3-Month Interactive Learning Journey
Articles (a, an, the) & Basic Rules
Articles are words that define nouns as specific or unspecific. English has three articles: "a", "an", and "the".
A: "I saw a dog in the park."
An: "She is an honest person."
The: "Can you pass the salt, please?"
Record yourself saying these sentences:
English sentences follow Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) pattern. This is the foundation of English grammar.
Simple: "Mary (S) reads (V) books (O)."
Complex: "The students (S) are studying (V) English grammar (O)."
Create 3 sentences about your daily routine:
Countable, Uncountable & Quantity Expressions
Countable nouns can be counted (1 apple, 2 apples). Uncountable nouns cannot be counted directly (water, not "1 water").
Countable: "I have many books" / "few students"
Uncountable: "There's much water" / "little time"
Tricky: "chicken" (meat) vs "a chicken" (animal)
Describe your breakfast using countable and uncountable nouns:
"I had some coffee, two pieces of toast, and a little jam."
Quantifiers tell us about the quantity or amount of something without giving exact numbers.
Some: Positive sentences, offers, requests
Any: Negative sentences, questions
Much: Uncountable (negative/questions)
Many: Countable (all situations)
"I have some free time today."
"Do you have any questions?"
"There aren't many people here."
"I don't have much money left."
Ask and answer questions about your room:
Discuss: "What can we do to protect the environment in our daily lives?"
Present, Past & Future Simple
Used for habits, routines, facts, and general truths that are always true.
Positive: I/You/We/They + verb | He/She/It + verb+s
Negative: don't/doesn't + base verb
Question: Do/Does + subject + base verb?
Habit: "I drink coffee every morning."
Fact: "The sun rises in the east."
Question: "Do you like pizza?"
Negative: "She doesn't speak French."
Tell me about your daily routine using present simple:
"I wake up at..., I have breakfast..., I go to work..."
Used for completed actions in the past, often with specific time references.
Regular: verb + -ed (walked, played)
Irregular: special forms (went, ate, saw)
Negative: didn't + base verb
Question: Did + subject + base verb?
"I visited Paris last summer."
"She didn't go to the party."
"Did you see the movie?"
"We had dinner at 7 PM."
Tell a story about your last weekend:
"Last weekend, I went to... I saw... I ate..."
Used for predictions, promises, decisions made at the moment of speaking, and future facts.
Positive: will + base verb
Negative: won't + base verb
Question: Will + subject + base verb?
Also: going to + base verb (plans)
Prediction: "It will rain tomorrow."
Promise: "I will help you."
Decision: "I'll have the pizza."
Plan: "I'm going to study tonight."
Make predictions about the future:
"In 10 years, people will... Technology will..."
Time & Place Prepositions Mastery
AT: Specific times, moments
at 3 o'clock, at midnight, at noon
IN: Months, years, seasons, periods
in January, in 2023, in winter
ON: Days, dates
on Monday, on March 15th
"I wake up at 7 AM."
"My birthday is in June."
"The meeting is on Friday."
"I go skiing in winter."
"See you at lunchtime!"
Talk about your schedule:
AT: Specific locations, addresses
at home, at school, at 123 Main St
IN: Enclosed spaces, countries, cities
in the room, in Japan, in Tokyo
ON: Surfaces, streets
on the table, on Main Street
A: "Where's your book?"
B: "It's on the table in the kitchen."
A: "Are you at home?"
B: "No, I'm at the office on 5th Street."
Describe your room using prepositions of place:
"My bed is in the corner. There's a lamp on the desk..."
Role-play: You're explaining your education system to a foreign friend.
Describing Words & Their Uses
-ED adjectives: How YOU FEEL
I am bored, tired, confused, excited
-ING adjectives: What CAUSES the feeling
The movie is boring, tiring, confusing, exciting
Think: "I am bored BY something boring"
"I'm interested in this interesting book."
"She was surprised by the surprising news."
"The students are frustrated with the frustrating homework."
Describe a recent movie or book you enjoyed:
"The movie was really exciting, and I was amazed by..."
Adjectives: Describe nouns
She is a fast runner. (fast = adjective)
Adverbs: Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs
She runs fast. (fast = adverb)
Most adverbs = adjective + -ly
quick → quickly, careful → carefully
Adjective: "He is a careful driver."
Adverb: "He drives carefully."
Adjective: "This is an easy test."
