English for Beginners: Energy & Resources

Dialogue

Alice: Bob, guess what I did today?

Bob: Alice, tell me! Did you finally conquer that giant crossword puzzle, or did you accidentally adopt another stray cat?

Alice: Neither! I tried to be super eco-friendly. I turned off all the lights… and then tripped over my own feet.

Bob: Classic Alice. Saving energy, one bruise at a time. I unplugged everything in my apartment this morning.

Alice: Wow! That’s impressive. Even your toaster?

Bob: Especially my toaster! It’s a notorious energy vampire. But then I couldn’t make toast for breakfast.

Alice: See? The struggle is real! I tried to take a cold shower to save on hot water.

Bob: And how did that go?

Alice: Let’s just say I sounded like a startled otter. My neighbors probably think I’m being attacked.

Bob: Haha! I almost forgot to charge my phone. That uses a tiny bit of electricity even when it’s just plugged in.

Alice: Right! Standby power. It’s like a secret energy snack monster. My cat is probably less of an energy drain.

Bob: My cat just sleeps. I think she’s solar-powered during the day.

Alice: Maybe we should all be more like cats. Sleep, sunbathe, and demand food.

Bob: Sounds like a plan for world energy efficiency! Less human activity, more cat naps.

Alice: So, mission ‘save the planet’ is going… creatively, for us.

Bob: Absolutely! We’re practically pioneers of clumsy sustainability.

Current Situation

Energy and resources are very important for our daily lives. We use energy for almost everything: turning on lights, charging our phones, heating our homes, and driving cars. Most of this energy comes from “fossil fuels” like coal, oil, and natural gas. These resources are limited, which means they will not last forever. Also, burning fossil fuels pollutes our environment.

That’s why saving energy and finding “renewable resources” (like solar and wind power, which never run out) are so important. Even small actions, like turning off lights or unplugging chargers, can make a difference!

Key Phrases

• super eco-friendly: Very good for the environment.

  My sister is super eco-friendly; she rides her bike everywhere instead of driving.

• energy vampire: An electronic device that uses electricity even when it’s off or in standby mode.

  My old TV is an energy vampire; it uses a lot of power even when it’s just plugged in.

• the struggle is real: An informal phrase meaning something is difficult or challenging.

  Learning a new language is hard, the struggle is real!

• standby power: The electricity used by an appliance when it’s turned off but still plugged in.

  Did you know your phone charger uses standby power even when not charging your phone?

• energy drain: Something that uses a lot of energy or makes you feel tired.

  Having too many apps open on your phone is a huge energy drain for the battery.

• solar-powered: Gets its energy from the sun.

  This calculator is solar-powered, so it doesn’t need batteries.

• turn off the lights: To switch off the electric lights.

  Please turn off the lights when you leave the room to save electricity.

• save on hot water: To use less hot water, often to reduce costs or energy use.

  I take shorter showers to save on hot water and energy.

Grammar Points

1. Present Simple vs. Past Simple

We use the Present Simple for habits, routines, or facts.

• “My cat just sleeps.” (This is what the cat usually does.)
• “I turn off all the lights.” (This is a routine action.)

We use the Past Simple for actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past.

• “I tried to be super eco-friendly.” (This action happened earlier today.)
• “I unplugged everything in my apartment this morning.” (This action finished this morning.)

2. Modals: Can/Could & Should

Can / Can’t (Could / Couldn’t): Expresses ability or possibility.

• “I can’t make toast.” (I don’t have the ability right now.)
• “He couldn’t speak English last year.” (He didn’t have the ability in the past.)

Should / Shouldn’t: Expresses advice or recommendation.

• “Maybe we should all be more like cats.” (This is advice or a suggestion.)
• “You shouldn’t waste water.” (This is a recommendation not to do something.)

3. Common Question Forms (Did you…? How did that go?)

To ask about past actions, we often use “Did you…?”

• “Did you finally conquer that giant crossword puzzle?”
• “Did you turn off the TV?”

To ask about the result or process of something, we can say “How did that go?”

• “I tried to cook a new recipe.” “How did that go?“

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using words from the dialogue or the key phrases. (Choose from: electricity, energy vampire, eco-friendly, save, struggle)

1. My phone uses a lot of __________ when it’s charging.
2. Some old appliances are __________ because they use power even when off.
3. I tried to be __________ by recycling everything.
4. If you don’t use hot water, you can __________ on energy.
5. My friend says learning English is hard, the __________ is real.

Show Answers

1. electricity
2. energy vampires
3. eco-friendly
4. save
5. struggle

Exercise 2: Present Simple or Past Simple?

Read the sentences. Write “Present Simple” if it describes a habit/fact, or “Past Simple” if it describes a finished action.

1. I turn off the lights before I leave.
2. He unplugged his laptop charger this morning.
3. Birds sing in the morning.
4. She tried to fix her bike yesterday.
5. We always recycle plastic bottles.

Show Answers

1. Present Simple
2. Past Simple
3. Present Simple
4. Past Simple
5. Present Simple

Exercise 3: Complete with ‘can’ or ‘should’

Choose the correct modal verb for each sentence.

1. You __________ save energy by turning off unused lights. (This is a recommendation.)
2. I __________ speak English a little bit, but I need more practice. (This describes an ability.)
3. We __________ try to recycle more to help the planet. (This is a recommendation.)
4. He __________ not make toast because he unplugged the toaster. (This describes a past inability.)

Show Answers

1. should
2. can
3. should
4. could not / couldn’t