English Course · Level 2 (A2) · Week 1 of 12

All About Me

Grammar: Present simple vs present continuous · state verbs

This week's plan

Day	Learn	Listen / Watch	Practise
Day 1	Words: Personality · Sentences 1–2	engVid (Benjamin): “Learn 30 adjectives in English to describe your personality” (video)	Exercise 1
Day 2	Words: Lifestyle · Sentences 3–4	engVid (Alex): “What’s Your Daily Routine? \| How to Talk about Your Day in English” (video)	Exercise 2
Day 3	Words: State verbs · Sentences 5–6	BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “Present simple and present continuous” (podcast)	Exercise 3
Day 4	Words: These days · Sentences 7–8	engVid (Alex): “5 ways to use the PRESENT CONTINUOUS verb tense in English” (video) + BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “State verbs” (podcast)	Exercise 4
Day 5	Words: Talking about yourself · Sentences 9–10	British Council: “A message to a new friend” (reading)	Write & Speak
Day 6	Review all 30 words + 10 sentences	Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “How To Describe Yourself In English! (Also Some Things You Might Not Know About Me!)” (podcast)	Redo mistakes
Day 7	Free day ☺	BBC 6 Minute English: “What's it like to be a twin?” (podcast)	Tick your tracker

30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.

30 words to learn

Set 1 · Personality

hard-workingمجتهد
shyخجول
friendlyودود
patientصبور
honestصادق / أمين
confidentواثق بنفسه

Set 2 · Lifestyle

routineروتين
lifestyleأسلوب الحياة
spare timeوقت الفراغ
habitعادة
stay up lateيسهر
get on well withعلاقته جيدة بـ / متفاهم مع

Set 3 · State verbs

knowيعرف
understandيفهم
believeيصدّق / يؤمن بـ
rememberيتذكر
needيحتاج إلى
belong toملك لـ / ينتمي إلى

Set 4 · These days

these daysهذه الأيام / اليومين دول
currentlyحاليًا
take a courseيأخذ دورة / كورس
work onيعمل على
look forيبحث عن / يدوّر على
temporaryمؤقت

Set 5 · Talking about yourself

interested inمهتم بـ
good atماهر في / شاطر في
keen onمتحمس لـ / بيحب
grow upينشأ / يتربّى
originallyفي الأصل
in my opinionفي رأيي

10 sentences to memorise

1I'm quite shy, but I'm very friendly when you get to know me.أنا خجول قليلًا، لكني ودود جدًا عندما تتعرّف عليّ.
2Nour is honest and confident, and everyone trusts her.نور صادقة وواثقة بنفسها، والجميع يثق بها.
3I usually take the metro to work, but this week I'm driving.عادةً أركب المترو إلى العمل، لكني هذا الأسبوع أقود السيارة.
4I get on well with my colleagues.علاقتي جيدة بزملائي في العمل.
5I know what you mean.أعرف ما تقصده.
6This bag belongs to my sister.هذه الحقيبة ملك أختي.
7These days I'm taking an English course online.هذه الأيام آخذ دورة في اللغة الإنجليزية عبر الإنترنت.
8Omar is looking for a new job at the moment.عمر يبحث عن وظيفة جديدة حاليًا.
9I grew up in Giza, but now I live in Cairo.نشأت في الجيزة، لكني أعيش الآن في القاهرة.
10I'm interested in history and I'm good at drawing.أنا مهتم بالتاريخ وماهر في الرسم.

Grammar: Present simple vs present continuous · state verbs

Present simple = habits, routines and facts (I work in a bank. I usually take the metro.)

Present continuous = now, around now and temporary situations (I'm working from home this week.)

State verbs (know, understand, believe, remember, need, want, like, love, belong, mean) are not usually continuous: I know (NOT I'm knowing).

في العربية نقول «أشتغل» للعادة اليومية وللفترة الحالية، لذلك يخلط المتعلم العربي بين الزمنين. استخدم المضارع البسيط للعادة والحقيقة (I work in a bank)، والمضارع المستمر لما يحدث الآن أو في فترة مؤقتة (I'm working from home this week). والخطأ الأشهر: I am knowing و I am understanding — أفعال الحالة (التفكير والمشاعر والملكية) لا تأتي غالبًا بـ ing، فقل: I know و I understand.

	Present simple	Present continuous
Use	habits, routines, facts	now, these days, temporary situations
Example	I work in Giza.	I'm working in Alexandria this month.
Time words	usually, every day, on Fridays	now, at the moment, these days, this week

State verbs (no -ing)	Examples
Thinking	know, understand, believe, remember, mean
Feelings	like, love, hate, want, prefer
Having	have (= own), belong to, need

have can be continuous when it is an action: I'm having lunch (= eating). But: I have a car (NOT I'm having a car).

think: I think it's a good idea (opinion → simple) · I'm thinking about my future (action → continuous).

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Choose the correct form.

1) My father (is working / works) in a bank.
2) Be quiet! The baby (is sleeping / sleeps).
3) We usually (go / are going) to Alexandria in the summer.
4) This week Mona (stays / is staying) with her aunt in Luxor.
5) Ahmed (isn't eating / doesn't eat) meat. He's a vegetarian.
6) Look! Those men (are fixing / fix) the road.

Show the answers

1) works 2) is sleeping 3) go 4) is staying 5) doesn't eat 6) are fixing

Exercise 2 · Complete with the present simple or the present continuous.

1) I ___ (not understand) this word.
2) ___ you ___ (know) Omar's phone number?
3) Nour ___ (take) a cooking course these days.
4) This phone ___ (belong) to my brother.
5) What ___ you usually ___ (do) on Fridays?
6) I ___ (look) for my keys. Can you help me?

Show the answers

1) don't (do not) understand 2) Do … know 3) is ('s) taking 4) belongs 5) do … do 6) am ('m) looking

Exercise 3 · Correct the mistake.

1) I am knowing the answer.
2) She is needing a new laptop.
3) He go to the gym every day.
4) Listen! Somebody sings.
5) I'm not believing him.
6) We are having a big flat in Nasr City.

Show the answers

1) I know the answer. 2) She needs a new laptop. 3) He goes to the gym every day. 4) Listen! Somebody is singing. 5) I don't believe him. 6) We have a big flat in Nasr City.

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

1) أنا مهتم بالرياضة، لكني لست ماهرًا في كرة القدم.
2) أختي تعمل من البيت هذا الأسبوع.
3) لا أتذكر اسمه.
4) علاقتي جيدة بجيراني.
5) هل تحتاج إلى مساعدة؟

Show the answers

1) I'm interested in sport (sports), but I'm not good at football. 2) My sister is working from home this week. 3) I don't remember his name. 4) I get on well with my neighbours. 5) Do you need (any) help?

Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — “Me these days”: write 80–100 words about yourself. Say what you are like, what you usually do and what you are doing these days. Use both present tenses. Then talk about yourself for one minute without reading.

Example: My name is Ahmed and I'm 28. I grew up in Giza, but now I live in New Cairo with my wife. I'm an accountant and I work for a big company. I'm quite shy, but I'm friendly and hard-working. I usually get up at six and take the metro to work. In my spare time, I play football or read. These days I'm very busy, because I'm taking an online English course in the evenings. I'm also looking for a bigger flat, because we need more space. In my opinion, English is very important for my future.