Do you need to practise your English more? Do you want to practise having conversations? Improve your daily English conversation skills with a number of of lessons. Learn how to speak English for everyday use.
In these conversation exercises, you will also find grammar lessons, question-answers for improving your English language.
Chapter 1 – Talking About The Weather
Situation: Ann and Mary talk while walking to their next class.
Ann: Oh, it feels so cold this morning.
Mary: It sure is. Early this morning my car’s windshield was covered with frost. I had to spray it with water before I could head to school.
Ann: Who would have thought it could be this cold in early December, especially in California.
Mary: I know. The temperature was 35 degrees Fahrenheit when I woke up this morning. I was freezing as soon as I got out of bed. The cold weather just hit me by surprise.
Ann: I cannot remember when it was this cold in early December.
Mary: Brace yourself for the rain this afternoon. Cold and wet, Yuck!
Ann: It is going to rain this afternoon?
Mary: Not only this afternoon, but also the rest of the week.
Ann: Oh, it is going to be miserable. I have a full class schedule today and tomorrow. To walk from class to class, I will have to juggle my books and my umbrella trying not to get wet.
Mary: You carry too many books. Why don’t you leave some of them in your locker?
Ann: My locker is a long way from my English classes. This is the reason why I carry all my books with me. Is it going to rain hard or just drizzle?
Mary: The news said that it would start to drizzle around noon, and then it would rain really hard by three o’clock.
Ann: No hope for better weather this week?
Mary: There is a slim chance of sunshine by Saturday. However, it will be foggy, windy, and rainy before the sun comes out this weekend.
Ann: I am glad that it rains even though I do not like rainy weather. We have a very dry season so far this year.
Mary: Yes, I can hardly remember when it rained last time. Well, as long as there is no thunder or lightning, I can bear it.
Ann: We rarely have thunder or lightning in California.
Mary: We are very lucky that California has one of the best weather conditions in America. When it is hot, it is not humid; when it rains, there is no thunder or lightning, and the cold weather during the winter season is quite mild compared to the weather of the other states.
Ann: Yes, we are lucky. However, sometimes when I look at the Christmas pictures, I just wish we had some snow. It looks so pretty when everything is covered by a blanket of pure white snow.
Mary: Living in southern California all my life, I have never seen snow. I would not mind playing in the snow once in a while.
Ann: Yes, it would be fun to make a snowman or go skiing.
Mary: We have never seen snow; we have never made a snowman, and we have never gone skiing. We better do something about this.
Ann: May be we should plan a trip to Aspen, Colorado during winter break. I heard that the skiing season is fantastic up there.
Mary: I don’t think we can afford a trip to Aspen. It is very expensive up there.
Ann: I am just wishing. I know what I will be doing during winter break. I will be working very hard to save money for a new car.
Mary: With the cars that we drive, it is better that we live in a place where there is no snow.
Ann: You are right, we are better off with no snow. Ok, I have class right now; see you later in the library.
Mary: See you later.
EXERCISES
2) Questions/Answers Practice
Q: Was it cold last night? A: Yes, it was.
Q: Was it hot yesterday? A: No, it was not.
Q: Was it very windy when you went to the store? A: No, it was quite nice.
Q: What did the news say? A: The news said that it would rain.
Q: How will it be during the weekend? A: It will be foggy, windy, and rainy.
Q: Is it humid in California? A: No, it is never humid in California.
Q: Is it going to be warm tonight? A: No, it will be chilly tonight.
Q: How will it be tomorrow? A: There is a slight chance of rain tomorrow.
Q: Is it going to be sunny tomorrow? A: No, it will be hazy tomorrow.
Q: How was the weather in Denver last week? A: It was cloudy last week.
3) Comprehension test
- How was the weather this morning?
- What happened to Mary’s car?
- What did Mary do to her car?
- What was the temperature when Mary woke up?
- How will it be in the afternoon?
- How long will it be raining?
- How is the weather until the weekend?
- Why will it be difficult for Ann when it rains this afternoon?
- When will it start raining really hard?
- How will it be during the coming weekend?
- What kind of season did they have so far this year?
- Why is the weather in California better than the weather in the other states?
- What is Ann wishing for?
- Why does Ann suggest a trip to Aspen?
- Can they afford a trip to Aspen?
4) Discussion
- What kinds of weather do you have in your country?
- Describe a perfect weather.
- Where would you want to live if you have a choice?
GRAMMAR REVIEW NOUNS:
1) Nouns can be classified as either common nouns or proper nouns:
A) Common nouns are used to refer to people, animals, things and places in general.
- Student Cat
- Umbrella
- Beach
Common nouns can be singular or plural. Singular nouns are used when there is one person, one animal or one thing.
- One week
- An umbrella
Plural nouns are used when more than one person, more than one thing or more than one place are mentioned. To form a plural noun, simply add –s to the end of the word.
- Two weeks
- Many umbrellas
Exceptions:
- For nouns that end with –ch, –s, –sh, –x and –z; add –es to form plural nouns.
- Peach, peaches
- Bus, buses
- For nouns that end with a consonant followed by –y, change –y to –i, and then add –es.
- Body, bodies
- Party, parties
- For nouns that end with a vowel followed by –y, add –s to form plural nouns.
- Toy, toys
- Boy, boys
- For nouns that end with –fe or – f, change – f to –v, and then add –es.
- Life, lives
- Leaf, leaves
Note:
Some nouns do not follow this rule. Example: roof, roofs; chief, chiefs.
- For nouns that end with –o preceded by a vowel, simply add –s. However, if –o is preceded by a consonant, add –es.
- Patio, patios
- Potato, potatoes
Note:
Some nouns do not follow this rule. Example: piano, pianos; photo, photos.
- Some nouns completely change when they become plural.
- Child, children
- Mouse, mice Foot, feet.
- Some nouns are singular even though they end in –s.
- The news is very depressing.
- Mathematics is not easy to understand sometimes.
- Some nouns are always plural.
- My pants are very comfortable.
- The scissors are very sharp
- Some nouns are the same in singular and plural form.
- Fish, fish
- Equipment, equipment
- Some nouns come from adjectives, and are considered plural nouns. They are always preceded by the.
- The rich have many expensive hobbies.
- Sometimes the young have a lot of wild ideas.
B) Proper nouns are used to name specific persons, things or places, and are always capitalized. Some examples are:
- Mary
- Aspen
- California
Questions/Answers Practice
| Q: Did you see a boy wandering around here? | A: No, I saw four boys wandering around here. |
| Q: How many peaches did you buy? | A: I just bought one peach. |
| Q: Are you talking about Jane and John’s parties? | A: No, I am just talking about John’s party? |
| Q: Are these your children? | A: No, that is my child. |
| Q: Did you hurt both feet? | A: No, I only hurt my left foot. |
| Q: Do you want an apple for lunch? | A: No, I want two apples. |
| Q: Who is living in this neighborhood? | A: Only the rich live in this neighborhood. |
| Q: Who needs a lot of medical care? | A: The old need a lot of medical care. |
Q: Who is that girl in the blue dress? A: Oh, that is Suzanne.
Q: Where are we? A: We are at San Pedro beach.