Talking About Who You Are in Simple Conversations.

In this lesson you learn to talk clearly about who you are using one of the most frequent English verbs in real contexts. You read simple profiles and registration forms for a language school, a social media site and a sports club, and notice key patterns such as I am from, she is and they are. You practise giving personal information about age, nationality, job, family and where you live, and you ask other people for the same details. You work with contractions like I'm and I'm not so that your speech sounds more natural and less robotic. You also learn typical words that appear on forms, such as address, postcode and occupation, and practise completing short forms accurately. By the end, you can introduce yourself, ask basic identity questions and fill in simple online profiles or paper forms without stress.

1. Your first morning at the language school.

Imagine it is your first morning at an English language school. You go to reception and you see a big noticeboard with photos of students and short sentences about them. This is exactly what you can see on the screen now. These little profiles are simple, but they are very powerful. They all use the verb "be" to say who people are and to give personal information like age, country, job and class. In this block, I want you to notice how we build these very simple sentences. Look carefully at the words before and after am, is and are. We always follow the same pattern: first the person, then the verb be, then extra information. For example, "I am a student" or "She is from Spain". After you read the examples on the screen, you will listen to a short recording about a new student called Sara. Your job is to write a few clear sentences about her, using the same patterns. Do not worry about being perfect. Focus on using I am, he is, she is and they are correctly so that other people can understand who you are talking about.

The noticeboard at London Language Centre.

You walk into London Language Centre and see this colourful noticeboard:

Student profiles

• Alex: I am Alex. I am 25 years old. I am from Mexico. I am a student in class 1A.
• Mina: She is Mina. She is from South Korea. She is 30. She is a designer. She is in class 1B.
• Tom and Nina: They are Tom and Nina. They are from Germany. They are friends. They are in class 1C.

These sentences all use the verb be to talk about identity.

Noticing the pattern.

Look at the sentences about Alex:

• I am Alex.
• I am 25 years old.
• I am from Mexico.
• I am a student in class 1A.

The pattern is:

> I + am + extra information

For Mina, we change the subject:

• She is Mina.
• She is from South Korea.

Pattern:

> She + is + extra information

For Tom and Nina, we use they are:

• They are friends.
• They are in class 1C.

Pattern:

> They + are + extra information

Quick check.

Match the subject with the correct form of be:

• I → am
• You/We/They → are
• He/She/It → is

You will hear a short recording about a new student, Sara. Listen and then write clear sentences about who she is, where she is from, her age, her job and her class. Use the same patterns you can see on the noticeboard:

• Sara is ...
• She is ... years old.
• She is from ...
• She is a ...
• She is in class ...

Practice & Feedback

You are going to hear a short introduction to a new student, Sara. Listen carefully to her age, country, job and class. After listening, write 3–5 full sentences about Sara.

Please:

• Start your sentences with Sara or She.
• Use the verb be correctly: is.
• Include her age, country, job and class if you can.
• Use the examples on the screen as a model, but change the details for Sara.

Write your sentences one under the other in the box. Do not worry if you are not 100% sure of the spelling of names. Focus on making clear, simple be-sentences like She is from ... and She is ... years old.

2. Asking simple questions about identity.

You can now read short sentences about people, but in real life you also need to **ask** for information. At the language school reception, the receptionist needs your details for the computer. To do that, she uses very simple questions with the verb "be". On the screen, you will see a short dialogue between a receptionist and a new student. I would like you to pay attention to the order of the words in the questions. Notice how most questions start with a question word like "What" or "Where", then the verb "be", and then the person. For example, "Where are you from?" or "What is your address?". For yes or no questions, we often start directly with the verb "be", like "Are you a student?". After you read the dialogue and the small table of patterns, you will write some questions yourself. Imagine you meet a new classmate on the first day. What do you want to know? Their name, country, city, job or class. Use the models you see to help you build four or five clear, polite questions.

At reception: getting your details.

Read this short conversation at the reception desk of London Language Centre:

> Receptionist: Good morning. What is your name?

> Student: My name is Ana.

> Receptionist: Nice to meet you, Ana. Where are you from?

> Student: I am from Brazil.

> Receptionist: And where do you live now?

> Student: I live in London.

> Receptionist: Are you a student or do you work?

> Student: I am a student.

> Receptionist: How old are you?

> Student: I am nineteen.

> Receptionist: Thank you. You are in class 1A.

Question patterns with **be**.

Look at these common questions about personal information:

• What is your name?
• Where are you from?
• How old are you?
• Are you a student?
• Are you married?
• What is your address?
• What is your postcode?

We usually follow this pattern:

• Question word + be + subject
• Where are you from?
• What is your job?

For yes/no questions:

• Be + subject + extra information?
• Are you a student?
• Are you from Spain?

Your turn.

When you meet a new person in class, you can ask some of these questions:

• What is your name?
• Where are you from?
• How old are you?
• Are you a student?
• Where do you live?

