A1 English Lesson 3: To Be

Language Focus

In spoken and informal English, we usually join the subject and the verb "be" together. This is called a contraction.

Full form	Contraction	Example
I am	I'm	I'm on holiday.
he is / she is / it is	he's / she's / it's	He's my brother. She's a nurse. It's sunny.
you are / we are / they are	you're / we're / they're	You're welcome. We're happy. They're here.

Remember: the apostrophe (') shows where a letter is missing. "I'm" = "I" + "am" with the "a" replaced by an apostrophe. Contractions mean exactly the same as the full form – we just use them more often when speaking or writing informally.

Listening: A Postcard from Holiday

Context: writing about a holiday

Hi! I'm on holiday in Greece right now. It's a beautiful island.

My hotel is small, but it's very comfortable.

The weather is perfect. It's sunny every day.

My sister is here with me. She's very happy because she's a big fan of the sea.

Our parents are here too. They're at the beach right now.

We're all having a wonderful time.

My brother James is joining us tomorrow. He's very excited about the trip.

You're always welcome to visit Greece too.

It's a fantastic place for a holiday!

Now go to Exercise 1 and answer True or False.

1. True or False

Context: A Postcard from Holiday (from the listening)

Listen again if you need to, then choose True or False.

2. Multiple Choice

Context: a text to a friend

Choose the correct contraction.

3. Matching

Context: full form to contraction

Match each full form to its contraction.

4. Gap Fill

Context: a diary entry

Complete the diary entry with the correct contraction for the words in brackets.

5. Contraction Sort

Click each contraction, then click the correct group below to sort it.

I'm

he's / she's / it's

you're / we're / they're

6. Word Order

Context: weekend plans

Click the words in the correct order to build each sentence.

7. Right or Wrong?

Context: an online profile

Is the contraction spelled right or wrong? Click your answer.

Your Scores

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Total points across all exercises

Exercise	Score
1. True or False	0 / 5
2. Multiple Choice	0 / 6
3. Matching	0 / 5
4. Gap Fill	0 / 6
5. Contraction Sort	0 / 7
6. Word Order	0 / 5
7. Right or Wrong	0 / 5