English Skills Notes - Various Skills

Page 1: Vocabulary Building - Common Topics

1. Travel Vocabulary:

Airport – A place where airplanes take off and land.

Passport – An official document that allows a person to travel internationally.

Luggage – Bags or suitcases used to carry personal belongings while traveling.

Ticket – A document that allows entry or travel.

Hotel – A building that provides accommodation for travelers.

 Tourist – A person who is traveling for leisure.

2. Food Vocabulary:

Fruit – Food that comes from plants, such as apples, bananas, and oranges.

Vegetable – Edible plants, such as carrots, potatoes, and spinach.

Meat – Animal flesh, such as chicken, beef, and pork.

Dessert – A sweet dish typically eaten after a meal, such as cake, ice cream, or pie.

Beverage – A drink, such as water, tea, coffee, or juice.

3. Weather Vocabulary:
 Sunny – Weather with lots of sunshine.

Rainy – Weather with rain.

Windy – Weather with strong winds.

Cloudy – Weather when the sky is covered with clouds.

Snowy – Weather with falling snow.

Page 2: Grammar Skills - Tenses

1. Present Simple Tense:

Used for routines, habits, facts, and general truths.

 "I read books every day."

"He works in an office."

2. Present Continuous Tense:

Used for actions happening right now or temporary situations.

"I am reading a book."

"She is studying for her exam."

3. Past Simple Tense:

 Used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past.

"I visited the museum yesterday."

"They played football last weekend."

4. Future Simple Tense:

Used for actions that will happen in the future.

"I will travel to France next year."

"They will study for the test tomorrow."

Page 3: Grammar Skills - Conditionals

1. Zero Conditional:

Used for facts and general truths.

"If you heat water to 100°C, it boils."

"If it rains, the ground gets wet."

2. First Conditional:

Used for real or possible situations in the future.

"If it rains tomorrow, I will take an umbrella."

 "If you study hard, you will pass the exam."

3. Second Conditional:

Used for hypothetical or unlikely situations.

"If I had a million dollars, I would travel the world."

"If I were you, I would talk to the teacher."

4. Third Conditional:

Used for unreal situations in the past, often expressing regret.

 "If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test."

"If we had known about the event, we would have gone."

Page 4: Speaking Skills - Conversations

1. Asking for Information:

Where is the nearest bus stop?

What time does the train leave?

Can you tell me how to get to the hospital?

How far is the airport from here?

 Is there a restaurant near here?

2. Giving Directions:

Go straight ahead and take the first left.

Turn right at the traffic lights, then walk for two blocks.

The bank is on the corner of the street.

It’s just across the street from the supermarket.

3. Making Suggestions:

How about going to the cinema tonight?

 Would you like to have lunch together?

Let’s go for a walk in the park.

Why don’t we try that new restaurant?

Page 5: Writing Skills - Paragraph Structure

1. Basic Paragraph Structure:

A paragraph usually has three parts:

Topic Sentence: Introduces the main idea.

Example: "Traveling to new places is a great way to learn about different cultures."
 Supporting Sentences: Provide details and examples.

Example: "You can visit museums, taste new foods, and meet people from different backgrounds."

Concluding Sentence: Summarizes the paragraph or gives a final thought.

Example: "Overall, travel broadens the mind and creates unforgettable memories."

2. Writing an Email:

Greeting: "Dear [Name],"

Opening Sentence: "I hope this email finds you well."

 Body of the Email: "I am writing to inquire about your availability for a meeting next week."

Closing Sentence: "Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you."

Sign-Off: "Best regards, [Your Name]"

Page 6: Listening Skills - Practice Exercises

1. Listening for Specific Information:

Listen to a short conversation or announcement, then answer these questions:

What time does the meeting start?

Where is the nearest supermarket located?

 How many people will attend the event?

2. Listening for Main Ideas:

Listen to a conversation and identify the main topic:

Is it about travel, work, a party, or family?

What is the speaker’s opinion about the topic?

3. Listening for Details:

Listen carefully to a dialogue and answer:

What did the speaker say about their weekend plans?

 What was the reason for their excitement or concern?

Page 7: Pronunciation Skills - Common Challenges

1. Pronouncing "th" Sounds:

Voiced "th" (as in "this," "that"): Place your tongue between your teeth and make a soft sound.

Unvoiced "th" (as in "think," "thank"): Place your tongue between your teeth and make a soft hissing sound.

2. Word Stress:

Two-syllable words: Stress the first syllable in most two-syllable nouns (e.g., "TA-ble," "TA-xis").

Verbs and adjectives: Stress the second syllable in most two-syllable verbs (e.g., "to re-LAX," "to be-LIEVE").
3. Intonation:

Rising intonation: Used in yes/no questions. ("Do you like coffee?")

Falling intonation: Used in statements and WH-questions. ("What time is it?")

Page 8: Reading Skills - Comprehension Practice

1. Skimming for Main Ideas:

Read the passage quickly and answer these questions:

What is the general topic of the passage?

What is the author’s opinion or purpose?

2. Scanning for Details:

Look for specific information in the text:

What is the main argument or claim in paragraph 2?

Where does the event take place in the story?

3. Understanding Context:

Read the text and figure out the meaning of new words from the context:

Based on the sentence, what does the word "horrified" mean?

How does the author describe the main character’s feelings?