Now you will write your own questions to use with a new classmate.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine it is break time on your first day at London Language Centre. You sit next to a new classmate. You want to be friendly and you need some information.

Write 4–6 questions you can ask your new classmate to find out basic personal information. For example, their name, country, city, age, job or study, and class.

Please:

• Use the verb be in your questions where it is needed.
• Begin questions with a capital letter and finish with a question mark ?.
• Use patterns from the screen, for example: Where are you from?, What is your job?, Are you a student?

Write each question on a new line. You do not need to answer the questions now. Focus on clear, polite question forms you can really use with a new person.

3. Using contractions and negatives naturally.

If you listen to native speakers or fluent international speakers, you will notice that they rarely say "I am" or "you are" in full in conversation. Instead, they use **contractions** like "I'm" and "you're". These short forms make your English sound more natural and less robotic. On the screen, you will see some common contractions with the verb "be" in the positive and in the negative. For example, "I am" becomes "I'm", and "I am not" becomes "I'm not". There are also contractions like "he isn't" and "they're not". We normally use these short forms when we are speaking, in messages and in informal writing. On forms, however, you usually write the full forms, like "I am". You will also hear a short dialogue between two students correcting wrong information. Listen carefully to the way they say "I'm not from Spain, I'm from Mexico" and similar sentences. Then you will write a few sentences about yourself using contractions, and at least one negative sentence such as "I'm not from ...". This will help you sound more relaxed and confident when you meet people.

Speaking more naturally with contractions.

Look at these pairs of sentences:

• Full form: I am a student.

Contraction: I'm a student.

• Full form: You are from Italy.

Contraction: You're from Italy.

• Full form: He is a doctor.

Contraction: He's a doctor.

• Full form: They are my colleagues.

Contraction: They're my colleagues.

In everyday speech, we normally use the contractions: I'm, you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're.

Negative forms.

We also have short forms for negatives:

• Full: I am not from here. → Short: I'm not from here.
• Full: She is not married. → Short: She isn't married. or She's not married.
• Full: They are not students. → Short: They aren't students. or They're not students.

Notice that with am not we say I'm not, never I amn't.

When to use full forms and when to use contractions.

• On forms and official documents, we normally write the full forms: I am, you are, she is.
• In speaking, text messages and informal notes, we usually use contractions: I'm, you're, she's.

In the audio for this block, you will hear a short conversation between two students. One of them corrects some wrong information on a form:

> I'm not from Spain, I'm from Mexico.

> He's not 18, he's 28.

Listen to how the contractions sound, then write about yourself using the same style.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the short dialogue. Pay attention to how the speakers use contractions like I'm, you're, he's and negative forms like I'm not, he isn't.

Then write 4–6 sentences about yourself using contractions with the verb be.

Please:

• Use I'm, you're, he's, she's, we're, they're where possible, not I am or you are.
• Include at least one negative sentence, for example I'm not from ... or I'm not a student.
• Give real or invented information about your age, country, city, job or studies, or family situation.

Example ideas:

• I'm from Brazil but I'm not in São Paulo now.
• I'm 32 years old.
• I'm a student of English.

Write your sentences on separate lines. Focus on sounding natural and clear.

4. Understanding a registration form.

When you join a language school, you almost always need to complete a registration form. Even at A1 level, this can feel stressful if you do not recognise the typical words. The good news is that the language is very repetitive. Once you know the key words, you can fill in many different forms with confidence. On the screen, you will see a simple registration form for London Language Centre. First, look at the common field names such as "First name", "Family name", "Address", "Postcode" and "Occupation". These words appear again and again on paper forms and online profiles. Notice which information is a number, like age or postcode, and which information is words, like city or country. Below the empty form, you will read a completed example for a student called Emma Lee in the resource section. After reading, you will answer some questions in full sentences, for example, "She is from ..." and "Her occupation is ...". This will help you connect the vocabulary of forms with the be-sentences you have been practising.

A simple language school registration form.

Here is a typical form for London Language Centre:

On real forms, you usually write only the information, not full sentences. For example:

• First name: Emma
• Family name: Lee
• Occupation: Student

However, when you talk about someone, you use full sentences with be:

• She is Emma Lee.
• She is from the UK.
• She is a student.

Tips for completing forms.

• Use capital letters for names, cities and countries: London, Brazil, Emma.
• Postcodes in the UK are a mix of letters and numbers: SW1A 1AA.
• For occupation, if you do not work, you can write student.
• Read each field name slowly. Many forms around the world use very similar words.

In the activity, you will read Emma Lee's completed form and then write sentences about her using she is and her to show that you understand the information.

Practice & Feedback

Read Emma Lee's completed registration form in the resource section carefully. Then write 5 full sentences about Emma.

Please:

• Use She is ... to talk about her name, age, city, country and occupation.
• Use Her ... is ... for things like postcode or email if you like.
• Follow the model: She is from ..., She is ... years old., She is a ....

Write one sentence per line. Try to include:

• where she is from (country),
• where she lives now (city),
• her age,
• her occupation,
• one extra detail (for example her postcode or email).

