He lay _______ in the hospital ward. | become | leave sb, render sb He was left _______ and alone. She was rendered _______ by panic  ADV. absolutely, completely, quite, totally, utterly | apparently, seemingly | physically

PREP. against She was _______ against his strength. | before Kirk stood ______ before this giant of a man. | in the face of feeling _______ in the face of all these rules and regulations 

 

first letter "c"

ADV. desperately, extremely, very | increasingly She was watching the clock and becoming increasingly ______. | a bit, a little, quite, rather, slightly, somewhat | genuinely | naturally, understandably Final-year students are naturally ______ about getting work after graduation. | unduly There's no need to get unduly ______ on my account. | suddenly

PREP. about I'm becoming very _____ about my son. | for We are extremely _____ for her safety.


first letter "a"

_________ adj.

VERBS be, feel, look, seem, sound He sounded very ______ on the phone. | become, get, grow | make sb

ADV. deeply, extremely, highly, very | increasingly | a little, quite, rather, slightly | visibly

PREP. about She's ______ about getting there on time. | at She started to grow ________ at the sight of the spider.

PHRASES in an _______ state By now he was in a very _______ state.