English for Beginners: Talking About School
Dialogue
Alice: Hi Bob! How was your day?
Bob: Oh, Alice, it was… school. You know. Lots of books!
Alice: Haha, I know! My brain feels like soup after my math class.
Bob: Math is tough! What was your favorite class today?
Alice: Hmm, maybe art class. We painted silly animals. My elephant looked like a potato.
Bob: That sounds fun! My history teacher told a really long story about old kings. I almost fell asleep.
Alice: Oh no! Did he notice?
Bob: I don’t think so! I was very good at pretending to be awake. What about homework? Any big projects?
Alice: Just a big essay for English. It’s about dreams. I just want to dream about no homework!
Bob: Tell me about it! I have a science experiment due tomorrow. I think my volcano will just fizzle.
Alice: Good luck! Are you studying for the big science test next week?
Bob: Uh oh, next week? I completely forgot! Thanks for the reminder, Alice!
Alice: No problem! Maybe we can study together sometime?
Bob: Great idea! After school, maybe? Or Saturday?
Alice: Saturday sounds good! Let’s get through the week first.
Bob: Deal! And no more potato elephants for you!
Alice: Hey! My potato elephant was majestic!
Current Situation
Talking about school is a very common and natural topic in everyday conversations, especially among young people. It allows you to share experiences, express feelings about subjects, teachers, or homework, and make plans with friends. It’s also a great way to practice describing past events, current feelings, and future plans, using basic English grammar.
Key Phrases
- How was your day? – A common greeting to ask about someone’s daily experience.
Example: “Hi Mark! How was your day? Mine was super busy.”
- My brain feels like soup. – A humorous way to say you are mentally tired or confused.
Example: “After that long meeting, my brain feels like soup!”
- (Subject) is tough! – Used to express that something is difficult.
Example: “Physics is tough for me, I don’t understand it easily.”
- What was your favorite class today? – Asking about someone’s preferred class or activity.
Example: “We learned about space today. What was your favorite class today?“
- I almost fell asleep. – Describing a situation where you were very tired or bored.
Example: “The movie was so boring, I almost fell asleep.”
- Did he notice? – Asking if someone observed something.
Example: “I dropped my pen, but did he notice?”
- Tell me about it! – Used to express agreement or shared experience, often about something negative or challenging.
Example: “This weather is so cold!” “Tell me about it! I can’t feel my fingers.”
- Good luck! – A wish for someone to succeed.
Example: “You have a big exam tomorrow. Good luck!“
- Thanks for the reminder! – Expressing gratitude for being reminded of something.
Example: “Oh, the meeting is at 3 PM! Thanks for the reminder!“
- No problem! – A common response meaning “You’re welcome” or “It’s not an inconvenience.”
Example: “Thanks for helping me!” “No problem!“
- Maybe we can study together sometime? – Suggesting a joint activity for the future.
Example: “I need help with English. Maybe we can study together sometime?“
- Sounds good! – An informal way to agree with a suggestion or plan.
Example: “How about pizza for dinner?” “Sounds good!“
- Deal! – An informal way to say “agreed” or “it’s a deal.”
Example: “If you help me, I’ll buy you coffee.” “Deal!“
Grammar Points
For beginners, understanding how to talk about events in the past and present is essential. Here are some key points from the dialogue:
1. Simple Present Tense
We use the Simple Present Tense for:
- General truths or facts: “Math is tough!”
- Habits or routines: (Not explicitly in dialogue, but important for school talk, e.g., “I go to school every day.”)
- Describing current feelings or states: “My brain feels like soup.”
- Possession: “I have a science experiment.”
2. Simple Past Tense
We use the Simple Past Tense for actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past.
- Questions about the past: “How was your day?” “What was your favorite class?” “Did he notice?”
- Statements about past actions: “We painted silly animals.” “My history teacher told a story.” “I almost fell asleep.” “I forgot.”
Remember, for most regular verbs, you add “-ed” to form the past tense (e.g., paint -> painted). For irregular verbs (like “tell” -> “told,” “forget” -> “forgot”), you need to learn their specific forms.
3. Asking Questions
You can ask questions about school using different words:
- How was…? (To ask about the quality or nature of something in the past)
Example: “How was your day?” - What was…? (To ask for specific information about something in the past)
Example: “What was your favorite class today?” - Did…? (To ask a yes/no question about a past action)
Example: “Did he notice?” - Are you…? (To ask about current activities or future plans, using present continuous)
Example: “Are you studying for the big science test next week?”
Practice Exercises
-
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (Simple Past or Simple Present):
a. Alice’s brain ______ (feel) like soup after math class.
Answer: feelsb. Bob’s history teacher ______ (tell) a long story yesterday.
Answer: toldc. Alice ______ (paint) silly animals in art class.
Answer: paintedd. Math ______ (be) tough for many students.
Answer: ise. Bob ______ (forget) about the science test for next week.
Answer: forgot -
Match the question to the best answer:
1. How was your day?
2. What was your favorite class?
3. Did the teacher notice you almost fell asleep?
4. Are you studying for the test?
5. Maybe we can study together?
A. No, I don’t think so!
B. It was okay, just lots of books.
C. Sounds good!
D. Uh oh, I forgot about it!
E. Art class, we painted elephants.
Answers:
1. B
2. E
3. A
4. D
5. C -
Answer these questions about yourself using some of the key phrases:
a. How do you feel after a difficult day at school/work?
b. What is your favorite subject at school?
c. Do you have a big project or task due soon?
d. What do you say when someone reminds you of something important?
(Example answers – your answers may vary)
a. My brain feels like soup!
b. My favorite subject is English. It’s not tough for me.
c. Yes, I have an essay due. I just want to dream about no homework!
d. Thanks for the reminder!
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