Adverb: "I can do this easily."
good → well | fast → fast | hard → hard
late → late | early → early
Describe how you do different activities:
"I speak English slowly but clearly..."
Strong adjectives already contain the idea of "very" - they're extreme.
With weak adjectives: very, quite, rather
"I'm very tired." ✓
With strong adjectives: absolutely, completely, totally
"I'm absolutely exhausted." ✓
"I'm very exhausted." ✗
Use strong adjectives to describe:
Debate: "Is technology making us more connected or more isolated?"
Pluralia Tantum & Special Cases
Some nouns exist only in plural form and always take plural verbs, even though they might refer to one item.
Clothing: trousers, jeans, shorts, glasses, sunglasses
Tools: scissors, pliers, tweezers
Other: stairs, goods, manners, surroundings
"My jeans are blue." (not "is")
"These scissors are sharp."
"The stairs are steep."
"Where are my glasses?"
Use "pair of" → "a pair of jeans"
Use "piece of" → "a piece of advice"
Describe what you're wearing using pluralia tantum:
"I'm wearing jeans that are... My glasses are..."
Some nouns are always singular and take singular verbs, even when referring to multiple concepts.
Abstract: advice, information, knowledge, research
Subjects: mathematics, physics, news, politics
Materials: furniture, luggage, equipment, money
"The news is interesting." ✓
"His advice is helpful." ✓
"Mathematics is difficult." ✓
"The news are..." ✗
"I need some advices..." ✗
"These informations..." ✗
Give advice about learning English:
"My advice is... The information about grammar is..."
Role-play: Doctor and patient discussing symptoms and treatment options.
Infinitive vs Gerund Mastery
Think of infinitive as expressing intention or purpose.
"I want to learn Spanish next year."
"She decided to quit her job."
"We plan to travel to Japan."
"He promised to call me tonight."
"They agreed to help us move."
"What do you want to do tonight?"
"Where do you plan to go for vacation?"
Talk about your future plans using infinitives:
"I want to... I plan to... I hope to..."
Think of gerund as expressing experience or ongoing activity.
"I enjoy reading books in my free time."
"She finished studying at midnight."
"We avoid eating fast food."
"He suggested going to the movies."
"Do you mind waiting a few minutes?"
"I'm interested in learning French."
"Thank you for helping me."
Talk about your hobbies and preferences:
"I enjoy... I don't mind... I avoid..."
Remember:
to do = don't forget (future)
doing = recall (past)
Stop:
to do = in order to do
doing = quit the activity
Try:
to do = attempt
doing = experiment
Remember:
"Remember to call your mom." (Don't forget!)
"I remember calling her yesterday." (I recall)
Stop:
"Stop to buy milk." (Stop in order to buy)
"Stop buying junk food." (Quit the habit)
Complete these sentences about yourself:
Master These Confusing Verbs
Use DO for activities, tasks, work, and actions (often repetitive or routine).
"I need to do my homework tonight."
"She does yoga every morning."
"Can you do me a favor?"
"He did research for his project."
"We do business with that company."
"What do you do?" (job)
"What are you doing?" (current activity)
Talk about your daily routine using DO:
"In the morning, I do... After work, I do..."
Use MAKE for creating, producing, causing, or when the result is important.
"I make breakfast for my family."
"She made a good decision."
"They make a lot of money."
"Don't make noise in the library."
"This doesn't make sense."
"This song makes me happy."
"The news made her sad."
Talk about things you make or create:
"I make... for my family. I want to make..."
DO: Think ACTION or WORK
Activities you perform
MAKE: Think CREATE or CAUSE
Something new is produced
"I need to ___ the shopping." (do)
"Let's ___ a deal." (make)
"She ___ me laugh." (makes)
"Can you ___ the dishes?" (do)
"Don't ___ fun of me!" (make)
How do you do? (greeting)
What do you do for a living?
Make yourself at home.
Tell a story using both DO and MAKE:
"Yesterday, I did... and I made... It made me..."
Discuss: "How has social media changed the way we communicate?"
Mastering Indirect Communication
Change pronouns to match the perspective of the reporter.
Direct: Tom: "I am studying English."
Reported: Tom said (that) he was studying English.
Direct: Mary: "I will help you tomorrow."
Reported: Mary said she would help me the next day.
Report what someone told you recently:
"My friend said that... My teacher told me..."
Yes/No Questions:
Use "asked if/whether"
"Are you ready?" → He asked if I was ready.
