Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 3 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 1: Hello and Me

How old are you in other countries?

In some countries people count age in a different way. How old are you? In this lesson you learn numbers and talk about ages. You use my, your, his, her, our and their.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Age and numbers

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. How old are you?
  2. How old is your mother?
  3. How old is your best friend?
  4. Is your birthday in summer?
  5. When is your birthday?
  6. Are you young or old?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. My is thirty.
  2. A very young child is a .
  3. There are twelve months in a .
  4. My is in July. It is the day I was born.
  5. My grandmother is very . She is eighty.
  6. My little brother is . He is only six.
  7. There are seven in a week.
  8. In Korea, there is a new about age.
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. age is the number of
  2. a baby is a very
  3. a birthday is the day you were
  4. young is the opposite of
  5. a year has twelve
  6. the same is the opposite of
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to talk about age.

  • How old are you?Скільки тобі років?How old are you?
  • I am... years old.Мені... років.I am thirty years old.
  • My birthday is in...Мій день народження в...My birthday is in May.
  • She is the same age as...Їй стільки ж, як...She is the same age as me.
  • He is older than...Він старший за...He is older than his sister.
  • Her mother is...Її мама...Her mother is a doctor.
  • Our teacher is...Наш учитель...Our teacher is kind.
  • Their children are...Їхні діти...Their children are small.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Age in other countries

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

How old are you in other countries?

How old are you? In most countries, you are zero years old when you are born. After one year, you are one. This is the same in Ukraine.

In South Korea, there was a different way. A baby was one year old on the first day of life. Then, on the first of January, everybody was one year older. So a baby born in December was two years old after a few days!

In June 2023, a new law changed this. Now people in South Korea use the same age as in most other countries.

A lot of people in the world say "My age is..." and then a number. We say, for example, "I am twenty-five years old" or only "I am twenty-five". We do not say "I have twenty-five years".

How old are you now? And your family?

3.2

True or false?

  1. In most countries, a baby is zero years old at birth.
  2. In South Korea, there was a different way of counting age.
  3. The law changed in 2020.
  4. We say "I have twenty-five years".
  5. Now South Korea uses the same age as most countries.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Is age important?
  2. Do you like your age?
  3. Is it good to be young or old?
  4. Who is the oldest person in your family?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

My, your, his, her, our, their

Use these words before a noun. They show who has something. I → my, you → your, he → his, she → her, we → our, they → their.

My name is Anna. Your age is 25. His mother is a doctor. Her brother is young. Our teacher is kind. Their children are small.

It's / its, and 's

Use 's after a name for possession. Do not confuse it's (= it is) and its.

This is Anna's phone. Max's mother is a teacher. It's a long name.

Block 1 review

Use the grammar from this block.

the verb to be (L1) · questions with to be (L2)

Common mistakes: use my, your, his, her before a noun and not I, you, he, she. ✗ I name is Anna → My name is Anna. ✗ She is mother is a doctor → Her mother is a doctor. ✗ I have 25 years → I am 25.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. name is Anna.
  2. age is twenty-five.
  3. mother is a doctor.
  4. brother is young.
  5. teacher is kind.
  6. children are small.
  7. This is
    phone.
  8. a long name.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I name is Max. →
  2. She is mother is a doctor. →
  3. I have 25 years. →
  4. He name is Tom. →
  5. Our teacher are kind. →
  6. They children are small. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use my, your, his, her, our and their.

  1. How old are you?
  2. How old is your mother?
  3. What is your best friend's name?
  4. What is your teacher's name?
  5. How old are your parents?
  6. When is your birthday?
5

Three people and their ages, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and their ages

Three people say their age. Compare them. Who is the oldest? Who is the youngest? Whose age is different in another country?

Person 1

Mina, 5

  • Is from South Korea
  • Is a girl
  • Her birthday is in December
  • Her mother is a nurse
Person 2

Peter, 40

  • Is from Poland
  • Is a driver
  • His son is ten
  • His birthday is in May
Person 3

Olha, 70

  • Is from Ukraine
  • Is a grandmother
  • Her grandchildren are young
  • Her husband is the same age
5.2

Mini-talk: my age and my family

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: say your age and your birthday.
  3. Part 2: say the ages of two people in your family (his, her).
  4. Part 3: say what is the same and what is different in your family.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. How old are you?
  2. When is your birthday?
  3. How old is your mother?
  4. How old is your father?
  5. What is your best friend's name?
  6. Is your teacher young or old?
  7. Are your parents young?
  8. Are you the same age as your friends?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who is the oldest person in your family?
  2. Who is the youngest person in your family?
  3. Who is your age?
  4. Who is older than you?
  5. Who is younger than you?
  6. Whose birthday is in your month?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is it good to be old?
  2. Is it good to be young?
  3. Are babies funny?
  4. Is age only a number?
  5. Is 18 a good age?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Talking about age

You

Speaker

A new friend (your teacher) asks about your family:
  • say how old you are
  • say how old your mother and father are
  • say how old your best friend is
  • ask the friend one question
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use my, his and her.
Your teacher

New friend

Says things like:
  1. How old are you?
  2. How old is your mother?
  3. Is your father old?
  4. And your best friend?
7.2

A birthday party

You

Guest

You are at a birthday party and you talk to a person (your teacher):
  • say whose birthday it is
  • say how old he or she is
  • say what is your age
  • say when your birthday is
You do most of the talking. Use: His... · Her... · My... · Our...
Your teacher

Teacher

Says things like:
  1. Whose birthday is it?
  2. How old is she?
  3. And you?
  4. When is your birthday?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

agebabyyearbirthdayoldyoungdayslaw
  1. My is thirty.
  2. A very young child is a .
  3. There are twelve months in a .
  4. My is in July. It is the day I was born.
  5. My grandmother is very . She is eighty.
  6. My little brother is . He is only six.
  7. There are seven in a week.
  8. In Korea, there is a new about age.
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. sister is young.
  2. name is Maria.
  3. father is a driver.
  4. house is big.
  5. dog is small.
  6. phone is new.
  7. This is car.
  8. a good idea.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. My name is Anna.
  2. I name is Max.
  3. Her brother is young.
  4. She is mother is a doctor.
  5. I am 25 years old.
  6. I have 25 years.
  7. Their children are small.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. How old
  2. I am thirty
  3. My birthday
  4. She is the
  5. He is
  6. Her mother
  7. Our teacher

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