You can copy the information from the form, but make sure you change it into sentences with the verb be.

5. Chatting with the school assistant online.

In many schools you now register or ask questions **online**, not only at a physical desk. You might see a small chat window that says, "Hi, can I help you?". The good news is that the language in these chats is almost the same as at reception: simple questions with the verb "be" and short answers with "I'm", "it's" and "they're". On the screen, you will see an example chat between a new student and the school assistant. Look at how the assistant asks for personal information step by step: name, country, city, age and occupation. Notice that the student does not write long texts. They answer with short, clear sentences such as "I'm from Turkey" or "I'm a nurse". Your task in this block is to write your own mini chat. You will play **yourself**, and I will play the **school assistant**. You will write the whole short conversation in the box, with lines like "Assistant:" and "You:". This is great practice for using contractions and identity questions together in a real-world style situation.

Example online chat with London Language Centre.

Look at this model chat between a new student and the school assistant.

> Assistant: Hi! Welcome to London Language Centre. What's your name?

> Student: I'm Omar.

> Assistant: Nice to meet you, Omar. Where are you from?

> Student: I'm from Turkey.

> Assistant: Great. And where do you live now?

> Student: I live in Manchester.

> Assistant: How old are you?

> Student: I'm 29.

> Assistant: Are you a student or do you work?

> Student: I'm a nurse.

> Assistant: Perfect. You're in class 1B.

Language to notice.

Questions from the assistant:

• What's your name?
• Where are you from?
• Where do you live now?
• How old are you?
• Are you a student or do you work?

Short answers from the student:

• I'm Omar.
• I'm from Turkey.
• I live in Manchester.
• I'm 29.
• I'm a nurse.

The assistant is polite but simple. There are no long, difficult sentences. This is typical for live chat systems on school websites.

Now you will create a similar chat. You can use your real details or invent a character if you prefer. Focus on using:

• questions with be and question words, and
• short answers with contractions like I'm and you're.

Practice & Feedback

Write a short chat conversation between you and the school assistant. You can use your real information or invent a new student.

Please:

• Write at least 6 lines.
• Use "Assistant:" at the beginning of the assistant's lines and "You:" at the beginning of your lines.
• Let the assistant ask for your name, country, city, age and job or study.
• Answer with short sentences using I'm and other simple forms of be.

You can follow this structure:

• Assistant: What's your name?
• You: I'm ...
• Assistant: Where are you from?
• You: I'm from ...
• Assistant: How old are you?
• You: I'm ...

Feel free to add one extra question, for example about your class or your address. Try to make the chat look natural, like a real website conversation.

6. Writing your own profile and form details.

You have now practised all the key skills for this lesson: simple be-sentences, questions about identity, contractions, negatives and typical form vocabulary. In this final block, you will put everything together in a small performance task. Imagine that the school wants to add a short profile of each new student to the online class area. They also keep your basic form details in the system. Your job is to write a short introduction about yourself and then list your main personal details, just like on a registration form. On the screen, you can see a model profile for a student called Alex, plus his key details written in a clear list. Use this as inspiration, but do not copy it exactly. In your own writing, try to include your name, age, country, city, job or study, and one or two extra facts, for example your class or your family situation. Use contractions like "I'm" and "I'm not" so your English sounds friendly and natural. This is the kind of text you can really use on an online profile, a course platform or a simple social media page.

Model student profile.

Read this example profile for Alex.

> Hi, I'm Alex. I'm 29 years old. I'm from South Korea, but I'm in London now. I'm a graphic designer and I'm a student at London Language Centre. I'm in class 1B. I'm married and I'm interested in music and travel.

Alex also has his details in the school system:

• Name: Alex Kim
• Age: 29
• City: London
• Country: South Korea
• Occupation: Graphic designer
• Class: 1B
• Postcode: SW1 3AB
• Email: alex.kim@example.com

What to include in your profile.

In your own profile, try to include:

• Your name
• Your age
• Where you are from (country)
• Where you live now (city)
• Your job or that you are a student
• Your class or course (you can invent this)
• One extra detail (for example, if you are single or married, or one interest)

Use contractions with the verb be:

• I'm from ...
• I'm ... years old.
• I'm a student / I'm a teacher.
• I'm not from here.

After your short paragraph, write a simple list of your details, like the list for Alex. You can use real information or invent safe details if you prefer.

Practice & Feedback

Now create your own mini profile for the class website.

First, write a short paragraph (4–7 sentences) introducing yourself, like Alex. Include:

• your name,
• your age,
• where you are from,
• where you live now,
• your job or that you are a student,
• and one extra detail (for example your class, family or an interest).

Then, on new lines, write a simple list of your form details, for example:

• Name: ...
• Age: ...
• City: ...
• Country: ...
• Occupation: ...
• Class: ...

Please use contractions like I'm in your paragraph. You can use real or invented information. Do not include any very private details. Focus on clear be-sentences and correct capital letters for names, cities and countries.