WH- Questions:
Use "asked + question word"
"Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.
No question mark in reported questions! Use statement word order.
Direct: "Do you speak Spanish?"
Reported: He asked if I spoke Spanish.
Direct: "What time is it?"
Reported: She asked what time it was.
Direct: "How long have you lived here?"
Reported: They asked how long I had lived there.
✗ He asked what was my name.
✓ He asked what my name was.
Report questions from a job interview:
"The interviewer asked if... They wanted to know where..."
Commands: told + object + to + verb
"Sit down!" → He told me to sit down.
Requests: asked + object + to + verb
"Please help me." → She asked me to help her.
Negative: told/asked + object + not to + verb
"Don't go!" → He told me not to go.
Teacher to student: "Open your books."
→ The teacher told the students to open their books.
Polite request: "Could you close the window, please?"
→ He asked me to close the window.
Warning: "Don't touch that!"
→ She told him not to touch that.
Report advice you received:
"My doctor told me to... My mother asked me not to..."
If Clauses & Hypothetical Situations
Form: If + present simple, present simple
Use: General truths, scientific facts, habits
Meaning: This always happens
Form: If + present simple, will + base verb
Use: Real future possibilities
Meaning: This might happen
Zero Conditional:
"If you heat water to 100°C, it boils."
"If I drink coffee at night, I can't sleep."
First Conditional:
"If it rains tomorrow, I will stay home."
"If you study hard, you will pass the exam."
Unless = if not
"Unless you hurry, you'll be late."
Talk about your plans and habits:
"If the weather is nice, I will... If I have time, I..."
Form: If + past simple, would + base verb
Use: Unreal/impossible present situations
Meaning: This is imaginary or unlikely
With "be" use "were" for all persons:
"If I were you, I would study more."
"If I won the lottery, I would travel the world."
"If I were the president, I would change many things."
"If you studied harder, you would get better grades."
"What would you do if you saw a ghost?"
• Giving advice: "If I were you..."
• Dreams and wishes
• Polite requests: "Would you mind if I..."
Talk about imaginary situations:
"If I were rich, I would... If I could fly, I would..."
Form: If + past perfect, would have + past participle
Use: Unreal past situations (regrets, criticism)
Meaning: This didn't happen, but imagine if it had
"If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam."
"If you had told me earlier, I would have helped you."
"She wouldn't have been late if she had left on time."
"What would have happened if we had met earlier?"
would have = would've
could have = could've
If I'd known = If I had known
Talk about things you regret or wish had been different:
"If I had... I would have... My life would have been different if..."
Natural English Expressions
Combinations of verb + particle (preposition/adverb) that create new meanings different from the original verb.
Some phrasal verbs can be separated by an object (turn the light on), others cannot (look for your keys).
"I need to look for my wallet."
"Don't give up on your dreams."
"He ran out of milk, so he went to the store."
"Please turn off the TV."
"I found out the truth yesterday."
Describe your morning routine using at least 3 phrasal verbs.
"I get up at 7, put on my clothes, and look for my keys..."
Expressions where the meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements. You must learn them as a whole phrase.
A: "I'm nervous about my presentation."
B: "Don't worry, you'll be great. Break a leg!"
"This exam was a piece of cake."
"You hit the nail on the head with that analysis."
Try to use one of these idioms in a sentence about your life.
"I had to bite the bullet and finish my project..."
Discuss: "What are the key qualities of a successful entrepreneur?"
Consolidate Your Knowledge & Level Up
Mix 2nd and 3rd conditionals to talk about an unreal past condition and its unreal present result, or vice versa.
Form: If + Past Perfect, would + base verb
"If I had taken that job, I would be rich now."
Form: If + Past Simple, would have + past participle
"If I were smarter, I would have passed that exam."
Past → Present:
"If she hadn't missed the bus, she would be here now."
Present → Past:
"If I spoke French, I would have understood them."
Reflect on a past decision and its present consequence:
"If I had studied harder in school, I would have a better job now."
Modals: can be done, must be seen
Gerund: being done
Infinitive: to be done
Reporting: It is said that...
"The problem can be solved."
"I hate being told what to do."
"She wants to be promoted."
"It is believed that the world is round."
Describe a famous landmark using the passive voice.
"The Eiffel Tower was built in... It is visited by millions..."
Combine everything you've learned. Prepare and record a 2-minute speech on one of the following topics. Try to use grammar and vocabulary from at least 5 different weeks.